Can 2 Adults live on 2000 USD net take home a month?

WOW! A lot of comments about a move.
Felicia, Hungary is great. What is the worst that could happen? You move!
The best is that you will have an adventure that lasts a long time.

Your monthly net income will go a long way if you embrace the Hungarian lifestyle. Go to the markets, live not in the city core but in the suburbs.
Once you move it will be interesting to hear your thoughts.
Good luck !

Dear Felicia,

The average Hungarian salary is less than USD1000/ month, so you will be "well off" with your monthly benefit. I hear more and more people coming to the idea of moving to Hungary without any previous Hungarian connection. In fact I recently met two American couples who came here for the same reason. I think you will enjoy Hungary and the Hungarian hospitality a lot. I would be happy to help you with finding flats and giving advise on relocation if it is Budapest or Eastern Hungary region.

Best Wishes,

Andrea

I like Hungary a lot, especially Budapest, but I have to warn you that if you are non-white you are going to face open racism here. People are not PC like in states. They will show and sometimes tell you how they feel about your ethnic or racial make up. I suspect you will face a lot of bad service or denial of service if you are non-white person.
Just my 2 cents.

Hi Felicia,

I also collect social security (survivor's benefit) that is $2000 a month. I raise my two kids from that money, and we're well off (much better than generally the locals or when we lived in the USA) but we're far from being rich. We have a comfortable life, and I don't ever have to think about getting a job. We live in a calm suburban area in the 11th district. I found, that (comparing to our Portland, Oregon life before) renting is cheaper, but utilities are more expensive. Generally grocery is either the same or a bit more expensive. Gasoline prices are outrages, but public transport is more affordable and 'exciting' although somewhat uncomfortable. Traveling within Europe from Bp is convenient and affordable. During the 4 years we've been here I already took my kids to 15+ other countries.
I love that people are down to earth here, personal relationship is more important than material goods, and life feels so much simpler. I've never been happier in my life!

My advice is to go for it and you'll figure out things as you go! Life is an adventure so embrace it!

Hello Felicia, I am a retired UK citizen, with a similar income, we live comfortably here in Heves county, not quite as expensive as in Budapest, property being relatively inexpensive in comparison, you can purchase a property for as little as $15000+ , our monthly utility costs being approx.; $370 / Month, inclusive of electric, gas, water, refuse, internet, TV, telephone & security,. Food I would say on average  being $490 approx.; / month, so don't be misled, also when buying a property be very wary, get somebody who understands the in's & outs if possible, otherwise you can get taken for a ride, the other thing we got caught on was APEH, a property tax,  the bill came some 18 months later, we did not get forewarned by anyone, make sure you have medical cover also,. Hope this is of some use,.

Kind Regards   Rolly

Totally agree sometimes you just have to go for it . The countryside can be a lot cheaper too . Regards Anns

RolyD wrote:

....the other thing we got caught on was APEH, a property tax,  the bill came some 18 months later, we did not get forewarned by anyone,....

Just to correct some things here.  APEH is not a tax. APEH is the former name of the tax administration.  It's now called NAV since it combined with the Customs.   

The tax referred to is probably stamp duty on property purchases - one can estimate it for house buying budget at about 5% of the PURCHASE price (not the valuation price).   As far as I know, this is levied twice a year on purchases in the previous 6 months. So if you buy in April, you will be billed at the beginning of July. Or if you buy in August, it'll be January of the following year.  There was a time a while back when APEH/NAV were very slow at sending out the bills so that's probably why it took 18 months.

When you get this tax bill, I think there is 15 days to challenge it, then 15 days to pay it once the 15 day challenge period is up. Best thing is to simply pay it. It's just the cost of owning a house.

Not being informed on the stamp duty was pretty bad service from the real estate agent or the lawyer.  But then again, everyone here knows about it so perhaps they assumed you knew too.

ildi
Yes i agree! I love markets. I spend time going to them already, it is hard here to find them. So it will be a relief to find more of them there.

andreamorris
Thanks for the info. Yes i will contact you! We are thinking Budapest or the east anyway. So that is good. I had someone email me some flats that were 2 bedrooms a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom for 1600 usd a month before utilities! That is beyond expensive, and they sent me a map with the McD on it. Not cool.

MOHCTEP
Well i have had that happen in the USA over and over for my whole life so IF it is like that in Hungary i guess i will not be surprised!

Lilly76
What you say is good to hear. It is good to hear from someone that has lived in the USA and has been in Hungry for several years and is not starving on that income! Yes i have to figure out those distracts also. And yes comfortable is what we are looking for. I am not expecting to be rich or anything. I want to visit many other countries also ie the Baltic regions although i will not lie it is due to my uncontrollable urge to buy as much amber jewelry as possible! he hee. Thanks for that info it really helps.

RolyD
Yes once we are living there in Budapest and like get settled and used to the place we do plan on buying house. It seems to be a piece of work judging from what i read on here and other places. But that is something we will get into once we are there. I have heard lots in that regard and i guess just getting a good lawyer is the best bet in that regard. Right now we are concentrating on getting there first though.

Yes that purchase tax was a killer .I knew it was coming but the bill arrived (4% of the purchase) nine months after the event . The only good thing about it is that you really know the property is yours. I have got a residency card now and I believe that helps with access to state medical services but so far I have not needed to seek any. Regards Anns

As a north European living in BP maybe i can give my view.

First of all, you can always find people who like to be abroad and those for whom it is constant pain. I get the feeling that you got feedback most from people from the latter category. If you you move somewhere and expect things to be the same as at home, better to stay at home. If you spend whole of your time complaining about things that are different then you really miss the point of moving. I have met people like that everywhere (and was partially the same myself in Australia where i did not like at all,but that is another story).

I always find it amusing e.g. when americans are complaining about bureacracy or immigration- when even for north european it can be pretty complicated in US - as well as in Australia, for my indian friends it seemed to have been very complicated indeed.

As someone who has been lving in serveral years in each of (Netherlands), USA, Australia, UK,Italy, Spain, Singapore, Portugal and now (from my own choice) in Budapest, i have pretty polar opposite view of life in general here, which definitely does not mean that it is perfect here, far from it, but thus far i have not found paradise anywhere. You either make the problems as your main life experience or you concentrate on other things. Personally i do not find living in Hungary more difficult than anywhere else, just different. Every place has its complications.

In terms of actual facts, you can easily find information from quite a few sources, in terms of costs of living you can consult professional studies (instead of random comments on forums...) like Mercier mercer.com.au/newsroom/2014-cost-of-living-survey.html or in terms of EU, you have lot of statistics in terms of heating, electricity, food from EU statistical office: for example epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_PUBLIC/2-19062014-AP/EN/2-19062014-AP-EN.PDF.

Almost all real estate sites are in two languages (hungrian and english) so you can check yourself the accomodation costs etc to get feeling on the price level. If you want to buy a property then consult with a lawyer who can take care of the paper work (which is actually very minimal in Hungary compared e.g. to Spain).

Overall, you need to remember that although Hungary is still relatively cheap comparing to lot of other European countries, there are some items that are for american very expensive (like petrol for cars). Whether you really even need a car, is another question.

Budapest is pretty international city and you most get by with English. In establishing here you might want to use services of several companies that can help you with authorities.

(Incidentally i have never come across corruption with authorities although i have a property and nowadays company here. Tax evasion yes (as everywhere else but just different) but not corruption with authorities.)

As everywhere you can come across unpleasant people and do expect that personal manners are different (in terms of personal space, topics that are discussed between people etc).

My girlfriend is non-white but she has never complained about being harrassed (she does get attention but it is almost always friendly, maybe curious). We have several non-whites as friends and none of them has ever complained. Does not mean that it would not happen, just our experience is very different.

One thing is for sure: non-english speaking countries are more difficult in the beginning as there are lot of things in local language and not most people (especially older) do not speak English (might german or russian though). But that applies rather on official things which you need quite little in normal life. There are lot of lawyers, accountants and relocation companies that can help with those, if needed.

i have not experienced any racism in Hungary...but they do hate the roma and tend to blame the roma for everything.
I have got homes in Budapest and in the countryside . for the countryside you do need a car and you do need to learn Hungarian. Budapest is different more International and lots of good public transport.

anns wrote:

Yes that purchase tax was a killer .I knew it was coming but the bill arrived (4% of the purchase) nine months after the event . The only good thing about it is that you really know the property is yours.....

The stamp duty is just the same as in the UK except that in the UK, it's hidden from most people because it's handled by the conveyancer/solicitor (lawyer to those non-UK) at the time of purchase.

The easiest way to know  the property is yours is to get an extract from the land registry.  The system here (and in many countries) is that the land registry entry is definitive. You are the owner if your name is in the land registry book (actually now a database).  There's no need for "searches" like in the UK when purchasing because everything is recorded in the database (anything not recorded is not "legal").  Anyone can get and extract from the land registry electronically (but speaking Hungarian is in reality the only way to do it because the e-government system is otherwise unfathomable).

Felicia,

My husband and I have retired to a small town about 25 km from Budapest.  We are living on our SS from the US.  We have our SSH deposited to an American Credit Union and transfer funds via World First at no charge.  There is a small wire fee from our CU but nothing compared to international wire fees.  We love it here.  The people are very accepting and very helpful as we don't speak any Hungarian yet.  We are slowly learning.  Living oon $2000 a month is doable if you are watchful.  We've found that living here is 1/2 of what it cost us in WA state.

When we moved we came without a Visa as you have 90 days as a tourist.  During those 90 days we were able to get residence permits for 5 years.  The catch 22 for insurance is you have to prove you have basic insurance for one year to get your residence permit.  Then you can apply for the state insurance which is approx $500 for two people per month for the first year and then goes to $80 for two the second year. 

You can find a small apartment for $200-$400 a month and utilities an additional $100-$150 (depending on electricity used).  If you buy local produce and food you can live comfortably on $200-$300 a month.   There are fees involved with getting the residence permit, I think it was a total of $600 for both of us.

We do have friends here who have helped us with translations so it has made it easier for us but google translate works pretty well.  Our cell phones with internet data services and home WiFi is pretty expensive.  It is about $200 a month.

We joined an expat group "InterNationals.org" and they have also helped us with the transition.

I hope this helps you.  It is so beautiful here. 

Marylin

Hello Felicia,
I understand that you are considering Hungary as a place to relocate.  One question regarding your $2000.00 net you speak of. Is this the amount you will have after all costs (rent, utilities and bills) -OR- is this the net amount that is received as the benefit your father gets from SSD?  If  the $2000.00 is what is left AFTER all costs you should have no problems. If the $2000.00 is the total amount you will have before costs, then this could prove to be problematic. Not saying that it is not doable, but will be tight. I lived here as a student for one year. I had friends that I rented their apartment for only the common costs, but paid my own utilities (cable/internet electricity) food and entertainment and tuition which was about $1500.00 per month. It was the little costs that you don't think about that do you in. As for banking, I would suggest that you retain your US bank with an ATM card and withdraw funds in this manner - you get a good exchange rate (some Credit Unions don't charge commission) as you need them. Open a Hungarian bank account but only fund it to pay bills, because as someone said - interest is nearly nonexistent here (not that the US is any better but those pennies add up). Also on a financial thinking - do not try to convert your costs to what it will cost you in the US. Start now with thinking in forints or euros.  This will prevent you from thinking that 'WOW this is really cheap/expensive' and prevent you from over spending.  I am not at all discouraging you to think twice. Personally I love this city and country, even with all its insane unorganized chaos. I have just returned after about 5 years and am amazed at how this city has changed.  Her beauty is beginning to sparkle brightly again.
I would also suggest that you seek the advice of a financial expert, if you own your home in the USA, it may be beneficial that you rent it long term rather than sell it out right. This could also lead to an additional revenue stream.
I am curious if you have looked at  Ecuador or even Costa Rica.  Both offer excellent incentives for Western Retirees to migrate and have large Expat communities.

divambb wrote:

Felicia,

  Our cell phones with internet data services and home WiFi is pretty expensive.  It is about $200 a month.

We joined an expat group "InterNationals.org" and they have also helped us with the transition.

I hope this helps you.  It is so beautiful here. 

Marylin

Are these Hungarian (local) cell phones? My cell phone with data in Finalnd cost around 30 Eur a month. Why your phones are so expensive?

I think there was a mistake there as our cell phones with data and wifi are not that high. We use skype for long distance and so our monthly bill is not that high. There are new packages out every month perhaps Merilyn is still on an old contract.

divambb wrote:

..  Our cell phones with internet data services and home WiFi is pretty expensive.  It is about $200 a month...

That's about 43K HUF per month. 

We pay about 10K HUF per month for a unlimited mobile and 10K HUF a month for "triple play" services on the landline, unlimited internet (22 mb/s down and 5 mb/s up) and internet-TV (with kids TV option - bit useless for English speaking adults though).   With unlimited mobile, we do not actually use the landline except for receiving calls. To call a familiar member with unlimited calls, we just do a missed call and the called party calls back.

USD 200 a month is about 10K HUF more than it should be (assumed 2 x 10K HUF unlimited phones and 10K HUF triple play = HUF 30K).

Yes 2 adults can live very well here in Hungary if they know how things work over here.
My Hungarian born husband and I live in Budapest on much less then $2,000 a month.
He however speaks fluent Hungarian and we already own property in Hungary.
Rents are fairly cheap in Budapest compared to the US but then again if you want a place with 'luxury" items like a dishwasher running all the time, electric clothing dryer and all the comforts of "normal" life in the US you might find $2,000 a month not enough.
I knew a American in Budapest that spent over $1,000 a month for a rental flat and this was over a decade ago.
As an American I can safely say you probably will not be happy living in Hungary as an average Hungarian lives.
I have lowered my expectations allot living here.
We actually plan on leaving here if the real estate market picks up and we can get some of our money back on our flat.
I am not even sure you can get a resident visa to stay longer then 90 days as an American.
I had a very hard time getting my resident permeit and I have been married to a HU citizen for 40 years. Our son is a HU citizen and is recorded at the marriage dept. in Budapest as both being married to a Hungarian and I am on his paperwork as his mother.
Hard to understand but I was given 90 days to leave HU at one point. I had to pay out for an extention then out of the blue things moved forward for me. I suppose if you can ire a lawyer, anything is possible but we did the paperwork ourselves and it was a nightmare.
You and your father are also going to be very lonely over here, most older citizens are cozy in their own little social circles and you will be a total outsider. Hard to believe but we are senior aged people and they "older" citizens here are basically really old fashioned and not too keen on making friends with strange Americans with lots of money( that's how they will see you) We have known many born Hungarians who came home to retire and then went back to the US because the place was just too difficult for them to return to socially and mentally.
You are a bit too young in many ways for life here and in some ways you are much too old to fit in with the young crowds in the city. I honestly do not think you will be happy in Hungary at all.
Even the cable tv shows are limited here, if your dad is handicapped he may be a big tv watcher, I am not sure but he may be.
It is hard to get around as a handicapped person in many buildings still over here. I was using crutches for awhile and realized how hard it is here to get around.They have handicapped buses etc. but not many and the buses are always very crowded.
The medical is ok but I am not sure what sort of insurance you can buy here that will cover your father's needs.
You will not get into the National Health as you have no claim into it. You can not use US Medicare in Hungary.
You will have to pay private doctors for treatment. You will have to prove you will not try to get any welfare or aid here, you have to prove you are self supporting in every way. Show bank accounts and all income from the US etc.
Why not check out Thailand I heard they love senior Americans over there and the prices are actually lower then in Hungary and the weather is better.
In any case, you should visit here before doing anything rash.

Hello Marilyn,
My name is also Marilyn and my husband and I live in Budapest.
We have retired here, my husband is a native Hungarian speaker. He lived in the US for over 40 years.
If you need any help adjusting to life here in HU let us know.
We are "Young" seniors who enjoy day trips and lake swims, we tried out the senior citizen dances in Budapest but have decided they aren't for us.
I am an native born American  so for me this place is also strange and trying at times.
You may right me anytime if you wish or if you have any questions that we may be able to help you with.
I will give you may personal E-mail address if I notice a response to this message.

Hi Marilyn.
I would appreciate if you could expand on which aspects of living in Hungary you find below your expectations? I am very interested as we are planing to move to Budapest in a few years.
I am from US (Boston) and would like to be prepared for unexpected...
Thank you.

After re reading the first message I realize you are now living in Hungary.
Hope you are settling in well.
I am amazed who easy it sounds for many people to get resident permits without having any family or work connections in Hungary.
Makes are  theory of some one getting kickbacks for immigration work seem like more then a theory.
We did all the legal paperwork ourselves and immigration services put up barriers at every turn.
No kickbacks or hired lawyers for us, my husband did all the work himself and they made us pay with undo stress.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

After re reading the first message I realize you are now living in Hungary.
Hope you are settling in well.
I am amazed how easy it sounds for many people to get resident permits without having any family or work connections in Hungary.
Makes are  theory of some one getting kickbacks for immigration work seem like more then a theory.
We did all the legal paperwork ourselves and immigration services put up barriers at every turn.
No kickbacks or hired lawyers for us, my husband did all the work himself and they made us pay with undo stress.

I could go on and on but I will try to keep it short as possible.
We have found that in many ways nothing has changed since my husband escaped here back in 1971.
Too much red tape and everyone ready for a pay out under the table.
The rules are hard to know as they change depending on who you talk to.
Many places are in it for the quick buck and services can not be trusted.
Example, we paid to get the clutch repaired on our car. Took a neighbors advice as to where to go, bought our own new clutch and paid to have it installed.
When we when to collect the car, the mechanic got all bent out of shape when my husband asked to see the old clutch.
He said someone else had done the job and they were not around.
husband soon realized they had done little more then a fast adjustment without changing the clutch.
They had charged for the job, resold the new clutch and only adjusted a screw or two.
This sort of rip off happens in both small and big ways here all the time.
The new capitalist system is something many think is a free for all to take advantage over here.
Many neighborhoods are run by gangs, one neighbor even took us around to show us where we "should" shop.
We do not shop in those stores but we only feel safe because we are outsiders and they may be afraid to push us.
It is not just our area of the 7th district, it is common all over in Hungary.
We know many expats who were born in Hungary and most are disappointed with having come home.
You have to watch your back all the time here any time you do any sort of business transaction, more so then I have ever experienced in my 60 years in the US.

I feel so sorry for you to be living with such negative bad experiences.
I am Canadian with a Hungarian husband and we  have been here 10 years. Initially it was hard but I slowed down , got with the flow , did not expect what I expected in Canada, relaxed about mistakes and learned who to trust. I accept that you have to pay under the table but you have to do this in many many countries. We paid a lawyer to get everything  done that we needed and it was money well spent. No problem, no hassles and it was done correctly the first time.
I have met  Americans/ Canadians  who want to go back and they do and have met many who love it here . Everyone embraces life differently.
We are both retired so have time to enjoy the beautiful city and country that is Hungary.
The thermal pools, the  museums, the ease of visiting another country, I could go on and on. I feel the pluses outweigh the negatives.

At the time of our purchase it was "APEH", designated by the office concerned, not me, Tax is Tax by any name,. I would definitely say 1000000 Ft is an exorbitant amount of tax, in the UK my last purchase was £369.00p [ 143541 Forint ] tax on the property, some difference you may say........!!!!     whatever name you may                                                            it,.
Marilyn Tassy  :-  I can relate to your story, "Quick Buck", very true, lack of trust, definitely, open your mouth, the price more or less doubles, I have honestly travelled the world, but never ever seen dishonesty like this, my wife being Hungarian is ashamed,.
     I further find Banks do charge slightly over the top for there services here, hence my transfer back to a UK financial house, yes we like the country, but they do need to catch up on certain other cultural ways,.

No we do not live in Hungary now, read my first post. My father and i plan on moving there next year most likely August 2015.

Yes if you look at the Embassy website it states the ways an USA born person can get a residence permit to stay in Hungary for a year. After that then either you renew for another year or 2 yrs. I have spoken to the Hungarian Ambassador to the USA directly and he stated the ways to get a residence permit to live for a year. There is no visa to stay longer than 90 days, you need a residence permit.

I can not speak if the Ambassador is getting or expecting kickbacks, he seemed very honest and friendly. And everything he stated were things that are listed on the Hungarian website as policies.

Now i will say that when a friend of mine spoke to the German Ambassador that was a totally different story! Paying for staying was pretty much made clear in not so many words!

Health insurance i am not sure what plan is 500 usd for 2 and then 80 usd for 2 people? What i saw was less to start with but i have not anything that cheap either? I will just have to look into that more. I looked at FirstMed

No we have no desire to move to Costa Rica, or Thailand or the PI or whatever. I am asking and posting about Hungary because that is where we are going to move next year. We are not culturally tied in with Spanish or Asian countries and that would be much more an adjustment than Hungary. Those are nice places for some people to live and i am sure great but they are not the best fit for me nor my father.

My mom is German and Lithuanian descent. Part of the reason why she and i never got along and of why my father married her is we embrace European culture already. We have stopped living the typical USA person lifestyle a long time ago. Both of which is good and bad. Instead of trying to fit in and find it here why not just go to where it is.

Well i am 34 so if that is too old to live in Hungary i guess i just will have to deal with it. My nightclub days are way done, i am a very settled person. I am single never married and no kids so my time is my own.

I post on here to hear from real people and their ideas. All official things i to go official sources i am not an idiot.

RolyD wrote:

I further find Banks do charge slightly over the top for there services here, hence my transfer back to a UK financial house, yes we like the country, but they do need to catch up on certain other cultural ways,.

Most of the banks are under foreign ownership. Why blaming Hungarians for what foreign corporations did with EU level blessing?

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

....
Many places are in it for the quick buck and services can not be trusted.
Example, we paid to get the clutch repaired on our car. Took a neighbors advice as to where to go, bought our own new clutch and paid to have it installed.
When we when to collect the car, the mechanic got all bent out of shape when my husband asked to see the old clutch.
He said someone else had done the job and they were not around.
husband soon realized they had done little more then a fast adjustment without changing the clutch.
They had charged for the job, resold the new clutch and only adjusted a screw or two.
This sort of rip off happens in both small and big ways here all the time.

Too right. Best thing with car parts is to mark the old ones carefully so you can see if they've been really changed.  Car service places mark up car parts considerably so they don't like people bringing in their own parts. They are also downright lazy here.

Another scam I know from experience is building work.  If you want to make concrete, you might say use 5 parts sand and 1 part cement.  So what they do is say, buy 10 bags of sand to get the volume, then only use one bag of cement.  They are skilful at this kind of thing. It's enough cement to make it stick on the wall but after a few months, it'll all drop off and they're all long gone with the extra bag of cement used on another job.  You can see it on the buildings all over HU.

Cables too - they say "we used 30m of cable" but the reality is it needed only 10m and the 20m of cable is sold yet again on another job.  Happens all the time here (and other places).

Like any country there are people who have good and bad experiences. I was warned that some things would be difficult and then they were easy for me to sort out and manage. It takes a while anywhere to set up a network of trusted friends .
Just like in the UK I don't go around with my bag wide open and don't let neighbours dictate to me. I have had a few ups and downs and I have still not found a capable and honest English speaking plumber  but I am sure one will turn up eventually.
Most of the time I live as I wish and everything is a lot less than rip off Britain but I do enjoy my uk wages and I will live "easily"  on my occupational pension when I manage to retire early but would really struggle in the UK.

Good to hear back from you.
I never meant to sound negative about Hungary, just trying to share some of the strange and unexpected things that have happened to us since we moved here. We used to come visit for 6 months at a time for several years in a row, never had to get caught up in the actual day to day BS that comes with  life here.
My husband left here back in 1971 because he is a free spirited person who wanted some adventure in life.
He is slightly ashamed by the "New" materialistic mind set of so many people we come across here everyday in just about every situation. Even just talking about travel or states in the US always comes back to a Hungarian asking about how much money or how rich people in the US are. If that was our only goal in life, to make a ton of money then we never would of moved here or traveled and lived in remote places from Hawaii to Belize.
Strange how we found ourselfs back in Hungary but family issues brought us here and now we are here for the present.
I would tell you to come visit here for 90 days before packing up and shipping items here. You may find it is a better idea to just bring a few suitcases with you and buy everything fresh and new here.
90 days goes by fast but it will give you some idea what to expect here, although there is always a glow about a place when things are new and different. I would say come in the winter, only because you are in a warm climate now and you might want to try out how dark and grey it gets here for months on end. If that doesn't make you crazy then the summers and springtime here will be wonderful for you.
Of course the embassy in the US will never tell you about kickbacks, they may not even know about it themselves. It is not spoken of much here but it happens all the time. Every doctor and dentist expects tips unless you are paying for a private doctor and the cost of the treatment is enough to cover their tips as well.
All of our neighbors in our apt. house tip doctors, it is an old custom that the gov. is slowly trying to faze out but the doctors do resist, Money under the table is always nice.
It is pretty here but there are many challenges, even my husband who speaks perfect Hungarian is often at a loss for words because he doesn't understand what has happened her in the 40 years he was gone.
Feel free to ask anything, willing to answer the best we can but even after a few years here we are surprised on a daily base.

Also I might add, most Hungarians are not openly racist but many are.
I am half  Ruysn, my father was born in Poland. Part German/English and Mohawk.
People often look at me like I am very, very strange when they hear I am part native American.
We knew a Gypsy man in Las Vegas who returned to HUngary where he was from.
His wife was also a Gypsy and both their families still lived in Hungary.
They sold out in Vegas and moved back to HU.
Their children were teenagers when they moved back here.
They didn't last out even one year here, they ran back to Vegas.
They forgot how racist some people were here towards Gypsies and they and most important their kids just couldn't take. The guy was lucky to get his job back in Vegas although they lost their home because they sold out before leaving the states.
Again, visit here a few times and make sure this is a good fit for you and your father.
If he is very handicapped it may be hard unless you hire outside help to lift him etc. Not all buildings have elevators or wheelchair ramps.$2,000 a month is good money here but if you don't understand how things go here you can go through that in a flash.
We spent well over that amount every month when we used to visit here, going many places and eating out allot. Now back to reality and not living as large it is not exactly the super fun place it was when only on holiday here.

Again, I sound negative. It must be my "Gypsy Soul" I hate to stay in one place for too long.
Always different living somewhere full time and not just being a visitor.
Also not working here gives us too much time to ponder.
I have always been a high energy person, so having so much free time and having "seen it all" over the past 35 years off and on in Hungary I am a bit over the adventure stage.
i was thinking about your questions on the National Heath here.
I am not exactly sure how immigration treats every case. It may all depend on your status and reasons for being in Hungary.
I know in our case, I paid for private insurance for the first year as required by immigration while my husband as always been a citizen of Hungary.
He did have to pay for the first year of the national health coverage at the normal cost for everyone( has gone up a bit lately to around $40. a person)He was not however allowed to actually use the coverage for the first year, only for any big emergencies. He hardly ever sees doctors so that was no issue.
After the year I was excepted into the healthy system here but I had to get a tax ID number.
All in all the national health doctors vary allot in how good they are and if they expect tips or if they act insulted when you offer tips.
Most take the tips, if not on the first visit then on the second visit.
My husband actually had a minor surgery in HU a few years back while we were only on holiday here and he paid out of pocket. It was very reasonable and less then what he tipped with national health last year for a hernea operation.
I had knee surgery in HU 18 months ago.
My husband was in a different hospital then I was and he was treated very good, nice smiling nurses and real food.
I was in only 24 hours and it was horrible.different location and very bad staff.
In some ways I think them knowing I was not a native speaker gave them an excuse to totally ignore me other then the mandatory temp. taking and nightly shot.
They put me in a room with an ill treated 80 year old HU lady with a broken hip.
They screamed and yelled at her all night long. The food was literally stale bread and luke warm tea, twice a day.
My knee was worst then ever and at my last exam with the orthopedic doctor he told me there was nothing more he could do for me. I had only tipped him $200. for the one hour operation plus minor tips to others.
was limping around Budapest with a cane for nearly a year! before that I was very fit but with some arthritis issues in my knees.
Just got back from a few months in the US and with proper PT there, I am cane free and happy.
Mixed bag  here with the doctors.
I also have sought treatment for a skin cancer, had it before in Vegas and know what it is. Saw 4 doctors here in HU and they all said I just had a rash. Biopsy in Vegas shows  skin cancer. Have to have it cut out here in HU since I ran out of time in the states.
Just so you can think it over about your father. as we don't know why he is handicapped you may want to think over his care here in HU.
Again it is hit or miss. With the national health card you must see doctors assigned to your district or St.
If you don't like that doctor then you can go into emergency clinics or pay for a private office visit.
We now like our new family doctor here but the dentist is not to be trusted. We go to a private dentist to save on the hassles of being charged for materials twice from the  gov. paid doctor. It is a confusing system at times. Even our 80 year old neighbor and her 62 year old daughter can't figure it out and they have lived here their entire lives.

My husband had to re enroll himself into the health system because he was out of Hungary for so long.
You must register in your own district to be on national health.
Doctors are assigned by the districts. Some have better doctors and offices then others.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

......
We now like our new family doctor here but the dentist is not to be trusted. We go to a private dentist to save on the hassles of being charged for materials twice from the  gov. paid doctor. It is a confusing system at times. Even our 80 year old neighbor and her 62 year old daughter can't figure it out and they have lived here their entire lives.

Doctors cannot be trusted here at all either - get second and even third opinions. 

Personal examples:

A pediatrician (children's doctor) here regularly regularly told us our daughter needed her tonsils out, gives out antibiotics without a second thought (i.e. for colds!) and recommends homeopathy.  What kind of a doctor recommends homeopathy?!!  Total quack/flake.  We have since paid a private doctor several times to look at our daughter's tonsils and he does a proper swab test to determine the right treatment. Moreover he said it's not necessary to take out kids tonsils now because kids grow out of getting tonsilitis.  And it seems he was right - occurances of tonsilitis have dropped to about once a year from 4 or 5 times a year.  But the local kid's quack wanted to get her under the knife. Luckily we're on to this sort of thing.

Mrs Fluffy's uncle died because the "Professor" who was doing his heart bypass operation decided he couldn't be assed to work that day and delegated it to one of his underlings who through inexperience did not put enough stitches around one of his arteries. Subsequently it started leaking incontrollably and by the time they figured out why he was not in his bed (he's stepped out to the bathroom), he was already dead on the floor.  No action was taken.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

......
We now like our new family doctor here but the dentist is not to be trusted. We go to a private dentist to save on the hassles of being charged for materials twice from the  gov. paid doctor. It is a confusing system at times. Even our 80 year old neighbor and her 62 year old daughter can't figure it out and they have lived here their entire lives.

Doctors cannot be trusted here at all either - get second and even third opinions. 

Personal examples:

A pediatrician (children's doctor) here regularly regularly told us our daughter needed her tonsils out, gives out antibiotics without a second thought (i.e. for colds!) and recommends homeopathy.  What kind of a doctor recommends homeopathy?!!  Total quack/flake.  We have since paid a private doctor several times to look at our daughter's tonsils and he does a proper swab test to determine the right treatment. Moreover he said it's not necessary to take out kids tonsils now because kids grow out of getting tonsilitis.  And it seems he was right - occurances of tonsilitis have dropped to about once a year from 4 or 5 times a year.  But the local kid's quack wanted to get her under the knife. Luckily we're on to this sort of thing.

Mrs Fluffy's uncle died because the "Professor" who was doing his heart bypass operation decided he couldn't be assed to work that day and delegated it to one of his underlings who through inexperience did not put enough stitches around one of his arteries. Subsequently it started leaking incontrollably and by the time they figured out why he was not in his bed (he's stepped out to the bathroom), he was already dead on the floor.  No action was taken.

I am sorry to say this, but it appears both of you have stopped contributing anything informative to this thread long time ago. First you state "doctors cannot be trusted here at all " and then you state that you've trusted private doctor's opinion about your daughters health, so which is it?

MOHCTEP wrote:

I am sorry to say this, but it appears both of you have stopped contributing anything informative to this thread long time ago. First you state "doctors cannot be trusted here at all " and then you state that you've trusted private doctor's opinion about your daughters health, so which is it?

You're nitpicking.

If you read back, I said, "Doctors cannot be trusted here at all either - get second and even third opinions."

One has to ask two or three doctors to try and get an averaged view.  I cannot say if one doctor is more trustworthy over another as they all will vary.  However, my opinion is that few state employee doctors without private patients seem to care and their skill levels seem to vary enormously from good to almost negligent.   Private doctors seem to have much better resources and obviously time and motivation.   But it still doesn't obviate the need to check and double check and check again on the medical professionals opinions regardless of private or public.

Ok then I'm done.

This is perfect, love it, exactly the truth!
I've lived this for 8 years now!!!

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Ok then I'm done.

Must of hit a nerve!!!