moving to budapest from northamerica

Hi,

I'll be doing the exact reverse (moving from Hungary to Montreal) as soon as my LMO is approved finally (should have been for 3 weeks now...)

We are judging it costs more to move stuff than to get them anew (well,  not brand new but from yard sales mostly) so we are planning on cheking in a few extra suitcases when flying and depositing boxes full of books at friends for posting when we start missing them.

Most families here get by on less than $1000 a month after taxes, so anything above that is relative luxury. (Minimum wage is around $300 a month after taxes)
We really have to know your budget and expectations to help.

The need for AC is up for debate: extreme heat is rarely longer than a few weeks each summer, which you want to spend away from your job and the city anyway :-) Well insulated buildings (a must to keep winter heating costs down anyway) should not heat up that much on the inside. Perhaps if it's something modern, with huge windows facing south, no shade, then you might actually need one.

Public transportation is great (and costs less than $50 a month), so if your job is central, you can usually get to it quickly from a wider area.

Safe can vary from block to block, so you really have to go there and see for yourself or trust your agent. There are gated apartment complexes now called "Lakopark", those should be fairly modern.

Really Montreal?

I'm from Montreal and are you aware of the the political instability in that Province?
Its a Beautifull city but the political fascism in that place is scary. Hope you have a steady job, otherwise they force you to speak french at work, taxes are one of the highest in the Western world and the winters are cold.
If you can, put your kids into  a private English school because by law they will force you to put them into french only.

I consider learning the local language basic courtesy and a great way to improve myself, so I have no problem with that. Looking at the 40 year history of the "Charter of the French Language", I see no threatening trends or escalation to other aspects of life and personal liberties.
As an IT professional I have no problem finding work in an environment that suits my needs.
I have better faith in taxes being put to good use.
You are right about winters :-)
As a temporal worker we can have public education in either language (taxes put to good use), so we are planning to do English first, then French second once they are fluent.

We are quite off-topic here though, moderators please feel free to move the tread to a more appropriate forum.

Thanks for the info szocske.

Wish you only the best....just wanted to give you a reality check.
2 pointers for you.....1) move into an English neighborhood i.e. NDG or Lower westmount if you r gonna work downtown.
2) try and make it down to Plattsurg NY for your grocery and clothes shopping because its waaaaaaay cheaper. The drive is about a 1hr 1/2 max.

Cheers!

Hi Montreal....Hope you decide to make the move. I've lived in Budapest since 1999 and still love it. Re: apartment rentals, there are agents all over the Internet and Facebook. Center of town is Districts 5,6,7,8 and 13 - although District 8 still somewhat dodgy. Districts 5,6,7 are the best. District 3 is Obuda, far away (!) and District 2 is in Buda. Buda is good only if you have a family with you, otherwise all the action is in Pest. Flat rentals for what you want should be very reasonable, say, in the 80 - 100,000 forint range, which is $400-$500 US per month, although better deals are probably available through an agent. Furnished flats are fully furnished, with everything - washer, TV, kitchen equipment and utensils, bedding, etc.
For moving costs for your household goods, contact a friend of mine, Stuart McAlister, who owns Interrelo, a relocation company - he's on the Internet and Facebook, also under Expats Hungary.com.

Good luck and get in touch when you arrive and we'll get you introduced around town.

Gary Lukatch

Hi Montreal....Hope you decide to make the move. I've lived in Budapest since 1999 and still love it. Re: apartment rentals, there are agents all over the Internet and Facebook. Center of town is Districts 5,6,7,8 and 13 - although District 8 still somewhat dodgy. Districts 5,6,7 are the best. District 3 is Obuda, far away (!) and District 2 is in Buda. Buda is good only if you have a family with you, otherwise all the action is in Pest. Flat rentals for what you want should be very reasonable, say, in the 80 - 100,000 forint range, which is $400-$500 US per month, although better deals are probably available through an agent. Furnished flats are fully furnished, with everything - washer, TV, kitchen equipment and utensils, bedding, etc.
For moving costs for your household goods, contact a friend of mine, Stuart McAlister, who owns Interrelo, a relocation company - he's on the Internet and Facebook, also under Expats Hungary.com.

Good luck and get in touch when you arrive and we'll get you introduced around town.

Gary Lukatch

Hi Achezia,

First of all Budapest is beautiful I am sure that you will find everything you need here.

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HI,
I moved to Budapest from Toronto about 10 years ago.  First it was only 1 year and we added a year every year. We truly love it here.
I did move my furniture about 4 years ago when we decided to stay . They charged by the cubic meter, it came to 4,000$ . I did not bring appliances or beds.  They took care of everything and unpacked for us .There are many good companies like that .
Pest is great if you are the type that likes to go out , it is were the action is . On the other side of the Danube  Buda, the green quiet area is more enjoyable. We live in Obuda and really enjoy it . We take cabs in the evenings to go out as compared to Toronto they are very cheap.
You can find apartments in every price range and everyone has a friend who is a realtor LOL. Districts 2,3 and 12 in buda and 5, 6 in Pest are good as there are many english speaking people there and access to Pest from the Buda side is easy.
Transportation compared to Toronto is amazing!
Air conditioning is a MUST. Hungary has a long hot summer , the stone buildings heat up and you are living in an oven until oct. Especially in Pest  there is vbry little air movement. I suffered the first few years
Most decent landlords now give a/c. I would recommend ONLY moving into an a/c place.
Everyone tries and speaks english  so it will not be hard. There are many organisations with english only speaking people.
good luck!

Hi achezia
We are moving in Sept this year to Budapest. We have raised the same issues you raised and we found answers through help from many people.

One of the members here mentioned that “everyone has a friend who is a realtor” … how true!!

We are working with a company called Hire a Hungarian for our relocation. Link: hireahungarian.com/

And we find them really helpful and cost effective as well.

Regards
Karen