Moving to France from Hungary

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Hungary to France — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Hungary to France, you would find that France is 50.7% more expensive than Hungary overall. A HUF24,000,000 salary in Hungary would need to be roughly €99,100 in France to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Hungary to France.

What does your salary buy?

HUF24,000,000 → €99,100

To maintain the same standard of living in France

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 57.4% more

Groceries

pay 45.2% more

Transportation

pay 37.0% more

Housing

pay 56.8% more

Childcare

pay 2.1 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 53.7% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 HUF = 0.0027 EUR (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in France cost about 38% more than cities in Hungary.

Hungary

France

Paris ★ 64%
Cannes 64%
Antibes 61%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Hungary to France, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
668 ↑ 13% vs 2022

people moved from Hungary to France · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to France?

Top countries of origin for France's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Hungary and France stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

HU
0.7
FR
1.3
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

HU
7.4
FR
4.7

Hungary generally does better on safety, though France leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

HU
$2,875
FR
$6,868
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

HU
34.6
FR
32.8

Hungary generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

HU
42.0
FR
10.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

HU
4.5t
FR
4.0t

France performs significantly better than Hungary across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

HU
37.5
FR
48.9
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

HU
8.1%
FR
21.4%

Hungary generally does better on infrastructure, though France leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

HU
4.5%
FR
7.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

HU
$25,907
FR
$48,986

Hungary generally does better on employment & economy, though France leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

HU
76.7 yrs
FR
83.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

HU
3.1
FR
3.4

France generally does better on family life, though Hungary leads in infant mortality.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (2016), Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (2016). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Budapest Rain: 21.0 in/yr (534 mm)
60° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Paris Rain: 25.6 in/yr (650 mm)
60° / 47°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Budapest Paris
Jan–Mar 43°/31°F (6°/-1°C) 48°/38°F (9°/3°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/52°F (22°/11°C) 65°/50°F (18°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 78°/59°F (26°/15°C) 74°/58°F (23°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 49°/37°F (9°/3°C) 52°/43°F (11°/6°C)
View all months
Month Budapest Paris
Jan 37°/27°F (2.6°/-3.0°C) 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C)
Feb 41°/29°F (5.1°/-1.8°C) 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C)
Mar 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.0°C) 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C)
Apr 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.8°C) 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C)
May 72°/53°F (22.4°/11.5°C) 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C)
Jun 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.4°C) 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C)
Jul 82°/62°F (27.9°/16.4°C) 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C)
Aug 81°/61°F (27.4°/16.0°C) 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C)
Sep 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.8°C) 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C)
Oct 61°/45°F (16.1°/7.0°C) 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C)
Nov 47°/36°F (8.5°/2.3°C) 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C)
Dec 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.7°C) 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C)

Data: Hungarian Meteorological Service Hungarian Meteorological Service, Météo-France Météo-France

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Hungary and France. To live, work, or study long-term in France, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check France's immigration authority.

Hungary passport

Hungary passport holder visiting France

Visa Free
Hungary passport holders can enter France without a visa.
France passport

France passport holder visiting Hungary

Visa Free
France passport holders can enter Hungary without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in France than Hungary?

Day-to-day costs in France run about 51% higher than Hungary on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to France?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a HUF24,000,000 comparable salary, that's around €24,775 in France for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from France?

With 48.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, France can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Hungary and France.

Is France safe for expats?

Hungary generally does better on safety, though France leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in France is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Hungary.

How is healthcare in France compared to Hungary?

Hungary generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in health coverage index. There are 32.8 doctors per 10,000 people in France, compared to 34.6 in Hungary. France scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Hungary: 79).

What's the weather like in France compared to Hungary?

The average high temperature in Paris is 60°F, compared to 60°F in Budapest. Paris receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Budapest gets 21.0 in.

What language do they speak in France?

The official language in France is French. In Hungary, the official language is Hungarian.

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At a Glance

HU FR
Population 9,514,251 68,720,337
Currency Hungarian Forint (HUF) Euro (€)
Languages Hungarian French
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +36 +33
Time zones 1 14
Emergency number 112 112