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 $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,710 in Hungary versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,296 in Hungary versus $1,549 in China.

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

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

Hungary ($894–$1,435) and China ($533–$1,212) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 Ft 3,659

$2.77 ¥18.71

319.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.3 Ft 16.2K

$24.05 ¥162

113.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.38 Ft 2,639

$4.73 ¥31.91

77.17%

Cappuccino

$2.41 Ft 759

$3.08 ¥20.77

-21.75%

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

$1.60 Ft 503

$0.44 ¥2.99

263.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 Ft 373

$0.29 ¥1.98

306.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 Ft 730

$1.01 ¥6.80

129.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 Ft 926

$2.08 ¥14.02

41.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Ft 350

$1.83 ¥12.38

-39.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 Ft 486

$1.62 ¥10.94

-4.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 Ft 611

$0.97 ¥6.58

100.00%

Eggs

$2.91 Ft 915

$1.61 ¥10.90

80.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.53 Ft 3,004

$13.34 ¥90.1

-28.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 Ft 1,866

$3.37 ¥22.74

75.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 Ft 3,909

$10.68 ¥72.1

16.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 Ft 535

$1.81 ¥12.25

-6.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 593

$1.25 ¥8.43

50.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 Ft 626

$1.46 ¥9.88

36.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 Ft 1,031

$1.15 ¥7.73

184.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 Ft 366

$0.73 ¥4.91

58.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 Ft 401

$0.89 ¥5.99

42.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 Ft 436

$0.60 ¥4.05

130.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Ft 166

$0.53 ¥3.58

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 Ft 2,030

$3.39 ¥22.91

89.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.97 Ft 1,566

$11.73 ¥79.2

-57.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 Ft 359

$0.77 ¥5.22

48.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 Ft 489

$1.63 ¥10.97

-4.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 Ft 401

$0.41 ¥2.77

209.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.79 Ft 8,125

$21.24 ¥143

21.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 Ft 972

$1.35 ¥9.12

128.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 Ft 353

$0.36 ¥2.40

211.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.67 Ft 5,883

$6.70 ¥45.23

178.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 Ft 560

$1.18 ¥7.98

50.85%

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

$28.4K Ft 9.0M

$19.8K ¥133.4K

43.81%

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

$30.0K Ft 9.5M

$16.5K ¥111.6K

81.72%

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

$148 Ft 46.6K

$51.7 ¥349

185.60%

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

$26.33 Ft 8,295

$10.09 ¥68.1

160.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.67 Ft 6,514

$11.38 ¥76.8

81.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 Ft 16.6K

$39.24 ¥265

34.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.99 Ft 5,669

$14.84 ¥100

21.23%

Cinema Ticket

$8.45 Ft 2,663

$6.30 ¥42.53

34.13%

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

$384 Ft 120.9K

$414 ¥2,793

-7.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K Ft 3.2M

$17.4K ¥117.5K

-41.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.7 Ft 25.7K

$46.77 ¥316

74.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.31 Ft 11.4K

$33.08 ¥223

9.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 Ft 27.6K

$70.9 ¥479

23.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 Ft 30.1K

$74.5 ¥503

28.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 Ft 184.5K

$440 ¥2,971

33.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 Ft 140.5K

$253 ¥1,706

76.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 Ft 305.6K

$911 ¥6,150

6.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$753 Ft 237.4K

$531 ¥3,582

41.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,743 Ft 1.2M

$4,778 ¥32.3K

-21.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,851 Ft 898.1K

$2,403 ¥16.2K

18.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,369 Ft 431.3K

$1,058 ¥7,140

29.43%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $449 in Hungary, $287 in China. Capital cities: $738 in Budapest vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,209 in Hungary, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 56% higher in Hungary.

Dining out costs 110% more in Hungary.

Public transport is 39% 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 $873 per month in China and $1,165 in Hungary, there's a 33% 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.