Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheonan and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Cheonan: $1,467 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Budapest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

71

Cost of Living Index in Cheonan
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Cheonan Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Cheonan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,467

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cheonan and in Budapest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cheonan and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,467 per month in Cheonan vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Cheonan $1,467
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $2,259 per month in Cheonan vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Cheonan $2,259
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $3,051 per month in Cheonan vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Cheonan $3,051
Budapest $3,429

Cheonan is about 9% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cheonan and Budapest sit above the global median – Cheonan by 9%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.53 ₩10.0K

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-45.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.63 ₩30.1K

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-63.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.28 ₩5,693

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-58.00%

Cappuccino

$1.47 ₩1,951

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-54.91%

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

$1.16 ₩1,538

$2.14 Ft 690

-45.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 ₩1,867

$1.78 Ft 577

-21.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 ₩3,031

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-38.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ₩5,853

$3.77 Ft 1,217

16.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₩2,125

$1.15 Ft 371

39.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 ₩4,287

$1.79 Ft 578

79.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 ₩4,078

$2.49 Ft 804

23.29%

Eggs

$2.61 ₩3,476

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-33.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 ₩14.9K

$11.10 Ft 3,587

0.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₩13.8K

$6.62 Ft 2,139

56.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.11 ₩33.4K

$14.69 Ft 4,745

70.93%

Apples (1kg)

$11.23 ₩14.9K

$1.83 Ft 591

513.66%

Banana (1kg)

$3.73 ₩4,965

$2.05 Ft 661

81.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.07 ₩10.7K

$2.37 Ft 765

240.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.04 ₩8,035

$3.90 Ft 1,260

54.87%

Potato (1kg)

$6.10 ₩8,106

$0.99 Ft 320

516.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 ₩4,438

$1.00 Ft 322

234.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 ₩3,651

$1.58 Ft 511

74.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,765

$0.67 Ft 216

98.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₩4,494

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-57.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.30 ₩24.3K

$6.22 Ft 2,009

194.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 ₩3,229

$1.27 Ft 411

91.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ₩4,454

$2.03 Ft 654

65.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,509

$1.52 Ft 490

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 ₩4,050

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-7.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₩1,036

$1.37 Ft 442

-43.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.69 ₩22.2K

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-15.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₩1,650

$1.82 Ft 589

-31.87%

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

$29.7K ₩39.5M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-0.18%

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

$34.2K ₩45.5M

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

1.17%

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

$199 ₩264.9K

$171 Ft 55.3K

16.41%

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

$35.67 ₩47.4K

$23.51 Ft 7,596

51.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.08 ₩36.0K

$23.29 Ft 7,526

16.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩68.6K

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-23.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.77 ₩15.6K

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-37.69%

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 ₩16.1K

$9.30 Ft 3,004

30.43%

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

$636 ₩845.7K

$533 Ft 172.3K

19.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K ₩28.6M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

28.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 ₩88.0K

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-33.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 ₩79.1K

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

36.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 ₩123.1K

$110 Ft 35.7K

-16.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ₩168.9K

$119 Ft 38.4K

6.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 ₩636.1K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-42.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₩479.5K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-42.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 ₩1.5M

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-27.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 ₩982.3K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-36.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,244 ₩9.6M

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

24.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,422 ₩7.2M

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

39.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,824 ₩2.4M

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

10.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

6.45

-34.57%

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

Last update for Cheonan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cheonan

$480 32.8%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 46.3% $222

Accommodation & Living

Cheonan

$361 24.6%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 72.4% $261

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cheonan

$262 17.9%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 16.8% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Cheonan

$155 10.6%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 7.9% $12

Eating Out

Cheonan

$121 8.3%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 84.1% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Cheonan

$76 5.2%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 13.6% $10

Getting Around

Cheonan

$11 * 0.8%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 285% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $478 in Cheonan versus $830 in Budapest. 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 10% higher in Cheonan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Cheonan versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $480 in Cheonan vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Cheonan

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:26 3:26 AM

20:26 8:26 PM

7 h behind Cheonan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

658,486

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cheonan Budapest 8,240 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cheonan
Budapest

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

Cheonan vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,200 per month in Cheonan and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cheonan, 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 $23.00 in Cheonan and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 86% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cheonan, where all-in costs run around $1,467, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Cheonan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cheonan – 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 Cheonan. 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.