Which place is cheaper, Budapest or Pretoria?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Pretoria or Budapest?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Pretoria or Budapest? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Pretoria or Budapest?
Pretoria
Located in Gauteng Province, Pretoria is the administrative capital city of South Africa, making it home to many government buildings and three universities. It is actually one of three capital cities, being home to the executive branch, with Cape Town as the legislative capital and Bloemfontein as the judicial capital. Within South Africa, Pretoria is also known as the "Jacaranda City" due to the thousands of jacaranda trees lining its streets, parks, and gardens.
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 Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best Sightseeing Tours in South Africa, 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 dayPretoria $50Budapest $91
The average daily cost (per person) in Pretoria is $50, while the average daily cost in Budapest 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Pretoria and Budapest in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPretoria $25Budapest $50
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPretoria $50Budapest $100
Compare Hotels in Pretoria and Budapest
Looking for a hotel in Pretoria 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: Budapest Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Pretoria $12Budapest $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pretoria
Also for Pretoria, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Sun City Private Transfer: $250
- One Way Private Transfer from Airports and Hotels in Sandton: $89
- Shuttle Transfer from Gauteng to Greater Kruger: $61
- Gauteng, South Africa: Airport transfers, shuttle services: $27
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$7.05
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Metro Pass$3.87
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Budapest
Also for Budapest, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer from Vienna to Budapest: $710
- T72 Tank Driving with Hummer Transfer: $1,603
- Speed boat cruise on Budapest Danube river and private airport transfer package: $91
- Private transfer from Budapest to Zagreb: $936
- Private transfer from Budapest to Vienna: $592
- Private transfer from Budapest to Prague: $1,066
- Private transfer between Budapest and Vienna: $474
- Private Transfer: Budapest to Budapest International Airport (BUD): $44
- Private Transfer in Budapest: $76
- Private Transfer from Budapest to Vienna with 2h of Sightseeing, Local Driver: $235
- Private Transfer from Budapest to Vienna with 2h of Sightseeing: $217
- Private Transfer from Budapest to Liszt Ferenc Airport: $74
Is it cheaper to fly into Pretoria or Budapest?
Prices for flights to both Budapest and Pretoria 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 dayPretoria $15Budapest $23
Typical Food Prices in Budapest
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Budapest:
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Lunch$3.44
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Budapest
For Budapest, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Downtown Budapest Cruise with Pizza and Beer: $45
- Pizza & Beer Downtown Budapest Cruise: $46
- Vegan Hungarian Food Tour (full meals): $52
- Medieval Dinner Show with Drinks: $53
- Vegan Hungarian Food Tour / Local delights: $57
- Private Street Food Tour: $59
- Danube Cruise with Hungarian Dinner and Live Music: $74
- Budapest Danube Cruise with Buffet Dinner, Performances and Music: $75
- Chefparade Cooking School_ Hungarian menu: $79
- Evening Cruise and Dinner with Champagne: $86
- Lángos (Hungary’s nr1 streetfood) cooking class: $87
- Candlelit Dinner River Cruise with Live Music: $91
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pretoria $14Budapest $22
Tours and Activities in Pretoria
For Pretoria, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2 Hours Bicycle Tour in Soweto(Johannesburg): $91
- 4-Hours Pretoria Private History Tour : $83
- Aerial Cableway Private Tour from Johannesburg : $82
- Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Centre Half-Day Tour from Johannesburg: $199
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg from Pretoria, every FRIDAY afternoon: $51
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg, every FRIDAY afternoon: $51
- Artistic Half Day Tour of Johannesburg : $86
- Cheer on the Cheetah Run for Conservation Adventure: $194
- Cradle of Human Kind & Lion & Rhino Park Tour Full day Tour Private : $188
- Cradle of Humankind Half Day Tour with Lunch : $110
- Cradle of Humankind Private Tour and Safari: $108
- Cradle of Humankind half day tour: $102
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$6.91
Tours and Activities in Budapest
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Budapest.
- Danube Bend Private All Day Tour with Lunch, with entrance fees and cruise: $164
- Private Budapest city tour with a daytime Danube river cruise: $240
- 101 things you have to see in Budapest - Full Day Tour with Lunch & Dessert: $186
- 10PM Budapest Danube Cruise with Live Music & Food or Drinks : $20
- 2 Hour Budapest Market and Tasting Tour: $57
- 2 Hours Buda Castle Walking Tour - Walk with a Historian: $39
- 2 Hours Budapest Walking Tour with A Private Guide: $130
- 2 Hours Jewish Heritage Walking Tour - Walk with a Historian: $50
- 2-Hour Private Budapest Castle Walking Tour: $127
- 22 Dog-statues in Budapest - an unusual tour: $25
- 3 Hours Budapest Segway Grand City Tour Buda, Margaret and Pest: $93
- 3-Hour Jewish Quarter Walking Tour in Budapest with Historian: $55
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPretoria $31Budapest $18
Sample the Local Flavors in Budapest
Also in Budapest, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- 5-Hour Pub Crawl through Ruin Bars: $22
- The Original Budapest Pub Crawl - One Hour Open Bar + Free Shots: $22
- Ultimate Budapest Pub Crawl: $23
- Ultimate Budapest Pub Crawl: $23
- Bingo Bar Crawl: $25
- 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: $39
- Tipsy Tour Fun Bar Crawl with a Local Guide: $42
- Drunken History Bar Crawl Tour with Local Drinks: $42
- Private Wine Tasting in Budapest: $50
- Hungarian Wine Tasting (with Cheese and Charcuterie) in Budapest: $50
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pretoria and Budapest, we can see that Budapest is more expensive. And not only is Pretoria much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Pretoria is in Africa and Budapest is in Europe, 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 Pretoria would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Pretoria 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 Pretoria.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Pretoria Expensive? and Is Budapest Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Pretoria or Budapest?
Budapest has a larger population, and is about 5% larger than the population of Pretoria. When comparing the sizes of Pretoria 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.