A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Budapest vs. Guatemala City for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Budapest or Guatemala City?

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 Budapest and Guatemala City can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Budapest or Guatemala City?

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.

Guatemala City

Referred to by the locals as "Guate," Guatemala City is the largest and most modern city in Guatemala, as well as its capital. While the atmosphere of the place is big, dirty, and dangerous with city fumes and skyscrapers, it is the hub of the country. It is the place where travelers first step foot into Guatemala and, though it is a place of modern chaos, it does have some of the best galleries and museums as well as a selection of bars, cafes, and restaurants.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Hungary, The Best Budget Tours to Hungary, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Guatemala City, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Guatemala.


Which place is cheaper, Guatemala City or Budapest?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Budapest is $103, while the average daily cost in Guatemala City is $55. 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 Budapest and Guatemala City in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Budapest $47
    Guatemala City $24
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Budapest $94
    Guatemala City $48
Compare Hotels in Budapest and Guatemala City

Looking for a hotel in Budapest or Guatemala City? 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.

Hotels in Budapest


Hotels in Guatemala City


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: Budapest Hotel Prices and Guatemala City Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Budapest $10
    Guatemala City $6.16
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Budapest

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Budapest:


  • Short Taxi Ride
    $6.71
  • Metro Pass
    $3.69

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Budapest

Also for Budapest, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Shared Airport Shuttle Bus Transfer: $13
  • Premier Outlet Shopping Transfer from City Center: $16
  • Ferenc Liszt Intl Airport to Budapest - Arrival Private Transfer : $25
  • One way private transfer from Budapest cruise port to Budapest hotels: $26
  • Budapest Private Departure Transfer: From hotels to Railway station: $26
  • One way private transfer from Budapest hotels to Budapest cruise ports: $26
  • Budapest Roundtrip Private Airport Transfer: $27
  • Budapest City - Budapest Airport Transfer: $31
  • Budapest Airport - Budapest City Transfer: $35
  • Transfer from Liszt Ferenc Airport to Hotel: $38
  • Hotel to Liszt Ferenc Airport departure Transfer: $38
  • Budapest Airport transfer from Liszt Ferenc International Airport to City Centre: $39

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Guatemala City

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Guatemala City:

  • From Panajachel: Transfer to Guatemala City: $240
  • Transfer: From Guatemala City to El Paredon Beach: $240
  • From One Way Private Transfers to Panajachel: $210
  • Private Transfer from Guatemala City to Coban: $161
  • Guatemala City Airport(GUA) to Quetzaltenango-Round-Trip Transfer: $131
  • Private Transfer from La Aurora Airport to Antigua Guatemala: $120
  • Private Ground Transfer Airport to Antigua Guatemala: $95
  • Private Ground Transfer Guatemala City To Panajachel, LakeAtitlan: $80
  • Transfer from Airport to Antigua: $80
  • Guatemala City Airport GUA to San Felipe de Lara-Arrival Transfer: $76
  • Transfer from Guatemala City hotel to INTL Airport La Aurora: $75
  • One way private transfer to Antigua: $74

Is it cheaper to fly into Budapest or Guatemala City?

Prices for flights to both Guatemala City 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.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Budapest $39
    Guatemala City $26
Typical Food Prices in Budapest

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Budapest:


  • Lunch
    $3.28

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Budapest

For Budapest, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Central Market Hall Guided Food Tour with Tastings: $27
  • Budapest Guided Food Tour with Drinks Included: $42
  • Traditional Hungarian Dinner with Live Gypsy Music: $43
  • Downtown Budapest Cruise with Pizza and Beer: $45
  • Pizza & Beer Downtown Budapest Cruise: $46
  • Vegan Hungarian Food Tour (full meals): $50
  • Bistro Boat Cruise with Dinner with Open Bar: $51
  • Medieval Dinner Show with Drinks: $53
  • Vegan Hungarian Food Tour / Local delights: $57
  • Private Street Food Tour: $59
  • Food Tour with Wine tasting By Foodapest 2024: $63
  • Eat the Street, food tour with wine tasting: $65

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Guatemala City

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Guatemala City.

  • Cooking class/Pepian Workshop: $35
  • Cooking and class with Private Guatemalan Chef : $72
  • Taste Antigua Guatemala Walking Food Tour : $75
  • Antigua: Authentic Guatemalan Cooking Class: $90
  • Small-Group Cooking Class in Antigua from Guatemala City: $120
  • Antigua Market, Cooking Class and Choco Museum from Guatemala City: $178
  • Pacaya Volcano Vistas + Enjoy Pizza Cooked Under Volcanic Heat: $180

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Budapest $21
    Guatemala City $1.21
Typical Entertainment Prices in Budapest

For Budapest, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • Entrance to the Baths for Two
    $6.58

Tours and Activities in Budapest

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Budapest.

  • Alternative Bike tour: Graffiti Wall and Peace: $0.01
  • Jewish Quarter of Budapest Walking Tour: $2.14
  • Castle District Walking Tour: $3.22
  • Welcome to Budapest Walking Tour: $3.22
  • Mika Tivadar Secret Museum Entry Ticket: $3.22
  • Free Tour Budapest Essential in Spanish: $3.28
  • Budapest Castle District Walking Tour: $3.30
  • Communist History Evening Walking Tour of Budapest: $3.30
  • Guided Tour in Budapest Castle District: $3.30
  • Original Budapest Walking Tour: $3.30
  • Doboz Ruin Pub and Club Entry & Drink Ticket: $5.90
  • Ruin Pub Entry with Drink Ticket in Doboz: $6.04

Tours and Activities in Guatemala City

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Guatemala City are as follows:

  • 2-Hour Culture and Historical Tour From Guatemala: $29
  • 3-hour Bike Tour Guatemala City South: $60
  • 4-hour Bike Tour Guatemala City South Center: $70
  • Antigua Guatemala , Full-Day Shared Tour from Guatemala City: $75
  • Antigua Guatemala Full Day Tour: $58
  • Antigua Guatemala Half Day Tour: $60
  • Antigua Guatemala Stopover Tour: $75
  • Antigua walking tour from Guatemala City : $90
  • City Tour - Test Fly by Escuela de Flight S.A: $158
  • City walking tour Guatemala City and Relieff Map: $47
  • Climb Active Pacaya Volcano + Box Lunch at the Top - Shared Tour: $75
  • Combo Tour: Colonial Antigua & Guatemala City Explorer Tour: $65

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Budapest $17
    Guatemala City $6.83

Sample the Local Flavors in Budapest

Also in Budapest, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Tipsy History Pub Crawl with Shots & VIP Club: $16
  • Private, Personalized Pub Crawl, 5 drinks included: $19
  • 5-Hour Pub Crawl through Ruin Bars: $21
  • Guided Bar Crawl through the Party District: $23
  • Ruin Bar Pub Crawl with Entry Tickets: $24
  • Budapest Pub Crawl +6 free Shots +VIP Access +Drinking Games : $24
  • Bingo Bar Crawl: $25
  • Pub Crawl Budapest - with challanges and games: $26
  • Pub Crawl Budapest with Challenges and Free Shots: $27
  • Private Pub Crawl Tour with Local Guide in Budapest: $29
  • Hungarian pálinka distillery visit and tasting: $33
  • PRIVATE Budapest by Nights: GUIDED tour whit WINE tasting: $34


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Budapest and Guatemala City, we can see that Budapest is more expensive. And not only is Guatemala City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Budapest is in Europe and Guatemala City is in Central America, 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 Guatemala City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Guatemala City 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 Guatemala City.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Budapest Expensive? and Is Guatemala City Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Budapest or Guatemala City?

Budapest has a larger population, and is about 70% larger than the population of Guatemala City. When comparing the sizes of Budapest and Guatemala City, 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.