Is Budapest Expensive? It’s Not Cheap Like People Said

Last updated on October 31st, 2025 at 05:51 pm

If you are wondering whether Budapest is expensive then read on to find out how it compares to other destinations.

Read on for how much everything cost me when I visited Budapest.

Is Budapest Expensive? Costs Table for 2 Night Stay

If you are short on time here is quick table giving you all the costs I incurred when visiting Budapest for 3 days and 2 nights

Item	Cost
Ryanair Flight from Edinburgh to Budapest	£40
Apartment for 2 nights	£84
Bus from airport into town	£6
Sightseeing Boat Trip	£16
Breakfast at the Central Market	£12
Shopping at the Spar store	£15
Matcha Coffee at Cafe	£5
Chimney Cake	£6
Brunch before the train	£12
Train from Budapest to Bratislava	£45
Total Spent	£223

Is Budapest Expensive?

Getting to Budapest

I visited Budapest as part of a 3 stop trip. I spent 2 nights in Budapest, 1 night in Bratislava and 2 nights in Vienna.

I flew from Edinburgh to Budapest. It was a Ryanair flight that was operated by Buzz Airlines.

As I didn’t have any extra luggage the flight cost £40.

For more information read my article about How to Get to Budapest from the UK

You can also check flights right here 👇

And you can check busses right here 👇

Is Budapest Expensive?

Staying in Budapest

I stayed in a great apartment – the Opera Residence. This was within easy walk of the river, bus terminal and train station.

It was within a block of apartments so it was nice and secure too.

I booked it through booking.com and with my genius discount it worked out to £84 for the two nights.

Given it was a 1 bedroom apartment with kitchen, dining table, lounge and balcony with WIFI I thought that was great value.

The owner also sent the most comprehensive guide I have ever received when staying in an apartment. It had lots of information about Budapest, local tips, places to see and more – everything you could want to know. It was extremely helpful.

Find hotel deals in Budapest 👇

You can also search for hotels in Budapest using this map 👇

Is Budapest Expensive?

Activities in Budapest

The main activity I did in Budapest was to walk. I walked pretty much everywhere. The weather was mild and fine so it was lovely.

The only real organised activity I did was to take the boat cruise. This went from the side of the Danube around Margaret Island and back again. You could get off the boat at Margaret Island and then come back on another boat if you wanted.

The boat was £16. I thought this was great value because it included tea on the boat too. The tea was served to your seat. It was a hot, sweet tea and it was so good I would go back on the boat trip just for that!

Taking a boat trip is the best way to get a great view of the stunning Hungarian Parliament Building.

Check out activities in Budapest with Get Your Guide 👇

You can also find lots of activities on Viator 👇

Is Budapest Expensive?

Eating in Budapest

I didn’t need anything to eat when I arrived in Budapest as I arrived late.

The next morning I headed to the main market hall where I had heard they did Langos, which I wanted to try.

On the way I stopped at a beautiful Japanese style cafe and had a Matcha coffee. It was £5 and well worth it.

The Langos turned out to be a little more expensive than I had expected, but that’s because I had rocket and a coffee with mine. It wasn’t particularly good, but perhaps that is because of the stall I got it from rather than the dish itself.

I also stopped off for a Chimney Cake later on. This is a pastry cone filled with a fruit filling and topped with cream. It was £6 and worth it to say I’ve had one.

Later in the afternoon I stopped in at a small market near my apartment and bought some groceries which did for my evening meal and breakfast the following day.

On the last morning I stopped off for breakfast at a fantastic brunch spot close to the train station. I had freshly squeezed orange juice, an oat latte and eggs benedict for £12. It was really lovely.

Is Budapest Expensive? – Conclusion

I found Budapest to be reasonable. It certainly wasn’t as cheap as people had told me it would be – but that’s perhaps because I wasn’t drinking alcohol.

I thought the apartment was great value.

The rest of the costs seemed to be on a par with what I would expect to pay in the UK.

You Might Also Like

• Is Budapest Worth Visiting? – Yes it’s great for a short break
• Is Budapest Safe? – Most of the time but you need to be aware of a few things
• How to Get to Budapest from the UK – by plane, bus or train
• Opera Residence Budapest Review – great apartment in the city

You can find more information on my Hungary Travel Inspiration page

Further Reading

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