Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhangjiagang and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhangjiagang: $740 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Zhangjiagang
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Zhangjiagang Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Zhangjiagang

🇨🇳 China

$740

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $740 per month in Zhangjiagang vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Zhangjiagang $740
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,149 per month in Zhangjiagang vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Zhangjiagang $1,149
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,558 per month in Zhangjiagang vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Zhangjiagang $1,558
Budapest $3,429

Zhangjiagang is about 54% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Zhangjiagang sits 45% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.80 ¥25.43

$13.94 Ft 4,525

-72.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.20 ¥148

$61.2 Ft 19.9K

-63.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ¥33.31

$10.19 Ft 3,307

-51.13%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.32

$3.26 Ft 1,060

-6.75%

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

$0.49 ¥3.29

$2.14 Ft 694

-77.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$1.78 Ft 579

-84.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 ¥10.09

$3.71 Ft 1,204

-59.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ¥14.84

$3.77 Ft 1,223

-41.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ¥13.90

$1.15 Ft 372

80.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 ¥13.95

$1.79 Ft 580

16.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ¥5.64

$2.49 Ft 808

-66.27%

Eggs

$1.36 ¥9.09

$3.90 Ft 1,267

-65.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.64 ¥71.1

$11.10 Ft 3,605

-4.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.93 ¥19.60

$6.62 Ft 2,149

-55.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.12 ¥61.0

$14.69 Ft 4,769

-37.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ¥13.66

$1.83 Ft 594

11.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.64

$2.05 Ft 664

-37.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.04

$2.37 Ft 769

-24.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.39

$3.90 Ft 1,266

-71.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 ¥5.99

$0.99 Ft 322

-9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.03

$1.00 Ft 323

-10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ¥5.80

$1.58 Ft 514

-44.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.51

$0.67 Ft 217

-20.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 ¥24.37

$7.96 Ft 2,585

-54.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 ¥89.9

$6.22 Ft 2,019

116.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥6.27

$1.27 Ft 413

-25.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ¥10.44

$2.03 Ft 658

-23.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ¥1.99

$1.52 Ft 492

-80.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.58 ¥118

$28.02 Ft 9,098

-37.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 ¥11.78

$3.31 Ft 1,075

-46.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$1.37 Ft 444

-71.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ¥58.6

$19.83 Ft 6,438

-55.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.14

$1.82 Ft 591

-24.73%

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

$19.2K ¥128.2K

$29.8K Ft 9.7M

-35.65%

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

$16.9K ¥112.7K

$33.8K Ft 11.0M

-50.15%

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

$55.8 ¥373

$171 Ft 55.6K

-67.42%

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

$7.76 ¥51.9

$23.51 Ft 7,634

-66.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.32 ¥48.98

$23.29 Ft 7,563

-68.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.15 ¥242

$67.5 Ft 21.9K

-46.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 ¥107

$18.89 Ft 6,135

-15.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 ¥40.61

$9.30 Ft 3,019

-34.73%

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

$418 ¥2,794

$533 Ft 173.2K

-21.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ¥149.4K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

33.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.99 ¥288

$99.6 Ft 32.3K

-56.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.04 ¥228

$43.49 Ft 14.1K

-21.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 ¥439

$110 Ft 35.8K

-40.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ¥592

$119 Ft 38.6K

-25.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 ¥1,869

$830 Ft 269.6K

-66.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 ¥1,295

$622 Ft 201.9K

-68.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 ¥4,809

$1,594 Ft 517.4K

-54.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 ¥2,168

$1,170 Ft 380.0K

-72.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,266 ¥21.8K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-44.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,685 ¥11.3K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-56.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 536.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.42

6.45

-46.98%

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

Last update for Zhangjiagang: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhangjiagang

$204 27.6%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 26.4% $54

Accommodation & Living

Zhangjiagang

$194 26.2%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 221% $428

Clothing & Footwear

Zhangjiagang

$104 14.1%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 61.1% $64

Eating Out

Zhangjiagang

$97 13.1%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 130% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhangjiagang

$71 9.6%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 208% $147

Sport & Entertainment

Zhangjiagang

$48 6.5%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 78.3% $38

Getting Around

Zhangjiagang

$22 3%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 96.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $280 in Zhangjiagang 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Zhangjiagang versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $258 – making Zhangjiagang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhangjiagang

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

10:57 10:57 AM

6 h behind Zhangjiagang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,432,044

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.08 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Zhangjiagang Budapest 8,230 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhangjiagang
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

Zhangjiagang vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 119%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,110 per month in Zhangjiagang 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 Zhangjiagang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 59% less in Zhangjiagang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $418 per month in Zhangjiagang 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 Zhangjiagang, where all-in costs run around $740, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Zhangjiagang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhangjiagang – 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 Zhangjiagang. 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.