Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Taiyuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Taiyuan: $589 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Taiyuan
Learn more

Taiyuan Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Taiyuan

🇨🇳 China

$589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Taiyuan

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $589 in Taiyuan, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Taiyuan $589

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $913 in Taiyuan, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Taiyuan $913

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,238 in Taiyuan, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Taiyuan $1,238

Budapest costs about 175% more than Taiyuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Taiyuan is 56% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$2.28 ¥15.23

511.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$14.73 ¥98.5

315.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$4.40 ¥29.41

131.59%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.64 ¥17.62

23.48%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.47 ¥3.12

355.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.29 ¥1.92

513.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.22 ¥8.13

204.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.15 ¥14.38

75.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$0.83 ¥5.52

200.00%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.01 ¥6.76

286.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$13.02 ¥87.0

12.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.87 ¥12.52

-2.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.38 ¥9.21

48.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$0.81 ¥5.41

192.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.16 ¥7.77

236.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.48 ¥3.20

106.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.29 ¥1.91

244.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.46 ¥3.08

45.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.95 ¥19.75

169.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$7.56 ¥50.6

-17.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.87 ¥5.80

45.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.45 ¥9.72

40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.31 ¥2.08

390.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$13.65 ¥91.3

105.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.18 ¥7.90

180.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.23 ¥1.53

495.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$3.73 ¥24.91

431.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.25 ¥8.34

45.60%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$20.0K ¥133.6K

49.14%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$17.5K ¥117.3K

92.81%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$94.3 ¥631

81.42%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$10.27 ¥68.7

128.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$12.74 ¥85.2

82.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$45.17 ¥302

49.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$8.76 ¥58.6

115.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$6.64 ¥44.37

40.06%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$27.60 ¥185

260.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$67.2 ¥449

-35.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$74.0 ¥495

49.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$59.4 ¥397

100.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$223 ¥1,491

272.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$114 ¥760

446.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$556 ¥3,719

186.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$259 ¥1,733

351.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,629 ¥17.6K

121.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,252 ¥8,368

210.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$928 ¥6,202

77.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

3.83

68.41%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Taiyuan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Taiyuan

$114 19.3% 81.7% $508

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Taiyuan

$103 * 17.5% 60.1% $155

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Taiyuan

$76 13% 65.7% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Taiyuan

$117 19.9% 46.1% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Taiyuan

$103 17.4% 38.7% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Taiyuan

$58 9.9% 32.1% $28

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Taiyuan

$17 2.9% 61.1% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $223 in Taiyuan. 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 78% 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 $15.00 in Taiyuan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $103 – making Taiyuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇨🇳 Taiyuan

🕒 Local time

15:27 3:27 PM

21:27 9:27 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

3,525,300

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Taiyuan 7,250 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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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 Taiyuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 175%, 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 $883 in Taiyuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 105% less in Taiyuan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 151% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taiyuan, where all-in costs run around $589, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Taiyuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taiyuan – 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 Taiyuan. 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.