Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Taichung: $1,143 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Taichung
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Taichung Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Taichung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,143

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,143 per month in Taichung vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Taichung $1,143
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,887 per month in Taichung vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Taichung $1,887
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,631 per month in Taichung vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Taichung $2,631
Budapest $3,489

Taichung is about 30% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.68 NT$149

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-66.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.12 NT$1,025

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-46.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 NT$155

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-51.31%

Cappuccino

$2.75 NT$87.6

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-18.64%

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

$1.03 NT$32.80

$2.13 Ft 692

-51.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 NT$23.56

$1.87 Ft 608

-60.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 NT$49.69

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-58.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NT$88.7

$3.57 Ft 1,162

-22.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.27 NT$104

$1.13 Ft 368

189.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 NT$56.2

$1.84 Ft 599

-4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 NT$84.7

$2.39 Ft 777

11.30%

Eggs

$2.62 NT$83.7

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-31.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.33 NT$936

$11.33 Ft 3,686

158.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.13 NT$259

$6.74 Ft 2,192

20.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 NT$547

$14.69 Ft 4,780

16.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NT$135

$1.84 Ft 597

129.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 NT$61.3

$2.01 Ft 653

-4.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NT$95.3

$2.36 Ft 767

26.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 NT$68.6

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-42.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 NT$38.28

$0.96 Ft 313

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$62.9

$1.03 Ft 334

91.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 NT$76.7

$1.56 Ft 509

53.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 NT$28.80

$0.66 Ft 216

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 NT$120

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-52.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.53 NT$495

$6.01 Ft 1,954

158.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 NT$52.3

$1.30 Ft 421

26.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 NT$78.8

$2.08 Ft 676

18.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 NT$23.05

$1.50 Ft 489

-52.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.97 NT$1,020

$27.61 Ft 8,982

15.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 NT$86.1

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-18.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 NT$29.49

$1.30 Ft 424

-29.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.61 NT$307

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-51.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.76

$1.81 Ft 591

-43.09%

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

$33.0K NT$1.1M

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

12.64%

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

$22.7K NT$725.9K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-33.30%

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

$127 NT$4,037

$170 Ft 55.3K

-25.56%

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

$14.84 NT$474

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-38.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.00 NT$670

$23.42 Ft 7,621

-10.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 NT$1,052

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-50.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.63 NT$371

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-39.36%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 NT$320

$9.52 Ft 3,098

5.25%

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

$347 NT$11.1K

$537 Ft 174.6K

-35.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K NT$537.2K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

1.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 NT$2,314

$101 Ft 33.0K

-28.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.93 NT$1,147

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-16.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 NT$2,738

$113 Ft 36.7K

-23.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 NT$3,727

$119 Ft 38.6K

-1.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 NT$12.6K

$805 Ft 262.0K

-50.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 NT$8,722

$629 Ft 204.7K

-56.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 NT$38.8K

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-21.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 NT$24.7K

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-33.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,642 NT$275.8K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

53.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,368 NT$171.3K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

35.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,432 NT$45.7K

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-11.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

6.43

-64.70%

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

Last update for Taichung: October 4, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Taichung

$379 32.8%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 32% $121

Accommodation & Living

Taichung

$273 23.7%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 130% $356

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taichung

$162 14.1%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 33.9% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Taichung

$140 12.1%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 20.8% $29

Eating Out

Taichung

$105 9.1%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 113% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Taichung

$53 4.6%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 60.9% $32

Getting Around

Taichung

$42 3.7%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 3% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $396 in Taichung 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 14% 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 $32.00 in Taichung versus $60.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $379 in Taichung vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taichung

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

05:12 5:12 AM

6 h behind Taichung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,767,239

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.79 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.79 TWD (100 TWD = 2.79 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 TWD in detail →

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Between locations

Taichung Budapest 8,870 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Taichung
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

Taichung vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,714 per month in Taichung 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 Taichung, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Taichung. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $347 per month in Taichung 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 Taichung, where all-in costs run around $1,143, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Taichung it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taichung – 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 Taichung. 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.