We spent five days visiting Budapest, Hungary, in mid-July. We loved Budapest and easily could have spent much more time in the city–if only to have more time to try all the delicious cafes we passed. It was definitely one of Jonathan’s favorite cities we’ve visited; he especially liked the architecture, the baths and the food scene. Megan had previously visited Budapest during Christmas market season so she knew she loved it, and it was fun to explore the city again in the summer to see what it has to offer in warm weather.
Budapest: $782.35
Transportation: $0
We walked everywhere in Budapest, except our wine tour to Etyek (cost included in “Entertainment” below). The bus station was a bit far from our apartment–about a 50-minute walk–which is the furthest we’ve walked from a bus station so far, but the weather was pleasant so we opted not to take the metro. Average: $0/day.
Lodging: $211.17
We stayed in an adorable (yet tiny) Airbnb studio with a loft bed that was technically in “Inner City” but was only a few blocks from the Jewish Quarter, where we did most of our eating, drinking and wandering. Average: $42.23/night.
Eating out: $206.40
Honestly, I’m surprised our daily spending on eating out is so low; enjoying all the food and drink options was definitely our favorite activity while visiting Budapest! We drank flat whites every day, had delicious brunches, stopped for drinks, sampled traditional Hungarian food, and visited fun food markets like Street Food Karavan and Hold Street Market [above left]. I guess the food was pretty affordable, considering all that! Average: $41.28/day.
Groceries/household items: $19.85
Let’s be honest: this was mostly alcohol. We also bought some Hungarian candy recommended by our free walking tour guide. Average: $3.97/day.
Entertainment (tours, etc.): $297.09
We did quite a few paid activities in Budapest. Our wine tour to Etyek was $196.83 (including tip), so that was definitely a splurge. We also tipped our free walking tour guide ($13.85), visited the House of Terror museum ($20.72) and spent time at two of Budapest’s famous thermal baths: Rudas ($24.17, pictured above left) and Gellert ($42.12, above right). Average: $59.42/day.
Gifts & souvenirs: $16.89
In addition to our usual postcards and stamps, we purchased two bottles of wine during our Etyek tour. Average: $3.38/day.
Travel insurance: $30.95
We have travel insurance through World Nomads for $6.19/day. Travel insurance costs will vary depending on chosen plan, length of travel, location, etc.
Total: $156.47/day = $78.23/person* per day
*Did you know we have a new page on the blog completely dedicated to Money & Budgeting? Check it out! We also list our country-specific costs on this page, but those numbers might differ a bit from the numbers shown here. The numbers in our detailed budgeting posts (like this one) are a true reflection of what we personally spent on our trip. The numbers on the Money & Budgeting page are meant to reflect what a typical tourist traveling at our comfort level can expect to spend.
Of course, you can always spend far less (or far more) than the numbers listed here or on our Money & Budgeting page. These figures are provided as a loose guide to help you plan travels within your budget range.
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