Crime in Budapest, Hungary

Crime rates in Budapest, Hungary

Level of crime
31.48 Low
Crime increasing in the past 3 years
46.75 Moderate
Worries home broken and things stolen
31.96 Low
Worries being mugged or robbed
28.33 Low
Worries car stolen
32.38 Low
Worries things from car stolen
38.67 Low
Worries attacked
27.96 Low
Worries being insulted
33.24 Low
Worries being subject to a physical attack because of your skin color, ethnic origin, gender or religion
26.82 Low
Problem people using or dealing drugs
38.36 Low
Problem property crimes such as vandalism and theft
44.95 Moderate
Problem violent crimes such as assault and armed robbery
23.22 Low
Problem corruption and bribery
71.22 High

Safety in Budapest, Hungary

Safety walking alone during daylight
84.41 Very High
Safety walking alone during night
61.64 High

Contributors: 672

Last update: March 2023

These data are based on perceptions of visitors of this website in the past 3 years.

If the value is 0, it means it is perceived as very low, and if the value is 100, it means it is perceived as very high.

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9 Comments so far
michael on Sep 13, 2022:
very unsafe place. i was attacked 2 times and being threatened in the metro by police. Budapest is not a aafe city
Anonymous on Dec 18, 2020:
As a native I will advice immigrant Muslims who like to wear those religius attire to avoid 8th district of the city ....very bad racist ..I witness last year a guy may be Turkish or iranian beaten at evening ...feel bad for them
Anonymous on Dec 18, 2020:
If you are black from whichever continent , avoid Hungary like a plague. It used to be a nice place until recently thanks to populist government.
Anon on Sep 13, 2020:
Relatively safe, just make sure not to use random taxis on the streets as they can scam you or be dangerous. Use only Bolt or licensed Taxi.
In terms of robbery, be vigilant of your belongings and avoid homeless people and drunkards.
Anonymous on Sep 29, 2019:
I have been robbed in a store, someone came in and bumped into me (willingly as I later realized) while I looked at him surprised he took my wallet from my purse. Several of my visitors were also robbed, mostly on trams (especially #2, 4 and 6). The robbers try to distract you and steal your valuables while you do not pay attention.
Increasing racism and xenophobia, fueled by media and government discourses is also a concern.
Lily on Jul 19, 2019:
I had an experience in the metro station in which a woman accosted me for not having a ticket whilst looking for a machine to buy one. She took away my passport and refused to reason with me as she wrote down my name and demands an HUF 8000 fine. In the end I just walked away as not only would she have tried to steal the ‘fine’ from me but keeping my passport would have been illegal. Be vigilant in Hungary as the public services do not care about you, nor do they show any attempt of hospitality -on the tube or not- when you try and interact.
Eric on Jul 05, 2019:
I had very few problems in terms of robbery and theft. It happened just once i was robbed, but honestly it was late night, I was drunk and I did not take basic care of my valuables. The city is indeed very safe in these terms.

It is much worse with drunk people harressment, insults, racism, and this include also police forces which are definitely not taking care of the matter.
Different opinion on Apr 17, 2019:
I look at all the negative reviews that people leave on these types of forums because while it is true that some have had very bad experiences, and there is the chance of being treated badly by the local authorities, there is also the vast majority of those who have had no trouble at all.

I have lived in Manila, Jakarta, Barcelona, Madrid, Warsaw, Vienna and now Budapest and while I may have had a couple of run-ins with the locals, I was never made to feel threatened, and there is a reason?

The eastern Europeans do NOT show the same friendliness that the French, Spanish or Italians do. They tend to be distrustful until they get to know you, and this I suspect is because they are relatively new to multi-culturalism and mass tourism. Most are hard working with very low pay and do not like to waste time with pleasantries. They do not tend to smile when they first meet you, but once they get to know you they are very friendly and generous, especially if you make the effort to speak some of their languages.

People of Budapest are not really used to that much tourism or multiculturalism, it is mostly new for them, within the last 10 - 12 years. Don´t expect them to be the same as those from Countries that are used to this ideal. It has taken a year for the people at the Spar grocery store to even smile at me when I am there, let speak welcomingly at all.

If you are out in the 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th district, (Center) after 11 pm on any night, then that is when the party districts come to life and they attract both the decent as well as the indecent. You have to be vigilant in any city, but here where they are relatively new to foreigners, you need to be extra vigilant.

Very simply put, do not carry much cash, 25000 forints (about 80 euros) is more than enough for the night at a club or a bar. Always travel with a couple of others that you know and trust, use the "Taxify" app to get a reliable taxi and be polite to whoever your meet. You do not have to smile, but Hungarians respect politeness.

Why I have never had many problems, is 1) I am a big guy that most think would be too much trouble to mess with maybe, but I think it is because of number 2) Show some respect to the people you have to deal with, make the effort to speak your host country´s language.....even a little bit.

If you know that the area you are in is potentially dodgy, then don´t go there unless accompanied by others you can trust and rely upon.

Do not get drunk out of your skull and expect to be treated the same as your hometown, know when to quit and arrange to safely get back to the hotel.

Don´t walk around paranoid and jittery all the time, the person that walks down the street with confidence and a slight swagger maybe never has a problem.

And 4, buy some pepper spray if you feel necessary to do so.

In other words, quit expecting the world to be just like your hometown and realize you are not in Kansas anymore. The world is a dramatically diverse place and with that comes a very diverse personality for each place.

Budapest is a very safe city, (Compared to Manila, Jakarta or Barcelona), provided you make the effort.
Disgusting place on Apr 07, 2019:
Visited Budapest on two occasions. The locals are incredibly cold and untrustworthy; although, that could be said of any capital. The big difference with a city like Paris or London is that those cities have active and dedicated police force and halfway morally upright citizens. Got offered coke outside a train station in August 2018 and had my phone almost pickpocketed by some drunken animal who just sprinted away. The police just roam around the area but never deal with the mass of drunken degenerates out at night: So good luck trying to have a pleasant stroll at night.
The Turks should have disciplined these degenerates some more; maybe teach them some common decency.