Cost of living

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 150,000 (≈EUR 400) per month.

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

CATEGORY   HUF

EUR
(1 EUR ≈ 400 HUF)

USD
(1 USD ≈ 400 HUF)
FOOD a meal in the university canteen 1,500-2000

4-5

4-5

a meal in a restaurant 2,000 - 5,000 5 - 12,5 5 - 12,5
one litre of milk 300 0,9 0,9
one bottle of beer 250 - 450  0,6 - 1,1 0,6 - 1,1
one bottle of red wine 900 - 2,500 2,25 - 6,25 2,25 - 6,25
one litre of bottled water 100 - 150  0.3 - 0.5 0.3 - 0.5
one loaf of bread 400 1 1
TRANSPORT one litre of petrol 800 2 2
a monthly bus pass for students 3,900 10 10
a single bus ticket from a kiosk 350 1 1
a single bus ticket from the bus driver 500 1,25 1,25
a one-way train IC ticket to Budapest with a student discount 2,800 7 7
a taxi ride within city limits (depending on the distance) 1,500-2000 4-5 4-5
one-way shuttle transport from the Budapest Liszt Ferenc Airport to Pécs 14000 35 35
ENTERTAINMENT entrance fee for a party 0 - 5,000 0 - 12,5 0 - 12,5
a cinema ticket (student discount is available) 1200- 1,800 3 - 4,5 3 - 4,5
a theatre ticket (student discount is available) 2,000 - 3,500 5 - 9 5 - 9
swimming pool (our students can use the University's swimming pools for free) 1200 - 2200  3 - 5,5 3 - 5,5
ice skating with a student discount 1200 3 3
ACCOMODATION private flat per month (depending on the location and the number of tenants)

70,000 - 160,000

175 - 400 175 - 400
shared flat per month 40,000 100 100
dormitory per month 40,000-52,000 100-130 100-130

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.