Cost #3/31 · Cost of living · Europe · Eurostat PLI 2024
🇭🇺 Cost of living in Hungary
Hungary undercuts most of the EU-27 across rent, groceries and transport - see the categories driving that gap and how far local income actually stretches.
- Cost rank · cheapest = #1 of 31
- #3
- Affordability rank · highest purchasing power = #1 of 29
- #29
Hungary's livability score
Livability score
64/100
Hungary, weighted across 8 of 8 tracked dimensions
A cost-and-income composite (price-level indices plus purchasing power), not an overall quality-of-life judgment, it does not weigh climate, safety, culture, or healthcare outcomes.
- Purchasing power F €8,792
Median net income adjusted for local cost level
- Overall cost A+ 68
Eurostat overall price level (EU27=100)
- Rent A- 61
Housing / rent price level (EU27=100)
- Groceries A- 95
Food and non-alcoholic beverages (EU27=100)
- Healthcare A+ 44
Healthcare price level (EU27=100)
- Transport A 81
Transport price level (EU27=100)
- Utilities A+ 38
Electricity / gas / water (EU27=100)
- Restaurants A+ 72
Restaurants and hotels (EU27=100)
Hungary: quiet 2024 Eurostat pass
Overall cost index barely moved (0.0) vs 2023 - a near-flat European release print.
- Groceries index 99 95 2023 → 2024
Groceries index fell from 99 to 95 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Utilities index 40 38 2023 → 2024
Utilities index fell from 40 to 38 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Healthcare index 42 44 2023 → 2024
Healthcare index rose from 42 to 44 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Housing & utilities index 60 61 2023 → 2024
Housing & utilities index rose from 60 to 61 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Transport index 82 81 2023 → 2024
Transport index fell from 82 to 81 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
Hungary in the Under 85 cost band
On the EU-27 = 100 scale, Hungary's overall index (68) sits in the Under 85 band with 9 other published countries. The Europe-wide band mix lives on the rankings hub, not repeated here.
Where Hungary undercuts the EU basket
Bars + gauge for a below-EU overall index (68): which categories keep the basket cheap.
Hungary - price level by category (EU-27 = 100)
🇭🇺 Hungary vs EU-27 = 100
Gauge reads the same overall cost_index (68); the tick marks the EU average.
In Hungary, groceries is the most expensive category and utilities the least.
Why Hungary reads cheap on Eurostat
Hungary's overall consumer price level is 32% below the EU-27 average. (How this index is built →)
Groceries stand out as the priciest category in Hungary, at index 95, ahead of utilities at index 38 - a food basket costs proportionally more here than rent, transport or healthcare do.
That price gap works strongly in Hungary's favor: prices run far below the EU average, so the headline income of €8,792 goes much further than the sticker figure suggests, worth roughly €12,873 in EU-27-average purchasing power.
Eurostat PLI Basket · similar price levels and purchasing power
Two peer sets for Hungary: nearest overall price-level indices (EU-27 = 100) and nearest cost-adjusted incomes (median net income ÷ cost index). The cost band block above stays cohort-based; these neighborhoods vary by entity.
Similar overall cost index
Nearest countries by Eurostat price level (68 here, EU-27 = 100).
PLI neighbourhood · Hungary
Similar purchasing power
Nearest countries by cost-adjusted income (€12,873 here).
What to do with this Hungary data
Hungary ranks #29 of 29 for cost-adjusted purchasing power. A raw price index alone does not tell you whether income stretches further here than elsewhere.
- Run the numbers for Hungary in the calculator
- Compare Hungary vs Poland side by side
- See the full best-value ranking
- Browse every country we track
These are Eurostat comparative price-level averages for the whole country, not a personal budget. Regional and city-level costs can differ substantially from the national figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hungary expensive to live in?
Hungary's overall cost of living is 32% below the EU-27 average (index 68). Groceries is the priciest category and utilities the cheapest.
What are housing & utilities costs in Hungary?
Hungary's housing & utilities price index is 61, below the EU norm.
How does income compare to costs in Hungary?
That price gap works strongly in Hungary's favor: prices run far below the EU average, so the headline income of €8,792 goes much further than the sticker figure suggests, worth roughly €12,873 in EU-27-average purchasing power.
PlainCostOfLiving is rendered directly from Eurostat comparative price levels and median equivalised net income, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-20. Primary sources: Eurostat comparative price levels (prc_ppp_ind) and Eurostat median equivalised net income (ilc_di03).