Hungary is renowned for offering a good standard of living in Europe at a relatively affordable cost. If you are planning to relocate to this unique Central European country, Foyer Global Health has put together a detailed overview of the cost of living in Hungary: accommodation, food, transport and leisure activities!
Overview of the average cost of living in Hungary
The cost of living for a single person in Hungary is €1,035. If you are planning to move there as a family, the average budget for a four-member household is €3,200 per month.
These budgets take into account accommodation, shopping, transport, health and monthly expenses (telephone subscription, internet connection, etc.).
| Services | Average price in Hungary |
|---|---|
| Average net monthly salary | €930 |
| Price of renting a flat in the city centre | €47 |
| Purchase price of a flat per m2 in the city centre | €2,865 /m2 |
| Benzin (1 L) | €1.50 |
| Telephone package (calls + 10 GB of data) | 22,30 € |
| Restaurant meal | €44 for two people |
| Cinema ticket | €6.70 |
Currency and exchange rates in Hungary
Although part of the European Union, Hungary has not yet adopted the Euro. The official Hungarian currency is currently the forint, abbreviated ‘HUF’ and ‘Ft’. Currently, 1 forint is equivalent to 0.0024 €, or 409.67 HUF for 1 €. (Index as of 12 December 2024).
Accommodation in Hungary
Accommodation in Hungary costs between HUF 147,500 and HUF 196,700 (€ 360-480) per month for a one-bedroom flat in the city centre. To become a homeowner, the price per m2 in the city centre varies between HUF 800,000 and HUF 1,999,000 (€ 1,950 and € 4,880).
If you already know which city to move to, or if you are still hesitating, here is a comparison of the cost of accommodation in Hungary’s main cities (in euros):
| Type of accommodation | Price in Budapest | Price in Debrecen | Price in Szeged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat rental (1 bedroom) in the city centre | €605 | €410 | €350 |
| Flat rental (1 bedroom) on the outskirts | €445 | €335 | €290 |
| Average purchase price per m2 in the town centre | €3,590 | €2,160 | e2,530 |
| Average purchase price per m2 on the outskirts of town | €2,370 | €1,760 | €1,830 |
Food prices
The shopping budget is the biggest item of expenditure when living in Hungary. It accounts for 35% of the total monthly budget for a single person or a family.
Prices for basic foodstuffs are among the highest in Eastern Europe, just behind Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Here is an overview of the prices of certain products in Hungary:
| Food item | Average price in Hungary |
|---|---|
| Milk (1 L) | €0.97 |
| Water (1,5 L) | €0.45 |
| Bread (500 g) | €1.30 |
| Rice (1 kg) | €1.65 |
| 12 Eggs | €2.35 |
| Local cheese (1 kg) | €8.59 |
| Chicken fillet (1 kg) | €4.84 |
| Meat (1 kg) | €10.40 |
| Apples (1 kg) | €1.36 |
| Bananas (1 kg) | €1.58 |
| Tomatoes (1 kg) | €2.68 |
| Potatoes (1 kg) | €1 |
| Onions (1 kg) | €1.10 |
| Local beer (500 ml) | €0.93 |
| Imported beer (330 ml) | €1.23 |
Transport
Budapest’s public transport network is based on buses, trams and metro lines. Fares are centralised, so you can use any means of public transport with the same ticket:
- Ticket:
For a single journey: HUF 350 (€ 0.85)
10 journeys: HUF 3,000 (€ 7.32)
With transfer (valid for several different modes): HUF 530 (€ 1.29) - Card (unlimited journeys):
Valid for 24 hours: HUF 2,500 (€ 6.10)
Valid for 72 hours: HUF 5,500 (€ 13.42)
Valid for one week: HUF 6,500 (€ 15.86)
For travel elsewhere in Hungary, you can opt for the Hungary Pass at HUF 18,900 (€ 46.12) per month. This pass gives you access to all the country’s public transport (bus, tram and metro).
Of course, you can also take a taxi. Here are the average fares for the country’s main cities (in euros):
| City | Taxi departure price | Taxi price for 1 km |
|---|---|---|
| Budapest | €2.68 | €1.07 |
| Debrecen | €2.32 | €1.10 |
| Szeged | €1.95 | €1.22 |
| Gyor | €2.44 | €1.22 |
Finally, you can choose to travel by car. To do this, plan to fill up with petrol at HUF 614.60 (€ 1.50) per litre.
Health costs in Hungary
The Hungarian healthcare system has a number of disparities. The difference in quality of care between the public and private sectors is often marked. Despite the efforts of the state, public infrastructures require larger budgets to be modernised. At the same time, the private health sector is expanding rapidly, but prices vary considerably from one establishment to another. This is one of the reasons, why many expats opt for private international healthcare.
To get a clearer idea of prices, here are the prices of medical services provided by Health Guard Hungary, a private clinic in Budapest staffed by English-speaking doctors:
| Medical services | Average price in Hungary |
|---|---|
| Consultation with a general practitioner | €110 |
| Consultation with a paediatrician | €200 |
| Consultation with a cardiologist | €260 |
| X-ray | €60 |
| Urine test | €60 |
Education
If you are a parent and would like to send your children to a public school, here are the budgets to consider:
- For a private kindergarten, allow HUF 135,200 (€ 330) per month per child.
- For a school year in an international primary school, allow HUF 3,770,000 (€ 9,200) per year per child.
There are different options for international school, e. g. The SEK Budapest International School. The curriculum is mainly based on the Hungarian National Curriculum from the age of 3 in preschool through 8 years of primary and 4 years of secondary school with an option of choosing the IB Diploma Programme in 11th grade.
The tuition fees for the 2024/2025 academic year are as follows:
- Preschool: 2,172,800 HUF (€ 5,654)
- Grades 1-3: 2,483,200 HUF (€ 6,459)
- Grades 4-6: 2,492,900 HUF (€ 6,478)
- Grades 7-9: 2,900,300 HUF (€ 7,540)
- Grades 10-12: 3,045,800 HUF (€ 7,929)
Telecommunications services in Hungary
According to the latest Numbeo figures, the average monthly cost of telecommunication services in Hungary is as follows:
- Mobile phone service (calls and more than 10 GB of data): HUF 9,137 (€ 22.30)
- Internet subscription (60 Mbps or more, unlimited data): HUF 6,720 (€ 16.40)
Leisure activities
If you want to go out on your own or with the family, for a few hours or a weekend, find below the prices of some not-to-be-missed activities in Hungary:
- Visit the parliament in Budapest: HUF 6,000 (€ 14.64) per adult.
- Spend a day at the Széchenyi baths: HUF 10,500 (€ 25.60) on weekdays and HUF 12,000 (€ 29.30) at weekends.
- Discover Budapest on a boat trip on the Danube: from HUF 5,530 (€ 13.50).
- Visit the Déri Museum in Debrecen: HUF 2,800 (€ 6.83) per person.
- Take a hike in the Danube-Ipoly National Park: HUF 3,500 (€ 8.54) per person.
- Go to the cinema: HUF 2,745 (€ 6.70).
- Take out a gym membership: HUF 16,880 (€ 41.20).
Cost of living in Hungary compared with France
The cost of living in Hungary is 40% lower than in France. The main difference lies in rents, but above all in the shopping budget, which is also very different between the two countries. Here is a brief price comparison:
- Milk (1 L): €0.97 in Hungary, compared with €1.15 in France
- Rice (1 kg): €1.65 in Hungary, compared with €2.28 in France
- Chicken (1 kg): €4.84 in Hungary, compared with €12.30 in France
- Potatoes: €1 in Hungary, compared with €2 in France.
In practical terms, while a single person needs an average of €1,035 to live on in Hungary, this budget rises to €1,630 in France. However, the average salary is higher in France (€2,530 compared with €930), as is purchasing power.
Cost of living in Hungary compared with neighbouring countries
Compared with Austria
Living in Austria is up to 75% more expensive than in Hungary. All items of expenditure are higher in Austria, including rent (+100%), shopping (+76%) and going out (+60%).
However, the average Austrian income is higher (€2,500 net per month) and local purchasing power is also 50% higher.
If you are interested in this subject, take a look at our guide to the cost of living in Austria.
Compared with Poland
The cost of living in Poland is 12% higher than in Hungary, including rent. Hungarian living is more affordable in almost every respect except for the shopping budget. This is 2% higher, bearing in mind that fruit and vegetables are generally a little more expensive in Hungary than in Poland.
However, the average Polish salary remains higher and so does local purchasing power (+24%).