Moving/retiring to Hungary

Chikagoan wrote:

Will my income be enough to live comfortably in Hungary, in Budapest or in a smaller town?

This is a commonly asked question, with plenty of existing feedback:

https://www.expat.com/forum/316-22-cost … ngary.html

Also consider that the US Dollar exchange rate is currently at 257 HUF, but has been as low 150 HUF. And it may be again at any time (or worse) and the drop can happen very fast. So also need to consider if you can live in the future on just 60% (or less) of the buying power you have today. And that does not even consider other stresses, such as normal inflationary issues, upon a fixed income.

Chikagoan wrote:

How do Hungarians relate to expats?

If you get your Hungarian citizenship, I would personally say you are not an expat, just a dual citizen living in one of your countries.

Other than that, not sure I understand exactly you want to know by "relate to expats"? As in, do Hungarians love/hate/indifferent to expats? Hang out with expats? Other?

Chikagoan wrote:

How do people work out health care?

Not sure of the question.

Do you mean how to get on national health? Or what is better: national health or private insurance? Or how is medical care? Other?

Chikagoan wrote:

....
I have been to Hungary quite a few times, including last year.
I can speak a fair amount of Hungarian and would like to learn more.
My monthly income in retirement will be about $3,500.
....

I think you'd be fine with that amount (I assume net).  I wouldn't burn you bridges in the USA, keep your property there and rent it out so you have somewhere to return to if things go bad.  If you have capital, you might consider buying a place here but be aware prices have increased considerably.   

I'm hearing of 50 m2 apartments (small!) in Budapest for 50 M HUF.  Insane increases in the past couple of years.

You can join the health service here and pay for it.  It's a lot cheaper than private care but you get what you pay for.  The only question I think you might want to consider if you'd be on your own here or if you have family. Being here "alone" could be quite lonely, especially if you become ill. 

BTW, I'm not an American, I'm British married to a Hungarian with two Hungarian kids (culturally anyway), so I have no particular US-HU knowledge and I don't speak Hungarian to any great extent.

Thanks very much for the input. Actually, I have been in Hungary about 8 times, I am married and my wife (South Korean, now US citizen) will be with me, so I won't be alone. During my experiences in Hungary in recent years I have been treated very nicely and welcomed, which was always my experience from childhood on. I do have  a good number of relatives in Zala megye as well. My Hungarian is pretty good for conversation and one of my goals is to improve it and use it as much as possible, for daily activities and for meeting people.

In terms of my specific question; I am curious how Hungarian people feel about expats and overseas Hungarians moving to Hungary. I am aware many Hungarians have worked abroad these days, in Britain, etc. How have attitudes towards foreigners changed in light of this? I myself never really felt like a foreigner in Hungary, although I did not grow up there.

Thank you again

Thanks so much for the input I have received so far. I guess the main reason I would like to move to Hungary is that I love being there. That being said I hope I can save money on my income ($3,500 monthly) while living in Hungary and once in a while travel to Vienna or Frankfurt, etc. I will keep my condo in Chicago and return to the US periodically. I live very simply and like to eat Hungarian food and just live a quiet life.
What parts of Budapest are best to stay in? I like Obuda because I enjoy visiting the Aquincum ruins. Any ideas re. other cities or districts in Budapest that are reasonable in price and interesting?

Just a few words here, maybe more later from me...
My husband is also Hungarian but left HU at age 23 and lived most of his life in the US.
We have retired here in Budapest and although my husband speaks perfect HUngarian without any sort of accent people still ask him if he is Hungarian.
I think being away so many years as made him speak like someone who has returned from time.
He feels like a stranger in HU and he feels a bit like a "foreigner" in the US. He actually says now he like the US lifestyle better because as one ages it isn't such a hassle in the US and people let you be without so much judgement.
Of course we are here , for now.
I wonder how your Korean wife will find HUngary.
Many of our old,( known over 40 years) friends that are HU now live in Hawaii and all their wives are Japanese,Their wives do not exactly like HU for any longer then a short visit.

Chikagoan wrote:

I myself never really felt like a foreigner in Hungary, although I did not grow up there.

You were here as a tourist. Guest friendly culture here. Socially polite to guests. You are told what they think you want to hear, but not necessarily what they were thinking (or the truth).

I have lived here 10 years. Small village. My wife is Hungarian who lived abroad for over two decades. Nobody here understands why she came back to Hungary, as many here want to leave. She is fluent in Hungarian, so hears what people say, such as on the bus, where gossip chit-chat happens, and has heard anti-foreign (including anti-American) views. And I have even heard some second hand local gossip about me or us from different trusted sources (none of it was nice). But locals gossip about everyone. Seems to be a local sport. None of it is nice. No wonder even Hungarians want to leave. But none of this was "in my face". It was all behind my back talk. Knowing the language you will hear and experience more of the current political views about foreigners or Hungarians with foreign histories or connections, like my wife does. And some is not even gossip, but out in the open: my wife was telling me recently about some public political criticism because another politically active Hungarian had a French girlfriend (if I remember that story correctly -- politics here is just to weird for me to keep track of details). Pretty much I can ignore a lot of it by wrapping an expat bubble around myself, until I have to deal with local bureaucracies... That is another can of worms.

Yes, it is so true, being a short time visitor or actually living in Hungary or anywhere for that matter is a whole "different ball game".
I honestly do not want to burst your bubble but seriously if we had $3,500 in retirement and a paid off condo in the US, Hungary would probably be one of the last places we would move to.
My son married a Asian women ( first wife was Hungarian and he met her in HU) and like I stated most of our HU friends have Asian wives.
I know there are many Asians living in Hungary now but doubt they come over via the USA.( I love to met new people and found out most of the Asians living in HU are actually from Vietnam, at least most of those,"Chinese shop" owners) Everyone here seeing Asians as all being Chinese.
Your wife is going to feel like a outsider and not be too happy in the long run.
I have heard things from our friends wives, many just send their husband s on holiday to HU on their own, their wives do enjoy coming here after the first visit or two.
I actulaly entertained one Japanese lady and her baby while our 2 husbands visited HU on their own. Plan was for us all to come together but last min. she freaked out and said she just couldn't go through with it again.
I didn't go either since she wasn't coming.
Also my husband has had contact with several old friends he knew before he left HU, they all changed and not for the better.Most have property or something going on but still, they got odd in their behavior or rather perhaps we are odd.
We no longer see them.
A few lived in the US and then later moved back to HU and got jobs and had families, the US wasn't for them. They are all died now , drank away their cares...
If you let it be known to your family that you have a nice income every month, they are going to resent you in the long run , experience.
Older Hungarians who never left HU are going to resent you and people will never really take you in as a "real" Hungarian no matter who much of the language you speak, smiling faces but dark hearts.
Being a couple is also a issue, hard enough to find friends but to find friends that you both like is impossible really.
We even know and used to hangout allot with old friends that are a couple and our age group.
My husband knew this guy when he was 17 and my husband was 20. my husband also knew this guys current wife before my husband left HU.
Long story , knew this guy in the US, roomed with my husband, we helped him allot, he stayed with us in Hawaii with his old GF, his wife doesn't know much about those years when they broke up and he was in the US alone. Long story, she married a older professor here in HU and he had allot of wealthy GF's in the US who supported him, he rarely worked in the US. He told his wife other tales though.
We never tell tales to her, not our business and what for? Even so we always get the vibe he is afraid of us spilling the beans on him.
Just weird so we no longer see them although we had allot of fun times together over the decades. They live 10 mins away from us too. sad really.
They also never really changed, never had kids and they both stayed in their teenage ways, they hang with HU "music stars" and party all the time even thought they are in their 60's now. Just not exactly fun to try and keep up with your old image as a teenager for the rest of your life.
Pressure to always look perfect, dress perfect, do "exciting things" all the time, they just got really snobby over the years.
We also visited a few times the senior dances here in Budapest at different locations from Pest to Buda, had a bit of fun but most of the people were just allot older then us and they just weren't exactly open minded like us, Just weird to see old people acting up, almost fighting each other over dumb stuff.
In the US there are so many nice senior centers with all sorts of fun and different things going on, in Hawaii many of the people from my gym would all get together and fly to Vegas for a week, take Island hopping trips etc. Nice people that were actually doing things and not sitting around being gossips.
Just a few thoughts.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

I honestly do not want to burst your bubble but seriously if we had $3,500 in retirement and a paid off condo in the US, Hungary would probably be one of the last places we would move to.

Thinking outside the box is good.

And as a soon to be Hungarian citizen, and an EU citizen, the OP can live anywhere in the EU. So lots of places to choose from that are also surely within that budget. 

Or, as a fantasy discussion recently with my wife who was saying what properties she would like to buy in Hungary if she won the lottery, and I said, "Or, we could just buy a villa on the Mediterranean". She laughed, and said "You're right".

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Your wife

Will have to immigrate via the family reunification visa program (and we both know what that was like). Which also has some limitations to gain permanent residency, such as regarding travel time abroad from Hungary limited to 6 months per year. So in a way, non-EU spouses are "trapped" here.

So true I have put the "immigration nightmare" out of my mind.
That truly is a huge hassle .Your wife coming from the US and not from a EU country is a challenge to deal with.
It has been a while since I went through it all but I will never forget how stressful it was.
I sometimes go off on a tangent and do not make myself clear.
In regard to our old friends now living here, I didn't mean anything was wrong with not having children, just in their case they are their own children.
Never really learned to share even between the two of them with each other.
Also the women I really did like but know she is bad company for me.
She had been a teacher here in HU before she moved to the US to marry our old friend, they dated in HU before he left HU as a young man.
She married a professor in HU and her husband can never really live up to her expectations.
Of course she is snobby like that her older 2 siblings are both retired lawyers here in HU. She judges people on what they used to do for a living and their family lines.
When I mentioned that we were looking into the national archives to find info on my husband's family, she was more into it then we were.
Wanted to know all the details and was excited ,not for us but for herself. Good to know old "bluebloods" to impress her other friends.
Thing is it means nothing to us and we just never bothered going further with it, just saying there is still a class system here in Hungary although many people will not talk about it.
Your income will be good here but sadly you have too much for most retired people here and not enough to be considered a Rose Hills elite.
Just not like in the US at all and hard to explain unless you experience it first hand.

Thanks to everyone for the input so far. It is greatly appreciated.
It sounds like everyone has their own experiences (of course), some good and some bad. My wife has been to Hungary three times and really likes it, despite her being non-European. We stayed about a month or more each time. Additionally, I plan on spending next Summer, six weeks, and the summer after that in Hungary, leading up to retirement.
My expectations are really rather moderate. I just want to live quietly and enjoy being in Hungary. I am not very social and don't expect to become part of any social groupings. I feel bad for Hungarian retirees who have such limited incomes, who include relatives of mine.
How does the current political climate influence expats? Last Summer I observed the news media were strongly anti-migrant. I am glad Hungary is a safe and stable environment in comparison to Western European countries. I have traveled throughout Germany, Belgium, France, etc. I observed the large migrant populations, which Hungary lacks. What are some thoughts about this issue?

Chikagoan wrote:

I am glad Hungary is a safe and stable environment in comparison to Western European countries.

The homicide rate is higher in Hungary than in Germany. We had two attempts of burglary here in Hungary, including one home invasion attempt. I have had more people try to con me in Hungary, and my wife and I have had to file more police reports here than anywhere else we have lived (and I, personally, lived in some high crime cities in the US).

Chikagoan wrote:

I have traveled throughout Germany, Belgium, France, etc. I observed the large migrant populations, which Hungary lacks.

Hungary has immigrants. All expats here are immigrants.

What are you calling "migrants"? France, Germany and Belgium all were colonial powers. Those people you are calling migrants may also have just been born in each country from ancestors who move to Europe during each country's colonial periods. Seriously, did you ask to see their papers?

And politics, and the governments they produce, are an ever changing issue. No guarantees what the next election cycle may bring. Plenty of reasons to move to Hungary. But all that are dictated by human institutions can change, at any time.

Thanks again, specifically I mean since my spouse is Asian, not European or Hungarian, how will Hungarians percieve her? So far no problems. But given the antimigrant sentiments discussed in news media re. Hungary, I wonder if some people may resent her presence.

Also, it seems like some respondents are not too happy living in Hungary. That is OK, understandable.
I do not plan on staying in Hungary permanently, only part of the time. I will likely remain part of the time in Hungary, part in the USA and part in Asia. It sounds like buying a home is not a good idea, renting provides more freedom.

In terms of migrants I was referring to those people who in the last few years have been moving in to Europe from the Middle East and Africa. Obviously there were long standing communities of non-Europeans in Western Europe, but there are also many recent migrants moving about in Europe these days, camping out in parks, train stations, etc. Hungary no longer has these kinds of movements due to the governments policies. I noticed last year that the news discussed this issue constantly, and many Hungarians I talked to did as well.

6 weeks here and there is great, no need to get into the heavy everyday sort of BS that happens.
For many years we stayed in HU for 5 to 7 months and then returned to the US for a year to 18 months and worked.
prices in HU were "cheap" to us when we worked in good paying US jobs.
Also being a good 10 years younger makes everything seem easier.
Having experienced hopping around Budapest on crutches and feeling "weak" gives one a real life view on how things can go if you are old, alone or just weak in any way.
Not good to be in the city then.
I had to beat a man with my crutch  just a week after leaving the hospital, he was trying to grab my handbag from behind me.
Another time I had to shove my umbrella up a mans back side after he grabbed me on the wrist while I was trying to exit the tram in the rain.
Never in my life have I ever had to get physical with a stranger on the st. but here in Hungary, it could happen at any moment from my experiences.
Ok, take that back, at age 17 I had to go after a man who was following me on the sidewalk in Hollywood, had to "act all crazy" and tell him I was going to cut him with my soda bottle if he didn't quit following me.
Better to be safe and weird then sorry later...
Of course that was in "Hollyweird" in the 70's no such place like that these days, at least I hope not!

Chikagoan wrote:

Thanks again, specifically I mean since my spouse is Asian, not European or Hungarian, how will Hungarians percieve her? So far no problems. But given the antimigrant sentiments discussed in news media re. Hungary, I wonder if some people may resent her presence. ....

My own observation is that South East Asian people here live in bubbles of their own contacts/society.  Most of them are thought to be working for businesses like LG or Hyundai.  I see more and more South East Asian people  (presumably Chinese) doing "normal things" like shopping in Tesco, in Ikea and driving around in cars.  This is obviously not unusual elsewhere at all but here, it's something that was less than visible. 

I'm also seeing more non-Hungarian (i.e. white) people in "common jobs" - yesterday I saw a guy who looked Arabic working in McDonalds and I saw an African or Caribbean chap with very cool beaded dreadlocks stacking shelves in OBI (DIY store)!    There was an African guy working in my local Tesco for several years but haven't seen him for a while.  I don't think any of these people are illegal immigrants or refugees. 

Orban Viki, the PM, is like Trump and wants an illiberal democracy (whatever that is exactly) and he is generally perceived as anti-immigration, anti-LGBTI, anti-Islam and pro-Putin and pro-right wing.  There is a significant amount of the population who are against him but a majority favour him and there's no chance of him getting the boot in the near term (he'll probably  get re-elected, opposition is fragmented).  Makes it uncomfortable for those of us invest here long term and that believe that diversity brings benefits long term.

ATM I have just been "disturbed" by at least 20 Asian and English speaking people literally sanding in the middle of the st. gabbing away and playing with sheets of papers.
My husband closed the windows but mine are still open. I was about to yell out for them to move it along because they were using our car as a desk!
Not sure what country it is normal for people to gather in the st. and talk loudly disturbing traffic. We live on a two way st. which is busy most times.
Just so odd, they are invading our district, tourists that is.
Just last week at 6:45 am on a Sunday a young women was screaming in a moaning manner the screamed loud in American English, "I would rather die"!! I was about to scream back, "That can be arranged"!!
They are still crowded int he st. talking loud cars going past them, some smoking , some almost leaning on parked cars.
Just odd, maybe they are doing that Pokeman go thing?
I am about to yell out for them to move along.
Finally i figured it out, some Chinese/English film crew doing their pre scouting stuff... Idiots, like who even bothers going to films these days?
Suppose they paid their fees so they now own the street. Poor residents, we have a hospice right there, someones last dying words are "please shut the window those jerks are too loud".

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

...
Finally i figured it out, some Chinese/English film crew doing their pre scouting stuff... Idiots, like who even bothers going to films these days?
Suppose they paid their fees so they now own the street. Poor residents,...

Ask for money for the disturbance/hassle and a part in the movie!!

Find out which movie it is!  Chinese/English - probably Jackie Chan (*groan*)

Great minds think the same, I just said if I had known when they were using my car like a desk that they were part of a film crew, I would of yelled out that's a prop, I need my fee!!!
Another "box office" loser in the making for sure!
For once I wish we had one of those loud car alarms!

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Great minds think the same, I just said if I had known when they were using my car like a desk that they were part of a film crew, I would of yelled out that's a prop, I need my fee!!!
Another "box office" loser in the making for sure!
For once I wish we had one of those loud car alarms!

I think it's worth $100 at least.  Hit 'em up for the cash!

(I can switch my car alarm on and off remotely -  opportunity for extraction of a fee at the critical point - "Quiet on the Set" and "Action"......"Beeeppp....Siren....Beeeeppp" and "Cut".  Find out who owns that car!!.....

Thanks again for all the interesting input. Is there a quite a bit of crime in Hungary currently? Last summer I had a bag stolen in Berlin train station but nothing else, and that was the only incident in a number of countries; Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Italy Austria, Switzerland and Hungary. Is property crime common in Hungary?

Chikagoan wrote:

In terms of migrants I was referring to those people who in the last few years have been moving in to Europe from the Middle East and Africa. Obviously there were long standing communities of non-Europeans in Western Europe, but there are also many recent migrants moving about in Europe these days, camping out in parks, train stations, etc.

I know what you meant. And I still ask how you can tell how long someone has been in Europe. Sleeping in a park may mean they are just poor and homeless. Does not mean they are recent migrants.

And in Hungary, being poor and homeless was effectively criminalize. The last I heard about it, the police can "detain" the homeless. There is a lot going on here that is not obvious to the casual visitor.

Chikagoan wrote:

Hungary no longer has these kinds of movements due to the governments policies.

Which the EU is saying are illegal. The case is ongoing. Time will tell. Like I said, human institutions can change rapidly. Don't count them to remain consistent for decades of retirement years.

Chikagoan wrote:

I noticed last year that the news discussed this issue constantly, and many Hungarians I talked to did as well.

Main news outlets are either government owned or government oligarch owned. A lot of bias in "reporting" here. And the government just seems to need an constant enemy to keep things stirred up here and the people on defense: Immigrants, then Brussels, now George Soros, tomorrow something else.

Chikagoan wrote:

Thanks again for all the interesting input. Is there a quite a bit of crime in Hungary currently?

Most houses around where I live have either iron bars, or roll down security shutters on the windows. They do not do this because it looks pretty. Many houses have alarms. If you leave something in the yard, you may find out it sprouted legs and walked away at night. Our neighbor had such a robbery, and put up a fence around their house, topped with barbed wire (a bit over done if you ask me, but they are elderly and I think got frightened).

A few years ago a gang of thieves were breaking into houses and stealing copper electrical wire. Did millions of forint in damage for just a few forint in copper.

I am not saying Hungary is a dangerous place. But, IME, it certainly has it share of crimes, especially petty crimes.

Chikagoan wrote:

Thanks again, specifically I mean since my spouse is Asian, not European or Hungarian, how will Hungarians percieve her? So far no problems. But given the antimigrant sentiments discussed in news media re. Hungary, I wonder if some people may resent her presence.

Yes, some people will absolutely resent her presence. And some people will probably assume she is Chinese and cloak her in their anti-Chinese sentiment. As there are some people who will have sentiments against Jews, Muslims, Romani, etc. etc. etc. The more rural you go, the more you may experience such sentiments.

Did you notice all of the above can be equally applied today to Hungary or The Good 'Ole US of A (or anywhere else, since people will be people everywhere). However, one notable difference being, Hungary never had an Asian Exclusion Act (which was only repealed by Congress in 1965 for crying out loud), exemplifying the long institutionalized history of national prejudice in the USA. Many current prejudices in Hungary, IMHO, are a more recent learned response from constant propaganda.

I agree many people are very backward minded and see anyone who is a outsider as " scary" .
If for any reason you physically stand out you could be a target of rude remarks or at the min. rude looks.
Of course for most "tourists" staying in the "safe zones" of their hotels, main drags and being bused around, they will not always see this darker side of life.
I actually like Hungary and resent the resent wave of westerners coming in and making me feel like I am once again in the west.( am I being stalked?... just kidding)
Dang. soon Hungary will be a full on English speaking country and I will have to go home to the US to hear  foreign languages spoken.
Many people come up to me or the clerks talk to me in Hungarian, I suppose I "blend in" some here, once they realize I do not fully understand them their eyes change and attitude is different. I am sensitive to the subtle  emotions from people, one thing that made me a great games dealer and hairdresser, knew when to "turn it  on or shut it down".
My  cuz has visited me here in Hu 2 times within 2 years ( it was great) his wife is from Thailand, no issues at all for her, then again just here for a few days and doing the tour thing.
I lived for awhile in a town just outside of budapest and yes, the attitude was allot more pro HU and less pro outsider then in the city.
My roots are from this side of the world and from Germany but that tiny bit of Mohawk sometimes throws people off and I get "looks" guess high cheekbones and a wide smile are not common on this side of the ocean.
My son was sort of semi-thinking of coming here for a bit to chill out with us and bring his Japanese wife along. No way , we do not wish to put her threw that number.

Thanks so much for all the great insights and input. I really enjoy reading all this. Actually I have been coming to Hungary my whole life and I have stayed many times in a small villag in Western Hungary, Zala county. Last year we traveled by bus and train from Szombathely to Nagykanizsa, to Pecs, Budapest, Eger, Szeged, Kecskemet, Gyor and Sopron. Again, this was to some degree the tourist trail, but not always. Also, I prefer Hungarian speaking environments and don't really need English language support. Are there that many English speakers living in Hungary? It sounds like there are based on everyone's responses.

Definitely my wife was stared at all over Hungary. That doesn't bother her much. I have received the same in Korea. I noticed the Chinese shops everywhere, and saw Chinese people walking around totally Hungarian towns like Nagykanizsa.

The Asians in Hungary seem well adjusted to the environment and are starting to interact with Hungarians to a degree based on my observations. The majority are mainland (PRC) Chinese opening up the 'Kinai Bolt' selling cheap clothing or the 'Kinai etterem' selling (mostly bad) Chinese food. There are some Vietnamese left over from the communist period. The Chinese people don't seem to care much about what other people think of them as a group.

I have seen Asians in every European country these days, from owning bars in Ravenna  to running restaurants in Wien. The Hungarians I talked to regarding Asians didn't seem to mind them too much being in Hungary, but most of these Hungarians knew my wife was Asian when they said this to me.

Many people who speak English are under say 40 years old although I have run into many people in their elderly years that spoke perfect English. Just out walking their dogs or in a shop I spoke with them.
Found out I have a distant relation retired in her 80's who lives in Budapest who was a English teacher over here.
The city has more English speakers then most smaller towns although you never know. Many people in small towns have traveled and worked in the west and have returned to HU, they speak English very well.
All I know is I am careful what I say in public because you never know who is listening... Almost like in the old days, the walls have ears!
If a person seems to not understand English sometimes they actually do but are shy about using their language skills, people hate to make fools of themselves by using the wrong word or phrase, not everyone is a clown who doesn't mind people laughing at them making a mistake.
Lots of Chinese here but they seem to stay with themselves allot.
My son had a Chinese GF after his divorce, they dated for a few years, she was from Hong Kong though, spoke English.
This was in the US too.
They do tend to stick to themselves overall. My son experienced that, said they would rather help one of their own first then a non Chinese even if the non Chinese was family. Just his view though .
His GF would do just about anything to make me comfy and happy, I liked her a ton.
He next had a Korean GF, she actually lived with us for over 6 months time. I hung with her allot , went shopping together etc.
She was funny and nice, had lived in the US for 25 years.
Next his Japanese Gf then his Japanese wife who he met on line and went to visit in Japan.
He never ever had a American GF, strange...
Funny story though about how private most Asians seem to be.
My son bought a used car from the Japanese friend of his former GF in Las Vegas. She was moving back to Japan so no longer needed the car.
He met this friend in Vegas at a few parties etc. So not like they were strangers.
He traveled to Tokyo about a year after she moved away.
He was standing on a street in Tokyo and saw her, she had to have seen him but she acted like they were strangers. Very odd,
My son is 6'3" tall, slim with bright red hair, stood out in Tokyo so she had to have noticed him.
It was like, OK, you were part of my old life but now I have moved on.
Not sure if that is part of the Asian culture or she was just anti-social.

Ms. Tassy: Sounds like your son had a nice series of girl friends. I have heard from some Hungarians that they really like Asian stuff and Asian (ladies) people as well to a degree. It is a strong interest based partly on the supposed Central Asian origin if the Magyars.

I have traveled extensively in Asia and have lived in Korea. I enjoy it there very much, but I also like to be in Europe and a place where I have ties to the culture.

My goal is to improve my Hungarian over the next two years through study and through staying in Hungary in the Summer and speaking Hungarian as much as possible. That way by the time I am able stay in Hungary after retirement, I won't have communication issues. 

How do Hungarians feel about people from abroad who speak Hungarian? Do some expats learn the language?

I am wondering if it might be best to stay in a suburb of Budapest, rather than in the city itself. It would be less cosmopolitan but also cheaper.

Yes, my son is totally into being a Hungarian,he also loves Asia and of course the ladies from there.
He actually was scolded by his father when we all were in HU together in 2000. He was practicing his Japanese rather then trying to learn Hungarian.
He lived by himself with his GF and her mom for over a year in Hungary before they married, he was around the language all the time and picked it up a bit. This was a few years later then our 2000 visit.
He is always telling his dad he wished he had taught him Hungarian when he was a kid but easier said then done, my husband was too busy making a living and we also never were around the language much in the US.
I have been telling my husband lately that i want to move to the smaller villages or a smaller city near water over here.
I am  over living in the city.
I want to see "real Hungary" not a copy of Disneyland.
I also think the Asian cultures are interesting, if you are taken in a family that is.
My cousins wife is from Thailand, lived 30 or so years in the US and still has not lost her sweetness.

Dear Ms. Tassy:
Yes, I really like Asian people and culture. Years ago I visited Hungary often and was in close communication with relatives there. These days I have lost touch with people as everyone is older and passing away in Hungary, but I have been visiting Asia almost every year for 7 years or so and have a lot of friends and acquaintances there through my wife. In many ways I like Asia the best, but both my wife and I really like Europe too and especially Hungary. Despite what some respondents say here in the forums, it seems that Asians don't have much trouble in Hungary. My wife is interested in Hungarian folk culture and this summer plans on visiting dances and other events. I myself am not so interested in  Neprajz, but it is attractive. In any case I look forward to visiting Hungary in June for about 6 weeks and then after another year can stay longer, 6 months or so. It is too bad that for some people in the forum life presents many challenges in Hungary, but it does for foreigners in Korea and other Asian places as well. I think we just have to locate ourselves in environments we like that are conducive to our goals and then ignore politics and other aspects of a society that we don''t like. After all the US these days is really in some turmoil too.After returning from Korea for two months this Summer I am appalled at the mutual recriminations in the media constantly. All societies have shortcomings and I guess if some of the people in Hungary don't like it as much as they describe in the forums, perhaps they should consider moving elsewhere. When I lived in Korea twenty years ago many Westerners hated it there, they openly despised Korean food and the language and stayed away from Korean people. Despite some problems at that time I really liked it there and like it even more now, I just learned to be patient and accept the bad along with the good. I have now spent about 2-3 years altogether in Korea.
Thanks for all the input!

Honestly I do believe most of the "foreigners" who do not like HUngary much do not have any real "roots" here.
Most of us long timers here have a spouse or some family here.
Yes, we used to go all over Hungary to dance events and music events. Seems to us they offered more a few years ago , sort of slowed down , perhaps because many people have left HU for the west, not as important to have so many cultural events as in the past.
We have also lost several friends here and family members over the years. Sad but that's life.
My husband has a sister and brother living only 30 mins out of the city, they do not communicate with us much at all, almost nothing. They have homes right next door to each other and they do not even speak to each other, so we do not take it seriously that they don't call us.
My husband was doing FB with his bro for awhile but that stopped too.
They always saw us as the "strange" ones, we think they are strange.
Our son LOVES Japan and wants to move there, I hope not, all the volcanoes and earthquakes there scare me to death, I worry about him over there.

As far as Asian foods go, I have enjoyed 99% of all I have ever tried. I probably wouldn't go in for the "Bugs on a stick" treat , my son's Korean GF said as a child in S. Korea, they used to look forward to the bug man just like we kids in the US looked forward to the ice cream truck.That is funny, how different cultures see things.

Chikagoan wrote:

All societies have shortcomings and I guess if some of the people in Hungary don't like it as much as they describe in the forums, perhaps they should consider moving elsewhere.

Those who love something, and are in a long term relationship or have "skin in the game", are the most likely to know both the good and bad sides. Mentioning the bad does not necessarily mean what you claim. Rather it can be just pointing out what can and should be improved. No place is perfect, but those who love a place also are the ones to want see it reach its true potential and thus the ones who will honestly mention its shortcomings. Only those living in impenetrable bubbles, or in shallow and short term relationship, report just unicorns and rainbows.

So suggesting people don't like Hungary simply because they mention the shortcomings and should move elsewhere is like telling someone to get a divorce simply because he mentioned a few issues in his marriage. Silly. Because every long term relationship has issues, and a good relationship will air those issues and works them out together.

Thank you for all the ideas. I understand people's frustrations, but, the criticisms appear to be quite dominant. If I felt this negative about Hungary or Korea for that matter, I would leave. When I feel overwhelmed by the chaos in a particular location, including the US, I know it is time for a long vacation. I have lived abroad from the suburbs of Chicago, in countries significantly more different from Western Europe or the US than Hungary. I have seen the 'bug man' 20 years ago in Korea, as mentioned above. Large vats of silk worm larva cooking slowly in roadside kiosks. It was an icky smell. And that was the least annoying thing about Korea years ago.  I felt I needed to come back to the US after more than a year there, so I did return to Chicago and didn't go back to Korea for a decade.

Chikagoan wrote:

Thank you for all the ideas. I understand people's frustrations, but, the criticisms appear to be quite dominant. If I felt this negative about Hungary or Korea for that matter, I would leave.

Did you consider that different people simply have different ways of presenting information depending on the questions asked? And they may not personally consider it negative, but just informative?

For example, IMHO, you asked a lot of leading questions that will tend to result in negative responses overall, like "Is property crime common in Hungary?". Aside from the amorphous word "common" which can have endless individual interpretations, with a question like that many people who had a crime happen here to them may simply want to tell you about it so you are informed of possibilities of what can happen. If you want more well rounded replies, consider asking more well rounded and less leading questions.

Based on your questions, "negative" information simply is intended to help you make a well rounded and informed decision. The positive information you can get from any tourist. The long term residents (most of those that have replied here by the way), however, want to help you learn what to expect and be prepared for issues that they experienced here over many years that you may also experience as a long term resident. It was an act of kindness. Which you are apparently misinterpreting to think people are just miserable here.

Would you prefer to just have everyone here tell you everything is great, but knowing there be dragons and just let you get burned? Wouldn't that be irresponsible? Don't you want information to make an informed decision? Because if you do, then a lot of it may seem "negative", but it will be honest.

Chikagoan wrote:

Large vats of silk worm larva cooking slowly in roadside kiosks. It was an icky smell. And that was the least annoying thing about Korea years ago.

As for me, I would have liked to know that if I had wanted to move to Korea at that time. And I would not have thought you were being negative. Or where miserable in Korea. You were just being informative.

So true, my husband told me just this morning that if more people were really "honest" and decent and nice on this site they would be more real about some of the issues they face on a everyday base.
Not just sugar coat everything.
We have no big steak in the game, being in our 60's we no longer give a Ratz you know what about allot of things we used to stress over.
I always tell it like it is and sometimes even make it a bit more on the down side just so everyone knows this is not some fantasy land.
Everyone should realize they bring their personal issues with them where ever they go. One person sees heaven and anther sees hades.

One other thing to consider if buying property in Hungary is you must own it for at least 7 years or pay a capital gains tax on the sale. Not 100% sure if it is still 7 years or if it is now only 5 years time.( Been a bit since we checked)
Also when you do sell out, you will lose on the conversion of money from forints to whatever currency you want back.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

.... One other thing to consider if buying property in Hungary is you must own it for at least 7 years or pay a capital gains tax on the sale. Not 100% sure if it is still 7 years or if it is now only 5 years time.( Been a bit since we checked)
Also when you do sell out, you will lose on the conversion of money from forints to whatever currency you want back.

I think it's 5 years.  It's worse in Austria - 10 years!!!  But no-one makes much of a profit anyway.

Yes, it is 5 years and you only pay tax on the profit, so you can sell for what you paid with impunity. I have had my place over 5 years but I'm only asking the same as I paid, despite doing quite a lot of modernisation work and repairs. The housing market is dead in my area though, like many parts of Hungary.

As for crime, another expat, who lives in a village near the north shore of lake Balaton, was telling me that the crime statistic for his village for 2016 was zero i.e. no recorded crime! I'm only in Hungary about half the time these days so my house stays empty for a couple of weeks at a time but nothing gets disturbed. A lot of villagers have guard dogs  but I don't see that they need them. I don't bother locking the outside door at night half the time.

So is the crime rate low generally in Hungary? I have read many reports on this forum of  extensive property crime in Hungary