Buying realty in Hungary does not guarantee getting a residence permit. However, the presence of property together with a good passive income and no criminal records in the past significantly increase the chances of getting a positive response from the authorities. The cost of living here is low, when compared with other European countries; the climate is mild, and taxes are not burdensome. How much you will have to pay for the maintenance and maintenance of housing in Hungary, what income and expenses you should expect.
Property taxes
A single purchase tax
After the registration of the property rights within one to two months, the new owner receives a letter from the tax department about the need to pay the state fee. Its size depends on the cost of the property: up to €11,000 – 2%, over €11,000 – 4%.
This notification is usually received by the lawyer who handled the transaction. In this case, the owner transfers the money to the deposit account of the lawyer, who tranfers the sum to the settlement account of the department and passes the client a document confirming the payment.
Features:
If you purchase primary housing, the state provides a benefit: objects worth up to €41,550 are not taxed; if the property is more expensive, the rate is 4%.
If you buy a house and not an apartment, the one-time fee is 10%, regardless of the value. You can avoid paying only if you buy land without construction and build a house on it within four years.
Annual property taxes
There is a land tax in Hungary, which is 1.0-1.5% of the property value. But it applies only to private property.
Apartment owners are usually exempt from the annual tax, but there are exceptions. For large resorts, such as Lakes Heviz and Balaton, there are specific requirements, since most of the housing there is rented by tourists. Therefore, if you purchase a resort property, you will have to pay a tax on the housing stock property.
In this case, the basis for the calculations is the initial cost of the property or floor space. The rate depends on the current indicator of the consumer price index, which is calculated by the Hungarian Statistics Center. During the last two years – €5-6 per sq.m or 3.6% of the cost of an apartment or house.
The notification of the need to pay the tax comes to the post office. If the amount is too large for you, you should contact the tax department and ask them to divide it into several parts. The terms of repayment and details will be indicated in the receipt received.
Residential property for sale in Hungary:
220 000 €
House in Hungary
300 m²11
Well-maintained property in the Central Transdanubia region with wide possibilities of use and a large plot of land.
Ideal for your own residence, several families or tourist rental.
Key Benefits
total living area about 300 m²
main house about 200 m² + 2 separate buildings (living units)
plot of about 4,000 m² (garden + agricultural...
Immotrading GmbH
160 831 €
House in Zala, Hungary
100 m²
Residence
Hungary. Karmacs. Renovated house with garage. Area: 100 m2 Plot size: 1850 m2 Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 1 Living room: 1 Kitchen: 1 Built: 1970 Completely renovated: 2025 From Lake Balaton: 11.8 km, 16 min. From Heviz resort: 8.4 km, 10 min. €168,831 Location • Triple-glazed windows • Bungalow • Shopping center • Electric...
Europe Gmbh
839 000 €
Apartment in Budapest, Hungary
117 m²
ResidenceRental property
Hungary. Budapest. The apartment is 117m2. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms 839,000 EUR Item number: PRMV-T1277. A magnificent, recently completely renovated 2 bedroom apartment with a balcony is for sale on Bory Street, in the heart of Budapest's most prestigious V district, just a few steps from the famous Parliament Building. GREAT LOCATION. Located...
Europe Gmbh
532 000 €
House in Budapest, Hungary
200 m²
ResidenceRental property
Hungary. Budapest. House for renovation and plot with potential for development. 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms €532,000 Published: September 7, 2025 Item number: PRMV-T1337. House and guesthouse with a large plot for sale. In District III of Budapest, at Szentendrei Street, we offer for sale a semi-detached family house on a 1,038 m² plot,...
Europe Gmbh
306 733 €
House in Heviz, Hungary
152 m²
ResidenceRental property
Hungary. Alsopahok. A new house with a plot near the resort. Area:152 m2 Plot area:2834 m2 Bedrooms:3 Bathrooms:2 Living rooms:1 Kitchen:1 Number of floors:2 Built:2023 From Lake Balaton:6 km, 7 min. From the Heviz resort:4.5 km, 7 min. 306 733 € Location Brand new Air-water heat pump Thermal bath Shopping center equipment Plumbing on site...
Europe Gmbh
295 000 €
Flat in Budapest, Hungary
55 m²211
Online Viewing
Renovated apartment close to the center of Budapest
A rare opportunity to purchase a bright, well-renovated apartment in the heart of the VI district of Budapest, on Vörösmarty utca street - one of the most sought-after residential streets in the central part of the city, just a few minutes walk from Andrássy Avenue, Oktogon Square and the...
Your Invest Home
425 000 €
Flat in Budapest, Hungary
127 m²432
An apartment with a garden is for sale in an elite small apartment building built in the Minimal style in a prestigious location of the 11th district (SASAD). The apartment is located on the first floor of a 6-apartment building, on a quiet dead-end street with no traffic. The apartment is south-southwest, terraces and garden, with automatic...
WESTINVEST
408 000 €
Apartment in Budapest, Hungary
115 m²
ResidenceRental property
Hungary. Budapest. Apartment 115m2 in the city center. bedrooms 3 bathrooms 2,408,000 EUR Item number: PRMV-T1251. We offer for sale a renovated, spacious and sunny apartment on Paulai Ede street, near Deka Ferenc Square. The location is not just great, it couldn't be better, just 50 meters from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Andrei Utia and...
Europe Gmbh
860 000 €
Villa in Keszthely, Hungary
320 m²
Residence
Hungary. Kesthey. Beautiful villa on Lake Balaton. Area:320 m2 Land area:804 m2 Bedrooms:6 Bathrooms:3 Living Room:2nd Kitchen:2 Storage room:1 Number of floors:3 Built: 2016 Completely renovated:2025 From Lake Balaton:0 km, 0 min. From Heviz resort: 7.2 km, 11 min. Energy efficiency class: € 860,000 We offer for sale a beautiful family house in...
Europe Gmbh
1 359 890 €
Villa on Balaton, Hungary
250 m²
Residence
Hungary. Balatongyörök. House with a panoramic view of Lake Balaton.
€1,359,890
Listing ID: 33932
• Year built: 2023
• Plot size: 1,436 m²
• Floor area: 250 m²
• Terrace: 70 m²
• Bedrooms: 5
• Bathrooms: 2
• Living room: 1
• Kitchen: 1
• Storage...
Europe Gmbh
743 781 €
House on Balaton, Hungary
280 m²
Hungary. Baldathonderok. New house with panoramic views of Lake Balaton. Area:280 m2 Plot area:1970 m2 Bedrooms:7 Bathrooms:4 Living Room:2nd Kitchen:1 Storage room:1 Number of floors:3 Built:2022 From Lake Balaton:0 km, 0 min. From Heviz resort:14.3 km, 20 min. 743,781 € Triple-layered windows Underfloor heating Brand new Air-water heat pump...
Europe Gmbh
649 434 €
Flat in Budapest, Hungary
80 m²
Residence
Hungary. Budapest. 80 sq m apartment in the city center, fully renovated and furnished. Nádor 5, Budapest 1051 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms 255,000,000 HUF Approximately €649,434. Published: September 28, 2025 Nádor 5, Budapest, Budapest 1051 This elegant and unique apartment with a balcony is for sale in Budapest's 5th...
Europe Gmbh
1 800 000 €
Apartment in Budapest, Hungary
825 m²30
Rental property
In a classic renovated house located near the city park, a five–minute walk from Heroes' Square (7th district of Budapest), two floors built in 2007, with 10 duplex apartments (30 rooms), are for sale.
The apartments are built on 2 levels (duplex), have the same layout.
4 apartments - with roof terraces, individual gas boilers are installed...
WESTINVEST
333 333 €
House in Heviz, Hungary
80 m²
Rental property
Hungary. Cserszegtomaj. House with a plot Area: 80 m2 Land area: 2668 m2 Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 1 Living Room: 1 Kitchen: 1 Number of floors: 2 Built: 1999 From Lake Balaton: 5.2 km, 8 min. From Heviz resort: 4.8 km, 10 min. 333,333 € Away from prying eyes Thermal baths Shopping Center equipment Water supply on site Electric heating Electricity...
Europe Gmbh
371 890 €
House in Zalacsany, Hungary
111 m²
Hungary. Zalaksany. A new house. Size:111 m2 Land area:689 m2 Bedrooms:3 Bathrooms:1 Living Room:1 Kitchen:1 Storage room:1 Number of floors:1 Built:2024 From Lake Balaton:17.4 km, 21 min. From the Heviz resort:9.8 km, 12 min. Energy efficiency class:A+ 371,890 € 3-layer windows Bungalows Underfloor heating Brand new Air-water heat pump Electric...
Europe Gmbh
299 000 €
Flat in Budapest, Hungary
75 m²
Residence
Hungary. Budapest. 75 sq m apartment in the 12th district.
1 Királyhágó tér, Budapest 1126
1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
€299,000
In the prestigious central 12th district, on the beautifully landscaped Királyhágó Square, a sun-drenched 75 sq m top-floor apartment is for sale.
It consists of...
Europe Gmbh
983 098 €
Villa in Gyenesdias, Hungary
141 m²
Residence
Hungary. Gyenesdias. House with a view of Lake Balaton.
€983,098
Search: 33914
• Built: 2020
• Plot size: 561 m2
• Area: 141 m2
• Bedrooms: 3
• Bathrooms: 2
• Living room: 1
• Kitchen: 1
• Number of floors: 3
UNRIVALED PANORAMIC VIEWS OF LAKE BALATON – A NEW LEVEL OF LUXURY...
Europe Gmbh
491 000 €
Apartment in Budapest, Hungary
80 m²
ResidenceRental property
Hungary. Budapest. Apartment of 80m2 in the city center. District VI. Bedrooms 2,491,000 EUR Premium 2-bedroom house in the center of Budapest.! Price: 199,000,000 HUF (~491,000) | 80 m2 | 2 Bedrooms | 2.5 Bathrooms Live or invest in one of the most prestigious areas of Budapest, just a short walk from St. Stephen's Basilica and the Hungarian...
Europe Gmbh
2 550 000 €
Villa in Budapest, Hungary
400 m²7
With a big discount! In the second, elite district of Budapest, the complete reconstruction of the villa in the minimal style is coming to an end The complete reconstruction of the building took place in the period from 2019 to the end of 2022Real Estate Parameters:- 400 sq.m. house area- terrace of 240 sq.m.- 7 living rooms- 4 dressing rooms- 3...
WESTINVEST
848 901 €
House in Zalacsany, Hungary
178 m²
Residence
Hungary. Zalacsány. House with a swimming pool.
€848,901
Listing ID: 33535
• Year built: 2023
• Plot area: 2,160 m²
• Floor area: 178 m²
• Bedrooms: 3
• Bathrooms: 2
• Living room: 1
• Kitchen: 1
• Pantry: 1
An exclusive, energy-efficient luxury home with an...
In comparison with other European countries, utiies in Hungary are cheap.
Almost every apartment building has a homeowners' association (HOA), which is mandatory to join if you are the owner of an apartment in the complex. The HOA is fully responsible for the general condition of the house: repairment, maintenance and improvement of common areas.
The monthly fee of the HOA (közös költség) also includes home insurance. Depending on the type of partnership, water and central heating may be included in the total bill.
The fee is calculated based on the floor space of an apartment and the incoming services. Usually it costs about €40-100 per month. The total bill includes a fixed amount for the maintenance of the house (€0.7-1.5 per sq.m) + general renovation. In the latter case, the fee may vary depending on what needs to be done in the house. If there are no specific issues, the starting point is €0.4-0.5 per sq.m. If you need to fix the roof urgently and all the owners of the house agree with this, the general meeting decides to what level and for what period of time you need to increase the fee.
For what else you will have to pay for
Water. The rate varies depending on the city. For example, in Budapest, the cost of a cubic meter is approximately €1.3 + a fixed fee of €0.5 per month. In Biatorbágy, the rates are much higher – about €2.7 per cubic meter.
Gas. It is much more profitable to use gas than electricity: the cost of a kilowatt is €0.03. The cheapest option is to have a circo in the apartment – its own boiler that heats hot water for both batteries and showers. In old houses, this option or a convector/boiler is most often used; in Soviet panel houses, heating and water heating are often centralized.
Electricity. The cost of a kilowatt-hour is about €0.11.
The Internet. Each house usually has its own service company, that is, you can not choose a provider. On average, for a package that includes phone and Internet, you will have to pay about €20-25 per month.
Insurance. An optional service, but if you want to insure specifically your apartment and property-get ready to give about 0.1% of the value of the property per year.
How to pay for utilities. Water bills (if the calculation is based on the meter), gas and electricity are paid separately. In Hungary, there is a prepayment of utilities. So, the owner or tenant initially pays an amount when settling in, which is calculated on the basis of last year's expense or costs for similar housing (if we are talking about a new building). Then, after certain intervals of time, the management company recalculates measures.
The terms and conditions of recalculation vary depending on the resource and the company.
Recalculation of electricity measures happens once a year. If there is an overpayment, the company returns the difference to the card, and informs the owner if they have to pay extra.
Recalculation of the gas – every three to four months, but the system is different: in case of underpayment or overpayment, the corresponding amount is added or deducted from the next invoice.
The water charge is calculated by the meter, and the bill comes about once every six months.
Invoices are sent to the payer's address. For payment, you can set up an auto-payment from your account in a Hungarian bank or make a payment yourself each time via the Internet.
Lease
Profitability. According to local realtors, the profit from the rental of housing in Hungary is on average 6-10% per annum, depending on the type of property, season and region. Meanwhile, rental housing in Hungary continues to become cheaper, and the yield decreased in 2020 by 25%.
Bids. The cost of short-term rent in Budapest starts from €15-20 per day, if we are talking about a comfortable studio apartment. In the season, the rates are increased by one and a half to two times.
In general, it is cheaper to rent a house in Budapest than in most neighboring European capitals.
Taxes. Rental income is taxed at a fixed rate of 16%. The tax is levied on the net profit, that is, after deducting the actual and documented expenses incurred in the rental process, such as lighting, maintenance, administrative costs, etc. But the amount of deductible expenses should not be more than 25%.
Before renting out property, you must notify the municipal authorities. A contract is necessarily concluded, according to which the tenant pays only directly for the apartment or house. If the owner wants to transfer the obligations to pay for utilities, the tenant must enter into contract with resource suppliers in their own name.
Management company. Takes care of all the concerns related to the realty maintenance. The price for the work starts from €50 per month. The main range of services – payment of utility bills, cleaning and airing of the apartment, checking the housing three or four times a month. If you additionally need them to search for tenants, communicate with them, and accept payments, the company charges about 6% of the rental income.
Market trends. Despite the pandemic, the demand for residential real estate in Hungary is growing. And although the overall price growth has slowed down, new buildings began to rise rapidly in price.
Taxes. When selling a home, you must pay capital gains tax. Tax base is the difference between the purchase and sale price. You can deduct the cost of buying, repairing and other investments in the property, which you can document. The base rate is 25%, but the state provides benefits depending on the period of ownership.
If you sell your property in less than a year after the purchase, there are no benefits are provided; if in the second year of ownership, then you must pay only 90% of the tax due, in the third - 70%, in the fourth - 50%, in the fifth - 10%. If more than five years have passed since the purchase, you do not need to pay tax. If you use the money immediately to buy another realty object, you do not have to pay the tax either.
Example. You bought an apartment more than three years ago for €250,000, and you are selling it for €300,000. The tax base is €50,000. Let's assume that the cost of improving the housing and the cost of processing the transaction amounted to €20,000. 25% of €30,000 – €7,500. Since at the time of the sale it was your fourth year of ownership, you need to pay 50% of the amount received, that is, €3,750.
You can also use a calculator to count the exact amount you need to pay.
Additional expenses. The main share of the costs associated with the sale falls on the buyer. The stamp duty and payment of all necessary documents will result in approximately €250; for the services of a lawyer, you have to pay 1-2% of the transaction amount (at least €1,000). But the commission to the realtor, which is 3-5% of the sale price, is often paid by the seller.
