Living costs

The costs of a stay in Hungary have generally been considered low by European standards. To be able to pay your rent, buy proper food and afford an occasional evening out, you need a minimum of HUF 120,000 (≈EUR 400).

Here is a list of essentials to get an idea of prices:

Food

• a meal in the university canteen: HUF 600-1,000 ≈ EUR 2-3.5
• a meal in a restaurant: HUF 1,200-4,000 ≈ EUR 4-13
• one litre of milk: HUF 200 ≈ EUR 0.7
• one bottle of beer: HUF 250-450 ≈ EUR 0.8-1.5
• one bottle of red table wine: HUF 600-1,500 ≈ EUR 2-5
• one litre of bottled water: HUF 100–150 ≈ EUR 0.3-0.5
• one loaf of bread: HUF 200 ≈ EUR 0.7

Transport

• one litre of petrol: HUF 400-430 ≈ EUR 1.5
• a monthly bus pass for students: HUF 3,300 ≈ EUR 11
• a single ticket (bus): HUF 280 ≈ EUR 1 (or HUF 360 ≈ EUR 1.2 from the bus driver)
• a one-way train ticket to Budapest with a student discount: HUF 2,635 ≈EUR 8.8
• A taxi ride within city limits: HUF 900-1,500 ≈ EUR 3-5   (depending on the distance)
• Shuttle transport from the Budapest Liszt Ferenc Airport to Pécs: HUF 7,500-HUF 9,000 ≈ EUR 25-30 (depending on the company and the number of passengers)

Entertainment

• entrance fee for a party: HUF 0-1000 ≈ EUR 0-3.5
• a cinema ticket: HUF 700 – 1,400 ≈ EUR 2.5-4.7
• a theatre ticket: HUF 1,000-2,500 ≈ EUR 3.5-8.5
• cinema with student discount: HUF 1040 ≈ EUR 3.5 for a normal, HUF 1390 ≈ EUR 4.7 for a 3D film
• swimming pool: The Pollack Swimming Pool is free for the students of the University, other swimming pools: HUF 800-2200 ≈ EUR 2.7-7.4
• ice skating (3 hours): HUF 700 ≈ EUR 2.5

Other

• renting a flat per month: HUF 30,000-80,000 ≈ EUR 100-270
• library card: free for students

Get used to understanding the prices in Hungarian Forints (HUF, or locally Ft). Forint bills come in 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000, 500 HUF notes, coins are 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 HUF. Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) are usually accepted in malls, city centre restaurants and shops. Always check doors for logos of the credit card companies that are accepted in a particular shop. ATMs (cash machines) are widely available.