The average Hungarian salary forty years ago

Back in the day, during the Socialist Era in Hungary, the options on supermarket shelves and the different kinds of other stores were limited. And, of course, the average salary individuals got was different than today as well. Let us see the details.

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At the end of the 1950s and the beginning of the 1960s, employees received an average of 6 HUF (today, 2 Cents) for one hour of work – reports Magyarországom. Ten years later, this amount of money increased by 7 HUF. Forty years later, this salary was approximately 40 HUF (today, 12 Cents).

Ten years ago – to set an example – employees walked out of their workplaces with 800 HUF (2 EUR) in their pockets.

What can we buy with this amount of money?

In order to buy 1 kg of bread, people had to work at least for half an hour. In 1980, when videogames became popular, the Sanyo Videorecorder was the best on the market for 64,000 HUF (today, 190 EUR). An average flat in the capital cost 500,000 HUF (today, 1480 EUR), and if people wanted to watch television, a device that showed coloured picture cost 20,000 HUF (today, 60 EUR).

Back in the day, there was no cafeteria service in Hungary, and residents received their salaries in a closed envelope.

Other products from 1989

• Samsung television (51 cm wide) = 30,900 HUF (today, 92 EUR)
• Children’s clothes = 900 HUF (today, 3 EUR)
• Women’s shoes = 1,470–5,890 HUF (today, 4–18 EUR)
• Men’s shoes = 680 HUF (today, 2 EUR)

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Featured image: Wikimedia Commons

Source: www.magyarorszagom.hu, www.bama.hu