I’m a dual citizen. My parents are Hungarian, and I grew up with the food, the family stories, and just enough language to think I might have a head start here. I didn’t. Because while I thought I understood Hungarian cultural differences, I was frequently wrong.
When Andrew and I moved from Canada to Hungary, I didn’t expect to question something as basic as how I describe distance. But one day, I was talking about where our holiday house is and someone interrupted:
“Yes, but how many kilometres is that?”
And I had no idea.
This is something both Andrew and I do automatically. In Canada, we talk in time, not distance. It’s always “a couple of hours away,” never “142 kilometres.” What matters is how long it takes to get there, if the road is clear, if it’s snowing, if there’s construction. The number of kilometres has never seemed particularly relevant.
But here in Hungary, that number is the reference point. People expect to hear it, even if the time would give them more useful information. That small moment got me thinking about all the other things I thought I understood, but didn’t. Some Hungarian cultural differences are obvious. Others only show up once you’re living them.
Here are a few that stand out.
Shoes Off, No Exceptions
In Hungary, you take off your shoes when entering someone’s home. Always. There’s no need to ask, and no scenario where keeping them on is acceptable. If you’re lucky, they’ll offer you a pair of slippers. If you’re really lucky, they’ll fit.
We do this now too. Not because we’re trying to copy anyone, but because it works. Our guest slippers sit by the door, and I check my socks before leaving the house more often than I used to.
Handshake as Standard Procedure
This one took Andrew by surprise more than me, but it didn’t take long to notice. In Hungary, men shake hands. Every time. You could have seen the person yesterday, but if you’re meeting again – grocery run, morning coffee, business meeting – it’s another handshake.
If you miss it, you can feel it. The gesture is part of the rhythm here, and skipping it feels unfinished. Andrew picked it up quickly. Now it’s automatic.
Two men shaking hands – even in an informal setting.
You Say “Jó étvágyat” Before Eating. Always.
If someone’s eating, you say Jó étvágyat. Before you eat, when someone brings food to the table, or even when you walk past someone else’s lunch. It’s expected. And if you don’t say it, people notice.
It’s not performative, it’s habitual, like breathing. I didn’t realise it mattered until I started getting looks when I forgot. Now it’s built in. At this point I’ve heard it from friends, waiters, colleagues, delivery drivers, basically anyone who’s seen me within a ten-metre radius of a sandwich.
Another detail that makes Hungarian cultural differences so quietly powerful.
And Still – It’s About Two Hours Away
Despite all this adjusting, I still describe our place near Balaton as being “about two hours from Budapest.” It’s just how I think. But I’ve stopped being surprised when the response is, “Yes, but how many kilometres?”
These habits don’t disappear. But they do bump up against new expectations, and slowly you start shifting. Not because you’re trying to blend in, but because the environment shapes your defaults. One habit at a time.
Living with the Difference
Hungarian cultural differences aren’t about big, dramatic gestures. They’re about social timing. Everyday expectations. The stuff you don’t know until you get it wrong.
We’ve been here for years now – Andrew, my family, our dogs, and me – and we’re still adjusting. This week, we’re heading into yet another Budapest heatwave, and I find myself doing things the Hungarian way without thinking: closing the shutters in the morning, planning meals that don’t involve the oven, and keeping a bottle of soda water in the fridge instead of just tap.
If you’re navigating life here, or thinking about it, you’ll want the details that don’t show up in the official brochures. I’ve collected the most practical ones in the HOW TO HUNGARY guide. It covers everything from residency and property to how to navigate a pharmacy when you can’t pronounce your prescription.
And if you’re still describing things in hours instead of kilometres? Don’t worry. You’re not the only one.
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Anikó Woods is a Canadian-Hungarian writer, technology specialist, and digital strategist who swapped Toronto traffic for Hungarian bureaucracy. She’s the creator of HOW TO HUNGARY: Budapest & Beyond. Since moving to Hungary in 2017, she’s been deep in the paperwork trenches—fact-checking, interviewing experts, and helping others make sense of the madness. Her writing turns chaos into clarity, with a few laughs (and wine recommendations) along the way.