More than half of Hungarians opted for private healthcare, even though the fees for private medical examinations rose on average in August by nearly four times the annual inflation rate on a year-over-year basis, based on data from NN Insurance’s latest representative survey.

The average price of services in the private healthcare sector rose by 5 percent—nearly four times the 1.3 percent annual inflation rate in August: while last year the average cost of a specialist consultation or a basic diagnostic test was 29,258 forints (80.60 euros; 1 euro=363 forints), this August it had risen to 30,724 forints.

According to NN Insurance’s Private Medical Price Index,

the largest increases were seen in laboratory tests (10 percent), dermatology exams (7.7 percent), and gynecological exams (6.7 percent), while the cost of an ophthalmology visit (1.9 percent) or a cardiac ultrasound (2.5 percent) rose much less.

The cost gap between Budapest and the rest of the country has narrowed somewhat, but the price difference remains striking: the same specialist examination can cost 7,000 to 15,000 forints less in rural areas than in the capital; at the same time, the average price difference has narrowed from 26 percent to 23 percent over the course of a year, which means that prices for services in rural areas have risen more rapidly.

According to the survey,

dentistry continues to top the list of services: 48 percent of respondents visited a private dentist in the past two years.

This was followed by gynecology and obstetrics (29 percent), as well as laboratory tests and dermatology (22 percent). In fifth place are ultrasound and other diagnostic imaging tests, which nearly one-fifth of respondents have used.

More than half of the survey participants opted for private care in the past two years despite the often steep prices, with 46 percent receiving outpatient care. One in ten respondents underwent a one-day outpatient surgical procedure at a private facility, while 2 percent of those surveyed used a private clinic for major surgery or procedures requiring several days of hospitalization.

According to the survey, 88 percent of those who used private medical care covered the costs entirely out of their own pockets. Of these, 79 percent paid with cash or a card, while 17 percent also used health savings account funds and 5 percent used health insurance to help cover the costs. Sixty-one percent of those who paid out of pockets found the expense to be a financial burden.

The survey is representative of the adult Hungarian population aged 18–69 who use the Internet, broken down by gender, age, educational attainment, place of residence, and region. Data collection took place online in June and July 2026, with 1,000 participants.