Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tainan and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Tainan: $1,068 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Tainan
Learn more

Tainan Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Tainan

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,068

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,068 per month in Tainan vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Tainan $1,068
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,837 per month in Tainan vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Tainan $1,837
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,606 per month in Tainan vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Tainan $2,606
Budapest $3,429

Tainan is about 34% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tainan sits 21% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 NT$121

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-73.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.62 NT$799

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-59.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.79 NT$155

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-52.99%

Cappuccino

$3.27 NT$106

$3.26 Ft 1,055

0.31%

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

$0.95 NT$30.66

$2.14 Ft 690

-55.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 NT$20.54

$1.78 Ft 577

-64.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$92.6

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-22.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 NT$113

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-7.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$100

$1.15 Ft 371

168.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 NT$57.5

$1.79 Ft 578

-1.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 NT$102

$2.49 Ft 804

26.51%

Eggs

$2.75 NT$89.3

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-29.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.50 NT$632

$11.10 Ft 3,587

75.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.88 NT$320

$6.62 Ft 2,139

49.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.04 NT$682

$14.69 Ft 4,745

43.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 NT$161

$1.83 Ft 591

171.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 NT$92.7

$2.05 Ft 661

39.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$97.4

$2.37 Ft 765

26.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 NT$145

$3.90 Ft 1,260

14.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 NT$86.4

$0.99 Ft 320

168.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 NT$73.6

$1.00 Ft 322

127.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 NT$55.3

$1.58 Ft 511

8.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$37.31

$0.67 Ft 216

71.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 NT$124

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-52.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 NT$452

$6.22 Ft 2,009

124.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$53.4

$1.27 Ft 411

29.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 NT$70.3

$2.03 Ft 654

6.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.68

$1.52 Ft 490

-59.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.89 NT$1,099

$28.02 Ft 9,053

20.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 NT$82.2

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-23.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.92

$1.37 Ft 442

-43.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 NT$186

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-71.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.90

$1.82 Ft 589

-44.51%

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

$32.8K NT$1.1M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

10.08%

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

$24.1K NT$780.6K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-28.81%

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

$87.2 NT$2,828

$171 Ft 55.3K

-49.04%

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

$17.51 NT$568

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-25.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.30 NT$691

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-8.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.65 NT$1,480

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-32.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 NT$311

$9.30 Ft 3,004

3.23%

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

$433 NT$14.1K

$533 Ft 172.3K

-18.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,413 NT$175.5K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-67.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 NT$2,050

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-36.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.20 NT$1,271

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-9.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 NT$2,716

$110 Ft 35.7K

-24.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,353

$119 Ft 38.4K

-13.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 NT$9,624

$830 Ft 268.3K

-64.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 NT$6,470

$622 Ft 200.9K

-67.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 NT$27.4K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-47.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 NT$22.6K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-40.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 NT$133.7K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-29.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,022 NT$98.0K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-22.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,376 NT$44.6K

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-16.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

6.45

-62.79%

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

Last update for Tainan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tainan

$393 36.9%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 34.4% $135

Accommodation & Living

Tainan

$200 18.7%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 212% $422

Clothing & Footwear

Tainan

$130 12.2%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 28.6% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tainan

$126 11.8%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 72.9% $92

Eating Out

Tainan

$111 10.4%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 101% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Tainan

$65 6.1%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 32.8% $21

Getting Around

Tainan

$43 4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 3.6% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $297 in Tainan versus $830 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 20% 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 $25.00 in Tainan versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $393 in Tainan vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Tainan

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

08:50 8:50 AM

02:50 2:50 AM

6 h behind Tainan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,886,033

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tainan Budapest 8,930 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Tainan
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

Tainan vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,602 per month in Tainan and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 21% less in Tainan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $433 per month in Tainan and $533 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 Tainan, where all-in costs run around $1,068, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Tainan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tainan – 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 Tainan. 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.