Which city is cheaper, Budapest or Athens?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Athens and Budapest. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Athens is a energetic, historic, and ancient city. Travelers will also find plenty of sights and attractions here, as it's a big city that attracts lots of visitors. It's a beautiful place to visit, too. Visitors also love the museums, nightlife, and food.
Budapest is a authentic, bustling, and cultural city. Visitors will also find so much to do here because it's a large city with many sights and attractions. With stunning beauty, it attracts visitors from all around. It's also popular because of the museums, nightlife, and shopping.
You'll find a number of museums and attractions in both Budapest and Athens.
With plenty of landmarks, attractions, and museums, Athens has many famous sights for visitors. As a historical capital of the world, this city has countless museums and archeological sites including the famous Acropolis, the National Archaeology Museum, and the Ancient Agora.
Many visitors head to Budapest specifically to visit some of its top-rated museums and other sights. Famous sights include the Buda Castle and Castle Hill, the Hungarian Parliament Building, and St. Stephen's Basilica.
Foodies will appreciated the dining options available in Athens a bit more than Budapest.
Eat your way through Athens, as it has many local or world renowned restaurants to choose from. Make sure you try the souvlaki, moussaka, and dolmades at any of the many local restaurants throughout the city.
You'll find the standard options when it comes to food in Budapest. Traditional dishes tend to be heavy on the meat and bread. They make good comfort food and are very filling meals. The city also has many great pastry shops. Make sure you check out the stuffed cabbage, goulash, and chimney cake.
The vibe at night is comparable in Athens and Budapest.
The nightlife in Athens is well established with world renowned clubs and venues. There are all-night dance clubs as well as local bars and chill live music venues.
Many people head to Budapest for the nightlife scene. The city's active nightlife includes dance clubs, local pubs, and cultural festivals throughout the year.
If you're looking to go shopping, Athens and Budapest both offer plenty of spots.
Athens has a variety of shopping areas worth visiting. Most neighborhoods have a shopping street but head to Ermou Street for some of the city's best shopping.
Budapest is well-known for its shopping. The city has a diverse shopping scene that you can experience by visiting the Central Market or Váci Street.
Both Athens and Budapest are family-friendly destinations.
You'll find plenty of family-friendly things to do in Athens. With its rich history, beautiful outdoor activities, and kid-friendly food, Athens is a fun place to explore with the whole family.
Budapest offers lots of family activities. The city has the typical trampoline parks and playgrounds, but kids will also enjoy the baths and pools around town. Do take note that most of the museums are less hands on than kids prefer.
Athens and Budapest both fun destinations for a couple.
Athens is a good city for couples to visit. The city is historical, fascinating, and romantic, making it a beautiful place to explore as a couple.
Budapest is a great city if you're traveling as a couple. With it's many beautiful neighborhoods, and unique entertainment options including the opera, this is a fun city for couples. The baths and spas also make for a great experience for couples.
For backpackers, both Athens and Budapest are fairly comparable places to visit.
With so many budget-friendly offerings, Athens is extremely popular for backpackers. The city has long been established as a backpackers destination with budget friendly food and plenty of hostels around town.
Many backpackers frequent Budapest. The city is more affordable than many large cities and it has a number of fun hostels to choose from. There's a good backpacker vibe around town with many places to meet and hang out with other travelers.
For students, both Athens and Budapest are fairly comparable places to visit.
Many students visit Athens. International students will appreciate the rich history, archaeological ruins, and unique opportunities that are available here.
Students come from all over the world to visit Budapest. The city has a great international vibe with several good universities that are welcoming to international students that are studying abroad.
Athens and Budapest both offer public transit to get you around.
Many visitors use the public transit system in Athens. The city's metro system has 3 lines that connect to bus, tram and commuter rail lines.
The thorough and effecient public transit system of Budapest can take you anywhere. The metro, trams, and buses make it easy to get around town.
Athens and Budapest are similar when it comes to walkability.
Athens is a very walkable destination. You'll find the city's most walkable area's in the historical heart, where there are many pedestrian only streets and shopping areas.
Budapest is a very easy city to get around on foot. Pest is very flat, making for an easy stroll, while Buda is more hilly.
In either Athens or Budapest, you'll find plenty of activities to fill your time. Most visitors tend to spend more time in Athens than Budapest because of the overall number of sights and activities.
The ideal length of time for a trip to Athens is 3-7 days, and the ideal length of time for a trip to Budapest is 2-5 days.
Athens is a big city with plenty to do. With so much to do, one day is probably not enough time to see everything. It will give you the chance to have new experiences.
Many travelers enjoy the shopping and museums when visiting the big city destination of Budapest. But since there are so many activities, you'll likely want to spend more than one day exploring.
Athens is a popular place that is full of things to see and experience. But since there are so many activities, you'll likely want to spend more than a weekend exploring. Take your pick from the many activities offered around the area.
Budapest is a great place to explore. It is common to spend a weekend here. With all of its activities, you can easily fill a weekend here. Your budget might influence how long you stay.
Athens is a popular choice for travelers. Five days here is typical. While some people choose to spend more or less time in Athens, five days is sufficent for most. The entire area has lots to do.
It's hard to know how much time to spend in Budapest. For many, it makes a great getaway for five days. With all of its activities, you can easily fill five days here. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.
Athens is a great place to explore. It is common to spend one week here. One week is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Athens has to offer. This city offers something for everyone.
Travelers enjoy the shopping and museums when visiting the authentic big city of Budapest. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from. Most people find that one week is more than enough time to see everything.
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Athens is €103, while the average daily cost in Budapest is €66. 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 city. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Athens and Budapest in more detail.
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Athens:
Also for Athens, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Budapest:
Also for Budapest, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
Prices for flights to both Budapest and Athens 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.
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Athens:
For Athens, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Budapest:
For Budapest, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Athens.
For Budapest, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Budapest.
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Athens:
Also in Budapest, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Athens and Budapest, we can see that Athens is more expensive. And not only is Budapest much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Budapest would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Budapest 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 Athens would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Athens than you might in Budapest.
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