After a short spell back in the UK (the "rip-off capital of the world") it became apparent to me that many commodities and services are actually cheaper than they are in Hungary. That's not to say that everything is cheaper - far from it. But aside from ludicrous property prices it seems that you can enjoy a reasonably high standard of living on a relatively low budget back in Blighty. Bargain hunting may reap rich rewards.
For example, you can certainly get more high-quality foodstuffs for a lower price, and you can enjoy superb food at excellent restaurants that easily compare in price to their Hungarian counterparts (e.g. Lake District, lakeside restaurant with open fireplaces and 3 course meal comes to £14.99 per head - approx 4,500 HuF). The price of electrical goods varies in both countries, but on the whole, more bargains are to be had in the UK.
For example, you can certainly get more high-quality foodstuffs for a lower price, and you can enjoy superb food at excellent restaurants that easily compare in price to their Hungarian counterparts (e.g. Lake District, lakeside restaurant with open fireplaces and 3 course meal comes to £14.99 per head - approx 4,500 HuF). The price of electrical goods varies in both countries, but on the whole, more bargains are to be had in the UK.
One shocking revelation was that for their 5 bedroom B&B my parents pay less money per year in water bills than I do for a two bedroom flat in Budapest. Long gone are those days when the UK was unaffordable, and Hungary was an alcoholic students' paradise.
OK, gas and electricity may be cheaper in Hungary, and if you're thinking of blaming the effects of exchange rate fluctuation, yes, the pound has deflated in value...but the forint is also depreciating, and for the vast majority of people outside the ultra-rich bracket, wages here in Hungary have certainly not caught up with those of Western Europe.
So, if you find yourself balking at the fruit and veg counters in Hungary, just think of those bargain bins in UK supermarkets that are full of "reduced" items. The quality of groceries in those reduced bins often exceeds that of full-price goods found on the shelves in Budapest supermarkets. All too frequently you find objects that are dessicated and shrivelled beyond recognition next to piles of crushed, vomit-inducing compost mulch that is labelled as some kind of root vegetable. So much for the dictum of "if in doubt, chuck it out". It seems that in Hungary the trend is to sell sh*t off your shovel, and get paid crap to boot.
OK, gas and electricity may be cheaper in Hungary, and if you're thinking of blaming the effects of exchange rate fluctuation, yes, the pound has deflated in value...but the forint is also depreciating, and for the vast majority of people outside the ultra-rich bracket, wages here in Hungary have certainly not caught up with those of Western Europe.
So, if you find yourself balking at the fruit and veg counters in Hungary, just think of those bargain bins in UK supermarkets that are full of "reduced" items. The quality of groceries in those reduced bins often exceeds that of full-price goods found on the shelves in Budapest supermarkets. All too frequently you find objects that are dessicated and shrivelled beyond recognition next to piles of crushed, vomit-inducing compost mulch that is labelled as some kind of root vegetable. So much for the dictum of "if in doubt, chuck it out". It seems that in Hungary the trend is to sell sh*t off your shovel, and get paid crap to boot.
if the veg is dry
ReplyDeletedon't be shy
let out a sigh
and don't buy
(it)
just walk on by
try not to cry
if so, wipe your eye
ask the heavens:
'why oh why'
(me)
try to be sly
act like a spy
and find a supply
that you can rely
(on)