Budapest property: buy, sell, invest

Buda side

Why Budapest

A capital city that's easy to live in.

We won't promise miracles. Budapest is simply a good place for a home and a long-term investment, for a handful of very tangible reasons.

01

Easy everyday life

Frequent public transport, parks and the Danube embankment, theatres and cafés in every central district. Comfortable without a car.

02

Addresses people want

Demand for central and green Buda apartments is steady, so they tend to hold their value well.

03

A European capital, more affordable

Compared with many Western European capitals, a well-kept central apartment costs noticeably less per square metre.

04

EU rules, a short flight away

An EU legal system, a regulated purchase process with a lawyer, and you can always come and see the apartment in person.

Districts

Which part of the city suits you?

Four areas where we work most often. Pick one from the list to see what living there is like, who we recommend it to, and what kind of apartments to expect.

District V, Danube embankment

Inner City and Lipótváros

The most central part of Budapest, home to the Parliament, St Stephen's Basilica and the Danube promenade. The streets are lined with grand apartment buildings from around 1900: high ceilings, wide windows and, in many, a view of the river.

Suits

People who want everything on foot
Buyers after a well-known, value-holding address
Long-term letting to discerning tenants

Typical property

3–5 room period apartments over 100 m², renovated or in need of renovation.

Check the lift, parking and the state of the stairwell separately.

Szabadság térSzent István térDanube promenade

Our listing here (1)

Districts in numbers, 2026

What does a square metre cost, and what does it earn?

Prices vary a lot within one district: street, floor, condition and a lift all move the number. Treat the table as a starting point; we always run the figures for the specific apartment.

District	Resale brick flat sale average, H1 2026	New build asking average, Q1 2026	Est. gross yield	Suits	Short-term letting
District VInner City, Lipótváros	HUF 1.66m/m²	HUF 3.74m/m²	approx. 2–4%	Preserving value, a representative home, discerning long-term tenants	Max. 5% per building since 2026
District VITerézváros, Andrássy út	approx. HUF 1.5m/m²	HUF 2.5m/m²	approx. 3–4.5%	Culture and city life, period apartments with character, long-term letting	Banned since 1 Jan 2026
District VIIErzsébetváros	approx. HUF 1.25m/m²	HUF 2.45m/m²	approx. 3.5–5%	An entry price in the centre, letting to students and young tenants	New permits under strict conditions
District XIIIÚjlipótváros, Angyalföld	HUF 1.63m/m²	approx. HUF 2.1m/m²	approx. 4%	Families, first homes, near the Danube and Margaret Island	Budapest moratorium to end 2026
District ICastle District, Víziváros	HUF 1.74m/m²	over HUF 3m/m²	approx. 2.5–4%	The quiet centre of Buda, few apartments, rarely for sale	Budapest moratorium to end 2026
Districts II and XIIRózsadomb, Pasarét, Svábhegy	no separate data	HUF 3.57–3.7m/m²	approx. 2–2.5%	Families looking for a garden and quiet, long-term homes	Budapest moratorium to end 2026
District XIÚjbuda, Kelenföld	no separate data	approx. HUF 2.1m/m²	approx. 4%	Universities and new developments, good metro links, letting	Budapest moratorium to end 2026

Prices: resale brick flats: average of sales brokered by Otthon Centrum, H1 2026. New builds: Otthon Centrum average asking prices, Q1 2026.

Yield (estimate): calculated with 2026 city-wide average rents based on ingatlan.com data (older flats about HUF 5,500, new builds about HUF 6,700 per m² per month), before costs and voids. Rents in central districts are usually above average.

Short-term letting: based on press reports, May 2026. No new short-term lets can be started in Budapest until the end of 2026. We always check the current local rules before you buy.

Budapest listings

Apartments available now

District VI

HUF 169m

Modern apartment at Oktogon

Family apartment on Hajós utca

Period apartment on Andrássy út

Grand apartment in the Inner City

Hercegprímás utca 18

178 m²4HUF 2.75m/m²

All properties and filters

Buying in Hungary in brief

Four things every buyer comes across

Beyond the price, these decide how much money and how much time you need.

4%

Property transfer tax

4% of the purchase price, paid on the basis of a decision by the tax authority (NAV). Relief may apply in some cases; we check this individually.

20%

Minimum deposit with a mortgage

Under central bank (MNB) rules, at least 20% of the price must as a rule come from your own funds. Some state schemes allow less.

Lawyer

Mandatory legal countersignature

The sale contract must be countersigned by a lawyer, who checks the title deed, any charges and the contract terms.

Land registry

Registration of ownership

Your lawyer registers the transfer with the land registry. From then on you are officially the owner.

Example: an apartment at HUF 169mOur legal counsel, Dr Georgina Gősi, reviews the cost lines for every client.

Purchase priceHUF 169.0m

Property transfer tax (4%)HUF 6.76m

Legal fee (estimate, 0.5–1%)HUF 0.85–1.69m

Land registry feea few thousand HUF

Total costapprox. HUF 176.6–177.5m

Own funds with a mortgage
20% deposit + tax + legal feeapprox. HUF 41.4–42.3m

Detailed cost and yield calculator

An indicative estimate, not an offer. Legal fees are agreed individually; we always confirm the exact amount in writing in advance.

Who can buy, and how

Buying in Budapest as a foreigner

The rules depend on your citizenship and how you finance the purchase: as a Hungarian, as an EU citizen or from outside the EU. Choose your situation.

As an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen you can buy an apartment on the same terms as a Hungarian buyer, without a government permit.
You'll need a Hungarian tax identification number, which we arrange before the purchase. The contract can be bilingual.
A Hungarian mortgage is harder to get on foreign income, so many buyers use own funds or finance at home.
If you're not in Budapest, a video viewing and a power of attorney are enough to complete.

In short

Permitnot needed

Transfer tax4%

Tax numberrequired

Presencepower of attorney possible

Sources: Government Office guidance on property acquisition by foreigners (2025); published terms of the Otthon Start scheme (2025). General information, not legal or tax advice. Our legal counsel reviews your specific case.

Types of home

What does your money buy?

In Budapest you will meet three main types of home. Each has its own strengths and risks.

Glass-roofed green courtyard in a renovated District VII building — Period buildingCourtyards and high ceilingsSpaces with character. Service charges and the state of the building matter a lot.

Kitchen with a marble island and stucco ceiling in a period apartment — Renovated flatOld building, new insideCheck what was really done: wiring, windows, heating.

New-build apartment building in Újbuda with a landscaped garden — New buildLift, parking, lower billsA higher price per square metre, with fewer surprises.

FAQ

Buying in Budapest, straight answers

What people ask us most often in the first conversations.

Réka Urbánfounder, lead adviser

Which district is the better investment?

There's no single right answer. For long-term letting, apartments with good transport links near universities and workplaces do well. We always calculate for the specific apartment: price, expected rent, service charge and any renovation needed.

Can I let the apartment short term?

At the moment no new short-term lets can be started in Budapest until the end of 2026 (Budapest moratorium). District VI has had a full ban since 1 January 2026, and in District V at most 5% of the flats in a building may be used this way. Existing permits require NTAK registration. We check before you buy, and our group partner Budapest Residence can manage the letting.

How long does a purchase take?

As a guide, a cash purchase usually takes 1–3 months from deposit to handover. With a mortgage it can take longer because of the bank's valuation and approval, and for non-EU buyers the permit adds up to 45 days. We agree the timetable together at the start.

Can I view the apartment by video if I'm not in Budapest?

Yes. We hold live video viewings and show you the details too: windows, bathrooms, the stairwell. The contract can be signed under a power of attorney.

What rental yield can I expect in Budapest?

Using 2026 average rents, a gross yield of 3–5% is realistic for long-term letting, depending on the district and the price. Service charges, maintenance and voids reduce it. We always calculate for the specific apartment.

What does your help cost?

The first consultation is free. If we work together, we confirm the fee and what it includes in writing in advance.

Journal

More on Budapest

All articles

Budapest · Neighbourhoods9 min read

Buying a flat in Budapest: full cost and checklist

A 5–8 page A4 guide you can save as a PDF.

Cost table on a HUF 98m example
Duty reliefs and timing
Checklist before the contract

Your Budapest search

Tell us where you see yourself. We'll show you what fits.

In a short call we go through districts, budget and timing. After that we only send apartments we would view ourselves.

Phone, WhatsApp · Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00 CET+36 70 603 3333