Moving to Hungary from Portugal

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Portugal to Hungary, you would find that Hungary is 18.2% cheaper than Portugal overall. A €65,577 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly HUF17,994,487 in Hungary to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Hungarian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Budapest averages 60°F vs 69°F in Lisbon, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

€65,577 HUF17,994,487

To maintain the same standard of living in Hungary

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 20.9% less

Groceries

pay 7.9% less

Transportation

pay 15.8% less

Housing

pay 33.9% less

Childcare

pay 35.2% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 0.7% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 362.83 HUF (July 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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
68 ↓ 33% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Hungary?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

PT
0.8
HU
1.0
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

PT
7.2
HU
7.4

Portugal performs better than Hungary across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

PT
$4,928
HU
$2,875
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

PT
57.7
HU
33.0

Portugal 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

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

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

PT
3.3t
HU
4.5t

Portugal performs better than Hungary across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

PT
43.5
HU
35.5
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

PT
12.3%
HU
8.1%

Portugal generally does better on infrastructure, though Hungary leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

PT
6.5%
HU
4.1%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

PT
$41,700
HU
$40,600

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

PT
81.5 yrs
HU
77.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

PT
2.5
HU
4.6

Portugal generally does better on family life, though Hungary leads in literacy rate.

Data: Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Lisbon Rain: 29.6 in/yr (751 mm)
69° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Lisbon Budapest
Jan–Mar 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) 43°/31°F (6°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) 71°/52°F (22°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) 78°/59°F (26°/15°C)
Oct–Dec 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) 49°/37°F (9°/3°C)
View all months
Month Lisbon Budapest
Jan 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) 37°/27°F (2.6°/-3.0°C)
Feb 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) 41°/29°F (5.1°/-1.8°C)
Mar 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.0°C)
Apr 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.8°C)
May 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) 72°/53°F (22.4°/11.5°C)
Jun 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.4°C)
Jul 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) 82°/62°F (27.9°/16.4°C)
Aug 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) 81°/61°F (27.4°/16.0°C)
Sep 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.8°C)
Oct 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) 61°/45°F (16.1°/7.0°C)
Nov 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) 47°/36°F (8.5°/2.3°C)
Dec 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.7°C)

Data: Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, Hungarian Meteorological Service Hungarian Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal 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.

Portugal passport

Portugal passport holder visiting Hungary

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

Hungary passport holder visiting Portugal

Visa Free
Hungary passport holders can enter Portugal 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 Hungary than Portugal?

Generally yes: Hungary runs about 24% cheaper than Portugal 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 €65,577 comparable salary, that's around HUF4,498,622 in Hungary for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Hungary?

With 35.5 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 Portugal and Hungary.

Is Hungary safe for expats?

Portugal performs better than Hungary across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Hungary is 1.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Portugal.

How is healthcare in Hungary compared to Portugal?

Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Hungary leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 33.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Hungary, compared to 57.7 in Portugal. Hungary scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).

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

The average high temperature in Budapest is 60°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Budapest receives around 21.0 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.

What language do they speak in Hungary?

The official language in Hungary is Hungarian. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.

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At a Glance

PT HU
Population 10,242,081 9,699,577
Currency Euro (€) Hungarian Forint (HUF)
Languages Portuguese Hungarian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +351 +36
Time zones 2 1
Emergency number 112 112