The cost of living in Hungary remains a major source of anxiety even as inflation has fallen sharply and real wages are rising again. A new PwC Hungary survey suggests that many households still feel financially stretched, with a sizeable share struggling to build savings, cover unexpected setbacks or even make their salary last until the next payday.
The findings highlight a gap between Hungary’s improving headline economic indicators and the way many people perceive their own financial situation.
According to the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH), consumer prices were just 1.2 percent higher in July 2026 than a year earlier, while prices actually fell by 0.1 percent compared with June. Food prices were down 1.1 percent year on year, although services were still 4.7 percent more expensive.
Wages have also been gaining purchasing power. Real earnings rose by 7.6 percent year on year in June, according to the latest KSH figures.
Yet the latest survey from PwC Hungary shows that the improvement in the macroeconomic picture has not necessarily translated into a feeling of financial security.
Cost of living in Hungary continues to squeeze households
According to PwC Hungary’s Financial Wellness survey, 42 percent of respondents said their salary was generally failing to keep pace with rising living costs, while only 4 percent believed their pay was fully keeping up.
The survey also suggests that a substantial proportion of households have little room for a serious financial shock.
Thirty percent of respondents said their household would not be able to cover basic expenses if its main earner were unable to work for six months. Another 20 percent were unsure how long their existing reserves would last.
Day-to-day finances are also proving difficult for some. Fourteen percent said they often or always run out of money between paydays, while another one in five said this happens from time to time.
PwC found that 45 percent of respondents experienced at least a moderate level of stress when managing their finances, while 16 percent described themselves as particularly stressed. For 35 percent, financial anxiety had increased during the previous year.
The numbers are particularly notable because falling inflation does not mean that prices have returned to where they were several years ago. It simply means they are now increasing much more slowly. Households may therefore still be adjusting to the cumulative price rises of previous years even as current inflation becomes less severe.
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Long-term savings are another weak point
Financial pressure is also affecting preparations for the future.
Among respondents who had not yet retired, 36 percent said they were not saving anything specifically for retirement. A further 13 percent said they intended to start but had not yet done so.
Concerns about the future extend beyond retirement savings. Around 32 percent of those surveyed said they believed their generation was financially worse off than previous generations had been at the same age. A similar proportion expected the next generation’s financial prospects to be no better.
This suggests that the debate around the cost of living in Hungary is increasingly about more than immediate inflation. Financial resilience, housing plans, retirement and the ability to build wealth are becoming part of the same conversation.
Financial pressure is spilling into the workplace
PwC’s research also found signs that money worries are affecting working life.
Some 42 percent of employees surveyed were at least somewhat concerned about the future security of their jobs. Meanwhile, 45 percent felt that their employer did little or nothing to support their financial wellbeing.
The consequences can extend beyond personal budgeting. Respondents reported that financial stress can affect sleep, health, self-esteem, relationships and performance at work.
Why the figures matter despite falling inflation
For foreign observers, the survey offers an important qualification to Hungary’s improving inflation and wage statistics.
Lower inflation and rising real wages are positive developments, but they do not immediately undo several years of higher prices or rebuild household savings. The PwC findings suggest that many Hungarians remain focused on financial security rather than feeling the full benefit of the improving headline numbers.
The Hungarian survey was carried out in July 2026 in two waves among more than 3,200 adult Hungarian internet users who shop online, using a nationally representative sample for that group. The results should therefore be interpreted within that methodological scope rather than as a survey of every Hungarian household.
For now, the picture is mixed: inflation has eased substantially and purchasing power is recovering, but for a significant share of those surveyed, financial confidence appears to be recovering much more slowly.
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