I have traveled to Hungary on three separate occasions, across three distinct decades, which gives me a solid understanding of the fluctuations in travel expenses in Budapest, Hungary, both historically and presently. My initial visit to Hungary was during the ’00s, followed by another in the ’10s, and my latest in October of 2024. I also dedicated the most time to this recent visit (17 days), so I have some precise and up-to-date figures for you.
Although this nation has faced inflation like many others, it has also witnessed a consistent decline in its currency against the U.S. dollar. Therefore, if you’re withdrawing from a dollar account and spending in Hungarian forints, you’re likely to fare quite well. This applies to euros too: Hungary is part of the EU and the Schengen Zone, yet it has never adopted the euro. In 2012, I exchanged 230 forints for a dollar; currently, the rate hovers around 400 forints to a dollar.
I will provide detailed information on everything, but my impression after 17 days in Budapest, combined with several side trips, is that prices for many goods and services have hardly changed. However, some have increased significantly over time, particularly in the restaurant and hostel sectors. Fortunately, groceries remain a relatively good deal if you dine at home, and it’s among the cheapest wine countries worldwide. Beer prices are reasonable too.
Another significant value is public transport, especially local trains and trams, which becomes even more economical if you stay long enough to benefit from a monthly pass, as we did.
What should you pack for a trip to Budapest? Suitable clothing for the weather, naturally, travel insurance, and a means to stay connected and utilize your phone. Our T-Mobile service functioned adequately, although it wasn’t always particularly fast and the map app occasionally lagged while navigating. Sufficient, but you may prefer to obtain an eSim for Europe if you’re using a different carrier or desire quicker speeds.
And don’t forget the Google Translate app: this language is quite challenging to grasp even a few phrases and pronounce accurately. Thankfully, English proficiency continues to improve, especially among younger individuals.
## Travel Costs in Budapest: Transportation
Purchasing a single metro ticket in Budapest will set you back between $1.15 and $1.80, depending on the duration needed and whether transfers are involved. Almost no one who isn’t a tourist buys single tickets, as a monthly pass for all services is roughly $23. Even though we weren’t there for a full month, we definitely got our money’s worth from that purchase. Almost all places you want to visit can be accessed via tram, subway, or bus, so you’re entirely covered with just that and your own two feet.
If you won’t be staying for long, a 72-hour pass costs under $14 if you plan to traverse a lot. Alternatively, the Budapest Card includes public transport as well.
The Budapest metro system is fantastic too. There’s a nostalgic original line that is the oldest in continental Europe, and riding it to observe the historic stations and carriages is enjoyable. It’s very close to the surface and will take you to Hero’s Square and the amazing Ethnography Museum.
The other lines are deeper and more modern, with several stations that are quite spectacular (refer to the photo I captured in one of them above). The lines feature frequent service, nice new trains, and are well-kept. We also used a couple of trams and two local buses, the latter to reach Memento Park, which is otherwise difficult to access.
Additionally, we enjoyed two side trips on Hungarian trains. One was to Szentendre on what was essentially a Soviet-era suburban commuter train, and the other was a proper adventure to Eger, much farther away. The first journey was about $2 for each round trip, while the second amounted to $7 for each round trip.
I should note that our train ride TO Budapest was fantastic. We traveled from Prague on a nearly seven-hour Regiojet train, which was very comfortable, complemented by waiters serving food and drinks ordered via an app and 500ml Pilsner Urquell beers costing just €1.25! The train ticket itself was €41.50 each, including seat selections.
A taxi ride from the airport to the city center can amount to as much as $35, while the reverse journey is half that. There’s a dedicated metro train from the airport that presents a much better deal. Generally, you can get around the center in a taxi for $4 to $10. The base fare is 1,100 forints, followed by 440 per kilometer after that. Thus, a 5km ride should run you around $8.25. A trip from the center to Buda Castle should cost about that.
After an eight-year hiatus,