Convert HUF to EUR Hungarian forint ↔ Euro Free Online Secure
Type an amount in Hungarian forint and read it in Euro at once. The page uses the European Central Bank's reference rate, and tells you which day that rate is from.
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Common amounts — Convert HUF to EUR (Hungarian forint ↔ Euro)
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The last thirty days
Where these codes and rates come from
The three letters in EUR, USD or JPY are not an abbreviation someone invented for a website: they are ISO 4217, a standard in which the first two letters are the country's own code and the third is usually the initial of the currency. The figures on this page come from the European Central Bank, which publishes one set of reference rates each working day, around 16:00 Central European time, agreed between the central banks of the Eurosystem. They are a daily snapshot meant for statistics and accounting, not a live trading feed — which is exactly why they are the same number for everyone, rather than whatever one bank happened to quote at one moment.
Where you meet an exchange rate
You meet an exchange rate four or five times a year without thinking about it: booking a trip, paying an invoice issued abroad, buying from a foreign shop, reading a salary offer in another currency, or checking what a card charge really cost. In all of these the reference rate is the honest middle, and the price you actually pay sits a little to one side of it. Knowing the middle is what lets you see how wide that margin is.
Questions people ask
Is this the rate my bank will give me?
No, and no page can promise one. This is the European Central Bank's reference rate: the midpoint published once a day for statistics. A bank, a card scheme or an exchange office adds its own margin on top — usually between half a percent and three percent, sometimes more at an airport counter. Use this figure to judge the offer you are given, not to predict it.
How often does the figure change, and what happens at weekends?
The European Central Bank publishes once each working day, in the afternoon, Central European time. There is no publication on Saturdays, Sundays or TARGET holidays, so on those days the page shows the last working day's rate and says which day it belongs to. The chart alongside is one year of the same daily series.
Is the answer exact?
Where both units are defined in terms of one another by whole numbers, yes — the page says so above the figure, and the only rounding is in how many digits are shown. Where the ratio has no finite decimal, the page shows twelve significant digits and says the relation is approximate rather than pretending otherwise.
Does anything I type leave my device?
No. The arithmetic runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no server to upload it to. Load the page once and it keeps working with the network switched off.
Sopron and Parndorf: how a border town sells teeth and an Austrian outlet sells shirts, and what forints have to do with both
On Hungary's north-western edge, a few kilometres from the Austrian border, stands the old walled town of Sopron, with a tower from which a night watchman once looked out over the roofs, medieval houses with Baroque fronts, and wine cellars that date back to the Romans. On a weekday morning, however, the people queuing at the dentists' and the hairdressers' of Sopron speak German: Austrians who cross the border to have a crown fitted, a tooth whitened or a haircut done for a fraction of what it costs in Vienna. At the same time, thirty kilometres away on the Austrian side, Hungarians pile into cars and coaches headed for the huge designer outlet at Parndorf, where brands from sportswear to fashion are sold at lower prices. The two flows run through the same rate: how many forints one euro costs. This page helps with the arithmetic. Use it to Convert HUF to EUR with the daily reference rates published by the European Central Bank, which quotes the forint directly against the euro; the page prints the date of the rate under the result. The amount you type never leaves your browser.
Using the converter
Forints in, euros out
Before you leave for the border, Convert HUF to EUR for the sums you expect to spend and keep the figure in your pocket diary.
Type an amount in forints and read the equivalent in euros. A euro is worth several hundred forints, so the result is a much smaller number than the one you entered, and it carries cents. The date of the rate appears under the result; at weekends and on public holidays the page falls back to the last working day and says so. A table of round amounts and a thirty-day line complete the page. For the opposite direction, from euros into forints, open Convert EUR to HUF.
A yardstick for every offer
The published rate is a mid-market figure fixed once on each working day, without any bank margin. A card, an exchange booth or a transfer app gives you slightly less, and the difference is the price of the service. Treat every Convert HUF to EUR as a yardstick: under one per cent is excellent, two to three per cent is normal at banks, and over four per cent is a reason to look elsewhere. In the examples below, purely for arithmetic, an invented round rate of three hundred and sixty forints to one euro is used. It is not a forecast and not today's price; replace it with the real figure from the calculator.
Sopron, the loyal town
A town that voted
Sopron is known in Hungary as "the most loyal town", a title it earned in 1921, when its inhabitants voted in a referendum to remain in Hungary after the treaties that followed the First World War had assigned the area to Austria. The result was close, and the vote is commemorated by a Gate of Loyalty in the old town. Today the town has about sixty thousand residents, a university with a forestry tradition and a lively cultural life that includes a festival of music and theatre in summer.
Dentists, beauty and care
A written estimate in forints makes comparison easy, so Convert HUF to EUR for each line of the plan and add the travel.
Dental practices in Sopron advertise in German and often offer free consultations. A crown might cost 250 to 450 euros in the Hungarian town and about twice as much in Vienna; a root canal or an implant follows the same pattern. Other services, such as hairdressing, manicure, optical shops and physiotherapy, also draw Austrian clients. Patients should always ask for a written treatment plan, a price list and a guarantee, and check that the practice is registered. To compare, Convert HUF to EUR for the price on the plan and put it beside the Austrian quote.
Wine and the old cellars
Sopron is also a wine town. The local variety, Kékfrankos, a spicy red grape, is grown on the slopes, and the town's cellars, some of them centuries old, welcome visitors for tastings. A glass of wine costs 800 to 1,500 forints, a tasting flight 3,000 to 6,000. The nearby Lake Fertő, shared with Austria, is a UNESCO site that attracts birdwatchers and cyclists. A cycling path circles the lake, crossing the border without a checkpoint.
Parndorf, the outlet on the plain
Why Hungarians go
Outlet prices are in euros, so Convert HUF to EUR for a coat and a pair of shoes and decide whether the bargain survives the conversion.
The Designer Outlet at Parndorf lies about twenty kilometres from Hungary's border and fifty from Vienna. Its streets of shops sell last season's clothes, shoes and accessories from well-known brands at reductions of 30 to 70 per cent. For Hungarians, whose wages are lower than Austrian, shopping there is an outing rather than a regular habit, but families come from Győr, Sopron and even Budapest by the coach load on weekends and holidays. Prices are in euros, and the till converts nothing, so the visitor does the arithmetic: Convert HUF to EUR for the shirt, the shoes and the coat, and note the total.
Supermarkets and groceries
Austrian discount supermarkets, close to the border, are another magnet. Some goods, such as certain brands of coffee, chocolate, dairy products and household items, cost less in Austria than in Hungary, though the difference depends on the product and on the year. Hungarians also buy detergents, cosmetics and baby supplies in Austria. For fresh food, Hungarian markets remain cheaper and tastier. A couple who wants to save should compare a basket of ten items in both countries before making the trip.
Counting the real cost
Every saving should be tested with a Convert HUF to EUR, then reduced by fuel, parking and the value of the hours you spend.
A trip to Austria costs fuel, time and sometimes a motorway vignette. A saving of 20 euros on a purchase can disappear if the trip uses 15 euros of fuel. Add the cost of the drive when you compare, and decide whether you would go anyway for the pleasure of the outing. The same rule applies to Austrians who cross into Hungary.
Working in Austria, living in Hungary
The daily commuters
Tens of thousands of Hungarians commute across the border to jobs in Burgenland and Vienna, or work in Austria for weeks at a time, as nurses, builders, drivers, waiters and care workers. Austrian wages are several times higher in nominal terms, and many commuters return each evening to cheaper housing in Hungarian villages. They earn euros and spend forints. In their budgets, a regular Convert HUF to EUR sits next to the rent and the fuel bill.
The exchange in the household
A monthly record of the rate is easy to keep: on pay day, Convert HUF to EUR and write the number in a notebook.
When the forint weakens against the euro, an Austrian salary buys more at home, and commuters feel richer. When it strengthens, the reverse happens. Some families deliberately keep part of their savings in euros as a cushion. Others take loans in forints and save in euros to hedge. Each household should decide according to its income, expenses and appetite for risk.
Taxes and paperwork
Cross-border workers deal with two systems. A treaty between the two countries prevents double taxation, and the place of taxation depends on residence and other rules. Employers and tax offices can explain which forms to complete. Keep payslips, contracts and bank statements for several years.
The forint and the euro
Why Hungary still has its own currency
Hungary joined the European Union in 2004 and committed to adopt the euro when it meets the conditions, but it has set no date. The forint floats against the euro, and the Hungarian National Bank sets interest rates. Public opinion is mixed. The euro would remove exchange-rate risk for firms and households, but would also end the central bank's ability to adjust rates to Hungarian needs.
Prices in euros at home
When a lease is written in euros, Convert HUF to EUR on the day of each payment and keep the figure with the receipt.
Even without the euro, many Hungarian prices are quoted in euros: rents in Budapest, used cars, hotel rooms and some online purchases. A landlord may write the rent as 600 euros and expect the tenant to pay the equivalent in forints at the rate of the day. Always agree in writing which rate will be used. Without such a clause, disagreements arise.
Cash, cards and change
Hungarian shops accept cards widely, and contactless payment is common. Euro banknotes are accepted in some tourist places, but the rate is poor. Pay in forints when you can. Cash machines may offer to charge you in euros: decline and choose forints.
A day in Vienna for a Hungarian family
By train from Budapest
The fast train from Budapest to Vienna takes about two hours and forty minutes and runs several times a day. A return ticket bought in advance online can cost from 20 to 40 euros per adult, much less than the full fare, and children travel at a discount. A family ticket, where available, is cheaper still. Seats on popular trains sell out at weekends in summer and before Christmas, so reserve a few days ahead. The line follows the Danube valley, passes through Győr, a baroque city on a river junction, and crosses the border at Hegyeshalom without a check. If you drive, remember to buy a motorway vignette in Austria.
What a day costs
The big items are lunch and museum tickets, so Convert HUF to EUR for both before you decide how much to book in advance.
In Vienna a coffee in a traditional café costs 4 to 6 euros, a slice of Sachertorte 6 to 8, a main dish in a middle-range restaurant 15 to 25, and a ticket to a major museum or palace 15 to 25. A day pass for public transport costs about 8 euros. For a family of four, the budget runs to 200 to 350 euros. Convert HUF to EUR for the sum, and you will see why a visit is a treat rather than a routine outing.
Cheap pleasures
Some of Vienna's best experiences cost nothing: a walk along the Ringstrasse, a stroll in the palace gardens, the courtyards of the old town, a view from the Danube island. Standing places at the opera, sold on the day for a few euros, make the opera accessible. Many churches have free concerts at lunchtime. A picnic in the Prater park, with food from a market, is a cheap afternoon.
The Hungarian traces in Vienna
Austria and Hungary shared a monarchy for half a century, and the signs are everywhere in Vienna: Hungarian-born architects, composers and cooks left their mark. Goulash soup is a classic on Viennese menus, palacsinta, the thin pancake, appears as Palatschinken, and the Hungarian Chapel in the Cathedral of St Stephen recalls ties of faith. The imperial palaces were also royal Hungarian residences, and portraits of Empress Elisabeth, loved in Hungary as Sisi, hang everywhere.
Euro in the Hungarian pocket
Who holds euros
Many Hungarians hold euros, whether as savings in a bank account, as earnings from work abroad or as cash at home. Euros are a convenient reserve, since they do not lose value when the forint falls. Others hold forint savings, which have earned higher interest in recent years. A balanced approach, with part in each currency, spreads the risk. The amount in each depends on future spending: someone who will pay for a holiday in Austria needs euros.
Transfers and online payments
Ask your provider for the exact amount that will arrive, then Convert HUF to EUR here and see how far the offer is from the reference.
Transfers in euros within the European Union are fast and, in the euro area, often cheap or free. A Hungarian bank account can receive euros from Austria, and many online services let you hold balances in several currencies. When a transfer involves converting forints, compare the rate with a reference figure from a Convert HUF to EUR. If the difference is more than two or three per cent, look for another provider.
Euros and the housing market
Property in Budapest is often priced in euros in advertisements aimed at foreign buyers, and some contracts are in euros while payment is in forints. Banks offer loans in forints. Taking a loan in a foreign currency is risky for people who earn in forints, and Hungary has painful memories of the franc-loan crisis of the late 2000s. Always compare the currency of income with the currency of debt.
Adopting the euro: pros and cons
The conditions
To join the euro area, a country must keep inflation, public debt and the budget deficit within limits, hold long-term interest rates near the average, and keep its currency stable in an exchange-rate mechanism for two years. Hungary has met some of these conditions at times and failed others. Politicians have said that they see no rush, and polls show a divided public.
The case for
Supporters of the euro argue that it would remove exchange-rate costs, lower interest rates, make trade with the euro area simpler and protect households from sudden currency swings. Exporters, who sell most of their goods in euros, would no longer need to hedge. Tourists and workers would stop exchanging money at every border.
The case against
Opponents note that the euro would end the central bank's power to set interest rates for Hungary and to let the forint fall in a crisis, which can cushion a downturn. They point to the difficulties of countries that gave up their currencies and then lacked this flexibility. In either case, the daily work of anyone who earns in one currency and spends in another goes on, and the calculator on this page remains useful.
A weekend in Sopron and the lake
What to do
Walk through the old town, climb the fire tower for the view, taste the local wine and visit the Storno House museum. Then cycle around Lake Fertő or take a boat trip on the Hungarian side. The distance from Vienna is about 70 kilometres, and from Budapest about 210. Distances are posted in kilometres, and Convert km to mi converts them into miles. Temperatures are in Celsius, and Convert °C to °F gives Fahrenheit.
What it costs
A weekend away is easiest to plan if you Convert HUF to EUR for the room and the meals and then add a reserve of ten per cent.
A room in a small hotel in Sopron costs 25,000 to 45,000 forints per night, a dinner for two 12,000 to 20,000, a bicycle for the day 4,000 to 6,000. A weekend for two comes to 90,000 to 150,000 forints, or 250 to 420 euros at the invented rate. Compare with a weekend in Vienna and you will find the Hungarian side cheaper by a third or more.
The time and the language
Hungary and Austria are on the same time, Central European Time. If your trip continues east, Convert CET to EET shows the one-hour gap with Eastern Europe. German is widely spoken in Sopron, and English is understood in tourist places.
Other forint conversions
If your trip continues
Travellers who go on to the United States can use Convert HUF to USD, those who visit London Convert HUF to GBP, and those who go to Switzerland Convert HUF to CHF. For Poland there is Convert HUF to PLN.
A habit worth keeping
Write down the rate and date at each exchange, and compare them later with your statement. It takes seconds.
Mistakes to avoid
Counting only the sticker price
A bargain abroad can lose its charm once fuel, parking and time are counted. Add everything before you decide.
Accepting an unwritten rate
If a landlord or an employer promises to use a certain rate, get it in writing. Verbal promises are hard to prove later.
Using an old rate
A rate from last month can be wrong by several per cent. The date shown beside the result protects you each time you Convert HUF to EUR.
In short
The only thing fetched from the network is the table of daily rates, while your amount stays in the browser and no account is needed. From the dentist's chair in Sopron to the till at Parndorf, the routine is the same: Convert HUF to EUR, read the date and compare every offer with the number on this page.