The average gross monthly salary for full-time employees reached HUF 754,700 in June 2026, according to the latest figures from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH).
The median gross salary was considerably lower at HUF 617,900, while the median net salary was HUF 438,000. Gross earnings increased by 7.1% compared with June 2025.
For tenants, however, the important question is not simply whether salaries are rising. It is how much rent that income can comfortably support.
What Do Gross and Median Salary Mean?
Gross salary is what somebody earns before personal taxes and other deductions are taken out.
The median salary is the middle point: half of employees earn more and half earn less.
This distinction matters because the average can be pushed higher by a smaller number of high earners. The median can therefore give a useful indication of what somebody closer to the middle of the earnings distribution actually earns.
How City-Lets Looks at Affordability
When City-Lets assesses a rental application, we generally look for the monthly rent to represent no more than around 30% of the applicant's gross monthly income.
We use gross income because it gives us a consistent starting point when comparing applicants.
Using the latest KSH figures, 30% of the HUF 754,700 average gross salary is approximately HUF 226,000 per month.
Apply the same calculation to the HUF 617,900 median gross salary and the figure falls to approximately HUF 185,000.
This is a City-Lets tenant-screening guideline rather than a legal requirement.
“Being able to pay the rent is not quite the same as being able to comfortably afford it. We generally want the rent to be no more than around 30% of gross household income, because the tenant still has utilities and all their other living costs to pay,” says Alex Markus, Chief Executive, City-Lets Ltd.
Rent Is Only Part of the Monthly Cost
An apartment advertised for HUF 200,000 does not necessarily cost the tenant HUF 200,000 a month.
Electricity, gas, water and other utilities need to be added, together with any building common costs payable under the tenancy.
That leaves less money for food, transport and other everyday expenses. A salary that looks good on paper can therefore feel considerably less comfortable once housing costs are taken into account.
Two Incomes Can Change the Calculation
For couples or other applicants who will be jointly responsible for the tenancy, we can consider their combined gross income.
Two people each earning the current median gross salary would have a combined monthly income of approximately HUF 1.24 million.
Using the same 30% guideline, rent of around HUF 371,000 would fall within that threshold, before utilities and other regular housing costs are added.
This also helps explain why somebody on what appears to be a good salary may find renting alone considerably more difficult than a couple with two incomes.
Why Affordability Matters to Landlords
Landlords naturally want to achieve a good rent, but the highest possible rent is not necessarily the safest rent if the tenant has very little financial breathing room after paying it.
“When we recommend a tenant, income is one of the first things we check. A landlord wants somebody who can pay the rent consistently, not somebody whose finances only work if nothing unexpected happens,” Markus said.
Income is not the only consideration. Employment stability, previous rental history, why the applicant is moving and who will actually live in the property are also important parts of the screening process.
The latest wage figures show that salaries are still increasing, although wage growth has slowed.
For tenants, the more useful question may therefore be not simply whether they earn a good salary, but how much rent that salary can comfortably support once the rest of the monthly household bills are taken into account.