Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Luoyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Luoyang: $659 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Luoyang
Learn more

Luoyang Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Luoyang

🇨🇳 China

$659

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Luoyang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Budapest and in Luoyang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $659 in Luoyang, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Luoyang $659

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $1,067 in Luoyang, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Luoyang $1,067

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $1,475 in Luoyang, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Luoyang $1,475

Budapest costs about 149% more than Luoyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Luoyang is 51% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$3.69 ¥24.67

280.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$29.56 ¥198

106.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$5.74 ¥38.40

80.66%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$3.69 ¥24.68

-6.23%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 Ft 669

$0.46 ¥3.11

350.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$0.27 ¥1.82

555.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$1.26 ¥8.41

192.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$3.04 ¥20.35

25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.93 ¥12.89

-39.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$2.26 ¥15.08

-18.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$1.04 ¥6.94

130.77%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$1.42 ¥9.53

180.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$13.38 ¥89.5

-14.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$3.43 ¥22.95

100.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$9.18 ¥61.4

57.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$0.96 ¥6.41

95.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.31 ¥8.79

63.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$1.50 ¥10.02

53.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$1.26 ¥8.44

220.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$0.73 ¥4.90

39.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.87 ¥5.85

13.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$0.43 ¥2.90

267.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.83 ¥5.56

-15.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$1.68 ¥11.20

377.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$13.35 ¥89.3

-53.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$0.44 ¥2.92

181.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$2.13 ¥14.23

-3.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$0.29 ¥1.93

448.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$17.84 ¥119

54.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$1.23 ¥8.22

178.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$0.36 ¥2.38

269.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$7.04 ¥47.06

190.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.29 ¥8.60

49.61%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$19.6K ¥131.0K

48.73%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$17.5K ¥117.0K

98.53%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$175 Ft 56.4K

$43.38 ¥290

302.47%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$5.90 ¥39.43

300.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$10.57 ¥70.7

123.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$22.85 ¥153

201.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$11.74 ¥78.5

64.05%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$5.53 ¥36.96

86.44%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$535 Ft 172.9K

$197 ¥1,315

172.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$17.6K ¥117.7K

-4.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$49.15 ¥329

103.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$30.13 ¥201

43.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$66.0 ¥441

69.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$78.9 ¥527

50.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$188 ¥1,258

342.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$126 ¥840

400.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$439 ¥2,936

261.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$225 ¥1,507

431.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$2,154 ¥14.4K

165.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$1,409 ¥9,422

180.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$637 ¥4,259

168.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

4.45

44.94%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Luoyang: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Luoyang

$126 19.1% 80% $504

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Luoyang

$210 31.9% 19.6% $51

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Luoyang

$106 16.1% 53% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Luoyang

$60 9.1% 73% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Luoyang

$101 15.3% 40% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Luoyang

$34 5.2% 62.1% $56

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Luoyang

$22 3.3% 50% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $188 in Luoyang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 169% higher in Budapest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $30.00 in Luoyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $210 – making Luoyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇨🇳 Luoyang

🕒 Local time

12:21 12:21 PM

18:21 6:21 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,926,000

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Luoyang 7,480 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Luoyang

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Budapest vs Luoyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 149%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $988 in Luoyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Luoyang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 54% less in Luoyang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $197 in Luoyang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Luoyang, where all-in costs run around $659, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Luoyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Luoyang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Luoyang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.