Hi! If you would like to support what I do, so that I can show you more places in Hungary in the future, here's a link to my page where you can do so: ko-fi.com/petrasperspective Thank you! 🤎
Well one thing that is worth mentioning is the language barrier. In Budapest you can make it in English but in smaller cities it would be a whole different story. Hungarian is a notorious difficult language to learn(not impossible, but it will take a fair amount of time to become fluent)
Yes, thank you, you're absolutely right! I forgot to mention this, but maybe I will do a whole other video just dedicated to this topic. That could be really helpful. Thank you once again for mentioning! :)
A very good video to learn about Hungary, especially Budapest from a Hungarian youtuber !! 👍👍You covered a lot in this ! Good to know that you guys have many Asian restaurants. I didn't know that til recently ( learned from a Japanese youtuber who's living in Budapest )I am Japanese who's been living in the States for 36years ! I am a vegetarian. I've been dreaming of visiting your country since I was about 7 years old when discovered Franz Liszt !! I am planning to do so in the near future !!! I almost did in 2022 ,but because of Ukraine/ Russia war I didn't. I just subbed to your channel ! 💜🥁🐉🎤🎶✈️Hungary 🇭🇺 💕💞
Welcome to my channel! 😊 I'm glad that you liked my video and I hope that you will enjoy them in the future as well! I really try to cover as many topics as possible and not just about Budapest, but about Hungary in general. :) It's so exciting to hear that you are planning to visit our country and I hope that you will finally succed in it! 😊
I was just wondering about prices in Budapest, I've been there last summer and I will go this summer too, Budapest is absolutely beautiful, I didn't know the exact numbers for rent and salaries, so this video helped :) eating out in Budapest was much cheaper than the same food here in Bratislava (I know we have higher average salary but this was the one thing that I was surprised about, food was top tier), groceries were almost the same (last summer), Lidl is the best :) I also live in the outline of the city because its more green here and cheaper, I pay 325 euros for my half of the rent (including internet and energy costs), my bf the same - for 1bedroom (maybe around 53 m2), now I think groceries prices got so high, that I feel like I'm spending too much even though I really think about what I buy and use coupons :D the most pricey supermarket in svk is Billa... this summer I will go to Hungarian Grand Prix (F1 race) and airbnb prices are like 5x higher during that time :D but I'm really looking forward for being in Budapest again :) btw your english is so good!
I'm so glad that you found my video useful, of course there's a lot of other things that could have been mentioned in this video, but I'm so happy that you still got some information out of it. :) Budapest has tons of options if you want to eat out, but you should know that in 2024 Hungary leads the list in Europe in terms of the fastest rising prices for pizza and gyros. (Fun fact, haha.) :D Yes, living in the outlying districts are so much calmer and greener, it makes it even more worth it! :) I could never live in the center with all those noises (especially in the summer, when everyone is out there partying). :D Grocery shopping is a though topic. I also feel bad whenever I decide to buy something "fancier", then I check the price and suddenly... I don't want to buy it anymore. I hope that it will change for the better in the future. I can imagine the prices during the Grand Prix, good luck on that! But all in all, I hope that you will have a great time here in Budapest and in Hungary! :)
Hello, Petra! My wife and I live in Oregon, USA. Your city looks absolutely amazing! I was very encouraged to hear that there are vegan and vegetarian options for eating out! Yay! We are considering retiring there perhaps. Can you help us with a question about organic produce...is it common or uncommon to be able to find it in and around Budapest in farmer's markets or in grocery stores?
Hello and welcome here! There are more and more places in Budapest that are vegan / vegetarian, but most restaurants have at least a few vegetarian options on the menu, even if they are not specifically "vegetarian restaurants", so you will definitely find something that you like. :) I think that you won't have any problems with finding organic products in Hungary, most of the supermarkets / grocery stores have parts that are full with organic foods (in Hungarian we use the term "bio" for them) and there are also complete bio shops in Budapest, where everything is organic. There are labels on the products that will inform you about the product, if they are organic or not, there are strict EU regulations for them. (Example: agriculture.ec.europa.eu/farming/organic-farming/organic-logo_en) If you go to a farmer's market for vegetables / fruits, you also have to search for the word "bio" on the signs, but in smaller markets, where the sellers are often older people (not all of them, of course), maybe they won't know any English, so you have to be prepared that they can't say anything specific about their products.
Thanks Petra for sharing correct information with honesty. I came just a month back and experience the same. You can try Indian food if you want more taste or spices.
You're welcome and also, thank you for the comment! :) I really like Indian food, we go to an Indian place every once in a while! The vibe of these restaurants are also really kind and welcoming that's what I also love about them. :)
Well, that's a really hard thing to answer, because there's a lot of good places. :) Since I really care about the money I spend, I don't go to expensive reastaurants and I've never been to one that serves Hungarian food (obviously, because I prefer what my mum makes at home). :D Restaurants I've been to and I really liked: Wafu (Japanese); Heureka (Greek); Bellozzo (Italian); Kashmiri (Indian) and Indigo (also Indian). For a good coffe I definitely recommend Frei Café. It's a Hungarian coffee chain with so many special type of coffees. When you search for good places definitely check it out first on Google maps, most of the places have a lot of rating. Lángos and kürtöskalács are a must, you can buy them actually on the street. :D Typical Hungarian foods are: Goulash soup, stuffed cabbage (one of my favourite), chicken paprikash, pörkölt (stew kind of thing). Hungarians really like soups, fish soup and different type of meat soups are really popular. :) Maybe once I should try out a place in Budapest, to see if they are the same as for example at home, but right now I only can say you these. I hope it helped. :)
@@petrasperspective wow.... thanks for sharing all the info. definitaly will try all of them. Lángos and kürtöskalács are our top priority. well, my wife and i both are cook well so If you want to try some tasty food let me know. we have most of indian spices and masala at home.
Hi .... I was married to a hungarian girl for 15 yrs...she was from the Danube bend area, we had a summer vacation home there..Im a physician in the USA. divorced now.... Im looking into spending time in Budapest and maybe moving there in the next few years. I fell in love with the country and the people.
Hi! I'm sad to hear that that story had no happy ending, but I'm glad to hear that you still have nice memories about our country. I hope that you will enjoy your time here!
@@juditsomi4287 LOl thank you...Its not very easy to change countries as a Physician. I make about $380K a year here in the US. Hungary would be a lot less. I went to med school in Milan, Italy...and coming back into the US, I had to do a lot of work. I would go to Hungary to retire and find a nice hungarian girl and we could enjoy life. Best wishes to you!
With an Italian med degree you could practice in HU without ANY problem whatsoever - possibly just part time for additional income. Private medical services are all over the place and someone with fluent/native English would be welcomed in one of these med groups even if only practicing a day or two a week. Private med services are not cheap, but expats living in HU are using them, and the physicians' wages commensurate with the charges, so it's not a pittance.
@@victorsong8416 Yes all great suggestions My inlaws barely could speak english but the younger ones could.....We had a flat In the Castle district and a log home up on the danube bend......both now sold from the divorce.......Looking forward to going back...it will be the first time in 18 yrs without the wife so it will be strange.....I only knew the family...but Im handsome still.... so that's always a plus in meeting new people.............lol
My wife and I have lived in the Caribbean for 10 years, I’m Canadian with dual citizenship so our next plan is moving to Hungary, we plan to buy a house and renovate it but we want to be in the country side, probably closer to Croatia, it’s hard to find videos about rural Hungary…
Hi! All I can say is that Hungary has many different faces (just like any other country), that's why it's really hard to talk about the Hungarian countryside in general. The life is definitely calmer, there are a few bigger cities, but compared to Budapest (with 1,6 million people) they are incredibly small (the second biggest city has 211.000 inhabitants). The difference is huge! Personally I live in a small village in the middle of the Great Plain of Hungary, so I'm not living that close the the Croatian border, but I will try my best in the future to cover as many topics about the countryside life as possible. I hope that you will find enough information and you will be able to make a definite decision about where to move.
thanks for all the info! i'm moving to budapest in august for work and it really helped me out :) since i'm going to be living alone and it's my first time in budapest, i'm looking to stay closer to downtown, like XIII, V and maybe even IX, VI, VII - do you really think it doesn't make a difference being on the outer districts? i like walking everywhere and being close to stuff... how much would you guess someone would spend in total p/m with rent, groceries, eating out and maybe going to a bar once a week?
Hi! I'm glad that you found it useful! :) About the districts you mentioned: The V. district is the second most expensive district, since it's the one where the Parliament, the Basilica, the Váci Street (also known as: "fashion street"), the Liberty and the Deák Square etc. is located. You should consider this, before you choose a flat for yourself. The XIII., the IX., the VII. are way better if we talk about the prices and they are still pretty close to the center, but the VIII. is also a great option, since most of the part of this district was renovated in the last 10-15 years (and it's still happening). Of course you can still find good opportunities in every district (with a bit of luck), so if you really prefer one district, go for it. :) The main site to search for a flat is: ingatlan.com (I checked it out, you can search there in English, you have to change language at the bottom of the main page), but there's also a lot of facebook groups (even in English) you can choose from. You have to also know that 99% of the time you have to pay a 2-month deposit what you get back when you move out. The monthly expenses really depend on your lifestyle (and how much you earn), but I made some calculation and I would say that an average monthly spending would be around 260.000 - 320.000 HUF (670 to 820 EUR) with all the things you listed above (I added the electricity, water etc. bills and I only calculated with a one-room flat - a 2-room flat price would start at around 250.000 HUF = 640 EUR). (Please note that it's really just my calculation with a moderately strict spending mentality.) :D It's getting a bit long, so if you have any other question or if you need any help later on, you can write an email to me and I will gladly help (email is in my bio). :) I hope you will like Budapest, it's truly an amazing city. :) Good luck!
@@petrasperspective this is very optimistic calculaton.... I do not pay rent as I own the house. Basic needs (I cook mostly at home) I mean grocery shopping going out once a month cost me 200k a month (not including costs like heating and so on as this is high in my case much higher than for studio flat). To make it worst, my bf also does grocery shopping and spends similar amount. To live alone and pay rent you need at least 450k just to survive. Prices in Hungary r the highest in region when it comes to shopping not only because of highest in EU VAT but also because forint lost about 15% of its value within a year to other currencies. Considering current situation and politics it wont get any better, and some other countries in the region would be much better option.
Sorry if it was misleading to you, answering these questions are always very hard, because a lot of things depends on things like the location of the flat, what kind of lifestyle do you have, do you work mostly from home or not, are you on a special diet etc. Grocery shopping never cost me 200k a month and I go shopping for 2 people, so I think it's really a lifestyle issue here. The bills are also depend on the same thing, what kind of machines do you use, do you work mostly from home etc. My calculation was not optimistic, I counted in the average prices to give an idea about the costs. It can be higher, of course, I never said that it couldn't. Once again, I'm really sorry if you think that my comment was misleading.
Thank you. I got a good information from your video :) I really expect my BUDAPEST life !! Also I am worried about safe problem. Are there any dangerous area or utca in budapest ?
Thank you for asking this question! :) First of all I would say that Budapest is not more dangerous than any other European capitals, so in general you should not be worried.(Hungary is in the 10 safest countries in Europe - according to the Global Peace Index.) And because there are so many foreigners in Budapest, the people get really used to them. Of course there are areas that feel less safe, but in the last decades the situation got way better thanks to some urban rehabilitation program. There are still streets for e.g. in the VIII. districts that are less safe, but the main areas are totally fine and safe even at night. A good example is the Corvin Quartier (behind the Corvin Mall), because today it's so modern and pretty, but it was a complete disaster and dangerous place like 15 years ago. Hős utca (Hős street) was also one street that is considered even today as a dangerous place, but as far as I know this situation has also been resolved. The public camera system is very well established in the city (and it's constantly being expanded) which always helps to feel more safe. If you would like to avoid feeling unsafe, walk on street that have good lights, find some people that you can walk with. I never had a dangerous or unsafe experience and I really hope that I could calm you down. If you have more questions, please, ask them, I'm happy to help and now I also consider to make a video about this topic. :) Stay safe! :)
@@petrasperspective Thank you so much for the detailed information. I think I can go with peace of mind. Please continue to make great videos. It will be very helpful to me as a foreigner living in Budapest. Thank you again ! :)
I'm glad I could help! :) If you need information about something about Budapest / living in Hungary, I will be happy to help. You can always find me here and I also added my contacts in my bio. I hope that you will enjoy your stay here. :)
Petra, is it easy to find a job there? I am a truck driver but I would work at a factory to learn the language. I have he basic skills from my parents who were Hungarians but I forgot much of it over the years. But I think I would pick it up in a years time.
I can't tell how hard finding a job in Budapest is, I think it depends on the field you would like to work on, but I don't have a knowledge on all. There are a lot of international companies who don't require the Hungarian language, so you don't have to worry about it. Try www.profession.hu/en or LinkedIn. There are also more facebook groups where you can search for jobs, even in English. I hope that it helped. And most importantly: good luck! :)
IBS located in the 3rd district, a bit further from the city center, but I wouldn't say that the transport is bad. The suburban railway line H5 passes nearby, the closest station is Aquincum which brings you to the "more central area" in the Buda side within 12-15 minutes, so it's pretty good. :) Also recommended to use the bus 34 or 106 from the station called Záhony utca (Záhony street) that brings you to the Göncz Árpád városközpont (Árpád Göncz City Center) from where you can use the metro line M3. That metro line goes directly to the city center within 10-12 minutes. Everything you need for planning your routes in Budapest you can find here: futar.bkk.hu/ and you can change language in the right top corner (if you use a laptop, like I do right now). :) And also you can download the app: BudapestGO which is the official trip planner and you can also buy your tickets / passes with it online. (Also supports English.) I hope this helped, if you have any other questions, just let me know! :)
Thank you very much! :) Well, it's really hard to say, because it really depends on with what kind of exchange program you participate in (if you do, but I assume), because these programs pay most of the time enough to live comfortably here (at least they pay for the accomodation). Dorms have also very different prices, it can be anything from 30.000 forints to 80.000 HUF / month. (77 to 200 EUR.) If you would like to save money I really recommend you to apply for a dorm place. They also organize a lot of programs for students which I think is really nice. (At least it's my experience.) :) All in all I think that if we don't count in the "housing" prices which can vary a lot, 60.000 to 100.000 HUF for a student should be okay in Budapest. (60.000 HUF if you don't go out that often and you don't participate in costly programmes.)
Hi Petra, interesting video, i just subscribed. I really love to come to Hungary but i don't know how to get a job there, please is there any source one can apply? Thanks.
Hi and welcome to my channel! :) It's nice to see that you are interested in working in Hungary. The biggest Hungarian job search website is profession.hu. It has an English version profession.hu/en, so it's easier to search, but most of the job offers are going to be still in Hungarian.. and for Hungarians. Linkedin has tons of options if you search for "English" jobs in "Budapest". I just checked it, the search returned more than 6.000 job opportunities. You can also join to different Facebook groups with the same search terms "jobs in Budapest" (or Hungary, of course). They are also pretty popular. With these you should definitely find soemthing that suits you. I wish you the best of luck and I hope that you will come to Hungary soon! :)
hello, what about salaries outside of budapest? my uncle is living there and most people outside of Budapest making around 700-800 euros. also, even though salaries are higher in Budapest, housing is very expensive
Hi! The salaries and the cost of life really depends on which part you live in Hungary, so I would never be able to make a video that contains every part of Hungary, I am really sorry for it! I only would like to talk about things I know well, I hope you respect my decision.
Hi! The main site to search for a flat is: ingatlan.com (You can search there in English, you have to change language at the bottom of the main page), but there's also a lot of facebook groups (even in English) you can choose from. (Type in something like "Budapest Flat" and you will find more groups around this topic.) I think these options are the most valid ones, at least I would start with them. :) You have to also know that 99% of the time you have to pay a 2-month deposit what you get back when you move out. And also the people apply for the "good offers" within hours, so don't hesitate to apply for them right away, you can still say no after you checked the place out in person. :) I hope this helped! Good luck! :)
Hi, I am joining ELTE this September as a PhD student. I generally cook regularly and don't eat outside, so what shall my grocery cost be on an average? Is eating veg more cheaper? Also could you comment on monthly prices for private student dorms or where do I find student dorms? just incase I am unable to get a dorm room at ELTE. Thanks in advance, your video was really helpful! -Abhinaba (India)
Hi! Good to hear that you will study here! :) Well, your grocery costs really depend on what kind of food you would cook, because some of the "more special" ingredients can be expensive. I included some basic products in the video. Fruits and vegetables are not that cheap in Hungary (or at least for us, Hungarians), but I collected some examples (average prices): - tomato: 1370 HUF / kg (3,5 EUR) - cucumber: 1110 HUF / kg (2,8 EUR) - potato: 420 HUF / kg (1 EUR) - apple: 540 HUF / kg (1,4 EUR) - lemon: 940 HUF / kg (2,4 EUR) Budapest has a lot of markets, so I would recommend you to go to one and get your vegetables, fruits, even meats, but note that most of the elderly sellers don't really speak English. Here's a website, where you can see some of the prices in English: www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Budapest I can't really say anything about private student dorms, I have no experience with them, but I can say, that ELTE has a lot of dorms, since it's the biggest university in Hungary, so I don't think you will have trouble with getting a place. I'm sure that you will get a lot of information about the accommodation beforehand at the university, but don't be afraid to ask someone there who knows more about this topic (foreign students representative, ELTE facebook groups etc.)!
Thank you for the question! Unfortunately that is really hard to tell, since it really depends on your lifestyle, where would you live, are you living alone or not etc., but I would say that yes, it is possible to live in Budapest from that amount of money, if you live a moderately frugal lifestyle. The prices of the flats can range from 500 (one-room flat) to 970 USD, so if you find a flat for a lower price, your pension should be more than enough. I hope this answer helped you a little.
Hi! Thank you for the question! The main site to search for a flat is: ingatlan.com (You can search there in English, you have to change language at the bottom of the main page), but there's also a lot of facebook groups (even in English) you can choose from. (Type in something like "Budapest Flat" and you will find more groups around this topic.) I think these options are the most valid ones, at least I would start with them. :) You have to also know that 99% of the time you have to pay a 2-month deposit what you get back when you move out. And also the people apply for the "good offers" within hours, so don't hesitate to apply for them right away, you can still say no after you checked the place out in person. :) I hope this helped! Good luck! :)
You're welcome! I did! I added the amounts in euro everywhere, to make it easier to understand, I used the official currency code EUR. Go check it out again! 😄 Or did I misunderstand your comment? 🤔
Kecskemét is a beautiful and peaceful city, I hope you will like it! My brother studied in Kecskemét, as well and he also lived in a dorm, the living costs are cheaper definitely, the grocery prives are probably the same, since most of the shop (Spar, Lidl, Aldi etc.) set their prices nationally, but buying vegetables, fruits in local stores or markets are very probably cheaper than in Budapest. The same goes for prices in restaurants, cafés, bars etc., they are cheaper than in the capital. Even the renting prices are lower, the average rental price in Kecskemét was around 128.000 HUF (320 EUR) in march 2024. (I couldn't find a more recent data, but it's still relevant.) Compared to the rental prices in Budapest at that same period (250.000 HUF or 630 EUR), you can definitely tell a difference. :D I hope this helped, if you have any other questions, just let me know! Enjoy your stay in Hungary! :)
@petrasperspective thank you so much for help. Can you help me with deciding which mobile sim to buy if I have to use Internet more...which is good for me as a student and if I can get a job there? I will be living in the dorm too. I hope dorms are clean and good. By the way I love your videos.
You're welcome! If you would like to have a new SIM, in Hungary there are two main phone service: Vodafone and Telekom. They both have good deals, here you can inform yourself about them (with the information about the personal help): Vodafone: www.vodafone.hu/english/home Telekom: www.telekom.hu/lakossagi/english The dorms and libraries (and also the educational buildings) definitely have unlimited internet access and wifi, so if you would like to use your laptop (or your phone), you don't have to worry about the internet. I can't really tell much about how clean and good the dorms are, but in Hungary most of the dorms are pretty good, they are in good conditions, since they have to comply to the laws. For job opportunities, I think it is worth to ask the student representative or the people who deal with foreign students. I'm sure they will give you some more information about the local opportunities. Most universities build a big community around the foreign students, so you can exchange your questions and experiences with each other. I hope this helped! :)
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Hi! If you would like to support what I do, so that I can show you more places in Hungary in the future, here's a link to my page where you can do so: ko-fi.com/petrasperspective
Thank you! 🤎
Well one thing that is worth mentioning is the language barrier. In Budapest you can make it in English but in smaller cities it would be a whole different story. Hungarian is a notorious difficult language to learn(not impossible, but it will take a fair amount of time to become fluent)
Yes, thank you, you're absolutely right! I forgot to mention this, but maybe I will do a whole other video just dedicated to this topic. That could be really helpful. Thank you once again for mentioning! :)
Im a american and was married to a hungarian girl for 15 yrs.... I still only know about a dozen words in Hungarian..lol
Hi Petra, Nice to meet you 😊
Thanks for sharing everything openly with us.❤
Welcome here! :) It's my pleasure, I'm glad you appreciated my video! :)
Great explanations, thank you so much!!
You are welcome, it makes me really happy to know that I could help at least a little to you! 😊
A very good video to learn about Hungary, especially Budapest from a Hungarian youtuber !! 👍👍You covered a lot in this ! Good to know that you guys have many Asian restaurants. I didn't know that til recently ( learned from a Japanese youtuber who's living in Budapest )I am Japanese who's been living in the States for 36years ! I am a vegetarian. I've been dreaming of visiting your country since I was about 7 years old when discovered Franz Liszt !! I am planning to do so in the near future !!! I almost did in 2022 ,but because of Ukraine/ Russia war I didn't. I just subbed to your channel ! 💜🥁🐉🎤🎶✈️Hungary 🇭🇺 💕💞
Welcome to my channel! 😊 I'm glad that you liked my video and I hope that you will enjoy them in the future as well! I really try to cover as many topics as possible and not just about Budapest, but about Hungary in general. :)
It's so exciting to hear that you are planning to visit our country and I hope that you will finally succed in it! 😊
I was just wondering about prices in Budapest, I've been there last summer and I will go this summer too, Budapest is absolutely beautiful, I didn't know the exact numbers for rent and salaries, so this video helped :) eating out in Budapest was much cheaper than the same food here in Bratislava (I know we have higher average salary but this was the one thing that I was surprised about, food was top tier), groceries were almost the same (last summer), Lidl is the best :) I also live in the outline of the city because its more green here and cheaper, I pay 325 euros for my half of the rent (including internet and energy costs), my bf the same - for 1bedroom (maybe around 53 m2), now I think groceries prices got so high, that I feel like I'm spending too much even though I really think about what I buy and use coupons :D the most pricey supermarket in svk is Billa... this summer I will go to Hungarian Grand Prix (F1 race) and airbnb prices are like 5x higher during that time :D but I'm really looking forward for being in Budapest again :) btw your english is so good!
I'm so glad that you found my video useful, of course there's a lot of other things that could have been mentioned in this video, but I'm so happy that you still got some information out of it. :) Budapest has tons of options if you want to eat out, but you should know that in 2024 Hungary leads the list in Europe in terms of the fastest rising prices for pizza and gyros. (Fun fact, haha.) :D
Yes, living in the outlying districts are so much calmer and greener, it makes it even more worth it! :) I could never live in the center with all those noises (especially in the summer, when everyone is out there partying). :D
Grocery shopping is a though topic. I also feel bad whenever I decide to buy something "fancier", then I check the price and suddenly... I don't want to buy it anymore. I hope that it will change for the better in the future.
I can imagine the prices during the Grand Prix, good luck on that!
But all in all, I hope that you will have a great time here in Budapest and in Hungary! :)
Hello, Petra! My wife and I live in Oregon, USA. Your city looks absolutely amazing! I was very encouraged to hear that there are vegan and vegetarian options for eating out! Yay! We are considering retiring there perhaps. Can you help us with a question about organic produce...is it common or uncommon to be able to find it in and around Budapest in farmer's markets or in grocery stores?
Hello and welcome here! There are more and more places in Budapest that are vegan / vegetarian, but most restaurants have at least a few vegetarian options on the menu, even if they are not specifically "vegetarian restaurants", so you will definitely find something that you like. :)
I think that you won't have any problems with finding organic products in Hungary, most of the supermarkets / grocery stores have parts that are full with organic foods (in Hungarian we use the term "bio" for them) and there are also complete bio shops in Budapest, where everything is organic. There are labels on the products that will inform you about the product, if they are organic or not, there are strict EU regulations for them. (Example: agriculture.ec.europa.eu/farming/organic-farming/organic-logo_en)
If you go to a farmer's market for vegetables / fruits, you also have to search for the word "bio" on the signs, but in smaller markets, where the sellers are often older people (not all of them, of course), maybe they won't know any English, so you have to be prepared that they can't say anything specific about their products.
Thanks Petra for sharing correct information with honesty. I came just a month back and experience the same. You can try Indian food if you want more taste or spices.
You're welcome and also, thank you for the comment! :) I really like Indian food, we go to an Indian place every once in a while! The vibe of these restaurants are also really kind and welcoming that's what I also love about them. :)
@@petrasperspective i just move here so can you please share your favorite restaurants also local food as well.
Well, that's a really hard thing to answer, because there's a lot of good places. :) Since I really care about the money I spend, I don't go to expensive reastaurants and I've never been to one that serves Hungarian food (obviously, because I prefer what my mum makes at home). :D
Restaurants I've been to and I really liked:
Wafu (Japanese); Heureka (Greek); Bellozzo (Italian); Kashmiri (Indian) and Indigo (also Indian).
For a good coffe I definitely recommend Frei Café. It's a Hungarian coffee chain with so many special type of coffees.
When you search for good places definitely check it out first on Google maps, most of the places have a lot of rating.
Lángos and kürtöskalács are a must, you can buy them actually on the street. :D
Typical Hungarian foods are: Goulash soup, stuffed cabbage (one of my favourite), chicken paprikash, pörkölt (stew kind of thing). Hungarians really like soups, fish soup and different type of meat soups are really popular. :)
Maybe once I should try out a place in Budapest, to see if they are the same as for example at home, but right now I only can say you these.
I hope it helped. :)
@@petrasperspective wow.... thanks for sharing all the info. definitaly will try all of them. Lángos and kürtöskalács are our top priority. well, my wife and i both are cook well so If you want to try some tasty food let me know. we have most of indian spices and masala at home.
Hi .... I was married to a hungarian girl for 15 yrs...she was from the Danube bend area, we had a summer vacation home there..Im a physician in the USA. divorced now.... Im looking into spending time in Budapest and maybe moving there in the next few years. I fell in love with the country and the people.
Hi! I'm sad to hear that that story had no happy ending, but I'm glad to hear that you still have nice memories about our country. I hope that you will enjoy your time here!
Come-come, we are running out of doctors 😀
@@juditsomi4287 LOl thank you...Its not very easy to change countries as a Physician. I make about $380K a year here in the US. Hungary would be a lot less. I went to med school in Milan, Italy...and coming back into the US, I had to do a lot of work. I would go to Hungary to retire and find a nice hungarian girl and we could enjoy life. Best wishes to you!
With an Italian med degree you could practice in HU without ANY problem whatsoever - possibly just part time for additional income.
Private medical services are all over the place and someone with fluent/native English would be welcomed in one of these med groups even if only practicing a day or two a week. Private med services are not cheap, but expats living in HU are using them, and the physicians' wages commensurate with the charges, so it's not a pittance.
@@victorsong8416 Yes all great suggestions My inlaws barely could speak english but the younger ones could.....We had a flat In the Castle district and a log home up on the danube bend......both now sold from the divorce.......Looking forward to going back...it will be the first time in 18 yrs without the wife so it will be strange.....I only knew the family...but Im handsome still.... so that's always a plus in meeting new people.............lol
My wife and I have lived in the Caribbean for 10 years, I’m Canadian with dual citizenship so our next plan is moving to Hungary, we plan to buy a house and renovate it but we want to be in the country side, probably closer to Croatia, it’s hard to find videos about rural Hungary…
Hi! All I can say is that Hungary has many different faces (just like any other country), that's why it's really hard to talk about the Hungarian countryside in general. The life is definitely calmer, there are a few bigger cities, but compared to Budapest (with 1,6 million people) they are incredibly small (the second biggest city has 211.000 inhabitants). The difference is huge!
Personally I live in a small village in the middle of the Great Plain of Hungary, so I'm not living that close the the Croatian border, but I will try my best in the future to cover as many topics about the countryside life as possible.
I hope that you will find enough information and you will be able to make a definite decision about where to move.
You will find plenty of houses to renovate in the area close to where you want, near Croatia, no problem, probably cheaper than you think.
I'm a student from Asia, I'm thinking to shift Budapest for my higher studies
That's great! If you decide to study here, I hope you will like it! :)
thanks for all the info! i'm moving to budapest in august for work and it really helped me out :)
since i'm going to be living alone and it's my first time in budapest, i'm looking to stay closer to downtown, like XIII, V and maybe even IX, VI, VII - do you really think it doesn't make a difference being on the outer districts? i like walking everywhere and being close to stuff...
how much would you guess someone would spend in total p/m with rent, groceries, eating out and maybe going to a bar once a week?
Hi! I'm glad that you found it useful! :)
About the districts you mentioned:
The V. district is the second most expensive district, since it's the one where the Parliament, the Basilica, the Váci Street (also known as: "fashion street"), the Liberty and the Deák Square etc. is located. You should consider this, before you choose a flat for yourself.
The XIII., the IX., the VII. are way better if we talk about the prices and they are still pretty close to the center, but the VIII. is also a great option, since most of the part of this district was renovated in the last 10-15 years (and it's still happening).
Of course you can still find good opportunities in every district (with a bit of luck), so if you really prefer one district, go for it. :)
The main site to search for a flat is: ingatlan.com (I checked it out, you can search there in English, you have to change language at the bottom of the main page), but there's also a lot of facebook groups (even in English) you can choose from.
You have to also know that 99% of the time you have to pay a 2-month deposit what you get back when you move out.
The monthly expenses really depend on your lifestyle (and how much you earn), but I made some calculation and I would say that an average monthly spending would be around 260.000 - 320.000 HUF (670 to 820 EUR) with all the things you listed above (I added the electricity, water etc. bills and I only calculated with a one-room flat - a 2-room flat price would start at around 250.000 HUF = 640 EUR).
(Please note that it's really just my calculation with a moderately strict spending mentality.) :D
It's getting a bit long, so if you have any other question or if you need any help later on, you can write an email to me and I will gladly help (email is in my bio). :)
I hope you will like Budapest, it's truly an amazing city. :)
Good luck!
@@petrasperspective this is very optimistic calculaton.... I do not pay rent as I own the house. Basic needs (I cook mostly at home) I mean grocery shopping going out once a month cost me 200k a month (not including costs like heating and so on as this is high in my case much higher than for studio flat). To make it worst, my bf also does grocery shopping and spends similar amount. To live alone and pay rent you need at least 450k just to survive. Prices in Hungary r the highest in region when it comes to shopping not only because of highest in EU VAT but also because forint lost about 15% of its value within a year to other currencies. Considering current situation and politics it wont get any better, and some other countries in the region would be much better option.
Sorry if it was misleading to you, answering these questions are always very hard, because a lot of things depends on things like the location of the flat, what kind of lifestyle do you have, do you work mostly from home or not, are you on a special diet etc. Grocery shopping never cost me 200k a month and I go shopping for 2 people, so I think it's really a lifestyle issue here. The bills are also depend on the same thing, what kind of machines do you use, do you work mostly from home etc. My calculation was not optimistic, I counted in the average prices to give an idea about the costs. It can be higher, of course, I never said that it couldn't.
Once again, I'm really sorry if you think that my comment was misleading.
Thank you. I got a good information from your video :) I really expect my BUDAPEST life !! Also I am worried about safe problem. Are there any dangerous area or utca in budapest ?
Thank you for asking this question! :)
First of all I would say that Budapest is not more dangerous than any other European capitals, so in general you should not be worried.(Hungary is in the 10 safest countries in Europe - according to the Global Peace Index.)
And because there are so many foreigners in Budapest, the people get really used to them.
Of course there are areas that feel less safe, but in the last decades the situation got way better thanks to some urban rehabilitation program. There are still streets for e.g. in the VIII. districts that are less safe, but the main areas are totally fine and safe even at night. A good example is the Corvin Quartier (behind the Corvin Mall), because today it's so modern and pretty, but it was a complete disaster and dangerous place like 15 years ago. Hős utca (Hős street) was also one street that is considered even today as a dangerous place, but as far as I know this situation has also been resolved.
The public camera system is very well established in the city (and it's constantly being expanded) which always helps to feel more safe.
If you would like to avoid feeling unsafe, walk on street that have good lights, find some people that you can walk with.
I never had a dangerous or unsafe experience and I really hope that I could calm you down. If you have more questions, please, ask them, I'm happy to help and now I also consider to make a video about this topic. :)
Stay safe! :)
@@petrasperspective Thank you so much for the detailed information. I think I can go with peace of mind. Please continue to make great videos. It will be very helpful to me as a foreigner living in Budapest. Thank you again ! :)
I'm glad I could help! :) If you need information about something about Budapest / living in Hungary, I will be happy to help. You can always find me here and I also added my contacts in my bio.
I hope that you will enjoy your stay here. :)
Thank you very much,
tnks for info..
You're welcome!
Petra, is it easy to find a job there? I am a truck driver but I would work at a factory to learn the language. I have he basic skills from my parents who were Hungarians but I forgot much of it over the years. But I think I would pick it up in a years time.
I can't tell how hard finding a job in Budapest is, I think it depends on the field you would like to work on, but I don't have a knowledge on all. There are a lot of international companies who don't require the Hungarian language, so you don't have to worry about it.
Try www.profession.hu/en or LinkedIn. There are also more facebook groups where you can search for jobs, even in English.
I hope that it helped.
And most importantly: good luck! :)
@@petrasperspective thanks, any information helps to give a picture on how it is.
Petra, how's the transport from Zahony IBS Budapest to the rest of the whole City?
IBS located in the 3rd district, a bit further from the city center, but I wouldn't say that the transport is bad. The suburban railway line H5 passes nearby, the closest station is Aquincum which brings you to the "more central area" in the Buda side within 12-15 minutes, so it's pretty good. :)
Also recommended to use the bus 34 or 106 from the station called Záhony utca (Záhony street) that brings you to the Göncz Árpád városközpont (Árpád Göncz City Center) from where you can use the metro line M3. That metro line goes directly to the city center within 10-12 minutes.
Everything you need for planning your routes in Budapest you can find here: futar.bkk.hu/ and you can change language in the right top corner (if you use a laptop, like I do right now). :)
And also you can download the app: BudapestGO which is the official trip planner and you can also buy your tickets / passes with it online. (Also supports English.)
I hope this helped, if you have any other questions, just let me know! :)
Nice video i want to know how much will be ok for a student in hungary
Thank you very much! :)
Well, it's really hard to say, because it really depends on with what kind of exchange program you participate in (if you do, but I assume), because these programs pay most of the time enough to live comfortably here (at least they pay for the accomodation).
Dorms have also very different prices, it can be anything from 30.000 forints to 80.000 HUF / month. (77 to 200 EUR.) If you would like to save money I really recommend you to apply for a dorm place. They also organize a lot of programs for students which I think is really nice. (At least it's my experience.) :)
All in all I think that if we don't count in the "housing" prices which can vary a lot, 60.000 to 100.000 HUF for a student should be okay in Budapest. (60.000 HUF if you don't go out that often and you don't participate in costly programmes.)
Hi Petra, interesting video, i just subscribed. I really love to come to Hungary but i don't know how to get a job there, please is there any source one can apply? Thanks.
Hi and welcome to my channel! :) It's nice to see that you are interested in working in Hungary. The biggest Hungarian job search website is profession.hu. It has an English version profession.hu/en, so it's easier to search, but most of the job offers are going to be still in Hungarian.. and for Hungarians.
Linkedin has tons of options if you search for "English" jobs in "Budapest". I just checked it, the search returned more than 6.000 job opportunities.
You can also join to different Facebook groups with the same search terms "jobs in Budapest" (or Hungary, of course). They are also pretty popular.
With these you should definitely find soemthing that suits you.
I wish you the best of luck and I hope that you will come to Hungary soon! :)
Thank you so much
hello, what about salaries outside of budapest? my uncle is living there and most people outside of Budapest making around 700-800 euros. also, even though salaries are higher in Budapest, housing is very expensive
Hi! The salaries and the cost of life really depends on which part you live in Hungary, so I would never be able to make a video that contains every part of Hungary, I am really sorry for it! I only would like to talk about things I know well, I hope you respect my decision.
How much is the hourly wages for students in budapest??
Please you help to recommend websites or sources to study information for rentals? Thank you so much in advance
Hi! The main site to search for a flat is: ingatlan.com (You can search there in English, you have to change language at the bottom of the main page), but there's also a lot of facebook groups (even in English) you can choose from. (Type in something like "Budapest Flat" and you will find more groups around this topic.) I think these options are the most valid ones, at least I would start with them. :)
You have to also know that 99% of the time you have to pay a 2-month deposit what you get back when you move out. And also the people apply for the "good offers" within hours, so don't hesitate to apply for them right away, you can still say no after you checked the place out in person. :) I hope this helped!
Good luck! :)
Hi, I am joining ELTE this September as a PhD student. I generally cook regularly and don't eat outside, so what shall my grocery cost be on an average? Is eating veg more cheaper? Also could you comment on monthly prices for private student dorms or where do I find student dorms? just incase I am unable to get a dorm room at ELTE. Thanks in advance, your video was really helpful!
-Abhinaba (India)
Hi! Good to hear that you will study here! :)
Well, your grocery costs really depend on what kind of food you would cook, because some of the "more special" ingredients can be expensive. I included some basic products in the video. Fruits and vegetables are not that cheap in Hungary (or at least for us, Hungarians), but I collected some examples (average prices):
- tomato: 1370 HUF / kg (3,5 EUR)
- cucumber: 1110 HUF / kg (2,8 EUR)
- potato: 420 HUF / kg (1 EUR)
- apple: 540 HUF / kg (1,4 EUR)
- lemon: 940 HUF / kg (2,4 EUR)
Budapest has a lot of markets, so I would recommend you to go to one and get your vegetables, fruits, even meats, but note that most of the elderly sellers don't really speak English.
Here's a website, where you can see some of the prices in English: www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Budapest
I can't really say anything about private student dorms, I have no experience with them, but I can say, that ELTE has a lot of dorms, since it's the biggest university in Hungary, so I don't think you will have trouble with getting a place. I'm sure that you will get a lot of information about the accommodation beforehand at the university, but don't be afraid to ask someone there who knows more about this topic (foreign students representative, ELTE facebook groups etc.)!
We (2) re looking for a reasonable apartment..
CAN I AFFORD TO RETIRED IN BUDAPEST IF MY PENSION IS $1,200 A MONTH?
Thank you for the question! Unfortunately that is really hard to tell, since it really depends on your lifestyle, where would you live, are you living alone or not etc., but I would say that yes, it is possible to live in Budapest from that amount of money, if you live a moderately frugal lifestyle.
The prices of the flats can range from 500 (one-room flat) to 970 USD, so if you find a flat for a lower price, your pension should be more than enough.
I hope this answer helped you a little.
Which websites would you recommend for flat search in Budapest?
Hi! Thank you for the question!
The main site to search for a flat is: ingatlan.com (You can search there in English, you have to change language at the bottom of the main page), but there's also a lot of facebook groups (even in English) you can choose from. (Type in something like "Budapest Flat" and you will find more groups around this topic.) I think these options are the most valid ones, at least I would start with them. :)
You have to also know that 99% of the time you have to pay a 2-month deposit what you get back when you move out. And also the people apply for the "good offers" within hours, so don't hesitate to apply for them right away, you can still say no after you checked the place out in person. :) I hope this helped!
Good luck! :)
Thank you so much for the video..i advice to say the amounts in euro 😊
You're welcome! I did! I added the amounts in euro everywhere, to make it easier to understand, I used the official currency code EUR. Go check it out again! 😄
Or did I misunderstand your comment? 🤔
@@petrasperspective yes right..I meant it's better to spell them.. because they were written only..thanks a lot again for this amazing video 😊
Oh, I see, now I understand! I will keep in mind for the next time, thank you! ☺️
I will be moving to Kecskemet as a student. I will be living in a dorm. Is living cost in kecskemet same as budapest or its cheaper?
Kecskemét is a beautiful and peaceful city, I hope you will like it!
My brother studied in Kecskemét, as well and he also lived in a dorm, the living costs are cheaper definitely, the grocery prives are probably the same, since most of the shop (Spar, Lidl, Aldi etc.) set their prices nationally, but buying vegetables, fruits in local stores or markets are very probably cheaper than in Budapest. The same goes for prices in restaurants, cafés, bars etc., they are cheaper than in the capital.
Even the renting prices are lower, the average rental price in Kecskemét was around 128.000 HUF (320 EUR) in march 2024. (I couldn't find a more recent data, but it's still relevant.) Compared to the rental prices in Budapest at that same period (250.000 HUF or 630 EUR), you can definitely tell a difference. :D
I hope this helped, if you have any other questions, just let me know!
Enjoy your stay in Hungary! :)
@petrasperspective thank you so much for help. Can you help me with deciding which mobile sim to buy if I have to use Internet more...which is good for me as a student and if I can get a job there? I will be living in the dorm too. I hope dorms are clean and good.
By the way I love your videos.
You're welcome! If you would like to have a new SIM, in Hungary there are two main phone service: Vodafone and Telekom. They both have good deals, here you can inform yourself about them (with the information about the personal help):
Vodafone: www.vodafone.hu/english/home
Telekom: www.telekom.hu/lakossagi/english
The dorms and libraries (and also the educational buildings) definitely have unlimited internet access and wifi, so if you would like to use your laptop (or your phone), you don't have to worry about the internet.
I can't really tell much about how clean and good the dorms are, but in Hungary most of the dorms are pretty good, they are in good conditions, since they have to comply to the laws.
For job opportunities, I think it is worth to ask the student representative or the people who deal with foreign students. I'm sure they will give you some more information about the local opportunities. Most universities build a big community around the foreign students, so you can exchange your questions and experiences with each other.
I hope this helped! :)
Bjú-da-peszt
Hi Petra,
Amazing video and very insightful!
Where can I find your email?
Hi! :)
Thank you very much, I appreciate your comment! :)
You can find my email in my bio, but it's: frompetrasperspective@gmail.com