It is a good choice to retire to. Heviz would be possibly nicer than Kesthely but housing prices would be commensurately higher as well. As for being closer that is debatable question. It is physically closer than other towns on the lake but perhaps longer to travel if you are considering Vienna. Graz would be closer and is a nice place to visit. The nearest decent skiing is still a ways inside Austria at Semmering. It is 2 hours away for us and probably 90 minutes from Kesthely. The area has some benefits and is a definite tourist destination with all that encompasses.

There is a largish British expatriate community as well. Other towns to consider would be Badacsony which is nce as well or further towards Budapest in towns like where I live Balatonfured although Csopak and Alsoors are nice as is Balatonalmadi. The Western end of the lake has a growing Russian community as well. For whatever reason the oligarchs in Hungarian society, particularly the young and rich Fidez members are pouring money into our town which has some benefits as well as drawbacks.

We like it here as it is 15km to Veszprem which has a University, a Medical Center, and some major shopping. Kesthely has good shopping and a hospital but the medical center is over in Veszprem. Balatonfured also has the National Cardiological Center and the Oncology center has just opened in Veszprem.

We are more or less equidistant to the airports in Vienna or Budapest and both are roughly 2 hours away. From Kesthely the trip to the Budapest airport would be 40 minutes longer for you than it is here in Balatonfured. Generally flights are cheaper into Budapest than Vienna or Bratislava. I like it here in our area of the lake as it is particularly scenic with the Tihany peninsula and the Badacsony national park but there is plenty to see in Kesthely as well. From Kesthely you would be closer to Sopron and Szombathely which are nice places to visit.

It all depends on what you want to have around you. Lake Balaton is a great place to retire to and we have been extremely happy here for the past 7 years.

But one drawback with the popularity of these towns is that real estate prices are climbing rapidly. I understand there is a rapidly growing community of Germans leaving Germany to get away from the Muslim immigrants which is addition to the wealthy Budapestians and Russians is another factor driving real estate prices up. Apartments are in the highest demand as most people now don't want to deal with a garden. We have seen some newly built apartments here in Balatonfured sell for over 1 million Euros while entire houses are still in the 250,000 Euro range. Go figure.

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Letter below is very detailed and informative. I would love being near the Lake but don't have the budget - nor would I be interested to spend it on inflated prices.

I'm in a small village 45 km from Budapest - with bus service from here and a more frequent (every half hour) bus from a nearby town. I'm over 65 so public transportation is free - I have time, so all is well.

Why do I chose to live here? Beautiful scenery, historically famous, close to the capital city and CHEAP.

A NICE lot for building is 33,000Eur, existing country homes - that you can live in while rebuild or build can be had from 40,000Eur
http://www.ingatlannet.hu/ingatlan/Bajna/4157145-elad%C3%B3-csal%C3%A1di-h%C3%A1z-Ady-Endre-utca

Just sayin' If you are willing to go outside the box, as always, you'll find what you are looking for.

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