Should you visit Budapest or Kotor?
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 Kotor 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.
Kotor
A coastal town of Montenegro, Kotor is also a beautifully-preserved fortified, medieval town, featuring a labyrinth of cobbled streets, lively piazzas, historic churches, and a spread of bars and restaurants throughout its historic Old Town.
Which city is cheaper, Kotor 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 Kotor is $91. 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 Kotor 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.
Kotor's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is $86. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is $43.
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 average traveler spends about $40 per day in Kotor for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
Budapest $22
Kotor $40
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
-
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kotor
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kotor.
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.
The cost of a taxi ride in Kotor is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $8.75 per person, per day, on local transportation in Kotor.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Budapest
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Budapest:
-
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:
-
Airport Transfer Budapest:
$50
-
Airport Transfer Budapest:
$32
-
Airport and Hotel transfer:
$31
-
Airport transfer with guided tour:
$216
-
Arrival Private Transfer Budapest Airport BUD to Budapest City by Luxury Van:
$93
-
Arrival Private Transfer Budapest Airport BUD to Budapest City in Business Car:
$62
-
Arrival Private Transfer Budapest Airport BUD to Budapest City in Standard Car:
$57
-
Budapest - Belgrade Transfer:
$349
-
Budapest - Bratislava Transfer:
$202
-
Budapest - Bratislava transfer:
$180
-
Budapest - Brno (Brno - Budapest) private transfer with a comfortable car / van:
$485
-
Budapest - Bük Transfer:
$171
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kotor
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kotor:
-
One way private transfer Kotor-Mostar:
$336
-
Kotor - Dubrovnik: Private One-Way Transfer with Mercedes Vehicles:
$332
-
Kotor - Mostar - one way private transfer:
$236
-
Private Transfer from Kotor to Split, Hotel-to-hotel, English-speaking driver:
$234
-
Kotor to Tirana Transfer:
$218
-
Private Transfer from Kotor to Tivat Airport (TIV):
$77
-
Private Transfer from Kotor to Tivat airport:
$25
Is it cheaper to fly into Budapest or Kotor?
Prices for flights to both Kotor 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.
Entertainment and activities in Kotor typically cost an average of $7.86 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
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
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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
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Skip the Line: Aeropark Aviation Museum Entrance Ticket:
$8.01
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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
Tours and Activities in Kotor
Here are a few actual costs in Kotor for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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3 Hours Speed Boat tour to the Blue Cave:
$37
-
4-Hour Private Kotor Bay Boat Tour with Lunch and Wine Taste:
$423
-
ATV Tour Žabljak Crnojevića:
$277
-
Adriatic Jewels Tour: Budva – Saint Stefan – Tivat:
$242
-
Adventure park ’Lovcen’ and Njegos’s Mausoleum:
$220
-
All inclusive - Lovcen tour:
$83
-
Ancient Budva & Unique St.Stephen Shore Tour:
$62
-
Aphrodisiac Boat Tour:
$306
-
Bay of Kotor Private Speed Boat Tour & Visit to Kotor and Perast:
$231
-
Bay of 2-Hour Stand Up Paddle Board Tour:
$40
-
Bay of 2.5-Hour Kayak Tour:
$40
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Best of Montenegro: Full Day Tour from Dubrovnik:
$66
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.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Kotor may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $8.04 per day on alcoholic beverages.
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
Sample the Local Flavors in Kotor
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Kotor:
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Wine tasting and magical tour from Kotor, Budva, Tivat (Lovcen,Skadar lake):
$179
-
Traditional and Modern Mixed Wine Tour:
$242
-
Skadar Lake National Park with Wine Tasting:
$286
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Gastronomic and Wine Tasting Private Tour:
$721
When comparing the travel costs between Budapest and Kotor, we can see that Kotor 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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