Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Xiamen

For one person, living is cheaper in Xiamen: $842 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Xiamen
Learn more

Xiamen Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Xiamen

🇨🇳 China

$842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Xiamen

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $842 in Xiamen, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Xiamen $842

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,338 in Xiamen, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Xiamen $1,338

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $1,835 in Xiamen, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Xiamen $1,835

Budapest costs about 93% more than Xiamen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Xiamen is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$3.01 ¥20.10

364.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$23.67 ¥158

154.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$5.36 ¥35.85

85.82%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$2.51 ¥16.78

34.66%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$0.47 ¥3.14

353.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.35 ¥2.37

434.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$1.47 ¥9.86

155.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$2.99 ¥19.97

19.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.46 ¥9.78

-22.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$2.27 ¥15.20

-18.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$0.98 ¥6.55

143.88%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$1.63 ¥10.92

134.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$11.95 ¥79.9

-5.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$2.52 ¥16.83

167.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$11.73 ¥78.4

25.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$2.55 ¥17.05

-27.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.47 ¥9.85

36.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.66 ¥11.09

42.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$1.97 ¥13.19

91.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$1.03 ¥6.86

-6.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$1.82 ¥12.18

-43.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.91 ¥6.05

71.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.49 ¥3.31

34.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$3.06 ¥20.47

160.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$11.22 ¥75.0

-46.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$0.81 ¥5.40

60.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$1.70 ¥11.37

22.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.16 ¥1.07

837.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$12.10 ¥80.9

128.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$1.47 ¥9.82

124.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.29 ¥1.92

348.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$7.34 ¥49.07

169.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.31 ¥8.78

38.17%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$19.3K ¥128.8K

52.21%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$17.3K ¥115.4K

97.53%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$44.42 ¥297

282.58%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$8.81 ¥58.9

172.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$10.23 ¥68.3

128.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$48.22 ¥322

37.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$10.59 ¥70.8

81.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$10.22 ¥68.3

-6.85%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$488 ¥3,264

9.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$24.1K ¥161.3K

-31.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$38.84 ¥260

160.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$28.49 ¥190

50.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$105 ¥703

7.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$84.5 ¥565

40.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$342 ¥2,283

135.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$269 ¥1,798

133.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$825 ¥5,511

87.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$547 ¥3,655

113.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$8,597 ¥57.5K

-34.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$4,684 ¥31.3K

-15.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$1,138 ¥7,607

42.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

3.46

85.84%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Xiamen: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Xiamen

$269 32.2% 57.2% $360

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Xiamen

$216 25.8% 16.3% $42

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Xiamen

$87 10.4% 61.2% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Xiamen

$63 7.6% 70.8% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Xiamen

$116 13.9% 31.6% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Xiamen

$69 8.2% 19.5% $17

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Xiamen

$16 1.9% 64% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $342 in Xiamen. 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 43% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $24.00 in Xiamen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $216 – making Xiamen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇨🇳 Xiamen

🕒 Local time

06:59 6:59 AM

12:59 12:59 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

3,531,000

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Xiamen 8,670 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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 Xiamen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,263 in Xiamen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 128% less in Xiamen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $488 in Xiamen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Xiamen, where all-in costs run around $842, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Xiamen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Xiamen – 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 Xiamen. 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.