Margit Varga News Today

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) -- On a cold night in Hungarys capital, shoppers at one of Europes most famous outdoor Christmas markets browsed through food stalls of steaming local specialties and sipped from paper cups of hot mulled wine. A holiday light show played on the facade of the St. Stephens Basilica.

On a cold night in Hungarys capital, shoppers at one of Europes most famous outdoor Christmas markets browsed through food stalls of steaming local specialties and sipped from paper cups of hot mulled wine. A holiday light show played on the facade of the St. Stephen’s Basilica.

Despite the Christmas cheer, a cost-of-living crisis in the Central European country means that many Hungarians and tourists alike are getting sticker shock at the beloved annual markets.

On a cold night in Hungary's capital, shoppers at one of Europe's most famous outdoor Christmas markets browsed through food stalls of steaming local specialties and sipped from paper cups of hot mulled wine. Such were the prices on Monday at the bustling Budapest square. In a country where the median net wage is below $900 per month, the ballooning costs have left some Hungarians feeling that the markets aren't priced for them.

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On a cold night in Hungary's capital, shoppers at one of Europe's most famous outdoor Christmas markets browsed through food stalls of steaming local specialties and sipped from paper cups of hot mulled wine. A holiday light show played on the facade of the St. Stephen's Basilica.