Hungarian forint's slight weakening drives cheaper cross‑border shopping

The forint weakened modestly on Wednesday, trading at 349.48 per euro, 300.96 per dollar and 379.92 per Swiss franc, compared with previous levels. The euro‑forint rate fell below 350, a level that makes goods in neighbouring Slovakia and Romania noticeably cheaper for Hungarian consumers.

Border‑area retailers have responded to the favourable exchange rate with lower price listings. Slovakian Kaufland, for example, offers 1 kg of tomatoes for 387 forint, coffee for 458 forint, and rice for 529 forint, all well below Hungarian supermarket prices. Similar price gaps appear in Romania, where the leu‑forint exchange rate is at a seven‑year low, allowing Hungarians to save on items such as meat, fruit and even car tyres when shopping across the border.