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Bucharest on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Bucharest is an easy city to do on a budget, with cheap food, transport and sights. A realistic minimum is about 230 lei (roughly €46) per person a day: 100 lei for a bed, 80 for food, 40 for sights and 10 for transport.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | lei100 | lei220 | lei500 |
| Food & drink | lei80 | lei160 | lei350 |
| Sights & tickets | lei40 | lei90 | lei160 |
| Local transport | lei10 | lei30 | lei80 |
| Per person, per day | lei230 | lei500 | lei1,090 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Bucharest day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Walking the Old Town and the courtyard of Stavropoleos Monastery.
- Revolution Square and the length of Calea Victoriei.
- The glass-roofed Pasajul Macca-Villacrosse.
- Herastrau (King Michael I) Park and its lakeside paths.
- The ruins of the Old Princely Court seen from the street.
- The Christmas market in front of the Palace of the Parliament in December.
Cheap eats
- Mici from a grill or Obor market: about 4–6 lei each.
- Papanasi (fried doughnuts with sour cream and jam): a cheap, filling dessert.
- Ciorba de perisoare (meatball soup) at a canteen-style restaurant.
- Sarmale with polenta and sour cream as a lunch main.
- Specialty coffee around Piata Romana.
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in hostels and guesthouses in the Old Town and Universitate area, from about 150–300 lei a room; the Old Town is noisy at weekends, so a street or two away is quieter.
Getting around cheaply
Walk the centre and use the metro (about 5 lei a ride). From Otopeni Airport, take express bus 783 (40–60 minutes) or the train to Gara de Nord (about 20 minutes). Use Bolt or Uber for longer rides.
A sample budget day
- Morning: walk the Old Town and Stavropoleos Monastery's courtyard (free).
- Lunch: mici and a beer near Obor or the Old Town (about 30 lei).
- Afternoon: walk Calea Victoriei to the Athenaeum, then metro to the Village Museum (about 35 lei).
- Evening: sarmale and papanasi at a Romanian restaurant (about 60 lei).
- Total: about 230 lei including a 100 lei bed share; add about 60–80 lei on the day you book the Palace of the Parliament tour.
More ways to save
- Book the Palace of the Parliament tour ahead; walking up without a booking often fails.
- Check which museums close on Mondays and Tuesdays before planning.
- Do Sinaia and Peles by train from Gara de Nord rather than an organised tour.
- Eat a big lunch, when set menus are cheaper.
- Stay a few streets away from the Old Town party lanes for lower prices and quieter nights.
- Pay by card; contactless works almost everywhere.
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Common questions
Can you visit Bucharest on a budget?
Yes. Hostels, mici, the metro and cheap museum tickets make about 230 lei a day realistic.
What is the cheapest way from the airport?
Express bus 783 to the centre (40–60 minutes) or the train to Gara de Nord (about 20 minutes).
Is a day trip to Peles Castle affordable?
Yes. The train to Sinaia is about 30–50 lei each way and Peles about 50 lei for the ground floor.