A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Budapest vs. Ljubljana for Backpackers, Attractions, Nightlife, and Couples

Europe / Comparisons /
Jump to  down-arrow

Should you visit Budapest or Ljubljana?

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 Ljubljana can help you decide which place is right for you.

Budapest

Budapest is a artistic, historic, and authentic city. It's an amazing and huge city with tons of activities and things to do. This is also a very beautiful destination which attracts plenty of visitors. Other reasons to visit include nightlife, shopping, and museums.

Ljubljana

Ljubljana is a under-rated, authentic, and historic capital city. It's a large city, so you'll find plenty of things to do around town. It's a beautiful place to visit, too. Visitors also love the museums, nightlife, and food.

How is Budapest different from Ljubljana?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Is Budapest or Ljubljana better for Museums and Historical Sights?

Visiting museums and landmarks is a fun activity in both Budapest and Ljubljana.

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.

Ljubljana is a good place to visit if you're interested in museums or other recognizable sights. Because the city is so compact, it's easy to see the notable landmarks with an easy walk. Famous landmarks include Ljubljana Castle, the Dragon Bridge, and the Franciscan Church.


Is Budapest or Ljubljana better for Food?

Local dishes are fun to try in both Budapest and Ljubljana.

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.

There are many up and coming restaurants in the Ljubljana area. The city is surrounded by nature, so there's easy access to wild fruits and vegetables. It also has a lot of locally made honey and traditional, family run restaurants. Popular dishes include local sausage, pražen krompir (a potato side dish) and Slovenian style fried chicken.

Is Budapest or Ljubljana better for Nightlife?

The vibe at night is comparable in Budapest and Ljubljana.

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 for night time activities Ljubljana has a few options to choose from. Given its small size, there are a surprising number of clubs and bars in town. The city has a vibrant energy in the evening, and it's easy to travel from venue to venue on foot.

Is Budapest or Ljubljana better for Shopping?

If you're looking to go shopping, Budapest and Ljubljana both offer plenty of spots.

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.

Shopping is a popular activity when visiting Ljubljana. The city has several shopping streets where you can find local and international fashion brands. Many people enjoy shopping for crystal and glass products in the city. Also check out the Central Market which has fresh local food products.

Is Budapest or Ljubljana better for Families?

You'll find kid-friendly activities in either Budapest or Ljubljana.

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.

For families, Ljubljana is not always the best place to visit. The city has several good museums including the House of Experiments, which is only open on weekends. There are parks you can explore and it's fun to take the funicular to the castle. You can also take a boat ride which is fun for the whole family.


Is Budapest or Ljubljana better for Couples?

Both Budapest and Ljubljana are good destinations to visit 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.

Ljubljana is a nice destination for couples. It's one of the more under-rated cities in Europe, but there are a number of romantic activities that you can enjoy here. Explore the old town, wander through the botanical gardens, or take a boat ride along the river. All make for a nice couple's weekend.

Is Budapest or Ljubljana better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

For backpackers, both Budapest and Ljubljana are fairly comparable places to visit.

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.

Ljubljana is a great city to visit for backpackers. Although its not as popular as many of the more well known cities, this is an affordable option that is great for backpackers and budget travelers.

Is Budapest or Ljubljana better for Students?

Students usually think of Budapest as better than Ljubljana.

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.

It's common for students to visit Ljubljana. If you're looking for a unique study abroad opportunity, the University of Ljubljana offers an excellent academic experience in a a lively small city with easy access to nature.

Is Budapest or Ljubljana better for Public Transit?

Budapest has better public transit to get you around.

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.

While Ljubljana offers some public transit options, it might not be your first choice. There is a city bus system.


Is Budapest or Ljubljana a more walkable city?

Budapest and Ljubljana are similar when it comes to walkability.

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.

Ljubljana is very walkable. It is compact and easy to explore on foot.

Budapest and Ljubljana: Pros and Cons

Budapest
Pros
  • Popular museums and historical sights
  • Family-friendly
  • Good for couples and romance
  • Good for backpackers and budget travelers
  • Good for students
  • Good public transit
  • Big city activities
  • Impressive beauty
Ljubljana
Pros
  • Popular museums and historical sights
  • Good for couples and romance
  • Good for backpackers and budget travelers
Cons
  • Less family-friendly
  • Less popular for students
  • Public transit not as usable


Should I spend more time in Ljubljana or Budapest?

How long in Budapest or Ljubljana?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Budapest and Ljubljana. With generally more activities and things to do, visitors tend to spend more time in Budapest than Ljubljana.

The ideal length of time for a trip to Budapest is 2-5 days, and the ideal length of time for a trip to Ljubljana is 1-3 days.


  • How many days in Budapest or Ljubljana? Ideal Length of Stay
    Budapest 2-5 
    Ljubljana 1-3

One day in Budapest or Ljubljana?

People visit Budapest because there is so much to do. Since there is so much to do in the area, one day is probably not enough for all of it. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

The capital city of Ljubljana offers food and shopping. Exploring the old town is a popular activity. With all of its activities, you can easily fill one day here. It will give you the chance to have new experiences.

A weekend in Budapest or Ljubljana?

People visit Budapest because there is so much to do. This is a popular place to visit for a weekend.A weekend should give you a good understanding of everything this city has to offer. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from.

Ljubljana is a popular place that is full of things to see and experience. If you have a weekend, this capital city makes for a great vacation. Make sure you visit the old town while you're here. While some people choose to spend more or less time in Ljubljana, a weekend is sufficent for most. Take your pick from the many activities offered around the area.

Five days in Budapest or Ljubljana?

People visit Budapest because there is so much to do. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. If you have five days, this city makes for a great vacation. Five days should give you a good understanding of everything this city has to offer.

Ljubljana is a popular choice for travelers. Five days is usually plenty of time to spend here with extra days to spare. With this much time, visitors often visit nearby destinations or take day trips. The entire area has lots to do.


A week in Budapest or Ljubljana?

Budapest is a popular choice for travelers. One week is usually plenty of time to spend here with extra days to spare. With this much time, visitors often visit nearby destinations or take day trips. It will give you the chance to have new experiences.

Ljubljana is a great place to explore. Visiting the old town is also a must. One week is more than enough time to enjoy everything. Take some day trips to nearby places to fill the extra days. This capital city offers something for everyone.

Which city is cheaper, Ljubljana or Budapest?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Budapest is $70, while the average daily cost in Ljubljana is $73. 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 Budapest and Ljubljana in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Budapest $38
    Ljubljana $45
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Budapest $76
    Ljubljana $90

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Budapest $8.25
    Ljubljana $17
Typical Local Transportation prices in Budapest

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


  • Short Taxi Ride
    $6.74
  • Metro Pass
    $3.70

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Budapest

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

  • Luxury transfer from Budapest to Zagreb with 5+ stops along the way: $1,081
  • Private transfer from Budapest to Prague: $987
  • Private Budapest-Ljubljana(Ljubljana- Budapest)Transfer with a comfortable car: $871
  • Private Transfer to Bucharest from Budapest (Hungary): $809
  • Budapest -Belgrade(Belgrade-Budapest)private transfer with a comfortable car/van: $809
  • Budapest-Prague (Prague-Budapest) private transfer with a comfortable car / van: $759
  • From Budapest to Frankfurt Airport Private Transfer - punctual & friendly Driver: $705
  • One-way Transfer from Budapest Airport to Prague City Centre: $695
  • Private transfer from Budapest to Vienna: $683
  • Budapest - Kraków(Kraków -Budapest) private transfer with a comfortable car /van: $666
  • Private transfer from airport Budapest (BUD) to Ljubljana: $664
  • Private Transfer from Budapest to Prague: $664

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ljubljana

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

  • Private Transfer from Ljubljana to Sarajevo Airport (SJJ): $1,349
  • Private transfer from Ljubljana to Milan: $758
  • Private transfer from Ljubljana to Munich: $736
  • Private transfer from Ljubljana to Split: $699
  • Private transfer from Ljubljana to airport Budapest (BUD): $673
  • Transfer from Ljubljana (airport) to Split: $659
  • Private transfer: Ljubljana to Ljubljana Airport (LJU): $622
  • Private transfer from Ljubljana to Vienna: $579
  • Private transfer from Ljubljana to Zadar: $517
  • Private transfer from Ljubljana to lake Balaton: $497
  • Ljubljana - Vienna transfer: $495
  • Private transfer from Ljubljana to Venice: $414

Is it cheaper to fly into Budapest or Ljubljana?

Prices for flights to both Ljubljana 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 $17
    Ljubljana $14
Typical Food prices in Budapest

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


  • Lunch
    $3.29

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
  • 3-Hour Dinner Cruise and Piano Battle Show: $31
  • 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

Typical Food prices in Ljubljana

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


  • Horsemeat Hot Dog
    $2.10

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ljubljana

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

  • Lunch or Dinner trip to a typical Slovenian restaurant: $40
  • Traditional Slovenian Dinner and Performance: $48
  • Bitemojo Self Guided Food Tour Ljubljana Tale of the River: $53
  • Dinner in the Dark: $75
  • Šmarna Gora: Hiking and Food Tour from Ljubljana: $79
  • Food Tour Ljubljana: $81
  • Ljubljana 4-Hour Food Tour: $86
  • Flavour of Slovenia: Very Small Group Food Tour in Ljubljana: $86
  • Cooking Class Ljubljana: $111
  • Slovenian Dinner Experience: $131
  • Food Tour - Honey, Cheese and Sausages Culinary Adventure from Ljubljana: $132
  • Ljubljana city tour and Traditional Slovenian Cooking class: $222

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Budapest $18
    Ljubljana $12
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
    $6.61

Tours and Activities in Budapest

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

  • "This is the Way!" - Budapest Photo Tour by Birta Photo: $124
  • 'Best of Pest' 3.5 Hour Private Photography Tour: $112
  • 1 Hour 30 Minutes Downtown Budapest Guided Segway Tour: $93
  • 1. Downtown Pest Side Segway Tour Budapest: $54
  • 10 days private sightseeing tour from Budapest to Prague: $3,109
  • 101 things you have to see in Budapest - Full Day Private Tour: $203
  • 2 Hour Budapest Market and Tasting Tour: $54
  • 2 Hours Cultural and Food Experiences in Budapest: $60
  • 2 Hours Walking Tour in Budapest: $11
  • 2 days Vienna - Bratislava PRIVATE guided tour package from Budapest with lunch: $1,070
  • 2 days Vienna - Wachau Valley PRIVATE guided tour package from Budapest: $1,070
  • 2 hours long private orientation tour in Budapest: $101

Typical Entertainment prices in Ljubljana

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


  • Castle Tower Entrance (for 2)
    $8.41

Tours and Activities in Ljubljana

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

  • Alpine Lakes Tour: $100
  • Axe Throwing Experience in Ljubljana: $26
  • Beer tour of Slovenia - The Ultimate Beer Experience: $2,320
  • Beery Slovenia Tour: $182
  • Best of Ljubljana, Classical walking tour of Capital city: $22
  • Best of Piran, Portoroz, Strunjan, Izola, Koper (PRIVATE V.I.P. TOUR): $211
  • Bike Tour Ljubljana: $62
  • Bled & Bohinj Experience Tour: $144
  • Bled Lake Adventure Day Trip from Ljubljana: $90
  • Bled Lake Day Tour From Ljubljana: $90
  • Bled and Bohinj Alpine Lakes Tour from Ljubljana: $91
  • Bled and Bohinj Lake Bike Tour from Ljubljana: $214

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Budapest $13
    Ljubljana $9.18

Sample the Local Flavors in Budapest

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

  • Bingo Bar Crawl: $15
  • Bingo Bar Crawl: $15
  • Original Budapest Pub Crawl and VIP Club Entrance: $16
  • 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

Typical Alcohol prices in Ljubljana

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Ljubljana are as follows:


  • Drinks at a Sidewalk Cafe (for 2)
    $6.31

Sample the Local Flavors in Ljubljana

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Ljubljana:

  • Pub Crawl Ljubljana: $20
  • Wine Tasting, Slovenian Wine Story: $49
  • Wine Tasting Ljubljana: $56
  • Wine tasting: $56
  • Ljubljana Small-Group Wine Tasting Experience: $58
  • Ljubljana Wine tour: $81
  • Vipava Valley wine tasting experience: $98
  • Wine Tour: Half-Day Tour: $139
  • Medieval Ptuj and Maribor Private Day Trip with Wine Tasting from Ljubljana or Bled: $145
  • Vipava valley wine tour TuamV: $158
  • Wine Tours in Slovenia: $174
  • Maribor Exclusive Wine Tour: $175

About these numbers

When comparing the travel costs between Budapest and Ljubljana, we can see that Ljubljana 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.

Budget Your Trip

Budget Your Trip has average travel costs for thousands of cities around the world, all provided by other travelers. You can also register to organize your spending by category and location with graphs, maps, charts, and tables.
Sign Up

More City Comparisons
Athens vs. Budapest
Athens vs. Ljubljana
Riga vs. Budapest
Riga vs. Ljubljana
Moscow vs. Budapest
Moscow vs. Ljubljana
Tallinn vs. Budapest
Tallinn vs. Ljubljana
Vilnius vs. Budapest
Vilnius vs. Ljubljana
Minsk vs. Budapest
Minsk vs. Ljubljana
Helsinki vs. Budapest
Helsinki vs. Ljubljana
Bucharest vs. Budapest
Bucharest vs. Ljubljana
Istanbul vs. Budapest
Istanbul vs. Ljubljana
Warsaw vs. Budapest
Warsaw vs. Ljubljana
Lisbon vs. Budapest
Lisbon vs. Ljubljana
Copenhagen vs. Budapest
Copenhagen vs. Ljubljana
London vs. Budapest
London vs. Ljubljana
Zurich vs. Budapest
Zurich vs. Ljubljana
Share This Page
Pin This Page
Budapest vs. Ljubljana Travel Comparison

Some of the links on this website are sponsored or affiliate links which help to financially support this site. By clicking the link and making a purchase, we may receive a small commission, but this does not affect the price of your purchase.