OBJECTIVES: Clostridium difficile is the leading cause of antibiotic associated infectious nosocomial diarrhoea. C. difficile infection is a high-priority problem of public health in each country. The available literature of C. difficile infection’s disease burden is limited. The authors aimed to identify the most important cost elements and quantify the cost of C. difficile infection in Hungary. METHODS: A retrospective chart review and experts interviews were done in a sample of 151 patients with C. difficile infection in 2011 in two Hungarian hospitals. In the chart review data on demographic, disease severity, therapy, the standard precautions and the infection related contact precautions were collected. Cost analysis was done from the service provider’s perspective. RESULTS: In department of medicine the annual average cost of C. difficile infection was €800 per patient, the annual total cost of a recurrent patient was €1810, the annual additional cost of contact precautions was €330 per patient, the annual average cost of an episode was €570, the additional cost of contact precautions was €235 per episode. In intensive care unit the annual average cost of C. difficile infection was €1810 per patient, the annual total cost of a recurrent patient was €3680, the annual additional cost of contact precautions was €470 per patient, the annual average cost of an episode was €1070, the additional cost of contact precautions was €330 per episode. The most notable cost elements in intensive care unit were the hygienic costs and nurse wages, in department of medicine were the hygenic costs. CONCLUSIONS: The importance of C. difficile infection in public health and the associated disease burden are significant. The costs differed based on the length of isolation, and the type of the provider department. The available data in Hungary are limited, further studies in epidemiology and health economics are required.