Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Taipa

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,021 in Taipa, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Taipa
Learn more

Taipa Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Taipa

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,021

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Taipa

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 Taipa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $2,021 in Taipa, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Taipa $2,021

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $3,175 in Taipa, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Taipa $3,175

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $4,330 in Taipa, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Taipa $4,330

Budapest is about 20% cheaper than Taipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Taipa sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Taipa by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$6.30 MOP 50.9

122.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$56.6 MOP 458

6.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$5.96 MOP 48.13

67.11%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$4.87 MOP 39.38

-30.60%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$0.77 MOP 6.21

176.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.36 MOP 2.90

419.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$5.87 MOP 47.47

-36.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$7.20 MOP 58.2

-50.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$3.14 MOP 25.41

-64.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.76 MOP 14.19

4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.73 MOP 13.97

38.15%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$3.35 MOP 27.06

14.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$16.42 MOP 133

-31.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$19.52 MOP 158

-65.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$28.67 MOP 232

-48.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$2.66 MOP 21.49

-30.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$2.92 MOP 23.58

-31.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.90 MOP 15.32

24.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$2.37 MOP 19.14

59.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$4.04 MOP 32.67

-76.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$2.83 MOP 22.91

-63.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.62 MOP 5.03

151.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$1.18 MOP 9.54

-44.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$6.88 MOP 55.6

15.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$12.16 MOP 98.3

-50.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.78 MOP 14.35

-26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$2.26 MOP 18.27

-7.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$2.55 MOP 20.64

29.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$1.25 MOP 10.06

4.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$15.06 MOP 122

31.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.83 MOP 14.81

-1.09%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$31.5K MOP 254.6K

-6.89%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$31.8K MOP 257.1K

7.22%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$122 MOP 984

39.59%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$23.67 MOP 191

1.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$36.90 MOP 298

-36.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$73.7 MOP 596

-10.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$3.74 MOP 30.22

412.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$12.47 MOP 101

-23.66%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$1,203 MOP 9,723

-55.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$18.7K MOP 150.8K

-11.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$69.9 MOP 565

45.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$34.04 MOP 275

26.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$93.2 MOP 754

20.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$138 MOP 1,113

-13.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$1,065 MOP 8,607

-24.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$1,001 MOP 8,089

-37.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$2,130 MOP 17.2K

-27.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$1,891 MOP 15.3K

-38.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$15.9K MOP 128.2K

-64.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$13.6K MOP 109.8K

-70.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

114.33%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Taipa: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Taipa

$1K 49.1% 59.1% $372

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Taipa

$425 20.8% 64.8% $167

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Taipa

$175 8.6% 22% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Taipa

$182 8.9% 16.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Taipa

$151 7.4% 10.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Taipa

$99 4.8% 15.7% $13

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Taipa

$8.8 * 0.4% 79.8% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $1,065 in Taipa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest versus $57.0 in Taipa. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $425 in Taipa – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇴 Taipa

🕒 Local time

08:15 8:15 AM

14:15 2:15 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

78,497

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Macanese Pataca MOP P

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MOP, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Taipa 8,540 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Taipa

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 Taipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Taipa is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $3,031 in Taipa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest and $57.0 in Taipa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 65% more in Taipa, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Taipa at $2,021. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taipa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – 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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Taipa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.