Hungary on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes, Hungary works well on a budget, especially if you eat lunch menus and travel by train. Plan on about 28,500 Ft per person per day (bed 12,000, food 9,000, sights 5,000, transport 2,500), less outside Budapest.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | Ft12,000 | Ft25,000 | Ft55,000 |
| Food & drink | Ft9,000 | Ft16,000 | Ft30,000 |
| Sights & tickets | Ft5,000 | Ft10,000 | Ft16,000 |
| Local transport | Ft2,500 | Ft5,000 | Ft12,000 |
| Per person, per day | Ft28,500 | Ft56,000 | Ft113,000 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Hungary day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Walk across the Széchenyi Chain Bridge and up Castle Hill instead of taking the funicular
- Climb Gellért Hill to the Liberty Statue for sunset over the bridges
- See the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial near the Parliament
- Browse the Great Market Hall at the Liberty Bridge (closed Sundays)
- Walk Andrássy Avenue to Heroes' Square and City Park
- Walk the Tagore promenade in Balatonfüred and the trails of the Tihany peninsula
Cheap eats
- Weekday napi menü lunch: about 2,500–4,000 Ft
- Lángos with sour cream and cheese at a market: a few thousand forints at most
- Gulyás (goulash soup) in a simple restaurant: part of a 4,000–7,000 Ft meal or less at lunch
- Kürtőskalács chimney cake: a modest street-food price
- Glass of Egri Bikavér in the Szépasszony-völgy cellars: about 300–500 Ft
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in hostels and apartments in Budapest's District VII (Jewish Quarter), about 15,000–30,000 Ft a night for a room, close to the nightlife and transport. Outside the capital, guesthouses in Eger or Balatonfüred cost about 25,000–45,000 Ft for a double.
Getting around cheaply
In Budapest, a single ticket is about 450 Ft, a 24-hour card about 2,500 Ft and a 72-hour card about 5,500 Ft. The 100E airport bus reaches Deák tér in about 40 minutes for about 2,200 Ft. MÁV trains are cheap and frequent, for example about 3,000–4,000 Ft to Eger; buy tickets in the MÁV app.
A sample budget day
- Morning: walk across the Chain Bridge and up Castle Hill, see the Fisherman's Bastion lower terraces (free)
- Lunch: napi menü in Pest (about 3,000 Ft)
- Afternoon: Great Market Hall and the Shoes on the Danube Bank, tram 2 along the river (24-hour card about 2,500 Ft)
- Evening: sunset on Gellért Hill and a drink in a ruin bar (about 3,000–4,000 Ft)
- Total: about 9,000–10,000 Ft plus your bed (12,000 Ft per person), so roughly 21,000–28,500 Ft
More ways to save
- Choose one thermal bath rather than several; tickets cost about 12,000–15,000 Ft at Széchenyi.
- Book the Parliament tour online in advance; EU citizens pay roughly half.
- Use the HÉV suburban train to Szentendre rather than an organised Danube Bend tour.
- Check whether service is already on the bill before tipping 10–15%.
- Buy paprika, salami and picnic food at markets rather than souvenir shops.
- Visit Lake Balaton in June or September, when strands and rooms are cheaper than in July and August.
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Common questions
Can you visit Hungary on a budget?
Yes, at about 28,500 Ft a day with hostels in District VII, lunch menus and public transport.
What is the cheapest way from Budapest airport?
Bus 100E to Deák tér, about 40 minutes for about 2,200 Ft.
What can you do for free in Budapest?
Walk Castle Hill and the Chain Bridge, climb Gellért Hill, see the Shoes on the Danube Bank and browse the Great Market Hall.