Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gongju and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Gongju: $1,539 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $960 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Budapest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

75

Cost of Living Index in Gongju
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Gongju Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Gongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,539

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,539 per month in Gongju vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Gongju $1,539
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $2,437 per month in Gongju vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Gongju $2,437
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $3,335 per month in Gongju vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Gongju $3,335
Budapest $3,429

Gongju is about 5% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Gongju and Budapest sit above the global median – Gongju by 14%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.29 ₩9,697

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-47.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.03 ₩63.9K

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-21.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.54 ₩8,700

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-35.82%

Cappuccino

$3.77 ₩5,015

$3.26 Ft 1,055

15.64%

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

$1.85 ₩2,461

$2.14 Ft 690

-13.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₩1,918

$1.78 Ft 577

-19.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ₩5,104

$3.71 Ft 1,198

3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 ₩5,721

$3.77 Ft 1,217

14.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,004

$1.15 Ft 371

96.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 ₩4,246

$1.79 Ft 578

78.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 ₩4,197

$2.49 Ft 804

26.91%

Eggs

$2.74 ₩3,641

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-29.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 ₩14.5K

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-1.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.47 ₩13.9K

$6.62 Ft 2,139

58.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.73 ₩32.9K

$14.69 Ft 4,745

68.35%

Apples (1kg)

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$1.83 Ft 591

518.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.61 ₩4,803

$2.05 Ft 661

76.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.27 ₩11.0K

$2.37 Ft 765

248.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 ₩7,908

$3.90 Ft 1,260

52.56%

Potato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,120

$0.99 Ft 320

517.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 ₩4,283

$1.00 Ft 322

222.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 ₩3,766

$1.58 Ft 511

79.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,704

$0.67 Ft 216

91.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 ₩4,357

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-58.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.67 ₩24.8K

$6.22 Ft 2,009

200.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₩3,166

$1.27 Ft 411

87.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₩4,700

$2.03 Ft 654

73.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,513

$1.52 Ft 490

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 ₩4,884

$3.31 Ft 1,070

10.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩967

$1.37 Ft 442

-46.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 ₩22.7K

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-13.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₩1,819

$1.82 Ft 589

-24.73%

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

$29.5K ₩39.3M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-0.89%

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

$33.3K ₩44.3M

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-1.44%

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

$197 ₩262.1K

$171 Ft 55.3K

15.19%

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

$36.42 ₩48.4K

$23.51 Ft 7,596

54.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.72 ₩35.5K

$23.29 Ft 7,526

14.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 ₩69.0K

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-23.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.00 ₩16.0K

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-36.47%

Cinema Ticket

$11.80 ₩15.7K

$9.30 Ft 3,004

26.88%

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

$624 ₩830.3K

$533 Ft 172.3K

17.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K ₩28.7M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

28.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩137.8K

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

4.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.4 ₩88.3K

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

52.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 ₩125.9K

$110 Ft 35.7K

-14.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ₩168.5K

$119 Ft 38.4K

6.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ₩650.1K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-41.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 ₩484.6K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-41.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 ₩1.5M

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-27.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 ₩1.0M

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-35.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,239 ₩9.6M

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

24.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,410 ₩7.2M

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

39.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,309 ₩1.7M

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-20.73%

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 Gongju: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gongju

$486 31.6%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 46.9% $228

Accommodation & Living

Gongju

$364 23.7%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 70.6% $257

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gongju

$260 16.9%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 16.3% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Gongju

$176 11.5%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 4.8% $8.5

Eating Out

Gongju

$164 10.7%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 35.8% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Gongju

$75 4.9%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 14.1% $11

Getting Around

Gongju

$12 * 0.8%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 273% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $489 in Gongju 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 26% 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 $48.00 in Gongju versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $486 in Gongju vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gongju

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

21:21 9:21 PM

14:21 2:21 PM

7 h behind Gongju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,428

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 17, 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 17, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Gongju Budapest 8,270 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Gongju
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

Gongju vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,308 per month in Gongju 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 Gongju, 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 $48.00 in Gongju 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 88% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Gongju, where all-in costs run around $1,539, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Gongju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gongju – 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 Gongju. 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.