Which place is cheaper, Budapest or Addis Ababa?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Addis Ababa or Budapest?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Addis Ababa or Budapest, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Addis Ababa or Budapest?
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and also the nation's largest when ranked by its population of over three million. There are also more than 120 international missions and embassies in Addis Ababa, making the city a hub for international diplomacy concerning Africa. Other draws include its thriving marketplaces, spicy food, and rich coffee.
Budapest
Budapest is the capital city of Hungary. It has been called the "Paris of the East" because of its impressive architecture and general beauty. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987 because of its cultural importance, its location on the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrassy Avenue. In addition to its rich history, Budapest still has a young vibe with a lot of energy. There's an active night life, an impressive music scene, and a good reputation with European youth.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Budapest, and The Best 10-Day Tours from Budapest.
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Addis Ababa Prices
Ethiopia PricesBudapest Prices
Hungary Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAddis Ababa $34Budapest $109
The average daily cost (per person) in Addis Ababa is $34, while the average daily cost in Budapest is $109. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Addis Ababa and Budapest in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAddis Ababa $18Budapest $50
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAddis Ababa $36Budapest $100
Compare Hotels in Addis Ababa and Budapest
Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa or Budapest? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Addis Ababa Hotel Prices and Budapest Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Addis Ababa $3.29Budapest $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Addis Ababa
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Addis Ababa are as follows:
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Short Taxi Ride$0.22
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Addis Ababa
Also for Addis Ababa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Lalibela Full Day Tour with Guide and Transfer: $130
- City/Airport Transfers-Addis Ababa: $34
- Bole Airport Transfer: $25
- Transfer Services Addis Abeba Airport : $23
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Budapest
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Budapest:
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Short Taxi Ride$7.07
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Metro Pass$3.88
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Budapest
Also for Budapest, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private transfer from Budapest to Prague: $1,119
- Private transfer to Ljubljana or Ljubljana to BUD: $554
- Budapest-Vienna-Budapest Transfer: $395
- Vienna: Private transfer to Budapest or Budapest to Vienna: $282
- Budapest - Vienna Private Car Transfer: $265
- Private transfer from Budapest to Bratislava with Hotel or Airport pick-up: $259
- Budapest to Vienna - Private Transfer with 4 Hours of Sightseeing: $250
- Private Transfer from Budapest to Vienna with 2h of Sightseeing, Local Driver: $245
- Private Transfer from Budapest to Vienna with 2h of Sightseeing: $245
- Private Transfer from Budapest to Vienna with 2h of Sightseeing: $226
- Bratislava: Private transfer to Budapest or Budapest to BTS: $215
- Private Transfer from Budapest to Bratislava with 2h of Sightseeing: $190
Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or Budapest?
Prices for flights to both Budapest and Addis Ababa change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayAddis Ababa $13Budapest $41
Typical Food Prices in Addis Ababa
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Addis Ababa:
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Slice of Cake$0.05
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Addis Ababa
For Addis Ababa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Local Ethiopian Food Tour Addis Ababa: $62
- Flavors of Ethiopia Explore Traditional Cooking Class : $67
- Half Day Food Tour Addis Ababa With Airport pickUp And Drop-Off: $75
- Ethiopian Cultural Dinner in Addis Ababa with LIVE Traditional Dance Show: $77
- Addis Ababa Private City Tour with Immersive Cooking Class Lunch: $85
- Local Ethiopian Food Tour: $100
- Unique Ethiopian Cooking Class and Coffee Ceremony with a Local in Addis Ababa: $116
- HALF DAY + DINNER Addis Ababa City Tour: $140
- Cooking Class and City Tour in Addis Ababa: $193
Typical Food Prices in Budapest
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Budapest:
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Lunch$3.45
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Budapest
For Budapest, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Glamour of the Old Town with Dinner and Live Music: $1.40
- Central Market Hall Guided Food Tour with Tastings: $15
- Hungarian Folk Dance & Concert with Dinner Option: $21
- Pizza Cruise: $40
- Traditional Hungarian Dinner with Live Gypsy Music: $51
- Medieval Dinner Show with Drinks: $55
- Budapest Guided Food Tour with Drinks Included: $67
- Tipsy Guided Food Tour with Drinks Included in Budapest: $67
- Guided Tipsy Food Tour with Drinks Included in Budapest: $67
- Budapest Tipsy Food Tour with Drinks: $67
- Guided Food Tour with Wine, Beer, and Shots: $67
- Food Tour with Wine tasting By Foodapest™ 2025: $70
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Addis Ababa $3.39Budapest $22
Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Addis Ababa.
- "Discover An Exclusive Private Tour Experience": $69
- Addis Ababa City Tours Full-Day Tours : $100
- Go where thelocalsgo, Eatwhat the localseat!open MarketTour&More: $71
- 2 Day Lalibela Tours: $300
- 2 Days Gheralta Tour Hidden Churches in Northern Ethiopia: $300
- 3 Day Private Meskel Festival, Addis Ababa City and Debre Libanos Monastery Tour: $300
- 3 Days Meskel Festival Package-Addis Ababa City Tour/Debre Libanos Monastery: $256
- 4 Hour Addis Cuisine Tasting Tour: $65
- Addis Ababa +Mount Entoto View Point,Museums Palace Market Tours: $66
- Addis Ababa - Half Day City Tour: $120
- Addis Ababa Authentic - History, Culture and Food City Tour: $75
- Addis Ababa Authentic Private City Tour: $75
Typical Entertainment Prices in Budapest
For Budapest, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Entrance to the Baths for Two$6.93
Tours and Activities in Budapest
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Budapest.
- Budapest Downtown Guided Segway Tour : $3.40
- City Segway Tours Budapest ( Buda + Pest ) : $46
- Private Budapest city tour with a daytime Danube river cruise: $273
- UNESCO World Heritage Hollókő and Eger Private Tour by 4WD: $270
- 1 Hour Budapest Segway Tour - Parliament Hightails: $44
- 1 Hour Sightseeing Cruise in Budapest: $14
- 1,5 Hour/HERO'S SQUARE-City Segway Tour Budapest: $56
- 1.5 Hour Budapest Segway Tour - To The Castle Area : $56
- 101 things in Budapest - Full Day Tour with Lunch & Metro Pass: $193
- 2 Hours Buda Castle Walking Tour - Walk with a Historian: $45
- 2-Hour Private Budapest Castle Walking Tour: $132
- 2-Hour Private Market Tour in Budapest With Free Tastings: $67
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAddis Ababa $2.80Budapest $18
Sample the Local Flavors in Budapest
Also in Budapest, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Ruin Bar Pub Crawl with Entry Tickets: $17
- The Original Budapest Pub Crawl - One Hour Open Bar + Free Shots: $19
- 5-Hour Pub Crawl through Ruin Bars: $23
- Brewery Tour at "First Craft Beer" & Beer Tasting: $25
- UNLIMITED DRINKS- Budapest Bar Pub Crawl - FREE SHOTS - VIP Entry: $25
- Private, Personalized Pub Crawl, 3 drinks included: $28
- Budapest Pub Crawl +6 free Shots +VIP Access +Drinking Games : $28
- Private Pub Crawl Tour with Local Guide in Budapest: $30
- Budapest Original Ruin Pub Crawl Including 5 Shots: $32
- Detective Pub Crawl Game by App: $39
- Budapest Wine Tasting and Heritage Experience at Goldcentral: $40
- Budapest - Opera Gin Distillery Tour: $42
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Addis Ababa and Budapest, we can see that Budapest is more expensive. And not only is Addis Ababa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Addis Ababa is in Africa and Budapest is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Addis Ababa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Addis Ababa and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Budapest would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Budapest than you might in Addis Ababa.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Addis Ababa Expensive? and Is Budapest Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or Budapest?
Addis Ababa has a larger population, and is about 63% larger than the population of Budapest. When comparing the sizes of Addis Ababa and Budapest, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.