There are 5 main types of supermarkets in Budapest: international supermarket chains (Aldi, Lidl, Tesco), local supermarkets (CBA, Príma, Reál), Asian shops (mostly Chinese and Vietnamese), 0-24 stores (Roni ABC, Manna ABC), and small local shops.
Students can find every important grocery product that they need at the bigger supermarket chains, and also at the local supermarkets. Aldi, Lidl, Spar, Tesco, Auchan, and CBA have the widest range of products.
Asian shops are an excellent choice for buying drugstore products, like beauty products, cosmetics, cleaning products, and some minor household items. And also if you want to buy alcohol, sweets, and crisps.
You can shop for groceries at 0-24 shops even during national holidays, however, these are more expensive than the regular supermarkets.
If you want to buy truly fresh and quality fruits, vegetables, meat, or locally produced products at a very reasonable price, then your best choice is the traditional markets.
What types of supermarkets are in Budapest?
There are 5 main types of supermarkets in Budapest, these are the following.
- International supermarket chains (Aldi, Lidl, Spar etc.)
- Local supermarkets (CBA, Príma, Reál etc.)
- Asian shops
- 0-24 stores (Roni ABC, Manna ABC)
- Small local shops
International supermarket chains
The international supermarket chains in Budapest are the following.
- Aldi
- Lidl
- Spar
- Tesco
- Penny Market
- Auchan
You’ll find everything that you need in your everyday grocery shopping at these places, including bakery, cheese, meat, fruits & vegetables, drinks, alcohol, crisps, sweets, beauty products, and also some cleaning products.
Local supermarkets
The available local supermarket chains in Budapest are the following.
- CBA
- Príma (it’s a higher-end version of CBA supermarket, actually)
- Coop
- Reál
You can find almost everything that you need, but at a higher price, with a smaller range of products, and in slightly lower quality. Local supermarkets, however, are excellent choices for quick grocery shopping.
Asian shops
There are hundreds of Asian (mostly Chinese and Vietnamese) shops all around Budapest. Check your neighbourhood, it’s 100% that you’ll find one in your proximity.
You can buy smaller household items, cleaning products, cosmetics, drinks, alcohol, crisps, sweets (even more special ones), and beauty products in these Asian shops in Budapest.
0-24 stores
There are 2 main 0-24 store chains in Budapest, these are the following.
- Roni ABC
- Manna ABC
If you need something urgently, late at night, or perhaps it’s a national holiday and you forgot to buy groceries in advance, these 0-24 stores are always open. However, these shops are more expensive than regular supermarkets, and their range of products is also smaller.
0-24 stores are mainly in central Budapest, but they also can be found everywhere around the city.
Small local shops
There are many Hungarian local shops in Budapest, where you can do rapid grocery shopping. They are especially useful if you want to grab a quick snack, a refreshing soda, a beer, or a bottle of wine that you can bring to a house party.
The selection is similar to the Asian shops. The only difference is that Asian shops are usually cheaper.
Which shops are the best options for your needs?
Depending on your specific grocery needs it’s recommended to visit a specific type of supermarket. Here are our shop recommendations based on your needs.
- Widest range of products: Aldi, Lidl, Spar, Tesco
- Grocery shopping on a budget: Aldi, Lidl
- Best bakery selection: Aldi, Lidl, Spar, Tesco
- Best fruits & vegetables selection: Aldi, Lidl, Spar, Tesco, CBA, local markets
- Best alcohol selection: Asian shops, Tesco, Spar, Príma
- Best drugstore products: Asian shops, dm (drogerie-markt), Rossmann
- International ingredients and brands: Tesco, Príma, Auchan
- Best 0-24 grocery shops: Roni ABC, Manna ABC
When it comes to fruit & vegetable shopping, the best option is the traditional weekend markets. The quality is top-notch and the prices are lower than in a supermarket. If you want to cook a genuine Hungarian culinary dish you’ll find all ingredients at these markets.
However, sellers in markets speak English well only in the most central parts of Budapest. You must carry cash as some sellers at markets don’t accept cards.
As for cigarettes, you can only purchase cigarettes and other tobacco products in dedicated ‘Nemzeti dohánybolt’ shops in Hungary. Nemzeti dohánybolt means ‘national tobacco shop’.
Apart from tobacco products, you can also buy alcohol and other non-alcoholic drinks (including energy drinks) in these shops.
You can find such shops all around Budapest, for example at busy intersections, metro stations, etc.
Useful tips for grocery shopping in Budapest
Here are some useful tips for making grocery shopping in Budapest easier.
- Supermarkets and some local shops are open on Sundays but with shorter opening times.
- The staff doesn’t speak English, only the most basic words and expressions. Younger employees however tend to speak well in English.
- Bring your bag as in Hungary you won’t be given a free bag at the checkout.
- In some shops (like Spar) you have to weigh the fruits and vegetables on a dedicated scale and print a barcode to put on the bag. If you forget to do that before you go to the cash register, you’ll have to go back to weigh it.
- In some shops (like Spar), you must print a barcode for your bakeries. This barcode has the info about the type and number of products. It’s not a problem if you forget it, because cashiers have a table with the available bakery products & their prices on it.
- 0-24 shops are more expensive than “regular” supermarkets and local shops.
- You can pay in EUR in supermarkets even though Hungary is not a member of the Eurozone. However, it’s more convenient to use Forint instead. 🙂
- You can pay by card in every supermarket, but some smaller shops prefer cash especially if your purchase is under 1000 HUF (2.5 EUR / 2.6 USD).
