Should you visit Vilnius or Budapest?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Vilnius and Budapest. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital and largest city in the country of Lithuania. It has a population of more than 500,000 residents and is located in the valley between the Neris River and the Vilnia River in the southeastern part of the country. Visitors come to the city for its beautiful Old Town, impressive architecture, and fascinating culture. In 2009 it was named the European Capital of Culture along with the city of Linz, in Austria.
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.
Which city is cheaper, Budapest or Vilnius?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Vilnius is €76, while the average daily cost in Budapest is €74. 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. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Vilnius and Budapest in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about €68 for a double occupancy room in Vilnius.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around €82 in Budapest For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
On average, meal and food prices in Vilnius cost around €32 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around €13.
Food in Budapest costs travelers about €18 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
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Food
Meals for one day
Vilnius €32
Budapest €18
Typical Food prices in Vilnius
Some typical examples of dining costs in Vilnius are as follows:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vilnius
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Vilnius.
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Vilnius - City of Contrasts - The Original City Tour by bicycle (bike+food tour):
$32
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National Dinner with Folk Show in Vilnius:
$49
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Dinner in local family:
$66
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Cooking Class in Vilnius:
$71
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Cooking Class:
$74
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Vilnius Dinner in the Darkness:
$115
-
Dinner in the Dark Dining Experience in Riga:
$281
Typical Food prices in Budapest
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Budapest:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Budapest
For Budapest, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Lángos (hungarian streetfood) cooking class:
$19
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Dinner & Cruise on the Danube in Budapest:
$23
-
Traveling Spoon Hungarian Goulash Private Online Cooking Class:
$27
-
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
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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
-
Dinner Cruise with Live Music:
$54
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Vilnius is €6.64 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Budapest than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €8.73 on transportation in Budapest on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vilnius
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Vilnius:
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Private transfer: Vilnius Airport (VNO) to Vilnius:
$622
-
Private transfer: Vilnius to Vilnius Airport (VNO):
$622
-
Vilnius to Riga transfer with Sightseeing:
$347
-
Private transfer from Vilnius to Riga or Riga International Airport:
$323
-
Private transfer Vilnius - Riga:
$319
-
Private Transfer Vilnius - Minsk:
$319
-
Private low cost transfer from Vilnius to Minsk:
$254
-
Private Minivan Transfer from Vilnius to Riga:
$208
-
Private transfer from Vilnius to Kaunas:
$118
-
Luxury Car Transfers from Vilnius to VNO Airport Vilnius - Departure:
$92
-
Luxury Car Transfers from VNO Vilnius Airport to Vilnius - Arrival:
$92
-
Departure Private Transfer Vilnius City to Vilnius VNO by Minivan:
$46
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
€7.13
-
Metro Pass
€3.91
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Budapest
Also for Budapest, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Private Airport Transfer Service in Budapest, Hungary:
$18
-
Budapest Private Transfer: Hotel or Apartment to Airport:
$19
-
Budapest Private Transfer: Airport to Hotel or Apartment:
$20
-
Budapest One Way Private Transfer to or from Airport:
$20
-
Private Arrival transfer from Budapest Airport to Budapest City Center:
$21
-
Private Departure Transfer: Budapest City - Budapest Airport:
$21
-
Private Transfer from Budapest City Center to Budapest Ferenc Liszt Airport(BUD):
$22
-
Private Airport Transfer: from Budapest to Budapest International Airport (BUD):
$22
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Budapest Airport Private Departure Transfer : City to Airport:
$22
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Private Transfer from Budapest city to Budapest Airport - departure:
$22
-
Private Transfer from Budapest Airport to the city - arrival:
$22
-
Budapest Airport Transfers:
$23
Is it cheaper to fly into Vilnius or Budapest?
Prices for flights to both Budapest and Vilnius 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.
Entertainment
Vilnius's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around €7.78 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Sightseeing expenses in Budapest, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €19 per day, per person.
Typical Entertainment prices in Vilnius
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Vilnius are as follows:
Tours and Activities in Vilnius
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Vilnius are as follows:
-
10-Day Self-Driving Tour to Baltic States:
$912
-
2-Hour Segway Tours in Vilnius:
$57
-
2-Night Amber Spa Experience in Vilnius:
$956
-
3 Hour Vilnius Food Walking Tour:
$83
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3-Hour Vilnius Food Insider Walking Tour and Tastings:
$96
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6-Hour Trakai National Park Private Walking Tour from Vilnius:
$187
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8 Days Baltic Tour: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia:
$1,095
-
9-Day Lithuania and Latvia Small-Group Tour from Vilnius:
$1,680
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Audio Tours to Curonian Spit UNESCO sand dunes:
$399
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Audio Tours to Geographical Center of Europe:
$96
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Audio Tours to Grutas Park Soviet Time Museum:
$239
-
Audio Tours to Hill of Crosses:
$319
Typical Entertainment prices in Budapest
For Budapest, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
Tours and Activities in Budapest
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Budapest.
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Budapest Private Tour: Buda Castle District Exploration Game:
$3.72
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Discovering Explore the city's hot pools and heroes on an audio tour:
$5.00
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Private Budapest Ghost Tour: Haunted City Exploration Game:
$5.65
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Guided Tour in Budapest Castle District:
$6.22
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Urban Tour of the Outer viii district Budapest:
$6.22
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The Legendary Vampires at the Castle's Court Audio Tour:
$6.59
-
Alternative Street Tip Based Walking Tour of Budapest:
$6.77
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Budapest Downtown and Inner City E-Scooter Tour:
$7.46
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Skip the Line: Aeropark Aviation Museum Entrance Ticket:
$8.01
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Robert Capa Contemporary Photograhy Center Visit Ticket:
$8.71
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Sightseeing Cruise on the Danube with Live Music:
$8.87
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Danube Cruise in Budapest:
$9.58
Alcohol
The average person spends about €5.10 on alcoholic beverages in Vilnius per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Budapest, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €14.
Typical Alcohol prices in Vilnius
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Vilnius from other travelers:
Sample the Local Flavors in Vilnius
Also in Vilnius, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
Sample the Local Flavors in Budapest
Also in Budapest, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Bingo Bar Crawl:
$15
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Bingo Bar Crawl:
$15
-
Ultimate Ruin Pub Crawl:
$18
-
Generation Pub Crawl Budapest:
$19
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Ruin Pub Crawl - Your Keys to the Nightlife of Budapest:
$21
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Budapest Pub Crawl:
$24
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Pest side Pub Crawl - Unlimited drinks for an hour, discover hidden ruin pubs:
$25
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Re-opening Pub Crawls 2020 Summer-Autumn:
$25
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Budapest Pub Crawl with Skip-the-Line Access:
$26
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Epic Local Insider Pub Crawl in Budapest - Every weekend:
$30
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Party Cruise with Pub Crawl option:
$37
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Hungarian Wine Tasting (with Cheese and Charcuterie) in Budapest:
$40
When comparing the travel costs between Vilnius and Budapest, we can see that Vilnius 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.
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