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: $1,123 in Hungary versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,702 in Hungary versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,281 in Hungary versus $1,550 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 ($884–$1,438) and China ($525–$1,220) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.65 Ft 3,622

$2.75 ¥18.83

323.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.4 Ft 16.3K

$24.03 ¥165

117.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.61 Ft 2,676

$4.96 ¥33.95

73.59%

Cappuccino

$2.27 Ft 707

$3.12 ¥21.37

-27.24%

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

$1.58 Ft 491

$0.48 ¥3.26

229.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 Ft 357

$0.27 ¥1.84

325.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 Ft 703

$0.98 ¥6.73

130.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 Ft 886

$2.15 ¥14.69

32.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 362

$1.83 ¥12.53

-36.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 Ft 478

$1.68 ¥11.54

-8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 Ft 596

$0.91 ¥6.21

110.99%

Eggs

$2.90 Ft 902

$1.56 ¥10.66

85.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 Ft 3,049

$12.97 ¥88.9

-24.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 Ft 1,868

$3.25 ¥22.23

84.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.44 Ft 3,868

$10.51 ¥72.0

18.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 Ft 522

$1.81 ¥12.41

-7.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 Ft 580

$1.30 ¥8.90

43.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 Ft 645

$1.50 ¥10.26

38.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 Ft 1,001

$1.15 ¥7.87

180.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 Ft 346

$0.76 ¥5.20

46.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 Ft 378

$0.89 ¥6.07

35.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 Ft 446

$0.58 ¥3.97

146.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 Ft 174

$0.58 ¥3.95

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.43 Ft 1,998

$3.50 ¥23.95

83.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.93 Ft 1,534

$11.55 ¥79.1

-57.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 Ft 339

$0.78 ¥5.31

39.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 Ft 456

$1.61 ¥11.03

-8.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 Ft 412

$0.44 ¥3.01

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 Ft 8,133

$21.15 ¥145

23.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 Ft 1,008

$1.36 ¥9.35

138.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 Ft 347

$0.36 ¥2.44

211.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.73 Ft 5,823

$6.61 ¥45.28

183.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 Ft 529

$1.13 ¥7.74

50.44%

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

$28.4K Ft 8.8M

$19.7K ¥135.2K

43.69%

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

$30.4K Ft 9.4M

$17.1K ¥117.0K

77.85%

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

$149 Ft 46.2K

$50.9 ¥349

191.91%

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

$27.00 Ft 8,392

$10.03 ¥68.7

169.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.35 Ft 6,326

$11.33 ¥77.6

79.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 Ft 16.5K

$40.13 ¥275

32.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.24 Ft 5,669

$14.97 ¥103

21.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.40 Ft 2,610

$6.09 ¥41.74

37.93%

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

$391 Ft 121.4K

$418 ¥2,860

-6.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K Ft 3.2M

$17.3K ¥118.2K

-40.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 Ft 25.1K

$46.40 ¥318

73.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.03 Ft 11.5K

$32.92 ¥226

12.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 Ft 27.9K

$71.1 ¥487

26.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 Ft 29.2K

$72.9 ¥499

29.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 Ft 175.8K

$438 ¥3,003

28.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 Ft 137.9K

$259 ¥1,775

71.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 Ft 298.5K

$926 ¥6,341

3.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 Ft 238.3K

$548 ¥3,754

39.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,874 Ft 1.2M

$5,047 ¥34.6K

-23.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,912 Ft 905.3K

$2,666 ¥18.3K

9.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,352 Ft 420.2K

$1,074 ¥7,357

25.85%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $448 in Hungary, $286 in China. Capital cities: $736 in Budapest vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,231 in Hungary, $834 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 110% more in Hungary.

Public transport is 39% more expensive in Hungary.

Salaries are 48% 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 $873 per month in China and $1,161 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.

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.