The cheapest way to send euros from Germany to Hungarian forint right now is usually a specialist provider such as Wise, which hands you the real mid-market rate and adds a small, clearly shown fee. On a €1,000 send that works out to roughly €6.77, or about 0.68% of the amount.
A German bank doing the same transfer often takes 3% or more once it converts the money, most of it hidden inside a worse exchange rate. Many of Germany's Hungarian residents send money home to family, often in small, regular amounts, so the choice matters. The figures here are modelled estimates, so confirm the final price on the provider's own site before you transfer.
- A specialist beats the bank on almost every amount. Providers like Wise charge well under 1% all-in, while a bank conversion often takes 3% or more, mostly hidden in the rate.
- SEPA does not remove the markup. The transfer itself may be free inside the EU, but if your bank converts the money it still marks up the rate.
- The winner depends on how much you send. Small regular sends favour one provider and large ones another, so check the modelled tables below for your exact amount.
- The exchange-rate markup is the real cost. A low advertised fee can hide a poor rate, so compare the all-in cost, not the fee on its own.
The cheapest way to send euros to forint
Send €1,000 and the providers that pass on the real rate come out on top. The table below ranks every option we track, from the cheapest at the top to the dearest at the bottom, using today's mid-market rate of about 368.68 forint to the euro.
For a plain bank deposit, Wise sits near the top: it gives you that mid-market rate and adds a fee of about €6.77, roughly 0.68% of what you send. The number you see at checkout is the number you pay, with no weekend surcharge and no monthly limit to watch.
Hungary is inside the EU and part of SEPA, so a euro bank transfer is a real option, and many German accounts run it free or almost free. The catch is the conversion. If your bank changes euros into forint, it marks up the rate, and that hidden charge can dwarf the transfer fee itself. The remittance specialists, WorldRemit and Western Union, are built for speed and cash in hand, but for a simple bank deposit their markups usually leave them a little higher on cost than Wise.
The markup is what catches people who only glance at the fee. A provider can advertise "zero fees" and still deliver fewer forint than a rival that charges a small fee and a fair rate. On a €1,000 send, the gap between a 0.5% all-in cost and a 3.5% one is about €30, which is a month of groceries.
Sending a larger amount
Push the amount to €10,000 and the picture can shift. A fixed fee barely registers on a big transfer, so a provider with a low percentage cost pulls ahead, while a provider with a flat fee looks cheaper than it did on a small send. The modelled table below shows the current order.
The lesson is simple: never assume the winner at €1,000 is still the winner at €10,000. Re-run the comparison for the amount you actually plan to send. Many senders on this route make small, regular transfers to support family, so check the table at your usual size as well as at this one. A 3% markup on €10,000 keeps about €300, while a 0.5% all-in cost keeps about €50.
For a larger EUR-to-HUF conversion that funds Hungarian investments, executes a genuine trade or manages a portfolio's forint exposure, compare Interactive Brokers first for its exceptionally low spot-FX pricing. Keep a transfer provider in the comparison when the forint is going to family, a cash outlet or any third-party account.
What affects the cost
Four things decide what a transfer really costs.
The fee. This is the charge you can see, either a fixed amount or a percentage of what you send. Wise, for instance, adds about 0.4% plus a small fixed charge. A fee is easy to spot, which is exactly why some providers keep it low and make their money somewhere else.
The markup. This is the hidden part, baked into a worse exchange rate. It is also where banks make most of their money on this route, even when the SEPA transfer itself is free. Two providers can quote the same fee and still deliver very different amounts of forint, because of the rate. Our guide to markup versus transfer fee explains the difference in full.
The amount. A fixed fee shrinks as a share of a big transfer and grows on a small one. A percentage cost stays flat whatever you send. So the cheapest provider for €200 is not always the cheapest for €20,000.
The provider. Specialist fintechs price this route to win your business, and German banks do not, which shows. The gap between the best and the worst option here is often several percent, and on a large send that is real money.
Who should use what
Use Wise if you send money home regularly and want the simplest, cheapest bank deposit. It gives you the real mid-market rate and a small, clearly shown fee, the same price every time, with no weekend surcharge. Our Wise review has the full picture.
Use a remittance specialist like WorldRemit or Western Union if you need the money to arrive fast or your recipient wants cash in hand rather than a bank deposit. For a plain bank deposit to Hungary, though, they usually cost a little more than Wise.
Use your bank only if you have checked what its EUR to HUF conversion really costs. A SEPA transfer to Hungary can be free or nearly free, but if the bank marks up the rate, the total often lands above what a specialist charges. Our guide to cutting FX fees shows how to spot the markup. The full comparison tool ranks every option for your exact amount.
Frequently asked questions
Is a free SEPA transfer the cheapest way to send money to Hungary?
Not always. The SEPA transfer itself is often free or nearly free inside the EU, but that only covers the movement of the money. If your bank also converts euros into forint, it usually marks up the rate, and that hidden cost can make the total dearer than a specialist that charges a small fee and hands you the real rate.
How long does a transfer from Germany to Hungary take?
A specialist funded by card or bank transfer usually delivers within one business day, often the same day, and Hungary's banks handle the deposit quickly. A SEPA transfer between banks typically takes one business day. The exact timing depends on the provider, the payout method and the time of day you send.
Are the fees shown here exact?
They use the current mid-market reference and, where available, a Wise account-holder API estimate. Other providers use stored published fee and markup models, not live quotes. Real prices vary by provider, by the amount you send, by how you pay, and by how the money arrives. Always confirm the final figure on the provider's own site before you transfer.
Cost figures are worked out from each provider's published fee structure applied to the current mid-market reference rate. They are modelled estimates for this route, not live quotes, and availability and exact pricing vary by provider, by payment method and by payout method (bank deposit versus cash pickup). Always confirm the final figure on the provider's own site before you send. We may earn a commission from affiliate links at no extra cost to you; this never affects our rankings. Nothing here is financial advice.
Sources: Wise pricing (opens in a new tab), WorldRemit fees (opens in a new tab), Western Union pricing (opens in a new tab), Interactive Brokers currency trading (opens in a new tab), Interactive Brokers spot-currency commissions (opens in a new tab), Interactive Brokers withdrawal fees (opens in a new tab), Interactive Brokers IBUK/IBLLC client agreement (opens in a new tab). Accessed August 2026.