Expat Advice: Living in Budapest, Hungary
An American expat provides some insight into what it takes to live in Budapest, Hungary.
What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?
Budapest
How long have you lived there?
12 years
What activities, clubs and organizations would you recommend to newcomers to help them meet others?
Chamber of Commerce events, Houses of Worship gatherings. Refer to www.xpatloop.com.
In terms of religious, racial, economic and cultural diversity, are the people of this city or town diverse? Are they accepting of differences? Describe.
The residents of Budapest are very accepting of all types of people though I'm sure the relatively few Roma dwelling in Budapest would beg to differ.
In the past 10 years I have witnessed more acceptance of foreigners and more languages spoken. Outside Budapest this is not always the case.
What are the main industries in this city? What types of career opportunities commonly exist? How do most people find new jobs?
Most opportunities exist in the service sector. To have a chance to be hired and for career advancement, fluency in IT and foreign languages is a big plus.
If a friend of yours was thinking of moving to this city or town from far away, what other advice would you give them.
Be patient! While not strangling, there is still bureaucracy. Hungarians are friendly though and eager to help. Ask for help and/or employ people (like Hire A Hungarian .com) to help during the transition. Life is easy after the initial transition. Also, learn some basic Hungarian words before coming and continue your learning once here. But unlike the way it was in the 1990's, enough English is spoken in Budapest for you to feel comfortable. But make no mistake, it is a difficult language.
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