Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jilin and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Jilin: $737 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Jilin
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Jilin Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Jilin

🇨🇳 China

$737

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $737 per month in Jilin vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Jilin $737
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $1,185 per month in Jilin vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Jilin $1,185
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $1,633 per month in Jilin vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Jilin $1,633
Budapest $3,483

Jilin is about 55% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Jilin sits 46% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 ¥19.79

$14.04 Ft 4,536

-78.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.66 ¥152

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

-62.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 ¥35.51

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-48.79%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ¥23.12

$3.46 Ft 1,117

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

$0.45 ¥2.98

$2.07 Ft 669

-78.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ¥1.65

$1.77 Ft 572

-85.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 ¥7.69

$3.69 Ft 1,191

-68.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.12

$3.80 Ft 1,229

-40.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.67

$1.16 Ft 374

50.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.92

$1.85 Ft 598

-11.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.24

$2.40 Ft 776

-61.25%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥11.21

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-57.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 ¥87.4

$11.40 Ft 3,683

14.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ¥22.75

$6.87 Ft 2,221

-50.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 ¥74.6

$14.49 Ft 4,682

-23.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.07

$1.88 Ft 607

-4.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.55

$2.14 Ft 693

-40.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ¥10.48

$2.30 Ft 744

-31.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.42

$4.04 Ft 1,304

-68.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.68

$1.02 Ft 329

-31.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.44

$0.99 Ft 320

-3.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.21

$1.58 Ft 510

-60.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.62

$0.70 Ft 225

-22.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 ¥25.49

$8.03 Ft 2,594

-52.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 ¥78.6

$6.18 Ft 1,997

90.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥5.92

$1.24 Ft 401

-29.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.84

$2.06 Ft 666

-21.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$1.59 Ft 513

-81.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.27 ¥122

$27.52 Ft 8,893

-33.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ¥7.21

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-68.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ¥1.59

$1.33 Ft 431

-81.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.08 ¥47.35

$20.45 Ft 6,607

-65.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$1.93 Ft 624

-35.23%

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

$19.7K ¥131.7K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-32.41%

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

$17.2K ¥114.9K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-50.50%

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

$56.7 ¥379

$175 Ft 56.4K

-67.54%

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

$8.74 ¥58.4

$23.62 Ft 7,631

-63.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.28 ¥75.4

$23.60 Ft 7,625

-52.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.47 ¥284

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-38.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.22 ¥102

$19.26 Ft 6,224

-20.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 ¥42.12

$10.31 Ft 3,333

-38.89%

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

$415 ¥2,774

$535 Ft 172.9K

-22.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ¥116.6K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

3.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.23 ¥289

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-56.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.09 ¥228

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-21.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 ¥494

$112 Ft 36.1K

-33.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.2 ¥496

$119 Ft 38.4K

-37.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 ¥1,989

$832 Ft 268.8K

-64.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 ¥1,208

$629 Ft 203.3K

-71.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$635 ¥4,248

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

-59.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 ¥2,517

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

-68.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,419 ¥22.9K

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-40.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,956 ¥13.1K

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-50.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$451 ¥3,018

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

-73.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

6.45

-47.91%

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

Last update for Jilin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jilin

$207 28.2%

Budapest

$262 16% 26.2% $54

Accommodation & Living

Jilin

$181 24.5%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 248% $449

Clothing & Footwear

Jilin

$101 13.8%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 65.8% $67

Eating Out

Jilin

$94 12.8%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 140% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jilin

$77 10.4%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 189% $145

Sport & Entertainment

Jilin

$55 7.5%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 62.5% $34

Getting Around

Jilin

$22 2.9%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 103% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $297 in Jilin versus $832 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 279% 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 $23.00 in Jilin versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $262 – making Jilin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Jilin

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

04:22 4:22 AM

22:22 10:22 PM

6 h behind Jilin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,623,713

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Jilin Budapest 7,630 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Jilin
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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

Jilin vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 123%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,106 per month in Jilin and $2,461 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jilin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 51% less in Jilin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $415 per month in Jilin and $535 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Jilin, where all-in costs run around $737, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Jilin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jilin – 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 Jilin. 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.