Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Shenzhen: $1,134 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,134

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,134 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,134
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,734 per month in Shenzhen vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,734
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,333 per month in Shenzhen vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,333
Budapest $3,489

Shenzhen is about 30% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Shenzhen sits 15% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 ¥24.33

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-73.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.70 ¥199

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-50.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 ¥34.18

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-48.59%

Cappuccino

$3.21 ¥21.47

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-5.03%

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

$0.59 ¥3.91

$2.13 Ft 692

-72.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$1.87 Ft 608

-82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.88

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-60.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$3.57 Ft 1,162

-37.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$1.13 Ft 368

37.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥10.97

$1.84 Ft 599

-10.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.29

$2.39 Ft 777

-54.39%

Eggs

$1.76 ¥11.78

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-54.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.95 ¥140

$11.33 Ft 3,686

84.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.38 ¥22.62

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-49.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.38 ¥96.1

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-2.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ¥15.47

$1.84 Ft 597

25.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ¥10.70

$2.01 Ft 653

-20.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.61

$2.36 Ft 767

-19.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.44

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-62.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.16

$0.96 Ft 313

11.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.28

$1.03 Ft 334

20.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$1.56 Ft 509

-62.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.66 Ft 216

-10.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 ¥30.35

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-42.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 ¥79.0

$6.01 Ft 1,954

96.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.16

$1.30 Ft 421

-29.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥11.76

$2.08 Ft 676

-15.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$1.50 Ft 489

-60.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 ¥147

$27.61 Ft 8,982

-20.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.75

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-55.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$1.30 Ft 424

-70.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.13 ¥47.67

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-63.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥9.05

$1.81 Ft 591

-25.41%

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

$19.3K ¥129.3K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-34.03%

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

$18.6K ¥124.2K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-45.53%

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

$63.8 ¥426

$170 Ft 55.3K

-62.46%

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

$10.04 ¥67.1

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-58.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.28 ¥109

$23.42 Ft 7,621

-30.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 ¥336

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-24.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.02 ¥114

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-11.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.63

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-23.53%

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

$523 ¥3,496

$537 Ft 174.6K

-2.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K ¥159.1K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

43.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ¥368

$101 Ft 33.0K

-45.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 ¥271

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-5.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.0 ¥481

$113 Ft 36.7K

-36.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 ¥617

$119 Ft 38.6K

-22.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 ¥5,103

$805 Ft 262.0K

-5.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 ¥3,238

$629 Ft 204.7K

-23.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 ¥13.0K

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

25.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 ¥5,650

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-27.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.0K ¥93.7K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

149.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 ¥41.0K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

54.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,693 ¥11.3K

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

4.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

6.43

-47.90%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 6, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$484 42.8%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 29.9% $145

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 3.5% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 44.5% $52

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$99 8.7%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 128% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$90 8%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 141% $127

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$65 5.7%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 31.6% $20

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.4%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 57% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $764 in Shenzhen 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 4% higher in Shenzhen, 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 Shenzhen versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $258 – making Shenzhen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

15:10 3:10 PM

09:10 9:10 AM

6 h behind Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

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 = 3.07 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 = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 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

Shenzhen Budapest 8,540 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
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

Shenzhen vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,701 per month in Shenzhen 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 Shenzhen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Shenzhen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $523 per month in Shenzhen and $537 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 Shenzhen, where all-in costs run around $1,134, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Shenzhen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shenzhen – 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 Shenzhen. 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.