From Canada · Cataract surgery · Hungary
Cataract surgery in Hungary from Canada: what the trip costs against the wait at home
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
For Canadians, cataract surgery in Hungary costs C$1,260 at the clinic we checked, or about C$3,120 once an example return flight and 4 hotel nights are added.
- Clinic price
- C$1,2601 provider, one eye, standard
- Example trip
- C$3,120clinic C$1,260 + flight C$1,300 + 4 hotel nights C$560
- Pay privately in Canada
- Not verified
- Wait in Canada
- Median 66 days; 1 in 10 waited over 222 days (2025)
- Time there
- 3 to 5 days: assessment, the operation, and a check-up the next day before you fly
- Rank from Canada
- 2 of 5 countries by total trip cost
Figure 1Where the money goes, in CAD
Trip total C$3,120
Figure 2Cataract surgery: cheapest trip from Canada, by country
Published cataract surgery prices in Hungary
Each row is a price the provider publishes itself, in its own currency, with what it includes. The converted amounts use a fixed European Central Bank rate.
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budai Szemészeti Központ (Buda Eye Centre)Budapest | 295,000 HUFabout £674 · €804 · C$1,260 · $900 | Cataract surgery with a basic monofocal lens, per eyeTwo check-ups (next day and at two months) included. Pre-operative exam with lens planning 40,000 HUF extra. The clinic’s Fast Track programme for patients from abroad (8-day stay in Budapest) adds 150,000 HUF. Trifocal 595,000 HUF. | Budai Szemészeti Központ (Buda Eye Centre)read 26 October 2026 |
Prices are copied as published, in the provider's currency. Conversions use the European Central Bank reference rates of 23 October 2026 and are rounded. A provider can change a price at any time: ask for a written quote.
Budapest clinics publish prices in forints. The Buda Eye Centre lets patients pay in euros at the National Bank of Hungary rate and runs a Fast Track programme for patients from abroad (price list, in Hungarian).
MRI: a Hungarian business paper reported in February 2026 that private providers have not been allowed to perform MRI or CT scans since 1 November 2025 and that the state bought their machines (Economx, in Hungarian). Wáberer Medical Center still listed MRI prices when we read its page on 26 October 2026. Ask the clinic in writing whether it can book your scan before you buy a flight. We have not read the legal text.
Against waiting or paying in Canada
Canada (national), 2025: Median 66 days; 1 in 10 waited over 222 days. Days from the decision to operate to cataract surgery: median and 90th percentile; 69.7% were treated within the national benchmark. Waits and prices for cataract surgery in Canada.
Can your provincial plan pay?
Ask your provincial health plan before you book. We have not reviewed provincial rules for planned care abroad yet, and they differ by province.
Planning the trip from Canada
- Get a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for cataract surgery and ask for an itemised price in writing, with the date and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goAsk your optician or eye doctor for your latest prescription and any eye reports.
- Before you goPlan for the clinic's rules on flying after surgery, and bring someone with you if you can.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: Canadian citizens (travel.gc.ca).
- LanguageHungarian; Budapest private clinics usually have English pages and staff.
- After you returnYou will use eye drops for several weeks. Tell your optician you had surgery abroad and bring the operation note with the lens details.
- After you returnSudden pain, worsening vision or flashing lights after surgery need urgent care at home.
Add your flight and hotel
Put in your real fare from Canada and your hotel to see the total for Hungary next to every other country.
Related pages
Cataract surgery in Hungary from Canada: questions
How much is cataract surgery in Hungary for Canadians?
The published prices we found work out at C$1,260 at the clinic, from Budai Szemészeti Központ (Buda Eye Centre). With an example return flight of C$1,300 and 4 hotel nights at C$140, the trip comes to about C$3,120. Your own fares and dates will change the total.
Is it cheaper than paying privately in Canada?
We have not verified a self-pay price in Canada for this, so compare the trip total with a written quote from a provider at home.
How long is the wait for cataract surgery in Canada?
Canada (national): Median 66 days; 1 in 10 waited over 222 days (2025). Days from the decision to operate to cataract surgery: median and 90th percentile; 69.7% were treated within the national benchmark.
How many days do I need in Hungary?
3 to 5 days: assessment, the operation, and a check-up the next day before you fly. That is our planning estimate, not medical advice; ask the clinic for its schedule in writing.
Will my provincial plan pay for it?
Ask your provincial health plan before booking; we have not reviewed provincial rules for planned care abroad.
Sources
- Árlista (price list). Budai Szemészeti Központ (Buda Eye Centre), Budapest. Read 26 October 2026.
- Wait times for priority procedures in Canada, 2008 to 2025: data tables. Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), 25 June 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Minden MR- és CT-gépet megvett az állam. Economx (Hungarian business news), 4 February 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Prices. Wáberer Medical Center, Budapest. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.