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Experiment: Life in Hungary is more expensive than in Western Europe
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It is no new information for anyone living in Hungary that prices have never been higher. Food prices, raw material and commodity prices, the price of services, prices in the hospitality industry. In other words, we have to pay much more for much less than one, two and three years ago. But how do Hungary’s prices compare to those of Germany and England or even the Netherlands, i.e. Western Europe? Rtl.hu investigated this with the help of Hungarian families who have moved abroad.
Where is food cheaper: in Hungary or in Western Europe?
Where do chicken breasts, pasta, milk and some other staple foods cost less, Hungary or Western Europe? Rtl.hu asked Hungarian families who had moved abroad to buy the same products in the same quantities and then compared the prices with those here. According to an expert speaking to rtl.hu’s show Házon kívül, wage differentials and skyrocketing inflation mean that Hungarian families can now spend twice as much of their earnings on food as those in Western Europe.
Rtl.hu asked Hungarian families living in Western Europe to buy the following things:
- half a kilo of chicken breast
- 200 grams of butter
- a packet of spaghetti
- a litre of milk with 2.8 percent fat
- ten eggs
They have chosen products that are easy to compare. That is why bread, for example, was left out. The selected products were then also purchased by rtl.hu’s crew in Hungary. Afterwards, an expert was interviewed about the reasons for the price increase and what to expect in the coming months.
- Read also: Hungarians are flocking abroad to buy fuel
The Netherlands: butter is way cheaper
Eszter and her family live in Groningen, the Netherlands. “The cheapest butter is 1 euro 79 cents,” she said, pointing to a 250-gram package of butter. This is a little over HUF 700: the same butter could be twice as much in Hungary. According to Eszter Valkó, the rise in prices is also noticeable in the Netherlands, but people are not particularly concerned.
The UK: people are not concerned with price increases
Dénes Horváth lives in Guildford, UK, with his family. They also see some price increases, but they say it is not significant. As most people are earning well, Dénes says prices are not really a concern. “It is not really a topic of conversation, neither with the Hungarians here nor with the British.” “If the cost of a big purchase goes up from GBP 60 to, say, GBP 70, it is still a tiny fraction of the average salary, so they do not panic. Most people are still left with more than they need to live on at the end of the month,” Dénes explains.
Hi,
I believe this article to be incorrect. There is not a chance to get real butter as cheap as 1,79 for 250 grams in The Netherlands. The cheapest I could find was 2,45. That’s a big difference. https://www.dirk.nl/boodschappen/zuivel-kaas/boter-margarine/zuivelmeester-roomboter-ongezouten/54664
Maybe in Groningen, but not many people live there.
Sorry about that.
Üdvözlettel
Fred Buma, Zaanstad.
Dear Fred, yes, Eszter Valkó, one of the participants of the experiment, lives in Groningen with her family. She usually shops at the local market in the middle of the main square. However, for the butter, she went to a shop, that is where she found that. Thank you for your remark!
While it does make sense costs are continuously higher in food, to get a better understanding, all expenses of a family but be factored and a location identified, which is comparable. For e.g., Szeged vs Groningen. Hungarian People move abroad for various reasons and opportunities, these type of articles should not mislead…
Orban’s corruption is expensive. But the idiots voted for him so they have to pay.
I think the problem is that Soros is making hungarian groceries more expensive. If he would stop interfering, then we would be better than almost every country in Europe.