Hungary Currency & Money Guide: Exchange, Cards, and Tips

Hungary uses the Hungarian forint (HUF) as its official currency, cards and contactless payments are widely accepted, and you’ll get the best exchange rates from city-center exchange offices or bank ATMs rather than airports or hotels. Tipping is usually 10% in restaurants and cash still matters for small purchases.

The local currency is the Hungarian forint, written as Ft and coded as HUF, and it’s the only legal tender for everyday payments, even though some tourist places quote prices in euros. As of early 2025, 1 SGD is roughly 268 HUF, and 1 EUR is around 380–400 HUF, according to currency guides and mid‑market data. Rates move daily, so treat these as planning numbers, not guarantees.

You’ll usually get the best Hungary exchange rate either by withdrawing forints from ATMs operated by major banks (OTP, Erste, K&H) or using reputable city-center exchange offices rather than airport kiosks or hotels, which can be 10–20% more expensive. Cards and contactless payments are widely accepted in Budapest and larger cities, but keeping 15,000–20,000 HUF in cash helps with tips, local markets, and public toilets.

To keep your budget under control, you can log all your spending in HUF and your home currency with the Hello app, which automatically converts exchange rates and splits expenses with friends, making it easier to see what that ruin bar crawl or thermal bath day really cost.

Hungary’s official currency is the Hungarian forint (HUF), and it’s the only legal tender you should rely on for everyday payments, even if some tourist spots quote prices in euros at poor rates. Expect to see large numbers on price tags, but don’t let that scare you.

The forint is written as Ft after prices and abbreviated as HUF on exchange boards and banking apps. Common banknotes are 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, and 20,000 Ft, while coins cover smaller values like 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 Ft. It’s normal for a casual dinner for two with drinks in Budapest to cost 8,000–12,000 HUF (about €20–30 in 2025), so don’t be alarmed by five‑digit totals.

For planning your Hungary exchange rate, recent mid‑market data shows roughly 380–400 HUF for 1 EUR and around 320–440 HUF for 1 USD, depending on the day and market conditions, per currency converters and local guides. Travelers coming from Singapore can use 1 SGD ≈ 268 HUF (early 2025) as a ballpark figure, according to travelwithhello.com’s Hungary guide. Always check a live rate closer to your trip, as FX markets are volatile.

While some hotels, restaurants and shops in touristy areas may let you pay in euros, guides consistently warn that these unofficial euro rates are poor and can inflate your bill significantly. For the best value, exchange into forints and aim to pay in HUF wherever possible when you’re in Hungary.

The best way to get a good Hungary exchange rate is to avoid airports and hotel desks, use reputable city‑center exchange offices, or withdraw cash from bank‑branded ATMs while always choosing to be charged in local currency (HUF), not your home currency.

You can change money at banks, exchange kiosks, some hotels, and specialist bureaus, but they are not all equal in value. Airport and hotel desks typically add high commissions or poor rates—often 10–15% worse than what you’d get from a bank ATM or competitive city-center booth, according to banking guides. Local expat resources and Hungary tourism advice strongly recommend exchanging only a small amount at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (e.g., €20–30) just to cover immediate transport, then doing larger exchanges in the city.

In Budapest, independent exchange offices like Correct Change or Gold Change (often found around Deák Ferenc tér, Váci utca and other central areas) are known for tighter spreads and transparent boards, with some charging a small transaction fee of around 0.3–0.6% due to Hungary’s financial transaction tax. Always double‑check:

• The buy and sell rate
• Whether commission is included
• The final amount you’ll receive before handing over cash

Never exchange money with people on the street; local guides note this is illegal and often linked to counterfeit notes or short‑changing scams. For card‑heavy travelers, withdrawing cash occasionally from an ATM and tracking your HUF spending with the Hello app’s multi‑currency budget tools is often simpler than carrying large amounts of cash around.

Cards and contactless payments are widely accepted in Hungary’s cities, ATMs are easy to find, and paying with your card often saves on commissions—just remember to decline ATM “dynamic currency conversion” and keep some cash for small purchases and rural areas.

According to multiple banking and travel guides, credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, increasingly American Express) are accepted in most hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, and ticket machines in Budapest and other major cities. Contactless payments via NFC cards and phone wallets are common, especially for metro tickets, rideshares, and chain cafés. It’s still wise to keep about 15,000–20,000 HUF (roughly €40–50) in cash for tips, small bars, markets, and public toilets that don’t take cards.

ATMs are widely available and usually give you the interbank or close‑to‑mid‑market rate for cash withdrawals. To avoid excessive fees and scams:

• Use machines attached to major banks like OTP, Erste, K&H
• Avoid standalone “independent” or heavily branded ATMs (e.g., Euronet) in tourist zones, which often have high fees and poor conversion rates
• When prompted, always choose to be charged in local currency (HUF) and decline Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC), which lets the ATM or POS set a disadvantageous rate

Digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay work when linked to a supported card, but regional apps like WeChat Pay or PayPay are not widely used locally. For managing spending, Hello’s expense tracker lets you record card and cash payments in HUF and your home currency with automatic exchange rate conversion, so you can see what that 2,400 HUF craft beer really costs in SGD or USD.

In Hungary, tipping around 10% in restaurants is customary when service isn’t already included, while smaller cash tips work well for taxis, guides, and spa staff; carrying coins and low‑value notes makes these everyday money moments much easier.

Local hospitality guides explain that 10% is the standard tip in restaurants, rounded to the nearest 100, 500, or 1,000 HUF depending on your bill. Always check the receipt for a service charge (sometimes listed as “szervizdíj” at 10–15%); if it’s included, an additional tip is optional or smaller. If you pay by card and want to ensure the staff personally receives the tip, many guides recommend settling the bill by card, then leaving a few hundred forints in cash directly for the server.

Typical tipping guidelines:

• Restaurants: 10% if no service charge
• Cafés and bars: round up by 100–300 HUF
• Taxis: round up by 5–10% or to a convenient amount
• Guided tours or spa staff: 500–1,000 HUF for good service

For everyday Hungary money tips, locals suggest:

• Always check prices before ordering in heavily touristed areas
• Keep small coins for public toilets (usually 100–200 HUF) and street food
• Get used to big numbers: a simple lunch menu can easily be 2,500–3,500 HUF in 2025

Because it’s easy to lose track when prices are in another currency, the Hello app can automatically convert your HUF receipts into SGD, USD, or EUR and categorize them, so you can immediately see if tips and extras are pushing you over your daily budget.

You’ll save money in Hungary by paying in forints, avoiding airport exchanges and pricey tourist ATMs, watching out for street currency scams, and using a budget tracker to stay on top of daily costs for food, transport, and attractions.

Travel money guides consistently highlight that the cheapest way to pay is to use the local currency (HUF), not euros, since tourist venues that accept euros often apply a much worse rate that can inflate your bill by a large margin. To keep costs down:

• Avoid exchanging at airports and hotels; use city-center kiosks or bank ATMs instead
• Eat where locals eat—an everyday lunch can be 2,000–3,000 HUF, versus 4,000+ HUF in prime tourist zones
• Use public transport and day‑passes; a single ticket in Budapest is usually under 500 HUF in the mid‑2020s

Common money scams include illegal street currency exchange (often involving counterfeit or swapped notes), misleading independent ATMs with high fees, and DCC prompts that look helpful but lock in poor conversion rates. Always refuse street exchangers, stick to bank‑branded ATMs, and choose “charge in HUF” when a terminal offers to bill you in your home currency.

For tracking costs, the Hello app acts as a travel money companion: you can scan receipts with AI (in any language or currency), log expenses in HUF, split bills with friends using automatic exchange rate conversion, and monitor how your spending compares to your planned budget. Many travellers find that simply seeing their daily total in their home currency helps cut unnecessary splurges on that extra round of pálinka or souvenir shopping.

Most travellers to Hungary ask whether they can pay in euros, how much cash they really need, and whether ATMs and cards are safe to use—plus how to stay connected for mobile banking, maps, and expense tracking during their trip.

Q: What currency does Hungary use?
A: Hungary’s official currency is the Hungarian forint (HUF), written as Ft. It’s the only legal tender for everyday payments, though some tourist businesses may accept euros at poor rates. For the best value, always aim to pay in forints.

Q: How much cash should I carry?
A: In card‑friendly Budapest, many guides suggest having about 15,000–20,000 HUF (roughly €40–50) in cash for tips, small cafés, markets, and public toilets, while paying larger bills by card. In rural areas, cash is more important, so consider carrying a little extra.

Q: Are ATMs safe and what about fees?
A: ATMs attached to major banks (OTP, Erste, K&H) are generally safe and offer fair rates. Avoid independent tourist‑zone machines with high fees, and always decline Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) by choosing to be charged in HUF, not your home currency.

Q: Can I track and split expenses easily?
A: Yes—using the Hello app, you can record expenses in HUF, auto‑convert them to your home currency, and split costs with friends in multiple currencies, which is ideal for group trips.

Q: How do I stay connected for banking and maps?
A: An eSIM from Hello lets you arrive in Hungary with data already active, so you can securely access mobile banking, use maps, and update your Hello budget tracker on the go. You can browse plans on Hello eSIM for Hungary before you fly.