Which place is cheaper, Budapest or Bad Gastein?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Bad Gastein or Budapest?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Bad Gastein and Budapest can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Bad Gastein or Budapest?
Bad Gastein
Located in the High Tauern Mountains south of Salzburg, Bad Gastein is a spa and ski town known for hotels and villas built into steep and forested slopes. While the town is most visited in the winter for skiing purposes, it is also a home base for many hiking opportunities throughout the summer.
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 2-Week Tours in Austria, The Best Tours for Seniors to Austria, The Best 10-Day Tours from Budapest, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Budapest.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBad Gastein €122Budapest €84
The average daily cost (per person) in Bad Gastein is €122, while the average daily cost in Budapest is €84. 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 Bad Gastein and Budapest in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBad Gastein €62Budapest €46
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBad Gastein €124Budapest €92
Compare Hotels in Bad Gastein and Budapest
Looking for a hotel in Bad Gastein 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: Bad Gastein Hotel Prices and Budapest Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Bad Gastein €40Budapest €9.80
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€6.47
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Metro Pass€3.55
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Budapest
Also for Budapest, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Bucharest - Romania to Budapest - Hungary /Private Transfer: $1,181
- Budapest - Bük Transfer: $153
- Budapest - Bratislava Transfer: $199
- Budapest - Debrecen Transfer: $168
- Budapest - Hungary to Bucharest - Romania /Private Transfer: $1,289
- Budapest - Pécs Transfer: $149
- Budapest - Szeged Transfer: $134
- Budapest Airport BUD Arrival Private Transfer to Budapest City: $89
- Budapest Airport Private Departure Transfer : City to Airport: $16
- Budapest Airport Private Luxury Transfer by a Mercedes Benz S Class: $120
- Budapest Airport Transfer: $55
- Budapest Airport Transfer - Round trip to and from Liszt Ferenc Airport: $78
Is it cheaper to fly into Bad Gastein or Budapest?
Prices for flights to both Budapest and Bad Gastein 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 dayBad Gastein €35Budapest €22
Typical Food Prices in Budapest
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Budapest:
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Lunch€3.16
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Budapest
For Budapest, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Traveling Spoon Hungarian Goulash Private Online Cooking Class: $40
- Downtown Budapest Cruise with Pizza and Beer: $45
- Pizza & Beer Downtown Budapest Cruise: $46
- Vegan Hungarian Food Tour (full meals): $51
- Medieval Dinner Show with Drinks: $52
- Private Street Food Tour: $59
- Danube Cruise with Hungarian Dinner and Live Music: $74
- Budapest Danube Cruise with Buffet Dinner, Performances and Music: $75
- Evening Cruise and Dinner with Champagne: $86
- Lángos (Hungary’s nr1 streetfood) cooking class: $87
- Candlelit Dinner River Cruise with Live Music: $91
- Budapest Danube River Candlelit Dinner Cruise with Live Music: $93
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Bad Gastein €21Budapest €20
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€6.35
Tours and Activities in Budapest
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Budapest.
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.21
- Free Tour Budapest Essential in Spanish: $3.26
- Budapest Historical Sightseeing - Walking Tour: $3.27
- Free walking tour in the Buda Castle incl. Fisherman's Bastion: $3.27
- Free Walking Tour Budapest incl. the Shoes on the Danube Bank: $3.27
- Communist History Evening Walking Tour of Budapest: $3.27
- Past and Present of Budapest Jewish District Tour: $3.27
- Self Guided City Audio Tour in Buda Castle: $5.45
- Escape Game and Tour: $5.88
- Self-Guided Highlights Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $5.88
- Historical Heroes & Hot Spa Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- TOP 10 Budapest- City Tour : $6.00
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBad Gastein €7.86Budapest €17
Sample the Local Flavors in Budapest
Also in Budapest, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- The Original Budapest Pub Crawl - One Hour Open Bar + Free Shots: $17
- 5-Hour Pub Crawl through Ruin Bars: $21
- Ultimate Budapest Pub Crawl: $23
- Ultimate Budapest Pub Crawl: $23
- Bingo Bar Crawl: $25
- Budapest Original Ruin Pub Crawl Including 5 Shots: $28
- Ruin Bar Pub Crawl with Entry Tickets: $29
- Detective Pub Crawl Game by App: $38
- 8-Tier Hungarian Wine Tasting in a Cozy Downtown Wine Bar: $38
- Tipsy Tour Fun Bar Crawl with a Local Guide: $42
- Drunken History Bar Crawl Tour with Local Drinks: $42
- Hungarian Wine Tasting (with Cheese and Charcuterie) in Budapest: $50
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bad Gastein and Budapest, we can see that Bad Gastein 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 Bad Gastein would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bad Gastein than you might in Budapest.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Bad Gastein Expensive? and Is Budapest Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Bad Gastein or Budapest?
Budapest has a larger population, and is about 290 times larger than the population of Bad Gastein. When comparing the sizes of Bad Gastein 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.