Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Hungary Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Hungary

Name: Hungary
Address: HU

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $713 in China versus $1,124 in Hungary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in China versus $1,706 in Hungary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in China versus $2,288 in Hungary.

Living in China costs about 37% less than in Hungary on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Hungary 16% lower.

China ($535–$1,206) and Hungary ($891–$1,451) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.36

$11.62 Ft 3,516

-75.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.29 ¥158

$51.4 Ft 15.5K

-54.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ¥32.66

$8.56 Ft 2,591

-43.57%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.52

$2.31 Ft 700

31.60%

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

$0.45 ¥3.03

$1.59 Ft 480

-71.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$1.18 Ft 358

-77.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ¥6.71

$2.36 Ft 714

-58.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥13.74

$2.94 Ft 888

-30.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.86

$1.16 Ft 350

50.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ¥11.31

$1.55 Ft 470

7.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.56

$1.98 Ft 600

-51.01%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.45

$2.86 Ft 865

-46.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.30 ¥89.9

$9.63 Ft 2,913

38.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ¥21.69

$5.87 Ft 1,777

-45.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.79 ¥73.0

$12.66 Ft 3,829

-14.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.27

$1.77 Ft 534

2.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.84

$1.87 Ft 567

-29.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.15

$1.98 Ft 598

-24.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.74

$3.13 Ft 948

-63.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.90

$1.11 Ft 336

-34.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.86

$1.22 Ft 368

-28.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.85

$1.43 Ft 434

-60.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.55 Ft 167

-1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.53 ¥23.88

$6.47 Ft 1,957

-45.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 ¥79.2

$5.08 Ft 1,538

130.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.67

$1.10 Ft 332

-23.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.29

$1.50 Ft 452

11.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$1.32 Ft 398

-68.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.78 ¥141

$25.79 Ft 7,802

-19.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.21

$3.24 Ft 981

-58.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.21

$1.12 Ft 340

-70.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 ¥46.40

$19.36 Ft 5,857

-64.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.57

$1.72 Ft 521

-34.88%

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

$19.2K ¥129.8K

$28.6K Ft 8.7M

-32.90%

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

$16.9K ¥114.4K

$30.1K Ft 9.1M

-43.85%

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

$51.8 ¥350

$150 Ft 45.4K

-65.48%

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

$9.85 ¥66.6

$26.25 Ft 7,941

-62.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.13 ¥75.3

$20.11 Ft 6,083

-44.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.10 ¥264

$53.1 Ft 16.1K

-26.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.89 ¥101

$18.07 Ft 5,468

-17.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.25 ¥42.24

$8.64 Ft 2,615

-27.66%

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

$404 ¥2,732

$393 Ft 118.9K

2.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥120.5K

$10.1K Ft 3.1M

76.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.11 ¥312

$78.8 Ft 23.8K

-41.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 ¥218

$36.91 Ft 11.2K

-12.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 ¥491

$89.3 Ft 27.0K

-18.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 ¥493

$95.2 Ft 28.8K

-23.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 ¥3,009

$582 Ft 176.0K

-23.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 ¥1,727

$453 Ft 137.1K

-43.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ¥6,266

$989 Ft 299.2K

-6.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 ¥3,600

$755 Ft 228.5K

-29.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,943 ¥33.4K

$3,812 Ft 1.2M

29.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,492 ¥16.9K

$2,953 Ft 893.4K

-15.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,057 ¥7,148

$1,396 Ft 422.4K

-24.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

7.35

-44.76%

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

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Last update for Hungary: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $449 in Hungary. Capital cities: $913 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $743 in Budapest.

National salary averages: $862 in China, $1,249 in Hungary. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 57% higher in Hungary.

Dining out costs 114% more in Hungary.

Public transport is 39% more expensive in Hungary.

Salaries are 45% higher in Hungary.

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

China vs Hungary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $871 per month in China and $1,171 in Hungary, there's a 35% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Hungary beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Hungary, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. China wins on affordability; Hungary may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.