Can I get groceries delivered in Hungary?

Yes, you can! And it’s well worth it.

We were turned on to Tesco home delivery a couple of years ago, and it has been a wonderful time saver.

Here’s how it works:

Create an account on the Tesco website (or use the mobile app) and search among 20,000 products for what you want (and at the same price as in the stores). Add whatever you want to your basket, choose a delivery time (usually a two-hour window) and wait.

We still love the experience of walking to the Spar, Lidl or Tesco store down the street, but there’s only so much you can carry back from the store on your own. With deliveries from Tesco, we can fill in the bulk of our long-term grocery needs.

Of course, we still try not to order too much at once. Our flat is on the second floor (which, in Hungary, means it’s up two flights of stairs), and there is no lift in the building. The delivery guys are always super nice, and we hate the thought of them toiling to drag hundreds of kilos of food up the stairs. So, we order about once per month to keep delivery volumes down.

(Confession: Our guilty pleasure with Tesco deliveries has been Szentkiralyi Asvanyviz, a delicious sparkling mineral water that comes in 1.5-liter bottles. We usually order around 16 at a time, and we’re always sure to tip the delivery guys extra for the trouble.)

How much does it cost?

The cost of delivery is pretty cheap (roughly 1500 forint or so, depending on the delivery window), and we would usually tip the delivery guy around 1000 forint. The groceries themselves cost the same as you’d pay in the store.

Do they speak English?

As ever in Hungary, English isn’t widely spoken. However, all of the delivery guys at least spoke enough to help you understand what they were doing, and as I said before, they were always really nice.

Do they ever deliver the wrong thing?

Rarely, if ever. They do often substitute items, though, if the specific thing you ordered was out of stock. Substitute items will always be in a blue plastic bag, and the delivery guy will give you an opportunity to review the substitutions. You can always reject them (or any other product, for that matter) and they’ll be deducted from your order.

Is delivery only available in Budapest?

Not anymore. Tesco recently expanded to Debrecen, Nyíregyháza, Hajdúszoboszló and Hajdúböszörmény.