Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and New Taipei City

For one person, living is cheaper in New Taipei City: $1,211 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in New Taipei City
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New Taipei City Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

New Taipei City

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,211

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in New Taipei City

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 New Taipei City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,211 in New Taipei City, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
New Taipei City $1,211

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $2,026 in New Taipei City, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
New Taipei City $2,026

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,841 in New Taipei City, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
New Taipei City $2,841

Budapest costs about 34% more than New Taipei City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while New Taipei City is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$4.77 NT$155

192.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$31.06 NT$1,007

97.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$5.02 NT$163

102.99%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.27 NT$73.5

43.61%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.88 NT$28.40

143.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.56 NT$18.22

217.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.58 NT$51.3

134.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.57 NT$83.4

46.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$3.13 NT$102

-63.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.81 NT$58.6

-1.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.17 NT$70.5

14.75%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.20 NT$71.3

77.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$24.39 NT$791

-54.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$10.58 NT$343

-37.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$19.26 NT$625

-23.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$3.99 NT$129

-54.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$2.54 NT$82.4

-19.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.68 NT$86.8

-11.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$3.98 NT$129

-2.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$4.06 NT$132

-75.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$2.06 NT$66.7

-51.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.61 NT$52.4

-1.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$1.08 NT$35.18

-37.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$4.33 NT$140

83.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$9.14 NT$296

-31.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.39 NT$45.09

-8.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.42 NT$78.4

-16.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.82 NT$26.53

85.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$36.86 NT$1,195

-23.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$2.82 NT$91.4

17.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.92 NT$29.96

48.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$9.46 NT$307

109.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.00 NT$32.44

82.00%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$33.3K NT$1.1M

-10.39%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$24.5K NT$793.2K

38.24%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$114 NT$3,682

50.73%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$16.72 NT$542

40.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$23.01 NT$746

1.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$38.40 NT$1,245

75.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$8.04 NT$261

134.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$12.49 NT$405

-25.54%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$639 NT$20.7K

-16.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$21.5K NT$696.7K

-22.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$35.61 NT$1,155

179.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$30.90 NT$1,002

40.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$92.5 NT$3,000

19.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$100 NT$3,247

18.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$641 NT$20.8K

29.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$348 NT$11.3K

78.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$1,406 NT$45.6K

13.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$927 NT$30.0K

26.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$12.4K NT$402.0K

-52.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$7,282 NT$236.1K

-46.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$1,418 NT$46.0K

16.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

2.81

129.54%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for New Taipei City: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

New Taipei City

$348 28.8% 44% $274

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

New Taipei City

$382 31.6% 48.2% $124

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

New Taipei City

$99 8.2% 55.5% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

New Taipei City

$153 12.7% 29.7% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

New Taipei City

$117 9.6% 30.4% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

New Taipei City

$63 5.2% 26.4% $23

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

New Taipei City

$48 3.9% 7.5% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $641 in New Taipei City. 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 16% 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 $31.00 in New Taipei City. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $382 in New Taipei City – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇹🇼 New Taipei City

🕒 Local time

01:39 1:39 AM

07:39 7:39 AM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

4,004,367

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest New Taipei City 8,850 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
New Taipei City

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 New Taipei City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,816 in New Taipei City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 32% less in New Taipei City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $639 in New Taipei City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in New Taipei City, where all-in costs run around $1,211, than in Budapest at $1,619. In New Taipei City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward New Taipei City – 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 New Taipei City. 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.