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

Should you visit Tbilisi or Budapest?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Tbilisi 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: Tbilisi or Budapest?

Tbilisi

Tbilisi is the capital of the country of Georgia. Its cobblestoned old town reflects a long, complicated history, with periods under Persian and Russian rule. Its diverse architecture encompasses Eastern Orthodox churches, ornate art nouveau buildings and Soviet Modernist structures. Looming over it all are Narikala, a reconstructed 4th-century fortress, and Kartlis Deda, an iconic statue of the "Mother of Georgia." Tbilisi’s eternal charms of a dramatic setting in the deep valley of the swift Mtkvari River, picturesque architecture, an ever-lively arts and cultural scene, and the welcoming Georgian lifestyle have been added a whole new 21st-century dimension of inviting cafes and restaurants serving ever better food, up-to-date lodgings from backpacker hostels to international five-stars, interesting bars and clubs, spruced-up museums, galleries, parks, plazas and whole streets, modernized transport and a sprinkling of eye-catching contemporary architecture. The mix of modern and ancient elements makes Tbilisi the beating heart of the South Caucasus and it is well worth a visit.

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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Budapest, and The Best 10-Day Tours from Budapest.


Which place is cheaper, Budapest or Tbilisi?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Tbilisi is $29, while the average daily cost in Budapest is $90. 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 Tbilisi and Budapest in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Tbilisi $12
    Budapest $49
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Tbilisi $24
    Budapest $98
Compare Hotels in Tbilisi and Budapest

Looking for a hotel in Tbilisi 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.

Hotels in Tbilisi


Hotels in Budapest


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
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Tbilisi $6.12
    Budapest $10

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tbilisi

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

  • Private transfer: Yerevan-Tbilisi: $250
  • From Tbilisi:Private Transfer service To Batumi: $244
  • 4 Days Private Tour in Georgia With Free Airport Transfers: $237
  • Tbilisi-Batumi Private Transfer: $220
  • Transfer from Tbilisi to Yerevan whith tour.: $180
  • Private Transfer from Tbilisi to Gudauri : $180
  • Tbilisi - Yerevan Private Transfer: $179
  • Transfer Georgia To Armenia With Tour: $178
  • 4 Group Tours Including Airport Transfers: $172
  • From Tbilisi:Private Transfer service To Gudauri Or Kazbegi: $163
  • Private Transfer from Tbilisi To Gudauri or vice versa: $160
  • 3-Day Tbilisi & Mtskheta Discovery + Airport Transfers: $159

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Budapest

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


  • Short Taxi Ride
    $6.93
  • Metro Pass
    $3.81

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Budapest

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

  • Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Budapest HTL-APT (BUD): $57
  • Transfer from Vienna to Budapest: $717
  • T72 Tank Driving with Hummer Transfer: $1,576
  • Private transfer from Budapest to Zagreb: $945
  • Private transfer from Budapest to Vienna: $597
  • Private transfer from Budapest to Prague: $1,075
  • Private transfer from Budapest to Bratislava with Hotel or Airport pick-up: $279
  • Private transfer between Budapest and Vienna: $478
  • Private Transfer: Budapest to Budapest International Airport (BUD): $44
  • Private Transfer from Budapest to Zagreb with 2 hours for sightseeing: $271
  • Private Transfer from Budapest to Zadar, Hotel-to-hotel, English-speaking driver: $286
  • Private Transfer from Budapest to Vienna, English-speaking driver: $199

Is it cheaper to fly into Tbilisi or Budapest?

Prices for flights to both Budapest and Tbilisi 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
    Tbilisi $7.93
    Budapest $23

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Tbilisi

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

  • Natural Wine Degustation and Tasting with Georgian Dinner Option: $20
  • Small-Group Khinkali and Khachapuri Cooking Class in Tbilisi: $24
  • Georgian Cooking Class with Khinkali and Khachapuri: $25
  • Middle East Evening with Live Singers and Dinner in Tbilisi: $40
  • Adjarian Khachapuri Making Private Virtual Cooking Class: $40
  • Tbilisi Food Tour in a Local Family: $49
  • Tbilisi Food Tour in a Local Family: $49
  • Tbilisi Street Food Tour: $70
  • Vegetarian Georgian Cooking Class: $78
  • Tbilisi Street Food Tour: $90
  • Traditional Georgian Food - Cooking Masterclass at Family: $103
  • Nana's Kitchen - traditional Georgian cooking class at real Georgian family home: $110

Typical Food Prices in Budapest

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


  • Lunch
    $3.38

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: $35
  • Pizza & Beer Downtown Budapest Cruise: $35
  • Traveling Spoon Hungarian Goulash Private Online Cooking Class: $40
  • Vegan Hungarian Food Tour (full meals): $51
  • Medieval Dinner Show with Drinks: $53
  • Evening Cruise and Dinner with Champagne: $74
  • Danube Cruise with Hungarian Dinner and Live Music: $75
  • Dinner & Cruise on the Danube with Folklore Dance Show & Live Music: $76
  • Dinner Cruise with Operetta and Folk Show: $86
  • 3 course Dinner Cruise with Operetta and Folk Show: $87
  • 3 course Dinner Cruise with Piano Battle Show: $87
  • Lángos (Hungary’s nr1 streetfood) cooking class: $88

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Tbilisi $14
    Budapest $22

Tours and Activities in Tbilisi

For Tbilisi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Borjomi city tour,Тур по Городу Боржоми: $70
  • Full Day Private Tour in Vardzia, Rabati and Borjomi with Guide: $90
  • Kakheti wine region - Private Tour : $72
  • Mtskheta One Day Tour: $58
  • Vardzia - Rabati - Borjomi · Full Day Private Tour · Trending Georgia: $83
  • tour in art-studio in suburb of Tbilisi,you can take memories of georgia along: $103
  • 'Uplistsikhe'-Borjomi 1 Day Tour: $50
  • "Exploring A Personalized Private Tour by Car": $98
  • "Tbilisi to Borjomi Rabati Vardzia:Full-Day GuidedGroupTour: $134
  • "Tbilisi to Kazbegi, Gudauri, Ananuri Group Guided Tour": $17
  • "Bodbe,Signaghi,Telavi:GuidedTour FreeWineTasting: $20
  • 002 | Kakheti Wine Region Full Day Tour -Group: $25

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
    $6.80

Tours and Activities in Budapest

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

  • E-ticket to Vajdahunyad Castle with Audio Tour on Your Phone : $19
  • Private Budapest city tour with a daytime Danube river cruise: $243
  • 1 Hour Budapest Segway Tour - Parliament Hightails: $39
  • 2 Hour Budapest Market and Tasting Tour: $57
  • 2 Hours Buda Castle Walking Tour - Walk with a Historian: $38
  • 2 Hours Jewish Heritage Walking Tour - Walk with a Historian: $49
  • 2-Hour Private Budapest Castle Walking Tour: $128
  • 2-Hour Private Night Tour of Budapest: $268
  • 22 Dog-statues in Budapest - an unusual tour: $25
  • 3 Cocktail Cruise Budapest Winter Edition: $35
  • 3 Hours Budapest Segway Grand City Tour Buda, Margaret and Pest: $94
  • 3-Hour Budapest E-Bike Adventure!: $52

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Tbilisi $18
    Budapest $18

Sample the Local Flavors in Tbilisi

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Tbilisi:

  • Tbilisi Walking Tour Including Wine Tasting Cable Car and Bakery: $14
  • Tbilisi Walking Tour with Cable Cars, Wine Tasting and Traditional Bakery: $15
  • Wine Tasting Feel the Difference of Qvevri or Classical Wine: $16
  • Full Day Wine Tour Bodbe , Sighnaghi , Telavi: $16
  • Kakheti: Sighnaghi city of love, Bodbe, Telavi, Free wine tasting: $18
  • Kakheti Wine Tour, Кахетия -Винный Тур: $19
  • Tbilisi.First impression of Tbilisi-evening walking,wine tasting: $19
  • Kakheti Day Group Tour: Free Wine Tasting: $20
  • Full Day Bodbe Sighnaghi and Telavi Wine Tasting Tour: $20
  • City Pub Crawl with welcome shots in game format: $24
  • Kakheti: Bodbe (Monastery), Sighnaghi (Love city), Telavi Wine Tour from Tbilisi: $24
  • From Kakheti Vineyard Tour with Wine Tasting: $24

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
  • Ultimate Budapest Pub Crawl: $23
  • Bingo Bar Crawl: $25
  • Ruin Bar Pub Crawl with Entry Tickets: $29
  • Detective Pub Crawl Game by App: $38
  • Tipsy Tour Fun Bar Crawl with a Local Guide: $40
  • 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
  • Pub Crawl Through The Ruin Bars in Budapest with T-shirt Included: $54
  • All You Can Drink Pub Crawl Through The Ruin Bars in Budapest: $60
  • Wine Tasting Walk in Jewish Quarter Bars: $60


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

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


Which is Bigger, Tbilisi or Budapest?

Budapest has a larger population, and is about 62% larger than the population of Tbilisi. When comparing the sizes of Tbilisi 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.