Moving to Hungary from Poland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Poland to Hungary — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Poland to Hungary, you would find that Hungary is 5.6% cheaper than Poland overall. A PLN290,000 salary in Poland would need to be roughly HUF22,800,000 in Hungary to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Hungarian.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Poland to Hungary.
What does your salary buy?
PLN290,000 → HUF22,800,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Hungary
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 0.1% more
Groceries
pay 21.6% more
Transportation
pay 3.0% more
Housing
pay 24.6% less
Childcare
pay 0.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.1% less
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 Hungary cost about 1% more than cities in Poland.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Hungary
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Poland to Hungary, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Poland and Hungary stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Poland generally does better on safety, though Hungary leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Poland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Hungary leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Poland generally does better on environment, though Hungary leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Hungary performs significantly better than Poland across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Poland generally does better on employment & economy, though Hungary leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Poland 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), The World Factbook (2021), Ministry of Finance, Poland (2016), National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Warsaw | Budapest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/26°F (3°/-3°C) | 43°/31°F (6°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 66°/46°F (19°/8°C) | 71°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) | 78°/59°F (26°/15°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 44°/33°F (7°/1°C) | 49°/37°F (9°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Warsaw | Budapest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°/24°F (0.7°/-4.4°C) | 37°/27°F (2.6°/-3.0°C) |
| Feb | 36°/25°F (2.1°/-3.9°C) | 41°/29°F (5.1°/-1.8°C) |
| Mar | 44°/30°F (6.9°/-0.9°C) | 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.0°C) |
| Apr | 57°/38°F (13.9°/3.6°C) | 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.8°C) |
| May | 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C) | 72°/53°F (22.4°/11.5°C) |
| Jun | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) | 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.4°C) |
| Jul | 76°/57°F (24.6°/13.7°C) | 82°/62°F (27.9°/16.4°C) |
| Aug | 75°/55°F (23.9°/13.0°C) | 81°/61°F (27.4°/16.0°C) |
| Sep | 65°/48°F (18.4°/9.0°C) | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 55°/40°F (12.8°/4.7°C) | 61°/45°F (16.1°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 43°/33°F (5.9°/0.5°C) | 47°/36°F (8.5°/2.3°C) |
| Dec | 35°/26°F (1.6°/-3.1°C) | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
Institute of Meteorology and Water Management,
Hungarian Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Poland and Hungary. To live, work, or study long-term in Hungary, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Hungary's immigration authority.
Poland passport holder visiting Hungary
Visa Free
Hungary passport holder visiting Poland
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Hungary than Poland?
Generally yes: Hungary runs about 6% cheaper than Poland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Hungary?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a PLN290,000 comparable salary, that's around HUF5,700,000 in Hungary for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Hungary?
With 37.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Hungary can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Poland and Hungary.
Is Hungary safe for expats?
Poland generally does better on safety, though Hungary leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Hungary is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Poland.
How is healthcare in Hungary compared to Poland?
Poland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Hungary leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 34.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Hungary, compared to 40.3 in Poland. Hungary scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Poland: 82).
What's the weather like in Hungary compared to Poland?
The average high temperature in Budapest is 60°F, compared to 55°F in Warsaw. Budapest receives around 21.0 in of rainfall per year, while Warsaw gets 20.9 in.
What language do they speak in Hungary?
The official language in Hungary is Hungarian. In Poland, the official language is Polish.
