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

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Hungary is roughly 58% more expensive than China on average.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 Ft 3,516

$2.86 ¥19.36

306.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.4 Ft 15.5K

$23.29 ¥158

120.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 Ft 2,591

$4.83 ¥32.66

77.23%

Cappuccino

$2.31 Ft 700

$3.04 ¥20.52

-24.01%

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

$1.59 Ft 480

$0.45 ¥3.03

253.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 Ft 358

$0.27 ¥1.81

337.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 Ft 714

$0.99 ¥6.71

138.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 Ft 888

$2.03 ¥13.74

44.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 350

$1.75 ¥11.86

-33.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 Ft 470

$1.67 ¥11.31

-7.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 Ft 600

$0.97 ¥6.56

104.12%

Eggs

$2.86 Ft 865

$1.54 ¥10.45

85.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 Ft 2,913

$13.30 ¥89.9

-27.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.87 Ft 1,777

$3.21 ¥21.69

82.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.66 Ft 3,829

$10.79 ¥73.0

17.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 Ft 534

$1.81 ¥12.27

-2.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 Ft 567

$1.31 ¥8.84

42.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 Ft 598

$1.50 ¥10.15

32.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 Ft 948

$1.14 ¥7.74

174.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 Ft 336

$0.73 ¥4.90

52.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 Ft 368

$0.87 ¥5.86

40.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 Ft 434

$0.57 ¥3.85

150.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Ft 167

$0.54 ¥3.63

1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.47 Ft 1,957

$3.53 ¥23.88

83.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 Ft 1,538

$11.71 ¥79.2

-56.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 Ft 332

$0.84 ¥5.67

30.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 Ft 452

$1.67 ¥11.29

-10.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 Ft 398

$0.41 ¥2.75

221.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.79 Ft 7,802

$20.78 ¥141

24.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 Ft 981

$1.36 ¥9.21

138.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 Ft 340

$0.33 ¥2.21

239.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.36 Ft 5,857

$6.86 ¥46.40

182.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 Ft 521

$1.12 ¥7.57

53.57%

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

$28.6K Ft 8.7M

$19.2K ¥129.8K

49.04%

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

$30.1K Ft 9.1M

$16.9K ¥114.4K

78.11%

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

$150 Ft 45.4K

$51.8 ¥350

189.65%

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

$26.25 Ft 7,941

$9.85 ¥66.6

166.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.11 Ft 6,083

$11.13 ¥75.3

80.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 Ft 16.1K

$39.10 ¥264

35.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.07 Ft 5,468

$14.89 ¥101

21.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.64 Ft 2,615

$6.25 ¥42.24

38.24%

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

$393 Ft 118.9K

$404 ¥2,732

-2.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K Ft 3.1M

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-43.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.8 Ft 23.8K

$46.11 ¥312

70.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.91 Ft 11.2K

$32.27 ¥218

14.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 Ft 27.0K

$72.7 ¥491

22.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.2 Ft 28.8K

$72.9 ¥493

30.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 Ft 176.0K

$445 ¥3,009

30.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 Ft 137.1K

$255 ¥1,727

77.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 Ft 299.2K

$927 ¥6,266

6.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 Ft 228.5K

$532 ¥3,600

41.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,812 Ft 1.2M

$4,943 ¥33.4K

-22.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,953 Ft 893.4K

$2,492 ¥16.9K

18.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,396 Ft 422.4K

$1,057 ¥7,148

32.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.35

4.06

81.03%

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

Last update for Hungary: June 7, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $1,249 in Hungary, $862 in China. 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

Hungary vs China: 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.