At the small grocery store where Laszlo Jonasz works in Budapest's District 6, he cannot stop talking. The 54-year-old rings up customers one by one while venting about the ravages of inflation. "People are buying less and constantly comparing prices. Going to the cinema or the theater has become a luxury, and rents have skyrocketed," said Jonasz, who now pays 280,000 forints (€708) for a 65-square-meter apartment in the capital, utilities included.

This increase matches figures from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, which found that rental prices for apartments doubled nationwide between 2015 and 2025. For this father who juggles three jobs, there is no doubt: "Hungary is falling behind."

A few meters away, customers have also become scarce between the stalls of Rita Reitter: "Overripe vegetables are popular, but some people prefer to go to Lidl, where prices are unbeatable." In the Hungarian capital, where restaurant bills now rival those in Paris, the consensus is clear: Life is getting more and more expensive. Cumulative inflation since 2020 has reached 50%; after peaking at nearly 26% in the winter of 2023, it stood at 4.3% in July compared to July 2024 − twice the 2% recorded in the eurozone. All of this is compounded by the volatility of the forint, Hungary's currency, which has stabilized in recent months and fallen below the symbolic threshold of €1 to 400 forints.

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