Opportunity to move to Budapest

Posted by Phoebus_Apollo_30@reddit | budapest | View on Reddit | 23 comments

Hi folks.

I’m a 32 m from South Africa, working in a creative agency (I’m a copywriter).

I’ve been given an opportunity to move to Budapest within my company - which is really exciting as I’ve never lived anywhere else besides SA!

I have some questions that I’m hoping someone here can help with.

1) What is the average salary in Budapest, and how does it match up to the cost of living?

2) What are Hungarians like toward foreigners, especially ones who don’t speak the language?

3) I know the attitude toward LGBT people is better in Budapest than most of Hungary - would I still be able to travel and explore the country?

4) What are some good areas to live in, and what is the average rent I could expect to pay?

And finally, 5) should I do it???

Like I said - I’ve never lived anywhere else but South Africa, so this would be a huge change for me, especially as my fiance would be moving to the UK while I would be in Budapest.

So there’s a lot to consider!

Thanks in advance for your advice. Happy to provide more detail if anyone needs it :)

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AppropriatePast1636@reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/ExpatsInBudapest/

Well Hungary is not the most welcoming to LGBTQ+ people or foreigners who live here especially if they don't speak the language. The government is very much anti-queer and xenophobic and the hate campaigns don't exactly help the morale here, so thigns are not going in a good direction. However it's usually just snide comments and tasteless jokes for now, not outright violence, as most people aren't brave enough to say their bullshit to your face. And of course there are plenty of accepting people too.

Traveling the country should be fairly safe, Budapest might be the most diverse city but it's not like the rest of the country is uncivilised. There are good people everywhere and you can count on most people avoiding conflict at all costs, no matter where you are.

cbekker1@reddit

Hey! I'm actually Saffa 32yo moving to Budapest in 2 weeks. With my wife. We really like linking up with south Africans so DM me if you want to.

Disaster_Voyeurism@reddit

You're totally fine to travel the country. I live in a very rural village (i work remote) and there's a foreign lesbian couple living here. Everyone loves them, they're great people. The supposed 'racism' and 'anti lgbt' attitude is extremely overblown. Hungarians are very nice and welcoming.

Kreblraaof_0896@reddit

This

Few-Cow-2164@reddit

Feel free to DM me, saffa that lived in Budapest for 3 years! Just moved out so cns give you an honest perspective from a south Africans perspective

King_Alf@reddit

1, Budapest is far the most developed part of the country, so the average salary is somewhere between 1200 - 1700 €. 2, As here we have got three chinese quarters, I've said enough I think. It's just a government shit with racism. They are saying A (we don't like foreigners), and the doing B (flowing Asians on purpose to BP, and the bigger cities.) Budapest is diverse, and accepting. 3, No one cares about sexual orientation, the people here have becomeml very unresponsive to anything in the past years. 4, Buda side is better, and less populated. 5-6-7-800 €. Depends on a lot factors. 5, I work at a small company, but I have got a lot of riends, who are working at International, BIG 4 companies. I go out drinking with them a loty and most of them are (if they are outside EU) Nigerian, Ghanainan and Vietnamese. (BTW my usual tattoo artist is Venezeluelan.)

JtheLeon@reddit

Quién es tu tatuador venezolano?

A130m@reddit

Feel free to DM me. South African, living here for about 5 years now.

Csaba12343@reddit

Yes, 1-net 500.000huf is liveable above that you are good 2-we dont give a shit 3-we dont give a shit 4-Within budapest just avoid viii. District rest is fine 5-read the first word

Welcome to hungary

SimoneSimonini@reddit

Why should he avoid the 8th district? That district is perfectly safe, not less than any other.

Amm no https://beoriginaltours.com/areas-to-avoid-in-budapest-a-guide-for-travelers/

Duuuuude! Have you ever been to the 8th district? Apparently not, if you drag along some dubious foreign "list of things" kind of page to prove your point. I lived for years in more than 5 different districts in Budapest and the 8th was no different to any other district in regards to safety.

Yeah i lived there :D wtf r u talking? Thats a pure shit area

Suspicious_Seat_4031@reddit

depends on which part of the 8th district. I live there (for 7 years now) and go to work from Klinikak metro station and Golgota ter every day as a 25yr old woman, I also walk home at night and there hasn’t been a single atrocity ever since I moved here:) I agree that there are part of the district one should avoid, most even the worse parts now have newly built buildings which means that more civilized people are moving there.

WishfulYesThinkingNo@reddit

That's a very good list, according to which the safest parts of Budapest are the Castle and Csepel. Basically everything else is mentioned. Maybe museums are safe too, idk, the list didn't say so.

Csepel for the win!

Few-Carpet9511@reddit

We do not give a shit but unfortunately a lot of Hungary does givw a shit about lgbt and immigrants, it is not in focus of our government right now but let’s not forget the hate campaigns from recent years.

Anyway if you are white and not dressed in head to toe in rainbow than you will be fine. If you go to Pride follow the orders of the officials. If you are black than there is a bigger chance that you will get some badmounthing but Budapest is quite safe city

Or in case of you are pedo you can join to the government and hate the lmbtqt prople

jimkolowski@reddit

Budapest is a very international city (at least by Eastern EU standards) so you’ll be fine. You haven’t mentioned racism so I assume you are white SAfrican — should be no issue. You might encounter the odd weirdo babbling some racist shit time to time if you are Black, but nothing worse than in any reasonably developed Western country. Sexual orientation — no one actually gives a crap. Public display of affection might invite some bad looks from the elderly but that’s all basically.

It also would be a lot easier to see your fiance if you live here, plenty of flights connecting Budapest and the UK.