Budapest - Post Report Question and Answers
How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Contrary to what we (and many people) thought, Hungary is not “eastern European cheap.” In fact, it’s not even in eastern Europe; it is in central Europe. The prices for groceries and other items was, however, very reasonable. If you are willing to price shop and buy local brands, you will find the city very affordable. There are some American brands available, but they are expensive. Tesco, Prima and Spar are the most numerous and popular grocery store chains. You’ll have no trouble finding fresh produce, and Hungary is a meat-centric country, so lots of pork, chicken, beef, and duck to satisfy the meat lovers in your family. Did I mention bacon? The stores will have an entire bacon SECTION. This was quite exciting for us, coming from a Muslim country where pork was not available. - Feb 2020
Availability is good for most stuff you want. Walmart.com, Amazon, the commissary or a grocery trip run to Aviano Air Base fill in the rest. Cost is pretty good, cheaper than DC. - Nov 2018
Groceries seem to be about 50-100% of the price of groceries in the U.S., depending on what you buy and the season. The Commissary has many non-perishables, ranging from okay-priced to really expensive. Some people ate 99% from the Commissary (which we found unhealthy since the Commissary does not sell produce). We barely visited it since local markets are so enjoyable here. - Dec 2017
Groceries seem to be about equal to mid-priced groceries in the US (cheaper than in rural areas, like Wyoming, pricier than in the midwest). The Commissary has many non-perishables, ranging from okay-priced to really expensive. - Jan 2012
The embassy has a commissary where the cost of items is similar to that in the US. Otherwise, large grocery stores (Tesco and Interspar) exist here too, and offer everything you could need. For specialty items, look to Culinaris, which has 3 locations (and cooking classes, too). Culinaris is expensive but really great. - Apr 2010
I found that some things were more expensive and other things were less, so it balanced out. - Dec 2009
The small embassy commissary offers a ready supply of must-have American brands while open markets are great for reasonably priced fruits and vegetables. There are lots of grocery options - hypermarts are the best bet for avoiding breaking the bank. Gourmet store Culinaris is great for splurges and also offers fresh cranberries for the holidays. - Feb 2008
