Hungary’s border villages: The new hotspot for Romanian property seekers

Romania’s accession to the Schengen Area has given fresh impetus to the real estate market in Eastern Hungary. The facilitation of free movement between border settlements has made properties in previously less attractive Hungarian villages and small towns increasingly popular with Romanian buyers. This growing demand is now extending even to villages that had previously been completely left out of Hungary’s domestic property boom.

Although Hungarian real estate is generally more expensive, the low prices in villages near the border are creating new opportunities for Romanian buyers, who often see these settlements as a chance to purchase affordable homes.

According to G7, house prices in Romania remain favourable in relation to income levels—among the best in the EU. However, this is not the case everywhere. Cities such as Cluj-Napoca have become significantly more expensive in recent years, even surpassing property prices in Bucharest. A similar trend can be observed in Oradea and Timișoara, where prices per square metre have increased 2.5 to 3 times since 2015.

As these cities lie close to the Hungarian border, the sharp rise in prices is drawing greater attention to more affordable Hungarian properties just across the border.

What attracts Romanian buyers to Hungary’s border villages?

On the Hungarian side—particularly in Hajdú-Bihar, Békés and Csongrád-Csanád counties—several settlements offer almost unbelievably low prices per square metre. Nagykereki, for example, is less than half an hour from Oradea and offers properties at around €70 per square metre, an almost absurdly low figure compared to Romanian cities.

Similar price levels can be found in Magyarcsanád and other nearby villages, where prices range between 30,000 and 40,000 forints per square metre. These locations are considered ‘white spots’ on Hungary’s housing market map: they missed out on the national property boom, even as prices in nearby towns have risen four- to fivefold.

The key attraction is the price. In major Romanian cities like Cluj-Napoca or Oradea, housing is unaffordable for many, while nearby Hungarian villages offer homes at a fraction of the cost. Additionally, many buyers are drawn to the peaceful, rural setting, ideal for weekend getaways or even longer-term stays. The removal of border checks and the freedom of movement have only strengthened this trend.

Another important factor is the high number of vacant properties for sale in Hungarian villages, mainly due to the ageing population and migration trends. As a result, Romanian buyers are not necessarily pushing out local residents—in many cases, they are simply occupying homes that would otherwise remain empty.