Moving to Greece from Hungary

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Hungary to Greece, you would find that Greece is 14.6% more expensive than Hungary overall. A HUF24,000,000 salary in Hungary would need to be roughly €75,400 in Greece to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Greek. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Athens averages 72°F vs 60°F in Budapest, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

HUF24,000,000 → €75,400

To maintain the same standard of living in Greece

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 21.0% more

Groceries

pay 6.3% more

Transportation

pay 19.9% more

Housing

pay 16.0% more

Childcare

pay 1.3% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 27.8% 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 Greece cost about 2% more than cities in Hungary.

Hungary

Greece

Xanthi 43%
Kavala 42%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Living there in 2020
1,761 ↑ 2% vs 2015

people born in Hungary live in Greece · UN DESA

Who's moving to Greece?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Hungary and Greece 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
GR
0.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

HU
7.4
GR
7.3

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

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

HU
$2,875
GR
$3,454
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

HU
34.6
GR
65.8

Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Hungary leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

HU
42.0
GR
23.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

HU
4.5t
GR
5.0t

Hungary generally does better on environment, though Greece leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

HU
37.5
GR
44.7
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

HU
8.1%
GR
20.3%

Hungary generally does better on infrastructure, though Greece 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%
GR
8.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

HU
$25,907
GR
$26,948

Hungary generally does better on employment & economy, though Greece 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
GR
81.8 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

HU
3.1
GR
3.2

Hungary generally does better on family life, though Greece leads in life expectancy.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2018–2021), National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (2016), GSIS, Greece (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

Athens Rain: 16.3 in/yr (414 mm)
72° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Budapest Athens
Jan–Mar 43°/31°F (6°/-1°C) 57°/42°F (14°/6°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/52°F (22°/11°C) 78°/57°F (26°/14°C)
Jul–Sep 78°/59°F (26°/15°C) 90°/67°F (32°/20°C)
Oct–Dec 49°/37°F (9°/3°C) 65°/50°F (18°/10°C)
View all months
Month Budapest Athens
Jan 37°/27°F (2.6°/-3.0°C) 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C)
Feb 41°/29°F (5.1°/-1.8°C) 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C)
Mar 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.0°C) 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C)
Apr 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.8°C) 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C)
May 72°/53°F (22.4°/11.5°C) 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C)
Jun 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.4°C) 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C)
Jul 82°/62°F (27.9°/16.4°C) 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C)
Aug 81°/61°F (27.4°/16.0°C) 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C)
Sep 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.8°C) 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C)
Oct 61°/45°F (16.1°/7.0°C) 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C)
Nov 47°/36°F (8.5°/2.3°C) 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C)
Dec 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.7°C) 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C)

Data: Hungarian Meteorological Service Hungarian Meteorological Service, Hellenic National Meteorological Service Hellenic National Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Hungary passport

Hungary passport holder visiting Greece

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

Greece passport holder visiting Hungary

Visa Free
Greece 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 Greece than Hungary?

Day-to-day costs in Greece run about 15% higher than Hungary on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Greece?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a HUF24,000,000 comparable salary, that's around €18,850 in Greece for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Greece?

With 44.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Greece 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 Greece.

Is Greece safe for expats?

Hungary generally does better on safety, though Greece leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Greece is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Hungary.

How is healthcare in Greece compared to Hungary?

Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Hungary leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 65.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Greece, compared to 34.6 in Hungary. Greece scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Hungary: 79).

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

The average high temperature in Athens is 72°F, compared to 60°F in Budapest. Athens receives around 16.3 in of rainfall per year, while Budapest gets 21.0 in.

What language do they speak in Greece?

The official language in Greece is Greek. In Hungary, the official language is Hungarian.

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At a Glance

HU GR
Population 9,514,251 10,413,962
Currency Hungarian Forint (HUF) Euro (€)
Languages Hungarian Greek
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +36 +30
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112