Life in Hungary: What foreigners need to know – from the Baltic perspective
Author: Baiba Rozenberga
Our team is committed to reaching out to and giving a voice to foreigners who have moved to Hungary for work, family, or other reasons, and who spend their daily lives here. We want to understand how they feel about living here, what difficulties they face, how they have managed to integrate, and what they think about Hungary and their place of residence. Therefore, we have launched a series in which we interview foreigners living here about their work and experiences in our country.
Please read this piece from Baiba Rozenberga.
People often ask how I ended up living in Budapest, and the short answer is: a few strange coincidences.
Back in 2017, I decided I wanted to leave Latvia. I had some savings and figured I’d sort life out on the go. My first plan was Nice, France. I spent almost a month there trying to imagine how my life would look. But the vibe was off. It was less than a year after the terror attack; the streets were full of soldiers with guns, and locals kept warning me which areas to avoid. You could feel the tension even when no one said it out loud.
While I was there, a Hungarian friend – someone I’d met years earlier in Venezuela – called to discuss a business idea. I told him that wasn’t a phone conversation and he should come to Nice. He bought the ticket, but something came up and he never arrived. Feeling bad, he invited me to Budapest instead. I came for a week and never left. For a year, I went back and forth between Riga and Budapest while we were dating. In June 2018 I moved. The relationship ended in 2019; he’s long moved to another country, and I’m still here.
I’m a Buda girl through and through. Pest is fun, but too hectic for me. I’ve barely moved away from the Gellért Hill area since I arrived.
Workwise, I’m the Head of Startups at MBH FintechLab, active in the Hungarian Fintech Association, teach at universities, and mentor student startups. I am single – I have a dog, Otto, and a plant called Bruno, both alive and thriving, which I consider an achievement.
First impressions: Dust and charm
The first thing I noticed after my plane landed in Budapest was the dust. The architecture was amazing, but the parks and gardens looked neglected. In Latvia, gardening borders on obsession. We even have a national clean-up day with a cheerful mascot called “Pigman.” Drop litter there, and someone will call you out.
I think Budapest is one of the most beautiful capitals in Europe. I love the weather – winters are mild, summers hot but tolerable, and unlike in Latvia, the forecast is reliable.
Why I love living here
Budapest itself fits my personality. It has all the best and the worst in it – like a New York–style café covered in gold with a homeless guy sleeping next to the door. Each district has its own vibe and tiny “centre,” and I think we all live in completely different Budapests.
I’m a numbers person, and my favourite mind, dead or alive, is Neumann János; I’ve always loved game theory. I also love horses, so the story of the unbeaten racehorse Kincsem fascinates me, and horses are such a strong part of Hungarian culture.
Hungarians often get labelled as distant or overly fond of complaining, but that hasn’t been my experience. They’re generous and genuinely kind – when someone offers to help, they mean it. Friends have shown up with medicine when I am sick or helped me move. They smile more than people give them credit for and know how to enjoy small things.
Hungarians love conversations; talking is a crucial part of the culture. Coming from Latvia, where people avoid small talk and barely greet their neighbours, it took me years to get used to it. Someone from further south or east might see it differently, but compared to Austria – where I’ve lived as well and where complaining is practically a hobby – Hungarians feel warm and welcoming.
Hungarians have an enormous number of desserts and cakes – there’s a cake for every occasion and even a national cake contest.
Budapest offers diverse, high-quality entertainment – festivals, concerts, sports events, exhibitions, Formula One or world-class competitions. You can run into a local festival by accident simply by taking a walk on a Saturday. There is something for every budget and taste.
It is very child- and pet-friendly, with high-quality playgrounds on almost every corner. The public transport is one of the best I’ve seen in Europe, and the city is friendly to bikes. Car drivers are more polite than in Latvia, but parking is a growing issue, and the road quality is about as bad as back home.
And of course, the thermal baths – they really don’t need an explanation.
I love figs and cherries, and still get a small thrill every fig season. Back in Latvia, figs are a delicacy; here I can eat them from a tree.
Challenges and culture shocks
I had many, for example, learning that you don’t bring a separate birthday gift; there’s one common present.
Hungary lags far behind the Baltics in digital services. In Latvia, I’ve never set foot in a government office because everything is online. In Hungary, some of the kormányablak employees know me by face; one year I was there 15 times. Banking and digital-ID systems in the Baltics are decades ahead, so this felt like time-travel in the wrong direction.
On healthcare – I’ve had more X-rays in seven years here than in my first thirty-four, as dentists order them before even checking the problem. Public hospitals run at full capacity, those doctors could run businesses, but the equipment can be outdated – I had two MRIs last year and the results could only be explained if I’d been abducted by aliens: one showed a metal piece in my body, the other claimed I was missing organs – but the doctors themselves are very kind, and many speak excellent English or German.
Business culture differs, too. In the Baltic,s we work in flatter structures where status is self-explanatory and people talk on the same level. In Hungary, hierarchy and status matter.
Grocery shopping can be frustrating – quality is very low. Clothing shopping is mostly mainstream and repetitive, though I hear vintage hunting is fantastic. For spices, I head to Szép Kis India; for sauces, the Asian markets.
Random recommendations
For markets: for an authentic experience, go to Lehel Piac; for a wonderful Saturday-morning vibe, BioPiac; for antiques, visit the Ecseri Piac – it’s a world of its own.
Restaurants? Too many to name. TATI serves great Hungarian dishes with a modern twist, and Alessio is my go-to for Italian seafood dishes.
Try the MOL Bubi bikes to get around the city. My sister loves them and could be their unofficial brand ambassador.
Hungary’s countryside has its own magic. I love Tata, the Mátra mountains, Lillafüred, and everything along the Danube Bend.
Don’t be surprised when someone asks an obvious question in a random setting – it’s a friendly conversation starter. Just go with it.
Forging close friendships takes time because Hungarians keep lifelong circles from kindergarten through university. But Hungarians who’ve lived abroad or are seeking change will happily welcome you in.
A Latvian thread in Budapest
Our Latvian community in Hungary is small but warm. We gather for national holidays and embassy events, and I treasure those connections. Honestly, I think the nicest Latvians all ended up here.
Seven years after that impulsive week-long visit, I still feel grateful that fate rerouted me from Nice to Budapest. Hungary has given me friendships that feel like family, a career I love, and Budapest has become not just where I live, but where I belong.
Welcome*Kedves*Baiba!
🙂
There are no coincidences…
♥