Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Zhangjiakou

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhangjiakou: $776 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Zhangjiakou
Learn more

Zhangjiakou Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Zhangjiakou

🇨🇳 China

$776

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Zhangjiakou

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $776 in Zhangjiakou, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Zhangjiakou $776

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,216 in Zhangjiakou, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Zhangjiakou $1,216

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,656 in Zhangjiakou, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Zhangjiakou $1,656

Budapest costs about 108% more than Zhangjiakou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Zhangjiakou is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,517

$2.20 ¥14.72

533.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$24.17 ¥161

153.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,302

$6.05 ¥40.41

68.43%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,058

$3.52 ¥23.50

-7.39%

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

$2.14 Ft 693

$0.51 ¥3.42

319.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 578

$0.26 ¥1.72

584.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,202

$0.94 ¥6.30

294.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,221

$1.76 ¥11.74

114.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 372

$1.44 ¥9.61

-20.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 579

$2.31 ¥15.42

-22.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 806

$1.06 ¥7.10

134.91%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,265

$1.02 ¥6.81

282.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,599

$14.81 ¥99.0

-25.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,146

$2.93 ¥19.57

125.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,761

$9.37 ¥62.6

56.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 593

$1.62 ¥10.80

12.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 663

$0.93 ¥6.21

120.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 768

$1.77 ¥11.86

33.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,264

$1.23 ¥8.23

217.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 321

$0.80 ¥5.34

23.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 323

$0.58 ¥3.86

72.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 513

$0.63 ¥4.19

150.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 217

$0.72 ¥4.79

-6.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,580

$3.84 ¥25.63

107.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,015

$13.47 ¥90.0

-53.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 412

$1.07 ¥7.18

18.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 657

$2.45 ¥16.34

-17.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 492

$0.31 ¥2.10

390.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,082

$17.91 ¥120

56.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,073

$1.07 ¥7.18

209.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 444

$0.32 ¥2.16

328.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,427

$6.15 ¥41.07

222.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 590

$1.21 ¥8.10

50.41%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.7M

$19.6K ¥131.2K

51.69%

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

$33.8K Ft 11.0M

$17.5K ¥116.8K

93.47%

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

$171 Ft 55.5K

$93.0 ¥622

83.92%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,620

$6.24 ¥41.69

276.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,550

$7.62 ¥50.9

205.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.9K

$41.33 ¥276

63.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,124

$14.92 ¥99.7

26.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,013

$7.53 ¥50.3

23.51%

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

$533 Ft 172.9K

$342 ¥2,288

55.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$5,359 ¥35.8K

212.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.3K

$44.47 ¥297

123.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.1K

$28.44 ¥190

52.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.8K

$98.7 ¥659

11.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$60.5 ¥404

96.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 269.2K

$304 ¥2,029

173.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 201.6K

$186 ¥1,242

234.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 516.5K

$625 ¥4,175

155.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 379.3K

$370 ¥2,470

216.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$3,819 ¥25.5K

52.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,933 ¥12.9K

101.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 535.2K

$396 ¥2,643

317.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

3.54

82.20%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Zhangjiakou: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Zhangjiakou

$186 23.9% 70.1% $436

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Zhangjiakou

$212 27.3% 17.9% $46

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Zhangjiakou

$89 11.5% 60% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Zhangjiakou

$107 13.8% 50.9% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Zhangjiakou

$104 13.5% 37.7% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Zhangjiakou

$56 7.3% 34.5% $30

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Zhangjiakou

$22 2.8% 50.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $304 in Zhangjiakou. 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 317% 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 $24.00 in Zhangjiakou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $212 – making Zhangjiakou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇨🇳 Zhangjiakou

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

20:19 8:19 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

4,345,491

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.09 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 324 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Zhangjiakou 7,180 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Budapest vs Zhangjiakou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 108%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,165 in Zhangjiakou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 56% less in Zhangjiakou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $342 in Zhangjiakou. 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 Zhangjiakou, where all-in costs run around $776, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Zhangjiakou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhangjiakou – 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 Zhangjiakou. 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.