I have traveled to Hungary three times now, across three distinct decades, giving me a solid understanding of the travel costs in Budapest, Hungary, both historically and currently. My initial visit to Hungary was during the 2000s, my second occurred in the 2010s, and I made my third trip in October of 2024. I also spent the longest duration on this recent visit (17 days), allowing me to gather some precise and up-to-date expenses for you.
This nation has faced inflation as everyone else has, but its currency has consistently depreciated against the U.S. dollar. Therefore, if you are drawing from a dollar account and spending in Hungarian forint, you will find it quite favorable. The same goes for euros: Hungary is a member of the EU and the Schengen Zone, yet it has never adopted the euro. In 2012, I exchanged 230 forints for a dollar; as of now, the rate hovers around 400 to the dollar.
I will delve into specifics regarding everything, but based on my 17-day stay in Budapest, including a few additional trips, my impression is that prices for numerous goods and services have remained relatively stable. However, some have significantly increased over time, particularly in restaurants and hostels. Fortunately, grocery prices are still quite reasonable if you cook at home, and Hungary is among the cheapest wine-producing countries globally. Beer prices are also quite reasonable.
Another significant deal is public transport, particularly local trains and trams, even more so if you stay long enough to utilize a monthly pass like we did.
What essentials do you need for a trip to Budapest? Suitable clothing for the weather, of course, travel insurance, and a way to communicate and use your phone. Our T-Mobile service functioned decently, though it wasn’t always lightning fast, and the map app occasionally lagged during our walks. It was adequate, but you may wish to acquire an eSim for Europe if you have a different carrier or desire faster speeds.
And, of course, make sure to have the Google Translate app: this language is quite challenging to grasp even a few phrases and pronounce them accurately. Thankfully, the level of English proficiency continues to improve, especially among the younger population.
## Travel Costs in Budapest: Transportation
Purchasing a single metro ticket in Budapest will range from $1.15 to $1.80 depending on your travel duration and whether transfers are involved. Nearly no one who isn’t a tourist buys individual tickets, as a monthly pass for all services is roughly $23. Despite not staying for a full month, we definitely got our money’s worth from that option. You can reach nearly all your desired destinations using trams, subways, or buses, providing complete coverage with that ticket and your own two feet.
If your stay isn’t long, a 72-hour pass costs under $14 if you’ll be moving around frequently. Alternatively, the Budapest Card also covers public transportation.
The Budapest metro is fantastic too. There’s a charming original line, the oldest in continental Europe, and riding it offers a fun experience seeing the old stations and trains. It’s barely underground and takes you to Hero’s Square and the impressive Ethnography Museum.
The other lines are deeper and more modern, with certain stations being particularly striking (see the image I captured in one of them above). The trains run frequently, are modern and well-kept. We also rode a few trams and two local buses, the latter taking us to Memento Park, which is challenging to access otherwise.
Additionally, we took two side journeys using Hungarian trains. One was to Szentendre on what was essentially a Soviet-era suburban commuter train, while the other was a more extended trip to Eger. The first ride was about $2 round trip per person, and the second was $7 round trip each.
I must mention that our train ride TO Budapest was fantastic. We traveled from Prague on a nearly seven-hour Regiojet train, which was very comfortable, with waiters delivering food and drink orders from an app, and 500ml Pilsner Urquell beers were just €1.25! The train fare itself cost €41.50 each, including seat selection.
A taxi from the airport to the city center may cost as much as $35, but the reverse trip is half that amount. There is a dedicated metro train from the airport that represents a much better option. In general, you can navigate the city center by cab for $4 to $10. The base rate is 1,100 forint, and it’s an additional 440 per kilometer afterwards. Thus, a 5km journey should cost you approximately $8.25. Getting from the center to Buda Castle should be about that price.
After an eight-year interval,