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: $1,288 in Hungary versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,982 in Hungary versus $1,147 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,675 in Hungary versus $1,574 in China.

Living in Hungary is roughly 79% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Hungary 6% lower, China 47% lower.

Hungary ($1,056–$1,666) and China ($455–$1,219) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.58 Ft 3,974

$2.92 ¥19.58

330.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.4 Ft 18.1K

$22.23 ¥149

158.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 Ft 3,059

$5.13 ¥34.33

88.69%

Cappuccino

$2.65 Ft 838

$2.99 ¥20.03

-11.37%

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

$1.77 Ft 561

$0.52 ¥3.50

240.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 Ft 430

$0.28 ¥1.87

385.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 Ft 892

$1.05 ¥7.04

168.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 Ft 882

$2.26 ¥15.17

23.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 Ft 396

$1.81 ¥12.11

-30.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 Ft 490

$1.68 ¥11.23

-7.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 Ft 753

$0.90 ¥6.05

164.44%

Eggs

$3.55 Ft 1,121

$1.56 ¥10.43

127.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.72 Ft 3,388

$13.24 ¥88.7

-19.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.77 Ft 2,138

$3.49 ¥23.39

93.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.11 Ft 4,772

$11.23 ¥75.2

34.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 648

$1.86 ¥12.43

10.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 677

$1.26 ¥8.47

69.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 725

$1.53 ¥10.22

50.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 Ft 1,125

$1.26 ¥8.45

182.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 Ft 348

$0.73 ¥4.91

50.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 Ft 409

$0.88 ¥5.89

46.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 Ft 506

$0.65 ¥4.33

146.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Ft 171

$0.58 ¥3.88

-6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.71 Ft 2,436

$3.71 ¥24.84

107.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.42 Ft 1,712

$11.80 ¥79.0

-54.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 Ft 396

$0.85 ¥5.69

47.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 Ft 638

$1.67 ¥11.19

20.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 Ft 445

$0.29 ¥1.92

386.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.10 Ft 8,878

$22.67 ¥152

23.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 Ft 1,075

$1.50 ¥10.07

126.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 Ft 440

$0.35 ¥2.32

297.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 Ft 5,949

$7.29 ¥48.83

158.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 Ft 583

$1.22 ¥8.18

50.82%

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

$31.3K Ft 9.9M

$19.0K ¥127.2K

64.70%

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

$35.5K Ft 11.2M

$17.4K ¥116.2K

104.67%

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

$162 Ft 51.3K

$54.0 ¥361

200.50%

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

$27.02 Ft 8,537

$8.41 ¥56.3

221.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.54 Ft 7,439

$10.82 ¥72.4

117.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 Ft 16.7K

$40.41 ¥271

31.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 Ft 5,521

$14.63 ¥98.0

19.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 Ft 2,844

$6.60 ¥44.17

36.36%

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

$404 Ft 127.6K

$452 ¥3,024

-10.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K Ft 3.6M

$19.2K ¥128.8K

-40.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 Ft 28.7K

$44.23 ¥296

105.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.31 Ft 11.8K

$35.46 ¥237

5.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 Ft 30.9K

$74.7 ¥500

31.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 Ft 32.6K

$78.6 ¥526

31.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 Ft 192.6K

$394 ¥2,641

54.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 Ft 144.7K

$243 ¥1,630

88.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 Ft 328.0K

$845 ¥5,659

22.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 Ft 258.5K

$481 ¥3,220

70.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 Ft 1.2M

$4,609 ¥30.9K

-15.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,889 Ft 912.6K

$2,327 ¥15.6K

24.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,340 Ft 423.5K

$1,060 ¥7,098

26.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.47

107.49%

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

Last update for Hungary: September 14, 2026

Last update for China: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $522 in Hungary, $294 in China. Capital cities: $860 in Budapest vs $985 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,221 in Hungary, $867 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 78% higher in Hungary.

Dining out costs 152% more in Hungary.

Public transport is 53% more expensive in Hungary.

Salaries are 41% higher in Hungary, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 $837 per month in China and $1,361 in Hungary, there's a 63% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.