Facts & figures

Hungary (Hungarian: Magyarország), officially the Republic of Hungary (Magyar Köztársaság), is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin in Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of EU, NATO, OECD, V4 and is a Schengen state. The present form of government is a parliamentary republic (since 1989). The official language is Hungarian, which is part of the Finno-Ugric family. Hungary is one of the 15 most popular tourist destinations in the world with a capital regarded as one of the most beautiful cities. Despite its relatively small size, the country is home to numerous World Heritage Sites, UNESCO Biosphere reserves, the second largest thermal lake in the world (Lake Hévíz), the largest lake in Central Europe (Lake Balaton), and the largest natural grassland in Europe (Hortobágy).

Area: 93,030 km2

Population: around 10 million

Major rivers: Danube (417 km), Tisza (597 km)

Largest lakes: Balaton, Lake Velence

Highest point above sea level: Kékes (1,014 m) in the Mátra Hills

Currency: Forint (HUF)

Time zone: CET (GMT+1)

Calling code for Hungary: 36

Calling code for Budapest: 1

Electricity: 220 V

The following price list should give you an idea of how to plan your budget (prices are in HUF) (click here to see the actual currency exchange rate):

Product	Average price
1 kg bread	150 - 300
1 kg sugar	150 - 200
1 litre milk	160 - 260
100 g cheese	200 - 350
Average restaurant main dish	700 - 1,500
Expensive restaurant main dish	2,000 - 4,500
Hamburger	260 - 300
Ice cream	200 - 350
Soft drink	200 - 400
Movie theatre ticket	800 - 1,500
Entry fee for clubs, discos	1,000 - 3,000
Rock concert ticket	2,000 - 15,000
Metro, bus, tram ticket	320
Mobile phone charges per minute	20 - 120
Squash court rental per hour	2,500 - 3,500
Swimming pool entry	700 - 1,500
1 litre petrol	300

*Living costs per month*
Rent	50,000 - 150,000
Utility bills	30,000 - 70,000
Food	45,000 - 65,000
Student’s monthly travel pass	4,000
Leisure	13,000 - 50,000
Total	145,000 - 350,000

Useful phone numbers

General emergency service number: 112
Police: 107
Ambulance: 104
Fire service: 105
English language telephone directory service: 191