Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taiyuan and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Taiyuan: $589 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Taiyuan
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Taiyuan Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

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Taiyuan

🇨🇳 China

$589

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $589 per month in Taiyuan vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Taiyuan $589
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $913 per month in Taiyuan vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Taiyuan $913
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,238 per month in Taiyuan vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Taiyuan $1,238
Budapest $3,429

Taiyuan is about 64% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Taiyuan sits 56% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ¥15.23

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-83.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.73 ¥98.5

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-75.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 ¥29.41

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-56.82%

Cappuccino

$2.64 ¥17.62

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-19.02%

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

$0.47 ¥3.12

$2.14 Ft 690

-78.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$1.78 Ft 577

-83.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.13

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-67.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.38

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-42.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.52

$2.49 Ft 804

-66.67%

Eggs

$1.01 ¥6.76

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-74.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.02 ¥87.0

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-11.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.52

$1.83 Ft 591

2.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ¥9.21

$2.05 Ft 661

-32.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.41

$2.37 Ft 765

-65.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ¥7.77

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-70.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 ¥3.20

$0.99 Ft 320

-51.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$1.00 Ft 322

-71.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$0.67 Ft 216

-31.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 ¥19.75

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-62.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.56 ¥50.6

$6.22 Ft 2,009

21.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.80

$1.27 Ft 411

-31.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$2.03 Ft 654

-28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.52 Ft 490

-79.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.65 ¥91.3

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-51.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ¥7.90

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-64.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ¥1.53

$1.37 Ft 442

-83.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 ¥24.91

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-81.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$1.82 Ft 589

-31.32%

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

$20.0K ¥133.6K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-32.95%

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

$17.5K ¥117.3K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-48.14%

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

$94.3 ¥631

$171 Ft 55.3K

-44.88%

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

$10.27 ¥68.7

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-56.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.74 ¥85.2

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-45.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.17 ¥302

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-33.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.76 ¥58.6

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-53.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 ¥44.37

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-28.60%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.60 ¥185

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-72.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.2 ¥449

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

54.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 ¥495

$110 Ft 35.7K

-32.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.4 ¥397

$119 Ft 38.4K

-50.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 ¥1,491

$830 Ft 268.3K

-73.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$114 ¥760

$622 Ft 200.9K

-81.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 ¥3,719

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-65.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 ¥1,733

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-77.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,629 ¥17.6K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-54.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,252 ¥8,368

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-67.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$928 ¥6,202

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-43.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

6.45

-40.62%

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

Last update for Taiyuan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taiyuan

$117 19.9%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 85.7% $101

Accommodation & Living

Taiyuan

$114 19.3%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 447% $508

Groceries & Markets

Taiyuan

$103 * 17.5%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 151% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Taiyuan

$103 17.4%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 63.2% $65

Eating Out

Taiyuan

$76 13%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 192% $147

Sport & Entertainment

Taiyuan

$58 9.9%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 47.4% $28

Getting Around

Taiyuan

$17 2.9%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 157% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $223 in Taiyuan 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 78% 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 $15.00 in Taiyuan versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $103 vs $258 – making Taiyuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Taiyuan

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

20:33 8:33 PM

14:33 2:33 PM

6 h behind Taiyuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,525,300

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 = 3.1 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 18, 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 18, 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

Taiyuan Budapest 7,250 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Taiyuan
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

Taiyuan vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 175%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $883 per month in Taiyuan 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 Taiyuan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 105% less in Taiyuan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 151% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taiyuan, where all-in costs run around $589, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Taiyuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taiyuan – 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 Taiyuan. 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.