Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhongshan and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongshan: $700 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Zhongshan
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Zhongshan Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Zhongshan

🇨🇳 China

$700

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $700 per month in Zhongshan vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Zhongshan $700
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,110 per month in Zhongshan vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Zhongshan $1,110
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,521 per month in Zhongshan vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Zhongshan $1,521
Budapest $3,429

Zhongshan is about 57% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Zhongshan sits 48% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.91 ¥19.47

$13.94 Ft 4,525

-79.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.18 ¥162

$61.2 Ft 19.9K

-60.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.47 ¥29.86

$10.19 Ft 3,307

-56.13%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ¥18.80

$3.26 Ft 1,060

-13.80%

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

$0.47 ¥3.15

$2.14 Ft 694

-78.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$1.78 Ft 579

-83.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.78 ¥5.19

$3.71 Ft 1,204

-78.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.14

$3.77 Ft 1,223

-51.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥10.38

$1.15 Ft 372

34.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥10.61

$1.79 Ft 580

-11.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 ¥4.31

$2.49 Ft 808

-74.30%

Eggs

$1.20 ¥8.00

$3.90 Ft 1,267

-69.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.77 ¥139

$11.10 Ft 3,605

87.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.79 ¥18.63

$6.62 Ft 2,149

-57.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.52 ¥90.4

$14.69 Ft 4,769

-7.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ¥13.65

$1.83 Ft 594

11.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.88

$2.05 Ft 664

-49.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$2.37 Ft 769

-70.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.50

$3.90 Ft 1,266

-63.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 ¥3.57

$0.99 Ft 322

-46.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 ¥5.19

$1.00 Ft 323

-22.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$1.58 Ft 514

-72.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.60

$0.67 Ft 217

-19.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 ¥19.79

$7.96 Ft 2,585

-62.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.02 ¥80.4

$6.22 Ft 2,019

93.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ¥4.63

$1.27 Ft 413

-45.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$2.03 Ft 658

-11.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$1.52 Ft 492

-80.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.18 ¥102

$28.02 Ft 9,098

-45.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ¥9.88

$3.31 Ft 1,075

-55.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 ¥2.78

$1.37 Ft 444

-69.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 ¥47.58

$19.83 Ft 6,438

-64.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ¥8.65

$1.82 Ft 591

-29.12%

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

$19.1K ¥128.0K

$29.8K Ft 9.7M

-35.75%

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

$18.0K ¥120.7K

$33.8K Ft 11.0M

-46.62%

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

$41.21 ¥276

$171 Ft 55.6K

-75.92%

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

$9.85 ¥65.9

$23.51 Ft 7,634

-58.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.75 ¥85.3

$23.29 Ft 7,563

-45.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 ¥454

$67.5 Ft 21.9K

0.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.33 ¥49.00

$18.89 Ft 6,135

-61.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.04 ¥40.42

$9.30 Ft 3,019

-35.05%

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

$324 ¥2,164

$533 Ft 173.2K

-39.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K ¥90.9K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-18.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.30 ¥330

$99.6 Ft 32.3K

-50.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.39 ¥270

$43.49 Ft 14.1K

-7.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 ¥400

$110 Ft 35.8K

-45.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.0 ¥508

$119 Ft 38.6K

-36.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 ¥1,391

$830 Ft 269.6K

-74.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$129 ¥864

$622 Ft 201.9K

-79.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 ¥2,483

$1,594 Ft 517.4K

-76.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$215 ¥1,437

$1,170 Ft 380.0K

-81.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,447 ¥16.4K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-58.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,515 ¥10.1K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-61.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$956 ¥6,396

$1,651 Ft 536.1K

-42.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

6.45

-48.06%

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

Last update for Zhongshan: 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

Zhongshan

$224 32.1%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 15% $34

Accommodation & Living

Zhongshan

$129 18.5%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 381% $493

Clothing & Footwear

Zhongshan

$101 14.5%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 65.1% $66

Eating Out

Zhongshan

$81 11.6%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 175% $142

Sport & Entertainment

Zhongshan

$80 11.4%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 7.7% $6.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhongshan

$64 9.1%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 242% $154

Getting Around

Zhongshan

$20 2.8%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 122% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $208 in Zhongshan 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 73% 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 $24.00 in Zhongshan versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $224 vs $258 – making Zhongshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhongshan

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

17:32 5:32 PM

11:32 11:32 AM

6 h behind Zhongshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,209,600

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

Zhongshan Budapest 8,500 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhongshan
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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

Zhongshan vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 131%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,049 per month in Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 85% less in Zhongshan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $324 per month in Zhongshan and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Zhongshan, where all-in costs run around $700, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Zhongshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhongshan – 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 Zhongshan. 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.