Nationally, prices fell by 0.1% compared to last December, but in the capital, a rapid increase in prices was observed. Housing prices in Budapest rose by 1.9% last month, which covers a significant part of the annual 2.4% price rise.

"The minimal decrease in national housing prices is not a surprise, but housing prices in the capital have moved after the stagnation of the past year," said László Balogh, the leading economic expert of ingtalan.com, evaluating the latest data.

"It could be good news for home buyers that, despite the dynamic start to the year, a significant 15-20% increase in house prices is not expected nationwide for the whole of 2024," he added.