Moving to Hungary from South Africa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Africa to Hungary — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Africa to Hungary, you would find that Hungary is 29.5% more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,217,362 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly HUF28,547,918 in Hungary to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Hungarian. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Budapest averages 60°F vs 77°F in Pretoria, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Africa to Hungary.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,217,362 → HUF28,547,918
To maintain the same standard of living in Hungary
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 35.9% more
Groceries
pay 24.2% more
Transportation
pay 12.8% more
Housing
pay 0.5% more
Childcare
pay 80.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 42.3% more
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 South Africa to Hungary, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from South Africa to Hungary · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Africa 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
Hungary performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics.
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
Hungary generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa 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
Hungary performs significantly better than South Africa across all environment metrics.
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 South Africa 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
Hungary performs significantly better than South Africa across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Hungary generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Data: South African Revenue Service, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Pretoria | Budapest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 43°/31°F (6°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 71°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 78°/59°F (26°/15°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 49°/37°F (9°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Budapest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 37°/27°F (2.6°/-3.0°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 41°/29°F (5.1°/-1.8°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.0°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.8°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 72°/53°F (22.4°/11.5°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.4°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 82°/62°F (27.9°/16.4°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 81°/61°F (27.4°/16.0°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 61°/45°F (16.1°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 47°/36°F (8.5°/2.3°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
Hungarian Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa 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.
South Africa passport holder visiting Hungary
Visa Required
Hungary passport holder visiting South Africa
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 South Africa?
Day-to-day costs in Hungary run about 23% higher than South Africa on average; specific cities can swing further.
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 ZAR1,217,362 comparable salary, that's around HUF7,136,980 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 South Africa and Hungary.
Is Hungary safe for expats?
Hungary performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Hungary is 1.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 45.5 in South Africa.
How is healthcare in Hungary compared to South Africa?
Hungary generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 33.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Hungary, compared to 8.1 in South Africa. Hungary scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Hungary compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Budapest is 60°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Budapest receives around 21.0 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Hungary?
The official language in Hungary is Hungarian. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Hungary
At a Glance
ZA
|
HU
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 9,699,577 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Hungarian Forint (HUF) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Hungarian |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +36 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 112 |