Shopping remains expensive: Hungarian food prices are close to the EU average

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 07. 11. 11:55

In Hungary, food prices reached 94.8% of the EU average in 2024, according to the latest Eurostat data. This means that domestic prices now far exceed the levels measured in Romania (75.8%) and Slovakia (83.8%), which encourages more and more Hungarian shoppers to shop across the border.

According to a report by RTL Híradó, some Slovak grocery chains are already targeting shoppers from settlements near the border with Hungarian-language advertisements, with the slogan “Small trip, big savings”. The revival of cross-border trade is also supported by the fact that, according to Eurostat, Hungary still has one of the highest inflation rates within the European Union – based on May data, we are in third place.

László Molnár, GKI Economic Research Zrt. According to a member of the board of directors, the higher Hungarian prices are primarily due to the 27% VAT rate and the special tax imposed on retail chains. These charges directly increase the operating costs of stores, which are ultimately paid by consumers.

The phenomenon is not new, but the price differences have now reached such a level that more and more households are considering shopping abroad – especially for durable food, dairy products, meat products or household goods.