Hungarian universities face dormitory shortage and soaring rents

Across Hungary there are only 48,626 dormitory places for university students, while 140,427 applied for higher‑education admission and 101,572 were accepted. The limited supply forces many students to seek private rentals, where monthly rents vary widely: a furnished two‑ to three‑room flat in Debrecen costs 180,000‑250,000 HUF, studio apartments in Szeged start at 140,000 HUF and premium units can reach 300,000 HUF, Győr averages 180,000‑220,000 HUF, and Miskolc offers the cheapest options at 100,000‑150,000 HUF. In Budapest the median rent for a one‑room unit was 110,000 HUF in mid‑July, with higher‑priced rooms up to 150,000 HUF in central districts.

The government’s long‑standing promise to alleviate the student‑housing crisis is the construction of the “Diákváros” (Student City) in the capital, projected to add 12,000‑18,000 new dormitory places. The plan aims to reduce reliance on the private rental market and ease the financial burden on students who often combine student loans and part‑time work to cover accommodation costs.