Worried living in Hungary

Expat Europeans or those of European descent (i.e. Americans like myself) may be giving you a highly varied and confusing picture based on their own life experiences. For example, a citizen from another central European, post communist country, may find the bureaucracy here familiar, but a western European may be completely lost how to navigate it.

Unfortunately no other Filipinos have replied to your threads yet.  Maybe consider reaching out directly and private messaging other Filipinos registered at this site for their experiences, as those may be more relevant for you personally:

https://www.expat.com/en/network/europe/hungary/

300k per month is roughly the average wage in Hungary so you should be able to manage OK on that. If you are to be based in Budapest you will probably find your biggest expense is renting an apartment but obviously you can keep costs down by choosing a smaller, lower spec. place and / or sharing.

Oh boy, if only you knew what you were getting into... 

atomheart wrote:

Oh boy, if only you knew what you were getting into... 

Kindly explain what do you mean by this...

If you are a healthy young person that health care bought through a private insurance co. should be good enough to cover what immigration requires from you.
Paying out of pocket for minor doctor visits isn't too expensive overall.
For the first year here in HU I had to pay for my own health coverage before being able to apply for national health through my husband being a HU citizen.
I used a co. called Generali , they have a office here in Budapest. This was 6 or so years back, no idea now what they charge. It was a very, very basic coverage that really didn't cover anything, was just passable to get through immigration requirements.
I paid out of pocket for the first year for any dental work or doc visits, really wasn't much, I am generally healthy.
Think I paid a one time $250. to Generali but again, their cots must of gone up in these years.
Overall even now with national health,I tend to tip most doctors as much as I would of been paying a private doc for a visit anyways. usually I give out between 10,000, 15,000 or 20,000 for a visit with a specialist. Our family doc usually gets at least a 5er for every visit with her.
I discovered that if you do not tip then you can run into a block wall when you need a service.
Recently a old shoulder issue got bad, had a lump ontop of my shoulder, went to our local surgical clinic to see a specialist. Run around city, paid out of pocket for my ultrasound because there was a 5 weeks waiting period to get one that was covered by the insurance, I felt I couldn't wait that long to find out what was wrong with my shoulder. Got the run around at the clinic, went to a private doctor to have him look me over, it was too complicated for him so he did nothing, went back to my local clinic, literally saw 6 different surgeons over a 2 month period, all giving me a run around, come back next week, I am going on holiday come again and see another doc etc. Finally they told me they couldn't do my shoulder so gave me yet another referral to another clinic inside the emergency hospital, saw the same ortho doc who sent me for knee surgery 3 years ago, she is smart and knows what she is doing. I totally wasted my time with all these other jokers.
She drained my shoulder and I have since been to a real ortho surgeon who has given me x-rays, found out what is wrong with my shoulder.  Have a  bone spur . Have been given my steroid shots and wants to give more shots before surgery . Just telling you so you can see what we mean about hassles over here.
The issue was really with the first clinic, a few years ago I saw a doc there because I had dropped something on my foot and it left a mark, my vanity caused all the trouble. Wanted the mark removed, he was some old quack who did a real surgery on me, made a huge thing out of it, more then likely because I was American and he saw dollars in his future, He booked a real operating room, a nurse , put sheets all over my leg was huffing and puffing like he was half dying because that tiny mark was such a big deal to take off the top of my foot, gave me 4 stitches was insane what a big deal he made out of that whole thing.
My husband was in the room with me and neither of us wanted to tip him because it had gotten way too  weird how hard he was trying for a tip, not even sure how much to pay for such a performance.
I know I was blacklisted at that clinic for not tipping hench the 2 month run around.
Can't of course prove any of this but really that's how it can go here if you don't know the unwritten rules.
This time I am over tipping everyone and anyone because this time I need real medical aid.
In the US if one ever tipped a doctor they would be very insulted, here if you don't tip then they are insulted.
If you do pay out of pocket to see a private doc then there is not much need to tip,only if you use the national health then tipping is your only way up the ladder for care, honestly.

I know my post was a bit long the above statements, do not wish to confuse you.
300,000 or more a month is enough to live in Hungary and even send some money home, maybe not a ton of money to send home but something.
No need to live large here, lots of fun things to do on the cheap.
I was under the impression that all employer's paid for health insurance but guess that isn't the case for foreign workers.
We own our apt but there are two of us in Hungary. We never go out to eat much, cook at home because we are picky about ingredients and like a ton of fresh foods, not sure about eating out how fresh foods really are etc.Also we could eat for days on what one meal out could cost.
We only seem to spend on bills for our household, doctor tips when needed( spent about $500. on tips and things just in 2 months time) and food, in the summer months we spend on pools and gas for the car to go out.
In winter months we can easily live off of less then $600. a month without feeling the pinch. More goes out in the summer. Still able to save with only US SS coming in.
In all honestly, if my husband lived alone he could probably live off of very little every month , I'm the spender in the family.
I would come for a good IT job if I were you, not much to lose, you may even make connections and move to western Europe later and make more money, everything in life is temp. anyways.

If you have a legal job with contract than your employee will pays your health care.I't's obligatory for them

Forget your post communist speach, it is the past over 27 years

Tomi HU wrote:

Forget your post communist speach, it is the past over 27 years

I have just re-read this whole thread, trying to find the speech to which you refer. If you wish to comment about a particular post or paragraph it is best to use the quote facility, to avoid any ambiguity.