Which place is cheaper, Balaton Lake or Vienna?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Vienna or Balaton Lake?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Vienna or Balaton Lake, 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: Vienna or Balaton Lake?
Vienna
Vienna is the largest city and capital of Austria. It has a population of over 1.7 million and is a cultural, political and economic center for the country. The historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and some complain that it feels more like a museum than a real city. Outside of the historical center though, is a young and vibrant city with a huge music scene, many street performers, and eclectic and fun restaurants and nightclubs.
Balaton Lake
Balaton is a major freshwater lake in Hungary and the largest lake in Central Europe with a shoreline of 197 kilometers. The region around the lake is a popular holiday destination with a great number of resort towns and high-rise hotels to accommodate visitors seeking out lakeside activities, beaches, volcanic hills, and vineyards. Some of the towns are also very historic, offering examples from eighteenth-century art and architecture to castle ruins.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Austria, The Best Tours for Seniors to Austria, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Hungary, and The Best Luxury Tours to Hungary.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayVienna €151Balaton Lake €80
The average daily cost (per person) in Vienna is €151, while the average daily cost in Balaton Lake is €80. 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 Vienna and Balaton Lake in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personVienna €94Balaton Lake €45
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomVienna €188Balaton Lake €90
Compare Hotels in Vienna and Balaton Lake
Looking for a hotel in Vienna or Balaton Lake? 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: Vienna Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Vienna €19Balaton Lake €11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Vienna
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Vienna:
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Bus to Airport€30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vienna
Also for Vienna, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Bratislava: Bus Transfer to/from Vienna: $9.52
- Bratislava: Bus Transfer to/from Vienna Airport: $12
- CAT Transfer: Vienna Airport – Wien Mitte: $16
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from Viena Airport(VIE)-Viena City : $35
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from Viena City - Viena Airport (VIE): $35
- Private Transfer from Vienna Airport (VIE) to Vienna City Center: $44
- Private Transfer from Vienna City Center to Vienna Airport (VIE): $44
- Private One Way Transfer from Vienna Hotels to Vienna Airport: $44
- Vienna International Airport (VIE) to Vienna Downtown - Arrival Private Transfer: $45
- Vienna Downtown to Vienna Intl Airport (VIE) - Departure Private Transfer: $45
- Private Transfer from Vienna Airport to Hotel in Vienna: $49
- Transfer in Private Minivan Viena Airport (VIE)-Viena City : $50
Is it cheaper to fly into Vienna or Balaton Lake?
Prices for flights to both Balaton Lake and Vienna 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 dayVienna €33Balaton Lake €25
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vienna
For Vienna, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Hard Rock Cafe with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $28
- Performance Of The Lipizzans At Spanish Riding School: $43
- Naschmarkt Food Tour: $64
- Vienna Naschmarket Food Tour: $65
- Traditional Vienna Tasting Dinner With Folk Music: $68
- Traditional Vienna Tasting Dinner with Folk Music: $70
- Naschmarkt Guided Food Tour: $74
- Vienna Evening Sightseeing Cruise With Music and Dinner: $74
- 3-Course Evening Dinner Cruise: $76
- Traditional Dinner Show at the Wiener Rathauskeller: $84
- Kursalon New Year's Day Concert with optional Dinner: $87
- Schnitzel cooking class with Nicole: $98
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Vienna €38Balaton Lake €19
Tours and Activities in Vienna
For Vienna, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.21
- Escape Game and Tour: $3.21
- Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt and Tour: $4.81
- City Exploration Game and Tour on your Phone: $6.41
- Cultural Heart of the City Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- Top of Vienna in One Day: An English Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.87
- Detective Trail Mystery tour for the whole family: $8.02
- MAK - Geymüllerschlössel Entry Ticket: $8.02
- Walking Tour of the MuseumsQuartier with Guide: $8.56
- Vienna Cathedral District Audio Tour (EN) (NO Ticket): $8.80
- Walking Around Hofburg Palace In-App Audio Tour (EN): $8.80
- Capuchins Crypt Entrance Ticket: $9.09
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayVienna €17Balaton Lake €8.18
Sample the Local Flavors in Vienna
Also in Vienna, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Pub Crawl Vienna: $16
- Vienna Nights Pub Crawl: $16
- City Center Pub Crawl: $27
- Local Pub Crawl Vienna: $27
- Wine Tasting at Traditional Cellar: $34
- Guided Wine Tasting in a Private Wine Cellar: $39
- Viennese Wine Tasting in a Private Hidden Wine Cellar: $39
- Wine Tasting at Schönbrunn Palace: $48
- Austrian Wine Tasting Experience: $63
- Vienna Historical Highlight City Tour + Wine Tasting: $74
- Skip-the-Line Schönbrunn Palace Entry & Wine Tasting: $82
- Wine Tasting E-Bike Tour: $91
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Vienna and Balaton Lake, we can see that Vienna is more expensive. And not only is Balaton Lake much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Balaton Lake would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Balaton Lake 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 Vienna would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Vienna than you might in Balaton Lake.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Vienna Expensive? and Is Balaton Lake Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Vienna or Balaton Lake?
Vienna has a larger population, and is about 820 times larger than the population of Balaton Lake. When comparing the sizes of Vienna and Balaton Lake, 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.
When is the best time to visit Vienna or Balaton Lake?
Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.
Should I visit Vienna or Balaton Lake in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Vienna as well as Balaton Lake. Most visitors come to Vienna for the music scene and the family-friendly experiences during these months.
In the summer, Vienna is around the same temperature as Balaton Lake. Typically, the summer temperatures in Vienna in July average around 23°C (73°F), and Balaton Lake averages at about 22°C (71°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Balaton Lake. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Vienna this time of the year. In the summer, Vienna often gets less sunshine than Balaton Lake. Vienna gets 255 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Balaton Lake receives 302 hours of full sun.
Vienna usually gets around the same amount of rain in July as Balaton Lake. Vienna gets 63 mm (2.5 in) of rain, while Balaton Lake receives 61 mm (2.4 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyVienna 23°C (73°F)Balaton Lake 22°C (71°F)
Should I visit Vienna or Balaton Lake in the Autumn?
Both Balaton Lake and Vienna are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The autumn months attract visitors to Vienna because of the shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area.
In October, Vienna is generally around the same temperature as Balaton Lake. Daily temperatures in Vienna average around 12°C (54°F), and Balaton Lake fluctuates around 13°C (56°F).
Vienna usually receives less sunshine than Balaton Lake during autumn. Vienna gets 140 hours of sunny skies, while Balaton Lake receives 169 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In October, Vienna usually receives more rain than Balaton Lake. Vienna gets 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain, while Balaton Lake receives 38 mm (1.5 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberVienna 12°C (54°F)Balaton Lake 13°C (56°F)
Should I visit Vienna or Balaton Lake in the Winter?
Both Balaton Lake and Vienna during the winter are popular places to visit. The museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine are the main draw to Vienna this time of year.
Be prepared for some very cold days in Balaton Lake. It's quite cold in Vienna in the winter. Vienna is much warmer than Balaton Lake in the winter. The daily temperature in Vienna averages around 2°C (36°F) in January, and Balaton Lake fluctuates around 0°C (32°F).
In the winter, Vienna often gets less sunshine than Balaton Lake. Vienna gets 65 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Balaton Lake receives 72 hours of full sun.
Vienna usually gets around the same amount of rain in January as Balaton Lake. Vienna gets 38 mm (1.5 in) of rain, while Balaton Lake receives 39 mm (1.5 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryVienna 2°C (36°F)Balaton Lake 0°C (32°F)
Should I visit Vienna or Balaton Lake in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Vienna and Balaton Lake. Many travelers come to Vienna for the natural beauty.
In the spring, Vienna is around the same temperature as Balaton Lake. Typically, the spring temperatures in Vienna in April average around 13°C (55°F), and Balaton Lake averages at about 12°C (54°F).
In Vienna, it's very sunny this time of the year. Vienna usually receives more sunshine than Balaton Lake during spring. Vienna gets 202 hours of sunny skies, while Balaton Lake receives 187 hours of full sun in the spring.
In April, Vienna usually receives less rain than Balaton Lake. Vienna gets 51 mm (2 in) of rain, while Balaton Lake receives 56 mm (2.2 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilVienna 13°C (55°F)Balaton Lake 12°C (54°F)
Typical Weather for Balaton Lake and Vienna
| Vienna | Balaton Lake | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 2°C (36°F) | 38 mm (1.5 in) | 0°C (32°F) | 39 mm (1.5 in) |
| Feb | 4°C (38°F) | 42 mm (1.7 in) | 3°C (37°F) | 32 mm (1.3 in) |
| Mar | 8°C (46°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 7°C (45°F) | 38 mm (1.5 in) |
| Apr | 13°C (55°F) | 51 mm (2 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 56 mm (2.2 in) |
| May | 17°C (63°F) | 61 mm (2.4 in) | 17°C (63°F) | 63 mm (2.5 in) |
| Jun | 20°C (69°F) | 74 mm (2.9 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 84 mm (3.3 in) |
| Jul | 23°C (73°F) | 63 mm (2.5 in) | 22°C (71°F) | 61 mm (2.4 in) |
| Aug | 22°C (72°F) | 58 mm (2.3 in) | 22°C (71°F) | 63 mm (2.5 in) |
| Sep | 18°C (64°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) | 18°C (65°F) | 47 mm (1.9 in) |
| Oct | 12°C (54°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 13°C (56°F) | 38 mm (1.5 in) |
| Nov | 7°C (45°F) | 50 mm (2 in) | 7°C (44°F) | 56 mm (2.2 in) |
| Dec | 3°C (37°F) | 43 mm (1.7 in) | 2°C (36°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
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.