Knee replacement · Hungary
Knee replacement in Hungary: what it costs and how it compares with waiting at home
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
We found 2 published prices for a knee replacement in Hungary, from 2,350,000 HUF, or about £5,370 before flights and a hotel. Paying privately in the UK costs about £16,910 at the providers we checked.
- Published price
- 2,350,000 HUFabout £5,370 · about €6,410 · about C$10,040 · about $7,170
- Price is for
- one primary total knee replacement on one side, with the implant and hospital stay. Partial knees and fees without the implant are shown but not compared
- Where
- Székesfehérvár and Budapest
- Providers
- 2 (CMed Magánkórház and Semmelweis Premium (Semmelweis University’s private service))
- Time there
- About 10 to 14 days in many cases: 2 to 4 nights in hospital, then physiotherapy near the clinic until the surgeon says you can fly. Ask for the clinic’s own rule
- NHS England wait
- 61.1% within 18 weeks (all orthopaedics) (August 2026)
Published knee replacement prices in Hungary
Every row is a price the provider publishes itself, read on the date shown. We copy what the price includes and what it leaves out; where the provider does not say, the row says “not stated”. We do not use prices from brokers or medical-travel agencies.
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMed MagánkórházSzékesfehérvár | 2,350,000 HUFabout £5,370 · €6,410 · C$10,040 · $7,170 | Knee replacement, full package with prosthesisThe page calls it a full package with prosthesis; the itemised list is shown for the hip package only (pre-op exam, operation, basic implant, 2 hotel days, physiotherapy, X-ray, stitch removal). Robot-assisted (VELYS) knee package 3,350,000 HUF. | CMed Magánkórház (Székesfehérvár)read 26 October 2026 |
| Semmelweis Premium (Semmelweis University’s private service)Budapest | 1,860,000 HUFabout £4,250 · €5,070 · C$7,950 · $5,680 | Total knee prosthesis, surgery feeSurgery fee only; excludes implants, preliminary exams, single-use instruments and the hospital stay.Not comparable | Semmelweis Premium (Budapest)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.
Compared with waiting or paying at home
The official waiting figure and the self-pay price in each home country, next to the Hungary price converted to that currency. The Hungary figure does not include flights, a hotel or time off work.
| Where you live | Official wait | Pay at home | Here, converted |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 61.1% within 18 weeks (all orthopaedics)England, August 2026 | £16,910 | £5,370before flights and hotel |
| Canada | Median 146 days; 1 in 10 waited over 361 daysCanada (national), 2025 | Not verified | C$10,040before flights and hotel |
| Ireland | About 35% waiting over 6 months (all orthopaedic surgery)Ireland (public hospitals), 24 September 2026 | Not verified | €6,410before flights and hotel |
| US | No national figure | $29,1002021 hospital data or a dental school | $7,170before flights and hotel |
Waits are the latest official statistics; each country measures them differently, so read the label. Home prices are published self-pay prices; for the US they are 2021 hospital medians or a dental school's estimate.
Add your flight and hotel
Put in your own flight and hotel to see the total for Hungary next to your wait and your price at home.
How it works for a visitor
- Ask for a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for the knee replacement and ask for an itemised price, the date, and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goSend recent X-rays and a list of your medicines, and ask for a written, itemised quote with the implant named.
- Before you goArrange physiotherapy at home for after you return before you book.
- Before you goCheck your travel insurance covers planned surgery abroad and a delayed flight home. Most standard policies do not.
- LanguageHungarian; Budapest private clinics usually have English pages and staff.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice for your passport before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements), Canadian citizens (travel.gc.ca), US citizens (State Department, choose the country), Irish citizens (DFA travel advice, choose the country).
- After you returnGive your GP and physiotherapist the operation note with the implant details.
- After you returnA hot, swollen calf, chest pain or breathlessness after the flight need emergency care straight away.
Can your public system pay for it?
From England (NHS): the S2 route can fund planned treatment in an EU country, but only state healthcare with a public provider, never private treatment, and only with approval before you go. NHS England must also confirm it cannot treat you in a medically acceptable time. The private clinics on this page do not qualify. NHS: the S2 funding route.
From Ireland (HSE): Hungary is one of the EU countries listed for the Cross Border Directive scheme. You pay the provider yourself and then claim back the smaller of what you paid and what the same care would cost in the Irish public system; travel and hotels are not covered, and you need a referral from a GP or a consultant you saw as a public patient. HSE: Cross Border Directive, how much you can claim.
When not to travel for a knee replacement
- Anyone whose home surgeon has not confirmed that a knee replacement is the right operation.
- Serious heart or lung disease, or a recent blood clot, unless the hospital’s anaesthetist has reviewed you in advance.
- Anyone who cannot keep up daily exercises after surgery or has no help at home.
How to compare knee replacement quotes
A total knee replacement resurfaces the worn ends of the thigh and shin bones with metal and plastic parts, usually for arthritis pain. Recovery takes weeks of daily exercises, and some stiffness is common at first. A partial (one-compartment) knee replacement is a smaller operation with a different price, so compare like with like.
- Check whether the price is for a total or a partial knee, and whether the implant is included.
- Ask for the implant make and model in writing, and how many nights in hospital and physiotherapy sessions are included.
- Robot-assisted surgery usually costs more. Ask what it adds in your case.
- Ask when you can fly and how blood clots are prevented during the trip home.
Providers on this page
We list providers because they publish a price, not because we recommend them. No clinic pays to be listed, and we have not visited any of them.
- CMed Magánkórház, Székesfehérvár: 2,350,000 HUF
- Semmelweis Premium (Semmelweis University’s private service), Budapest: 1,860,000 HUF
Related comparisons
- Knee replacement abroad: all 5 countries compared
- Knee replacement in Mexico
- Knee replacement in Turkey
- Knee replacement in Poland
- Knee replacement in Thailand
- MRI scan in Hungary
- Colonoscopy in Hungary
- Health check-up in Hungary
- Cataract surgery in Hungary
- Laser eye surgery in Hungary
- Dental implant in Hungary
- Veneers in Hungary
- Hair transplant in Hungary
- Hip replacement in Hungary
- Treatment in Hungary: every procedure
- Wait or Fly home: the calculator
Knee replacement in Hungary: questions
How much does a knee replacement cost in Hungary?
The published prices we found range from 2,350,000 HUF, about £5,370 or $7,170. They come from CMed Magánkórház and Semmelweis Premium (Semmelweis University’s private service). Each covers something slightly different, so read what is included before comparing.
Is a knee replacement in Hungary cheaper than paying privately in the UK?
Before travel, the prices here work out at about £5,370, against about £16,910 at the UK providers we checked. Add a return flight and 10 nights in a hotel before deciding; the calculator on the home page does the sum.
Will the NHS or HSE pay for a knee replacement in Hungary?
The NHS S2 route pays only for state treatment at a public provider in the EU, with approval before you travel, not for private clinics. From Ireland, the HSE Cross Border Directive scheme lets you claim back up to what the same care costs in the Irish public system, after you have paid.
How many days should I plan in Hungary?
About 10 to 14 days in many cases: 2 to 4 nights in hospital, then physiotherapy near the clinic until the surgeon says you can fly. Ask for the clinic’s own rule. That is our planning estimate, not medical advice: the clinic sets the schedule, and you should ask it for one in writing.
What should I check before booking a knee replacement in Hungary?
Check whether the price is for a total or a partial knee, and whether the implant is included. Ask for the implant make and model in writing, and how many nights in hospital and physiotherapy sessions are included.
Sources
- Csípőprotézis (árak, incl. térdprotézis). CMed Magánkórház (Székesfehérvár). Read 26 October 2026.
- Áraink: ortopédia. Semmelweis Premium (Budapest). Read 26 October 2026.
- Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
- Cross Border Directive: how to get healthcare abroad. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
- Cross Border Directive: DRG codes and how much you can claim. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
- Árlista (price list). Budai Szemészeti Központ (Buda Eye Centre), Budapest. 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.