Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taoyuan and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Taoyuan: $1,200 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Taoyuan
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Taoyuan Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Taoyuan

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,200

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,200 per month in Taoyuan vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Taoyuan $1,200
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,816 per month in Taoyuan vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Taoyuan $1,816
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,433 per month in Taoyuan vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Taoyuan $2,433
Budapest $3,429

Taoyuan is about 26% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Taoyuan sits 11% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.23 NT$137

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-69.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.93 NT$808

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-59.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 NT$186

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-43.67%

Cappuccino

$2.97 NT$96.2

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-8.90%

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

$1.02 NT$33.18

$2.14 Ft 690

-52.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$22.97

$1.78 Ft 577

-60.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 NT$59.8

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-50.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 NT$74.6

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-38.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.84 NT$92.2

$1.15 Ft 371

146.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 NT$39.64

$1.79 Ft 578

-31.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 NT$86.5

$2.49 Ft 804

7.23%

Eggs

$2.17 NT$70.4

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-44.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 NT$299

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-16.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 NT$245

$6.62 Ft 2,139

14.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.09 NT$684

$14.69 Ft 4,745

43.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 NT$124

$1.83 Ft 591

109.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 NT$66.8

$2.05 Ft 661

0.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 NT$101

$2.37 Ft 765

31.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 NT$101

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-20.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 NT$80.2

$0.99 Ft 320

149.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 NT$65.9

$1.00 Ft 322

103.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 NT$75.6

$1.58 Ft 511

47.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 NT$28.53

$0.67 Ft 216

31.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 NT$163

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-36.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 NT$353

$6.22 Ft 2,009

75.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 NT$46.45

$1.27 Ft 411

12.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 NT$69.9

$2.03 Ft 654

6.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 NT$17.81

$1.52 Ft 490

-63.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.07 NT$1,234

$28.02 Ft 9,053

35.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 NT$88.8

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-17.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 NT$24.51

$1.37 Ft 442

-44.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.99 NT$227

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-64.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$32.37

$1.82 Ft 589

-45.05%

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

$32.8K NT$1.1M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

10.19%

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

$23.3K NT$755.7K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-31.08%

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

$69.5 NT$2,252

$171 Ft 55.3K

-59.41%

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

$17.72 NT$574

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-24.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.93 NT$711

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-5.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.59 NT$1,089

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-50.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.07 NT$229

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-62.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.94 NT$355

$9.30 Ft 3,004

17.63%

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

$517 NT$16.8K

$533 Ft 172.3K

-3.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K NT$1.0M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

86.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 NT$2,959

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-8.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.83 NT$805

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-42.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 NT$2,655

$110 Ft 35.7K

-25.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 NT$3,119

$119 Ft 38.4K

-19.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 NT$20.9K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-22.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 NT$14.1K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-29.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$964 NT$31.2K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-39.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 NT$23.6K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-37.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,498 NT$243.2K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

28.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,782 NT$155.1K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

22.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,549 NT$50.2K

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-6.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.38

6.45

-63.10%

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

Last update for Taoyuan: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taoyuan

$436 36.3%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 42.6% $186

Groceries & Markets

Taoyuan

$313 26.1%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 17.5% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Taoyuan

$132 11%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 26.6% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taoyuan

$109 9.1%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 99.7% $109

Eating Out

Taoyuan

$107 9%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 108% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Taoyuan

$55 4.6%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 55.3% $31

Getting Around

Taoyuan

$47 3.9%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 5.4% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $646 in Taoyuan 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 7% 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 Taoyuan versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $313 in Taoyuan vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taoyuan

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

02:48 2:48 AM

6 h behind Taoyuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,147,763

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

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Between locations

Taoyuan Budapest 8,850 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Taoyuan
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

Taoyuan vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,800 per month in Taoyuan 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 Taoyuan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Taoyuan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $517 per month in Taoyuan and $533 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 Taoyuan, where all-in costs run around $1,200, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Taoyuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taoyuan – 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 Taoyuan. 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.