Hungary
White Card · Budapest
Budapest on a budget with a flat 15% tax — a superb solo base, but the no-family, no-residency rules make it a chapter rather than a destination.
€3,000/mo
21–30 days
1 year
79/100
180 Mbps
Moderate
Continental
UTC+1
Model your move to Hungary
Set who's coming and what you earn. We'll handle eligibility, taxes, contributions, living costs and what you'd have left — and compare it to home.
Staying more than ~183 days?
Affects tax residency for territorial & exempt regimes.
Your monthly life in Hungary
Pre-filled with typical costs in Budapest. Drag or type to match your life.
A nice place in a popular area
Power, water, gas
Home fibre + data
Food at home
Transit, rideshare, fuel
Private cover nomads usually need
Eating out, coffee, going out
Shopping, gym, subscriptions, misc.
You meet the income requirement
Needs $3,270/mo.
Your qualifying income
$6,000
$5,100
$1,658
$3,442
Tax in Hungary
Effective rate
15.0%
- Income tax / mo
- $900
- Social security / mo
- Not charged
- Total deductions / mo
- $900
- Take-home / mo
- $5,100
Typically covered by your home country under a totalization agreement, so €0 locally.
Private health insurance isn't required for this visa, but most nomads carry it — it's already counted in your living costs above.
Hungary has one of the EU's lowest flat personal income-tax rates at 15%.
vs. United States
Tax
22.8% at home → 15.0% here
Same lifestyle costs
$3,768 at home → $1,658 here
Money left over
$865 at home → $3,442 here
Estimates for planning only — actual tax depends on treaties, your residency and personal circumstances. Confirm with official sources and a qualified advisor before you move.
What it takes to qualify
Income & savings
- Monthly income (single)
- €3,000
- Basis
- €3,000/month minimum (officially set in euros)
- Combine two incomes?
- No — main applicant only
Raised to €3,000/month; income must come from outside Hungary.
The visa
- Program
- White Card
- Introduced
- 2022
- Duration
- 1 year, renewable
- Max total stay
- 2 years
- Fees
- $110 (approx)
- Who can apply
- Employees, Freelancers, Business owners
- Bring family?
- No
- Schengen access
- Yes
Single administrative fee. The White Card does not permit dependents — partners and children must qualify separately. Income/company must be foreign: you may not work for, or hold a stake in, a Hungarian company.
What you'll actually pay
Income tax
- Treatment
- Foreign income can be taxed
- Headline rate
- 15%
- Tax residency at
- 183 days
- Employee social
- Usually home-covered
Hungary has one of the EU's lowest flat personal income-tax rates at 15%.
Good news
There's effectively no local income tax to worry about on your foreign earnings here.
Reviewed Source: Hungary immigration (OIF)
Path to residency & citizenship
This is a lifestyle visa: great for living here now, but time on it doesn't count toward permanent residency or a passport.
The White Card explicitly does not count toward permanent residence.
Reviewed Source: Hungary immigration (OIF)
Typical costs in Budapest
Rent (1-bed)
$750
Rent (family)
$1,200
Groceries / person
$250
Utilities
$180
Internet
$25
Transport / person
$25
Health insurance
$50
Dining / person
$200
Cost index 44/100 vs New York · prices are about 50% of US levels (PPP). Monthly figures shown in USD.
Highlights & watch-outs
What makes it great
- Budapest is gorgeous, central and cheap.
- A simple 15% flat tax.
- Fast fibre internet across the country.
What to watch
- No dependents allowed on the White Card.
- No residency path.
Reviewed Source: Hungary immigration (OIF)
Compare Hungary
Head-to-head with similar destinations.
Moving to Hungary from…
See the tax & cost picture for your home country.