Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiayi and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiayi: $1,067 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Chiayi
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Chiayi Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Chiayi

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,067

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiayi 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 Chiayi and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,067 per month in Chiayi vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Chiayi $1,067
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,503 per month in Chiayi vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Chiayi $1,503
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,940 per month in Chiayi vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Chiayi $1,940
Budapest $3,429

Chiayi is about 34% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chiayi sits 21% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.83 NT$157

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-65.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 NT$1,519

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-23.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 NT$185

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-44.06%

Cappuccino

$3.36 NT$109

$3.26 Ft 1,055

3.07%

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

$0.88 NT$28.58

$2.14 Ft 690

-58.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.68

$1.78 Ft 577

-62.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 NT$92.4

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-23.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 NT$123

$3.77 Ft 1,217

0.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 NT$101

$1.15 Ft 371

169.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 NT$66.8

$1.79 Ft 578

15.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 NT$98.6

$2.49 Ft 804

22.09%

Eggs

$2.66 NT$86.3

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-31.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.77 NT$641

$11.10 Ft 3,587

78.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 NT$316

$6.62 Ft 2,139

47.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.98 NT$680

$14.69 Ft 4,745

42.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 NT$158

$1.83 Ft 591

166.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 NT$104

$2.05 Ft 661

57.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NT$97.0

$2.37 Ft 765

26.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 NT$148

$3.90 Ft 1,260

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 NT$90.9

$0.99 Ft 320

182.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 NT$76.3

$1.00 Ft 322

135.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$54.3

$1.58 Ft 511

6.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NT$37.04

$0.67 Ft 216

70.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 NT$130

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-49.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.66 NT$151

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-25.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$53.7

$1.27 Ft 411

29.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NT$70.8

$2.03 Ft 654

7.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.43 NT$403

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-55.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 NT$85.5

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-20.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 NT$14.94

$1.37 Ft 442

-66.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.66 NT$313

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-51.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.43

$1.82 Ft 589

-41.76%

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

$32.9K NT$1.1M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

10.25%

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

$24.5K NT$795.8K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-27.42%

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

$66.7 NT$2,164

$171 Ft 55.3K

-61.00%

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

$17.52 NT$568

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-25.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.93 NT$873

$23.29 Ft 7,526

15.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.82 NT$1,032

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-52.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 NT$319

$9.30 Ft 3,004

5.81%

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

$660 NT$21.4K

$533 Ft 172.3K

23.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K NT$543.4K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-0.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 NT$2,020

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-37.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 NT$1,279

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-9.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 NT$2,763

$110 Ft 35.7K

-22.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,383

$119 Ft 38.4K

-12.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 NT$12.0K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-55.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 NT$8,194

$622 Ft 200.9K

-59.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,179 NT$103.1K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-45.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 NT$61.9K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-50.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,110 NT$68.4K

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

27.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

6.45

-62.79%

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

Last update for Chiayi: 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

Chiayi

$379 35.5%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 32% $121

Accommodation & Living

Chiayi

$253 23.7%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 146% $369

Clothing & Footwear

Chiayi

$131 12.3%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 27.9% $37

Eating Out

Chiayi

$124 11.6%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 79.6% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiayi

$111 10.4%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 96% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Chiayi

$51 4.8%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 67.3% $35

Getting Around

Chiayi

$17 * 1.6%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 155% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $369 in Chiayi 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 28% higher in Chiayi, 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 $47.00 in Chiayi versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $379 in Chiayi vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Chiayi

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

06:28 6:28 AM

6 h behind Chiayi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

269,874

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

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).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiayi Budapest 8,910 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiayi
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

Chiayi vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,601 per month in Chiayi 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 Chiayi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 125% less in Chiayi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $660 per month in Chiayi and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiayi, where all-in costs run around $1,067, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Chiayi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiayi – 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 Chiayi. 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.