Should you visit Budapest or Balaton Lake?
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 Budapest and Balaton Lake can help you decide which place is right for you.
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.
Balaton Lake
Balaton is a major freshwater lake in Hungary and the largest lake in Central Europe with a shoreline of 197 kilometers. The region around the lake is a popular holiday destination with a great number of resort towns and high-rise hotels to accommodate visitors seeking out lakeside activities, beaches, volcanic hills, and vineyards. Some of the towns are also very historic, offering examples from eighteenth-century art and architecture to castle ruins.
Which city is cheaper, Balaton Lake or Budapest?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Budapest is $89, while the average daily cost in Balaton Lake is $85. 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. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Budapest and Balaton Lake in more detail.
Accommodation
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $98 in Budapest For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Balaton Lake's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is $94. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is $47.
Food
Food in Budapest costs travelers about $22 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
The price of a meal in Balaton Lake can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $27 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $11 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
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Food
Meals for one day
Budapest $22
Balaton Lake $27
Typical Food prices in Budapest
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Budapest:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Budapest
For Budapest, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Lángos (hungarian streetfood) cooking class:
$19
-
Dinner & Cruise on the Danube in Budapest:
$23
-
Traveling Spoon Hungarian Goulash Private Online Cooking Class:
$27
-
Vegan Food Tour / Local delights:
$36
-
Private Budapest Food Tour with a Local Foodie:
$37
-
Live from Hungarian Online Cooking class:
$39
-
Bitemojo Self Guided Food Tour Night & The City Budapest:
$47
-
Food Tour in Budapest:
$50
-
Bitemojo Self Guided Food Tour of Trendy Budapest:
$51
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BBQ dinner and a Quiz Night - welcome shots (hungaricums) and 88 craft beers:
$52
-
2-Hours Strudel Cooking Class and Wine Tasting in Central Budapest:
$53
-
Dinner Cruise with Live Music:
$54
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Budapest than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $11 on transportation in Budapest on average per day.
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $12 per day to get around in Balaton Lake.
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
$8.61
-
Metro Pass
$4.73
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Budapest
Also for Budapest, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Private Airport Transfer Service in Budapest, Hungary:
$18
-
Budapest Private Transfer: Hotel or Apartment to Airport:
$19
-
Budapest Private Transfer: Airport to Hotel or Apartment:
$20
-
Budapest One Way Private Transfer to or from Airport:
$20
-
Private Arrival transfer from Budapest Airport to Budapest City Center:
$21
-
Private Departure Transfer: Budapest City - Budapest Airport:
$21
-
Private Transfer from Budapest City Center to Budapest Ferenc Liszt Airport(BUD):
$22
-
Private Airport Transfer: from Budapest to Budapest International Airport (BUD):
$22
-
Budapest Airport Private Departure Transfer : City to Airport:
$22
-
Private Transfer from Budapest city to Budapest Airport - departure:
$22
-
Private Transfer from Budapest Airport to the city - arrival:
$22
-
Budapest Airport Transfers:
$23
Is it cheaper to fly into Budapest or Balaton Lake?
Prices for flights to both Balaton Lake and Budapest 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.
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in Budapest, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $23 per day, per person.
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $20 per person, per day in Balaton Lake. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Typical Entertainment prices in Budapest
For Budapest, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
Tours and Activities in Budapest
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Budapest.
-
Budapest Private Tour: Buda Castle District Exploration Game:
$3.72
-
Discovering Explore the city's hot pools and heroes on an audio tour:
$5.00
-
Private Budapest Ghost Tour: Haunted City Exploration Game:
$5.65
-
Guided Tour in Budapest Castle District:
$6.22
-
Urban Tour of the Outer viii district Budapest:
$6.22
-
The Legendary Vampires at the Castle's Court Audio Tour:
$6.59
-
Alternative Street Tip Based Walking Tour of Budapest:
$6.77
-
Budapest Downtown and Inner City E-Scooter Tour:
$7.46
-
Skip the Line: Aeropark Aviation Museum Entrance Ticket:
$8.01
-
Robert Capa Contemporary Photograhy Center Visit Ticket:
$8.71
-
Sightseeing Cruise on the Danube with Live Music:
$8.87
-
Danube Cruise in Budapest:
$9.58
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Budapest, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $16.
The average person spends about $8.71 on alcoholic beverages in Balaton Lake per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in Budapest
Also in Budapest, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Bingo Bar Crawl:
$15
-
Bingo Bar Crawl:
$15
-
Ultimate Ruin Pub Crawl:
$18
-
Generation Pub Crawl Budapest:
$19
-
Ruin Pub Crawl - Your Keys to the Nightlife of Budapest:
$21
-
Budapest Pub Crawl:
$24
-
Pest side Pub Crawl - Unlimited drinks for an hour, discover hidden ruin pubs:
$25
-
Re-opening Pub Crawls 2020 Summer-Autumn:
$25
-
Budapest Pub Crawl with Skip-the-Line Access:
$26
-
Epic Local Insider Pub Crawl in Budapest - Every weekend:
$30
-
Party Cruise with Pub Crawl option:
$37
-
Hungarian Wine Tasting (with Cheese and Charcuterie) in Budapest:
$40
When comparing the travel costs between Budapest and Balaton Lake, we can see that Budapest is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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