Moving to Hungary from Romania

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Romania to Hungary? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Romania to Hungary, you would find that Hungary is 23.3% more expensive than Romania overall. A RON360,000 salary in Romania would need to be roughly HUF30,300,000 in Hungary to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Hungarian.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Romania and Hungary.

What does your salary buy?

RON360,000 → HUF30,300,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Hungary

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 8.0% more

Groceries

pay 33.1% more

Transportation

pay 14.9% more

Housing

pay 37.7% more

Childcare

pay 11.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 11.9% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 RON = 68.35 HUF (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 Hungary cost about 18% more than cities in Romania.

Romania

Brasov 39%
Timisoara 37%
Bacau 34%

Hungary

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Romania to Hungary.

Moved in 2023
977 ↓ 49% vs 2022

people moved from Romania 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

The numbers behind daily life in Hungary compared to Romania.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

RO
1.1
HU
0.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

RO
9.6
HU
7.4

Hungary performs significantly better than Romania across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

RO
$2,614
HU
$2,875
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

RO
36.2
HU
34.6

Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Hungary 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

RO
46.0
HU
42.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

RO
3.7t
HU
4.5t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

RO
35.8
HU
37.5
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

RO
7.6%
HU
8.1%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

RO
6.0%
HU
4.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

RO
$22,538
HU
$25,907

Hungary performs significantly better than Romania across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

RO
76.5 yrs
HU
76.7 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

RO
6.0
HU
3.1

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

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) (2016), National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Bucharest Rain: 23.4 in/yr (594 mm)
63° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Bucharest Budapest
Jan–Mar 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) 43°/31°F (6°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) 71°/52°F (22°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 83°/57°F (28°/14°C) 78°/59°F (26°/15°C)
Oct–Dec 51°/34°F (10°/1°C) 49°/37°F (9°/3°C)
View all months
Month Bucharest Budapest
Jan 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C) 37°/27°F (2.6°/-3.0°C)
Feb 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C) 41°/29°F (5.1°/-1.8°C)
Mar 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C) 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.0°C)
Apr 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C) 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.8°C)
May 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C) 72°/53°F (22.4°/11.5°C)
Jun 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C) 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.4°C)
Jul 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C) 82°/62°F (27.9°/16.4°C)
Aug 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C) 81°/61°F (27.4°/16.0°C)
Sep 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C) 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.8°C)
Oct 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C) 61°/45°F (16.1°/7.0°C)
Nov 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C) 47°/36°F (8.5°/2.3°C)
Dec 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C) 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.7°C)

Data: National Meteorological Administration National Meteorological Administration, Hungarian Meteorological Service Hungarian Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Romania 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.

Romania passport

Romania passport holder visiting Hungary

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

Hungary passport holder visiting Romania

Visa Free
Hungary passport holders can enter Romania 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 Romania?

On average Hungary is around 23% pricier than Romania, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Hungary?

Budget about HUF7,575,000 for 3 months in Hungary (based on a RON360,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Hungary?

Connectivity is usually fine (Hungary: 37.5 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Hungary offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Hungary safe for expats?

Hungary performs significantly better than Romania across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Hungary is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Romania.

How is healthcare in Hungary compared to Romania?

Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Hungary leads in health coverage index. There are 34.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Hungary, compared to 36.2 in Romania. Hungary scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Romania: 78).

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

The average high temperature in Budapest is 60°F, compared to 63°F in Bucharest. Budapest receives around 21.0 in of rainfall per year, while Bucharest gets 23.4 in.

What language do they speak in Hungary?

The official language in Hungary is Hungarian. In Romania, the official language is Romanian.

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At a Glance

RO HU
Population 19,020,271 9,514,251
Currency Romanian Leu (RON) Hungarian Forint (HUF)
Languages Romanian Hungarian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +40 +36
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112