Bulgaria or Hungary
Two countries side by side across the same rows as the full comparison. A dash means the value is missing: fields are not filled with guesses. about the data
| Bulgaria | Hungary | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | $ 63 728 | — |
| Citizenship | 5 years | 8 years |
| Partner can work | yes | yes |
| Parents | difficult | difficult |
| Pets | no trouble | no trouble |
| Pet limit | 5 | 5 |
| Quarantine | no | no |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 888 | $ 1 172 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 32,1 | $ 33,2 |
| Life expectancy | 75.76 | 76.72 |
| Homicides/100k | 1.17 | 0.7 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 3.3 | 2.8 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Bulgaria — 71, Hungary — 30. Types present in both: work, remote work, study, family, investment, startup and job seeking. Bulgaria adds: talent, repatriation and retirement. Hungary adds: working holiday.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Bulgaria: fees range from 3.58 to 511.29 EUR. Routes with a published decision deadline: 69; the shortest is 14 days. Hungary: the fee is 110 EUR wherever it is published. Routes stating an income threshold: 1; the lowest is 3,000 EUR a month. Routes with a published decision deadline: 27; the shortest is 21 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: both after 5 years. Citizenship: Bulgaria after 5 years, Hungary after 8 years. Hungary allows a second citizenship, Bulgaria does not.
Bulgaria in brief
An EU country on the euro (from 2026), with a low cost of living and a flat 10% tax; Sofia is a growing tech hub. Held back by high perceived corruption, underfunded healthcare, a long route to citizenship (~10 years, Bulgarian language, usually giving up the previous passport on naturalisation) and moderate seismic risk in the south-west.
Hungary in brief
An EU country with a low cost of living and low violent crime. Held back by a difficult language and 8 years to citizenship, IT salaries below Western European levels, the EU's worst corruption perception score, and flood and drought risks on the plain.
Other comparisons
More on each: Bulgaria · Hungary. Build your own comparison — up to four countries
This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.