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Living in Budapest

In Budapest, unemployment is 3.9% (2022).

Population density was 3,209.3 people per km² in 2025. There were 766 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2025. The city had 961,061 dwellings in 2022. The housing vacancy rate was 16.7% in 2022. Budapest is the national capital of Hungary. Budapest had a population of 1,675,777 at the start of 2026. The city covered 525.1 km² in 2025.

Last checked 2026-10-1028 sources

Population1,675,777people1 Jan 2026Official source · Population by type of settlement, 1 January
Median gross salary (region)2,534EUR/month27 Aug 2026Official source · www.ksh.hu
Average net rent16.94EUR/m²/month30 Jun 2026Commercial source · Ingatlannet city statistics — Albérlet rent per m²
Unemployment rate3.9%country median 4.6% — 16% belowOfficial source · KSH official data
Recorded crime2,396offences per 100,00031 Dec 2025Official source · BRFK — Report on 2025 activity and Budapest public safety
PM2.5, annual mean13µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data

Which Hungary-wide rules apply when you move to Budapest?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Housing and cost

Fixed internet cost €17.43 per month at the provider's published price in October 2026.

How much does it cost to rent in Budapest?

Average net cold rent is 16.94 EUR/m² per month (2026-06), excluding heating and operating charges.

Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.

  • Average net rent (nettokalt): 16.94 EUR/m²/month · Ingatlannet city statistics — Albérlet rent per m²26
What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Budapest recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€480
Utilities, 85 m² flat€159
Fitness club€65
Transport pass€24
Mobile plan, 10 GB€18
Internet, 60 Mbps€17

Supplemental estimate lane, not official statistics: Utilities, 85 m² flat, Private kindergarten, Fitness club. The others are published prices.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly65.35 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Lebenshaltungskosten in Budapest27Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited17.43 EUR/month31 Oct 2026Residential ASZF 3/c annex — sellable fixed internet tariffs; current terms effective 2026-09-0124Official · national market
Private kindergarten, monthly480.3 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Lebenshaltungskosten in Budapest27Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant12.71 EUR31 Jul 2026Lebenshaltungskosten in Budapest27Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB17.72 EUR/month31 Oct 2026Residential ASZF 3/a annex — sellable Domino prepaid tariffs; effective 2026-10-0123Official · national market
Monthly transport pass24.44 EUR/month31 Oct 2026BKK Types and prices; Monthly Budapest-pass1Official
Basic utilities, 85 m² home159 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Lebenshaltungskosten in Budapest27Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Housing vacancy rate (legacy series)16.72 %2022KSH official data8Official
Dwellings961,061 dwellings2022KSH official data8Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)16.94 EUR/m²/month30 Jun 2026Ingatlannet city statistics — Albérlet rent per m²26Commercial estimate · Supplemental context

Is Budapest a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker56%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 47–65%
Skilled employee63%strong on work, weak on safety · range 55–71%
Student41%strong on education, weak on housing · range 33–49%
Family57%strong on family, weak on cost · range 49–65%
Retirement53%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 43–63%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 1,016 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 16.94 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.

Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.

Source period: 2026-06

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 3.9% in 2022.

What is the unemployment rate in Budapest?

The unemployment rate is 3.9 % (2022). Source: KSH official data10

Unemployment across cities in HungaryUnemployment in Budapest is 3.9%. Of 277 cities with data, 124 have unemployment of 4 to under 6%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Public employment offices10 count15 Sept 2026NFSZ — Budapest employment-department locator18Official
Households with a broadband subscription81.14 %2022KSH official data9Official
Households without internet18.86 %2022KSH official data9Official
Median gross salary (regional)2,534 EUR/month27 Aug 2026www.ksh.hu25Official
Unemployment rate3.9 %country median 4.6%2022KSH official data10Official
Unemployment rate over time7 published observations, 1990–2022

Unemployment rate rose 44.4% between 1990 and 2022, from 2.7% to 3.9%.

What does a salary buy in Budapest?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

regional median gross pay: €2,534 (ksh.hu, 2026-08-27).
Left over each month€447of €1,682 take-home
  • Rent
  • Utilities
  • Transport
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.€1,682
Rent, 60 m²€16.94/m² · market price · Ingatlannet city statistics · 2026-06-30− €1,016
Public transport pass€24 · official · BKK Types and prices; Monthly Budapest-pass · 2026-10-31− €24
Utilities, 85 m²€159 · market price · Lebenshaltungskosten in Budapest · 2026-07-31− €159
Internet€17 · official · Residential ASZF 3/c annex · 2026-10-31− €17
Mobile plan€18 · official · Residential ASZF 3/a annex · 2026-10-31− €18
Left over€447
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Budapest Salary needed to live in Budapest

Public employment offices in Budapest

NFSZ lists 10 public employment offices in Budapest (checked 2026-09-16). Use the official office finder for addresses and appointments; registration and job search are also available online through the national service below.

Office count verified

National Employment Service — Public employment service

National Employment Service of Hungary

Job Search

The office count comes from the service's own directory. Individual addresses and opening hours are not listed here yet. Sources checked through 16 Sept 2026.

Family and education

Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher accounted for 34.1% in 2022.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Public language course providers1 count31 Aug 2026Official public language-service provider/location register19Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 3 to 16, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Hungarian as a second language (második idegen nyelvként) support programmes. How to enrol a child (kormany.hu).

A country-wide rule for Hungary; Budapest's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2026.

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Physicians per 100,000 residents766 per 100,00031 Dec 2025KSH official table for physicians per 100k16Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Budapest under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Budapest?

Police recorded about 2,396 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.

  • Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 2,396 offences per 100,000 · BRFK — Report on 2025 activity and Budapest public safety2
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents2,396 offences per 100,00031 Dec 2025BRFK — Report on 2025 activity and Budapest public safety2Official

Mobility and administration

Household broadband subscription was 81.1% in 2022.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport77 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights20Official
Nearest airportBUD3 Aug 2026OurAirports21Official
Distance to nearest airport18 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports21Official
Public transport monthly pass22.65 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Eurostat5Official

Language courses and integration in Budapest

2 exact course-location records are linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally
2verified local records
1publicly funded course provider
1provider-supplied leads

KKM MDA Kft. — Balassi Summer University host training institution

1107 Budapest, Zágrábi u. 1-3., Bihari Irodaház, 1. em. 102.

View official record

Refugee Affairs Directorate — National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing

1117 Budapest XI., Budafoki út 60. — Sztregova köz

View official record

Private and nonprofit providers

Provider-supplied records stay separate from government-verified services.

Provider-supplied record · supplemental Menedék — Hungarian Association for Migrants

Ó utca 39. Fsz/1, 1066 Budapest

Open provider website
Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Budapest

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were 1.3°C in January and 23.3°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 33 mm in January and 53.7 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 13 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. Mean annual temperature was 12.2°C in 2021. Annual NO₂ was 22.1 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

Is the air quality good in Budapest?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 13 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data4

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean22.1 µg/m³31 Dec 2024KSH official table for air quality no2 annual ug m313Official
PM2.5 — annual mean13 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data4Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 4.7 · Feb 7.1 · Mar 12.3 · Apr 18.8 · May 23.1 · Jun 26.8 · Jul 28.8 · Aug 28.9 · Sep 23.1 · Oct 17.2 · Nov 10.6 · Dec 5.1 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV28Independent
Average night-time low by monthJan -1.2 · Feb 0.1 · Mar 3.9 · Apr 9.1 · May 12.8 · Jun 16.3 · Jul 18 · Aug 17.7 · Sep 13.3 · Oct 8.7 · Nov 4.3 · Dec -0.2 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV28Independent
Average temperature by monthJan 1.3 · Feb 3.1 · Mar 7.5 · Apr 13.3 · May 17.6 · Jun 21.5 · Jul 23.3 · Aug 22.9 · Sep 17.8 · Oct 12.3 · Nov 7.2 · Dec 2.1 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV28Independent
Average precipitation by monthJan 33 · Feb 30.2 · Mar 31.2 · Apr 32.5 · May 57.3 · Jun 60 · Jul 53.7 · Aug 54.2 · Sep 46.1 · Oct 44.1 · Nov 46.2 · Dec 37.7 mm1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV28Independent
Average sunshine by monthJan 68.15 · Feb 93.44 · Mar 140.7 · Apr 185.4 · May 250.9 · Jun 262.2 · Jul 264.6 · Aug 251.4 · Sep 159.9 · Oct 124.9 · Nov 75.63 · Dec 51.73 hours31 Dec 2020Budapest monthly climate data 1991-20203Official
Annual precipitation465 mm2021KSH official data11Official
Average annual temperature12.2 °C2021KSH official data11Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Budapest?

The published population was 1,675,777 people in January 2026. Source: Population by type of settlement, 1 January22

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents429 cars per 1000 people31 Dec 2024Eurostat5Official
City area525.1 km²1 Jan 2025KSH official table for city area km214Official
Foreign-resident share6.8 %31 Dec 2024Eurostat6Official
Foreign residents112,632 people1 Jan 2026KSH official table for foreign population total15Official
Population density3,209 people/km²1 Jan 2025KSH official table for population density per km217Official
Population1,675,777 people1 Jan 2026Population by type of settlement, 1 January22Official
Population over time36 published observations, 1990–2026

Population fell 16.9% between 1990 and 2026, from 2,016,774 to 1,675,777.

Foreign residents over time11 published observations, 2015–2026

Foreign residents rose 67.5% between 2015 and 2026, from 67,253 to 112,632.

People and communities

MetricValuePeriodSource
Catholic share24.26 %2022KSH official data12Official
No religion or other, share19.23 %2022KSH official data12Official
Protestant share7.53 %2022KSH official data12Official

International community in Budapest

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Citizenship

Population enumerated in the 2022 Hungarian Census; settlement data, population; all sexes and ages as source table defines · 2022 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Citizenship1,685,342100.0%
Citizen of Hungary1,587,02394.2%
Foreign national98,3195.8%
Non-EU foreign national69,9564.2%
EU foreign national28,3061.7%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source7

Language spoken at home

Population enumerated in the 2022 Hungarian Census; settlement data, population; all sexes and ages as source table defines · 2022 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
German language spoken with family members or friends9,2190.5%
Ukrainian language spoken with family members or friends5,8610.3%
Romanian language spoken with family members or friends2,7800.2%
Gipsy (Romani, Boyash) language spoken with family members or friends2,1610.1%
Gipsy (Romani) language spoken with family members or friends1,7610.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source7

Ancestry or ethnicity

Population enumerated in the 2022 Hungarian Census; settlement data, population; all sexes and ages as source table defines · 2022 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Belong to German ethnic group21,4071.3%
Belong to Gipsy (Romani) ethnic group12,9210.8%
Belong to Ukrainian ethnic group8,7100.5%
Belong to Romanian ethnic group5,7890.3%
Belong to Slovakian ethnic group2,9090.2%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source7

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher34.05 %2022KSH official data10Official

Alternatives for people set on Budapest

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Pécs as a Budapest alternative in the same country

Better on 3 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 3. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

  • Rent: €8.96/m² Pécs vs €16.94/m² Budapest−47%
  • Median gross pay, region: €1,773 Pécs vs €2,534 Budapest−30%
  • Unemployment: 4.6% Pécs vs 3.9% Budapest+18%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 370 Pécs vs 2,396 Budapestno percentage
  • Nearest airport: 10.0 km Pécs vs 18.0 km Budapest−44%
  • Foreign residents: 5.0% Pécs vs 6.8% Budapest−26%
  • Transport pass: €18 Pécs vs €23 Budapest−18%

Vilnius as a Budapest alternative in another country

Better on 3 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

  • Rent: €12.16/m² (2024) Vilnius vs €16.94/m² (2026) Budapestno percentage
  • Nearest airport: 6.0 km Vilnius vs 18.0 km Budapest−67%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,929 Vilnius vs 2,396 Budapestno percentage
  • Basic utilities, 85 m²: €199 Vilnius vs €159 Budapest+25%
  • Foreign residents: 8.0% Vilnius vs 6.8% Budapest+18%
  • A meal out: €12 Vilnius vs €13 Budapest−6%

Alternative cities in Hungary

Other cities in Hungary to compare with Budapest, nearest in population first.

All Hungary cities

How does Budapest compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Budapest's.

Budapest in rankings

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Budapest?

The published population was 1,675,777 people in January 2026. Source: Population by type of settlement, 1 January.

How much does it cost to rent in Budapest?

Average net cold rent is 16.94 EUR/m² per month (2026-06), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 1,186 EUR a month before utilities. Source: Ingatlannet city statistics — Albérlet rent per m².

Is the air quality good in Budapest?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 13 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data.

How safe is Budapest?

Police recorded about 2,396 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: BRFK — Report on 2025 activity and Budapest public safety.

What is the unemployment rate in Budapest?

The unemployment rate is 3.9 % (2022). Source: KSH official data.

What is the typical salary around Budapest?

The median gross salary is 2,534 EUR/month. Source: www.ksh.hu.

Is Budapest a good place to live?

Budapest may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people are in the Citizenship citizenship group in Budapest?

The official citizenship distribution records 1,685,342 people (100.0%) in the source-defined population for 2022 Census. This is a citizenship measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Budapest, Hungary: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 3af09aab9ee32683c72721a593738ca0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/hu/budapest/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_budapest-hungary-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_4604aec5894e,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Budapest, Hungary: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {3af09aab9ee32683c72721a593738ca0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/hu/budapest/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Budapest, Hungary: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/hu/budapest/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 3af09aab9ee32683c72721a593738ca0; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. BKK Types and prices; Monthly Budapest-pass bkk.hu · checked 2026-10-09
  2. BRFK — Report on 2025 activity and Budapest public safety BRFK · einfoszab.budapest.hu · checked 2026-07-29
  3. Budapest monthly climate data 1991-2020 met.hu · checked 2026-07-26
  4. EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
  5. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
  6. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
  7. Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) language spoken at home distribution nepszamlalas2022.ksh.hu · checked 2026-08-28
  8. KSH official data nepszamlalas2022.ksh.hu · checked 2026-07-18
  9. KSH official data nepszamlalas2022.ksh.hu · checked 2026-07-18
  10. KSH official data nepszamlalas2022.ksh.hu · checked 2026-07-18
Show 18 more sources
  1. KSH official data ksh.hu · checked 2026-07-18
  2. KSH official data nepszamlalas2022.ksh.hu · checked 2026-07-18
  3. KSH official table for air quality no2 annual ug m3 ksh.hu · checked 2026-07-18
  4. KSH official table for city area km2 ksh.hu · checked 2026-07-18
  5. KSH official table for foreign population total ksh.hu · checked 2026-07-18
  6. KSH official table for physicians per 100k ksh.hu · checked 2026-07-18
  7. KSH official table for population density per km2 ksh.hu · checked 2026-07-18
  8. NFSZ — Budapest employment-department locator NFSZ · nfsz.munka.hu · checked 2026-09-15
  9. Official public language-service provider/location register oif.gov.hu · checked 2026-09-15
  10. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  11. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  12. Population by type of settlement, 1 January ksh.hu · checked 2026-07-29
  13. Residential ASZF 3/a annex — sellable Domino prepaid tariffs; effective 2026-10-01 Residential ASZF 3/a annex · telekom.hu · checked 2026-10-09
  14. Residential ASZF 3/c annex — sellable fixed internet tariffs; current terms effective 2026-09-01 Residential ASZF 3/c annex · telekom.hu · checked 2026-10-09
  15. www.ksh.hu ksh.hu · checked 2026-08-27
  16. Ingatlannet city statistics — Albérlet rent per m² Ingatlannet city statistics · ingatlannet.hu · checked 2026-07-29
  17. Lebenshaltungskosten in Budapest de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-26
  18. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-26

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.