If you plan to move to Budapest, one of the first questions you might have is, “Is Budapest cheap to eat and drink?” This vibrant city is known for its stunning architecture, thermal baths, and rich history, but how does it fare regarding food and drink prices? This article will explore the costs of dining and drinking in Budapest and the overall costs of monthly groceries to provide a clear picture of what to expect.

Public transport in Hungary is both efficient and not too expensive. There are trolley buses and trams as well as buses in some cities and a three line metro in Budapest. Outside of Budapest you will find that buses tend to meet long distance trains, and may not be very frequent in the town itself – but the towns are small enough to go by foot.

The cost of living in Hungary may vary. For instance rents in Esztergom for one bedroom flat are £100 per month, while in Budapest you’ll pay nearly £200 for the same kind of apartment.

Health care in Hungary covers every citizen and resident. That’s due to tax-funded healthcare system – Országos Egészségbiztosítási Pénztár (OEP). Treatment is free for children, pensioners, students, disabled people and priests, but only from doctors within the system. However, there is a fee of HUF 600 (£1.60) per visit and HUF 1 000 (£2.67) at night-time.

One of the unique features of social life in Hungary is experiencing one of the most unique languages in Europe. The language for Hungary is Hungarian, spoken by the vast majority, although there are about 15 languages spoken, including Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Vietnamese. The Hungarian language is unlike any of the country’s neighbouring languages and is only distantly related to Finnish and Estonian. It is not part of the Indo-European family of languages. The Latin alphabet is used, and there are 41 alphabet letters and groups, where certain letters come together and are considered as one.

The fact that is surely moving to Hungary nationals is that their homeland is one of the top 15 holiday destinations in the world, with a capital city reckoned to be one of the most beautiful on the planet. So what else is on the offer?

My Hungarian wife and I, a mere Englishman, moved “back” to Hungary after four years in the UK. While we had the advantage of having Hungarian family, and so were not quite alone, we still had to do all the things a person moving to Hungary would normally do — get legal help, find a job, buy a house.