Hungarian products are cheaper to buy in Romania
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You can purchase products made in Hungary for a much lower price in Romanian stores, for half or even a third of the price in Hungary. The reason is not too simple, as inflation in Romania is similar to that in Hungary, but for some, taking a trip to do their weekly or monthly shopping is still worth it.
Customers are willing to travel to spend less on groceries
According to Telex, Romania is also affected by inflation. Especially sugared products have become more expensive on the other side of the border, but they are still cheaper than in Hungary and the selection is wider. Many also claim that the quality of the products available in Romania is better. For example, many Hungarian customers specifically hunt for Hungarian products in the stores of a Romanian city close to the border, Nagykároly (Carei), because strangely, they are available to purchase for much cheaper, in some cases even for half the original price.
As the number of people intrigued by the promise of a good deal increased, a new Facebook group was created by Levente Lintényi, to collect information on the stores and prices. He states that today, it has 9000 members, growing rapidly, by 2000-3000 members a week. He wanted to help others who also wanted to save some money, as it is absurd that a product which is made 20 kilometres away from his hometown in Hungary is much cheaper to buy in Romania. For example, a sausage produced in Hungary costs RON 24.49 (EUR 4.92) in Romania. In Hungary, it would be HUF 4,389 (EUR 11.39).
Why are Romanian stores cheaper?
In Romania, the VAT levied on staple foods is only 9 percent, while in Hungary, it is 27 percent. Most customers do their shopping at the beginning of the month after they get paid, as Lintényi said, some of the members of the Facebook group summarise their savings in spreadsheets, or give each other advice to help in any way they can. Petrol is also cheaper in Romania, so the ones who refuel might save some more money.
This is what the Fidesz government has done to Hungarians. There is no excuse for it and you have to wonder where exactly the money goes that makes those products so expensive. The insanely high VAT tax explains only a fraction of the cost difference. Corruption inflating costs likely explains a lot of the rest. The question is whether Hungarians are masochistically stupid enough to vote again for more of the same come election time. Fidesz is impoverishing Hungarians.
Wrong article, food in Romania is more expensive than in Hungary. We should be glad with Fidesz. With them abjective and absurd ways of thinking like woke make no change in Hungary.