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Hip and Knee Replacement in Hungary: Prices for UK Patients, and How Poland Compares (2026)
A total knee replacement in Budapest is advertised to UK patients from £9,500, covering surgery, the implant and three hospital nights. Most other Hungarian hospitals publish prices in forints that leave out the implant, so headline figures are hard to compare. This page shows what is published and what it includes.
Key facts
- A private hospital in Budapest advertises total knee replacement to UK patients from £9,500, including surgery, implant and three hospital nights; accommodation for the rest of a 14-day stay is not included (seen 7 October 2026).
- Another Budapest private hospital lists hip and knee replacement at 2,480,000 forints each plus the implant.
- A Budapest university clinic's premium service lists hip and knee replacement at 1,860,000 forints each, excluding implants and hospital stay costs.
- Flights from London to Budapest take about two and a half hours.
- At OrthoVoyage's partner hospital in Poland a knee replacement is €8,620 (about £7,420) and a hip replacement €6,940 (about £5,970), implant included.
Checked 8 October 2026
What is published in Hungary
| Source | Operation | Published price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private hospital, Budapest (UK-facing page) | Total knee replacement | from £9,500 | Surgery, implant and three hospital nights. Accommodation for the remaining 10–11 days is not included |
| Private hospital, Budapest | Hip or knee replacement | 2,480,000 Ft + implant | Surgery, anaesthesia, medicines, daily physiotherapy, room and full board, first check-up. Pre-operative tests excluded |
| University clinic premium service, Budapest | Hip or knee replacement | 1,860,000 Ft | Excludes implants, pre-operative tests, single-use instruments and hospital stay costs |
Seen 7 October 2026. Hungary's currency is the forint, and most clinics price in it, so the pound cost moves with the exchange rate. We found no UK-facing published price for a hip replacement.
What to ask a Hungarian hospital
- Is the implant in the price? At two of the three sources above it is not.
- What do the pre-operative examinations cost?
- How many hospital nights are included, and where do I stay after discharge?
- What is the total in pounds or euros, in writing, and for how long is it valid?
Practical points
- Time away: one hospital describes a 14-day recovery window in Hungary with three to four nights in hospital.
- Flights: about two and a half hours from London to Budapest, with direct routes from several regional airports including Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol.
- EU membership: Hungary has been an EU member since 2004.
- GHIC: covers state healthcare only, not private treatment.
Hungary or Poland?
| Hungary (published prices) | Poland (OrthoVoyage partner hospital) | |
|---|---|---|
| Total knee replacement | from £9,500 with implant and three nights | €8,620, about £7,420 |
| Total hip replacement | no UK-facing price published | €6,940, about £5,970 |
| Implant | often priced separately | included |
| Physiotherapy after discharge | varies; not in the UK-facing package | up to seven outpatient sessions included |
| Flight from London | about 2 h 30 min to Budapest | about two hours to Wrocław |
On the one like-for-like figure available, the knee price advertised to UK patients in Budapest is about £2,000 above the Polish list price, with a longer flight and accommodation still to pay. Before you pay a deposit anywhere, get a Polish quote to set beside it — the assessment is free and takes a minute. See orthopaedic surgery in Poland for what the Polish prices include.
OrthoVoyage is a medical travel concierge, not a hospital, and does not give medical advice. We arrange surgery in Poland; the Hungarian figures here are published prices we do not control.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a knee replacement in Hungary?
One Budapest private hospital advertises it to UK patients from £9,500 with the implant and three hospital nights (seen 7 October 2026). Other hospitals list 1,860,000 to 2,480,000 forints without the implant.
Do Hungarian prices include the implant?
Often not. Two of the three published price lists we checked quote the operation and add the implant separately, so ask for a written total.
How long is the flight to Budapest?
About two and a half hours from London, with direct flights from several UK regional airports.
Sources
- Hungary — EU country profile — European Union
- Hungary travel advice — health — GOV.UK
- Flights to Budapest — British Airways
- Going abroad for medical treatment — NHS
This article is for information only and is not medical advice. Always discuss treatment options with your GP or a specialist.
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