Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,250 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Shanghai vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Shanghai $1,250
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $2,019 per month in Shanghai vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Shanghai $2,019
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,789 per month in Shanghai vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Shanghai $2,789
Budapest $3,489

Shanghai is about 23% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Shanghai sits 7% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ¥30.45

$13.99 Ft 4,555

-67.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.52 ¥198

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

-51.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥34.13

$9.96 Ft 3,244

-48.80%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥22.92

$3.38 Ft 1,102

1.18%

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

$0.61 ¥4.12

$2.13 Ft 693

-71.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.41

$1.87 Ft 609

-80.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.08

$3.75 Ft 1,222

-67.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.33

$3.57 Ft 1,163

-35.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.48

$1.13 Ft 369

64.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ¥13.47

$1.84 Ft 600

9.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.84

$2.39 Ft 777

-57.32%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.48

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-55.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ¥115

$11.33 Ft 3,689

51.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.43

$6.74 Ft 2,194

-50.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.7

$14.69 Ft 4,784

-12.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ¥14.54

$1.84 Ft 598

17.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.67

$2.01 Ft 654

-13.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.99

$2.36 Ft 767

-17.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-55.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.18

$0.96 Ft 314

-19.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.22

$1.03 Ft 335

-9.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$1.56 Ft 509

-60.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.66 Ft 216

-12.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.64

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-51.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ¥73.2

$6.01 Ft 1,956

82.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.60

$1.30 Ft 422

-35.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.73

$2.08 Ft 677

-23.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$1.50 Ft 490

-60.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.27 ¥203

$27.61 Ft 8,991

9.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-37.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$1.30 Ft 424

-63.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ¥58.9

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-55.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.53

$1.81 Ft 591

-29.83%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

-33.18%

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

$18.6K ¥124.4K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-45.53%

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

$57.2 ¥383

$170 Ft 55.3K

-66.32%

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

$8.06 ¥53.9

$23.98 Ft 7,809

-66.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ¥70.4

$23.42 Ft 7,628

-55.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥433

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-2.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 ¥118

$19.18 Ft 6,245

-8.08%

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 ¥59.1

$9.52 Ft 3,101

-7.14%

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

$1,437 ¥9,620

$537 Ft 174.8K

167.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥187.9K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

69.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥366

$101 Ft 33.0K

-46.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 ¥244

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-15.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

$113 Ft 36.7K

-33.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥696

$119 Ft 38.7K

-12.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ¥6,956

$805 Ft 262.2K

29.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ¥3,940

$629 Ft 204.9K

-6.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ¥16.6K

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

60.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 ¥8,282

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

6.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥90.9K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

141.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,191 ¥41.4K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

56.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

5.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

6.43

-47.74%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$589 47.1%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 6.9% $41

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 8.8% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 39% $47

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.6%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 109% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$82 6.6%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 3.6% $3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 187% $142

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 17.3% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,039 in Shanghai versus $805 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 6% higher in Shanghai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $258 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

03:04 3:04 AM

6 h behind Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.149 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Budapest 8,350 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Budapest

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

Shanghai vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,874 per month in Shanghai and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 10% less in Shanghai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,437 per month in Shanghai and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shanghai – 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 Shanghai. 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.