Which place is cheaper, Budapest or Tel Aviv?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Tel Aviv or Budapest?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Tel Aviv or Budapest, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Tel Aviv or Budapest?
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv is the second largest city in Israel and is situated on the Mediterranean coast 60 kilometers north of Jerusalem. It's a rapidly growing city and is one of the most modern and cosmopolitan cities in Israel. The official name is Tel Aviv-Yafo because the city has grown to include the ancient port city of Yafo. If you're looking for an embassy, you are likely to find it in Tel Aviv, despite Jerusalem being the official capital of Israel.
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 Luxury Tours to Israel, The Best Budget Tours to Israel, 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 dayTel Aviv $138Budapest $89
The average daily cost (per person) in Tel Aviv is $138, while the average daily cost in Budapest is $89. 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 Tel Aviv and Budapest in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTel Aviv $85Budapest $49
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTel Aviv $170Budapest $98
Compare Hotels in Tel Aviv and Budapest
Looking for a hotel in Tel Aviv 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: Tel Aviv Hotel Prices and Budapest Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Tel Aviv $8.66Budapest $10
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Tel Aviv
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Tel Aviv are as follows:
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Local Bus to Central Bus Station$1.56
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Taxi to Airport$40
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tel Aviv
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Tel Aviv:
- Tel Aviv Airport (TLV): Private Transfer to Tel Aviv: $452
- Private transfer service from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem: $298
- Private Transfer from Tel Aviv Airport TLV to Cruise Port: $283
- Tel Aviv Airport(TLV) to Haifa city - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $268
- Private Transfer from Herzlia to Jerusalem: $247
- Private Haifa Transfer - from/to Tel Aviv City or (TLV) Airport : $239
- Tel Aviv Airport (TLV) to Tel Aviv - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $229
- Tel Aviv Airport Private Transfer To Dead Sea: $225
- Tel Aviv Private Transfer To Dead Sea: $225
- Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) to Tel Aviv - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $207
- transfer from bengurion airport to Jerusalem : $200
- Private Transfer from Tel Aviv Airport (TLV) to Haifa Cruise Port: $190
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$6.91
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Metro Pass$3.79
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Budapest
Also for Budapest, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Bucharest - Romania to Budapest - Hungary /Private Transfer: $1,181
- Budapest - Bük Transfer: $153
- Budapest - Bratislava Transfer: $199
- Budapest - Debrecen Transfer: $168
- Budapest - Hungary to Bucharest - Romania /Private Transfer: $1,289
- Budapest - Pécs Transfer: $149
- Budapest - Szeged Transfer: $134
- Budapest Airport BUD Arrival Private Transfer to Budapest City: $89
- Budapest Airport Private Departure Transfer : City to Airport: $16
- Budapest Airport Private Luxury Transfer by a Mercedes Benz S Class: $120
- Budapest Airport Transfer: $55
- Budapest Airport Transfer - Round trip to and from Liszt Ferenc Airport: $78
Is it cheaper to fly into Tel Aviv or Budapest?
Prices for flights to both Budapest and Tel Aviv 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 dayTel Aviv $27Budapest $23
Typical Food Prices in Tel Aviv
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Tel Aviv:
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Dinner for Two$22
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Dinner for 2 at Vatroshka$129
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Lunch at Segev Sarona$34
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Aroma Iced Coffee$3.71
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Lunch at the airport$31
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Tel Aviv
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Tel Aviv.
- Tel Aviv Food Tour of the Carmel Market: $49
- Carmel Market Food Tour: $49
- Tel Aviv Food Tour: The Magic of Carmel Market: $49
- 3 hours Levinsky Market Food Tour : $104
Typical Food Prices in Budapest
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Budapest:
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Lunch$3.37
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Budapest
For Budapest, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Traveling Spoon Hungarian Goulash Private Online Cooking Class: $40
- Downtown Budapest Cruise with Pizza and Beer: $45
- Pizza & Beer Downtown Budapest Cruise: $46
- Vegan Hungarian Food Tour (full meals): $51
- Medieval Dinner Show with Drinks: $52
- Private Street Food Tour: $59
- Danube Cruise with Hungarian Dinner and Live Music: $74
- Budapest Danube Cruise with Buffet Dinner, Performances and Music: $75
- Evening Cruise and Dinner with Champagne: $86
- Lángos (Hungary’s nr1 streetfood) cooking class: $87
- Candlelit Dinner River Cruise with Live Music: $91
- Budapest Danube River Candlelit Dinner Cruise with Live Music: $93
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Tel Aviv $23Budapest $22
Typical Entertainment Prices in Tel Aviv
Here are a few typical costs in Tel Aviv for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Masada tour from Tel Aviv$78
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Etzel museum$3.98
Tours and Activities in Tel Aviv
Here are a few actual costs in Tel Aviv for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Self-guided Graffiti tour in Tel Aviv in your own time and your own pace: $24
- 1-Day Tour Jerusalem and the Dead Sea from Tel Aviv: $129
- All the Best of Tel Aviv Walking Tour: $28
- Amazing Tour of The Sarona Templer Colony in Israel: $300
- Best of Golan Heights Day Tour from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv: $190
- Best of Jerusalem Day Tour from Tel Aviv: $154
- Best of Jerusalem and Bethlehem Day Tour from Tel Aviv or Jerusalem: $189
- Best of Tel Aviv and Jaffa Walking Tour - 1 Day: $89
- Bethlehem and Jericho Day Biblical Tour from Tel Aviv: $190
- Bethlehem and Jerusalem Day Tour from Tel Aviv: $99
- Bethlehem, Jericho & Jordan River Tour from Tel Aviv: $109
- Caesarea, Haifa, and Akko: Full-Day Tour: $99
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$6.77
Tours and Activities in Budapest
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Budapest.
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.21
- Free Tour Budapest Essential in Spanish: $3.26
- Budapest Historical Sightseeing - Walking Tour: $3.27
- Free walking tour in the Buda Castle incl. Fisherman's Bastion: $3.27
- Free Walking Tour Budapest incl. the Shoes on the Danube Bank: $3.27
- Communist History Evening Walking Tour of Budapest: $3.27
- Past and Present of Budapest Jewish District Tour: $3.27
- Self Guided City Audio Tour in Buda Castle: $5.45
- Escape Game and Tour: $5.88
- Self-Guided Highlights Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $5.88
- Historical Heroes & Hot Spa Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- TOP 10 Budapest- City Tour : $6.00
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayTel Aviv $22Budapest $18
Sample the Local Flavors in Tel Aviv
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Tel Aviv:
- Pub Crawl and Nightlife Tour with Shots: $21
- Pub Crawl with Clubs, dance bars and free shots: $21
- Guided Pub Crawl Night Tour at Tel Aviv: $24
- Pub Crawl with 4 Stops and Free Shots: $30
- Tel Aviv Craft Beers Pub Crawl: $42
- Wine Tour North of Israel from Tel Aviv: $959
Sample the Local Flavors in Budapest
Also in Budapest, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- The Original Budapest Pub Crawl - One Hour Open Bar + Free Shots: $17
- 5-Hour Pub Crawl through Ruin Bars: $21
- Ultimate Budapest Pub Crawl: $23
- Ultimate Budapest Pub Crawl: $23
- Bingo Bar Crawl: $25
- Budapest Original Ruin Pub Crawl Including 5 Shots: $28
- 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: $38
- Tipsy Tour Fun Bar Crawl with a Local Guide: $42
- Drunken History Bar Crawl Tour with Local Drinks: $42
- Hungarian Wine Tasting (with Cheese and Charcuterie) in Budapest: $50
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Tel Aviv and Budapest, we can see that Tel Aviv is more expensive. And not only is Budapest much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Tel Aviv is in Middle East 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 Budapest would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Budapest 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 Tel Aviv would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Tel Aviv than you might in Budapest.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Tel Aviv Expensive? and Is Budapest Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Tel Aviv or Budapest?
Budapest has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Tel Aviv. When comparing the sizes of Tel Aviv 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.