Budapest
Thermal baths and ruin bars; no longer the bargain it was.
A day in Budapest
$123
- Lean
- $58
- Comfort
- $272
Real change, 12 months
+0.3%
Flat. Tracks Hungary as a whole.
Against the rest of Hungary
+15%
Pricier than the national figure of $107 a day.
The short answerIn US dollars, as of November 12, 2026
As of November 12, 2026, a mid-range day in Budapest costs about $123 per person, excluding flights: about 15% more than the average for Hungary. Prices for US-dollar travelers are about where they were a year ago in real terms. Thermal baths and ruin bars; no longer the bargain it was.
What your money buys in Hungary
Exchange rates and inflation are national, so the city follows this line. The dashed line is the exchange rate alone; the solid line is after inflation.
Nov 12, 2026After inflation 89.3Exchange rate only 89.9
Budapest, in five questions
City costs are the national model scaled by a premium of +15% that we set by hand. To cite: “Trip Arbitrage (triparbitrage.com), reading of November 12, 2026.”
- How much does a day in Budapest cost?
- About $58 on a lean budget, $123 mid-range and $272 in comfort, per person per day as of November 12, 2026, excluding international flights. These are modeled estimates: the national figure for Hungary, updated daily, scaled by a city premium.
- Is Budapest expensive compared with the rest of Hungary?
- Budapest costs about 15% more than the national average for Hungary, which is $107 a day mid-range. Thermal baths and ruin bars; no longer the bargain it was.
- Is Budapest cheaper to visit than last year?
- The exchange rate moved −0.9% for US-dollar holders over twelve months while prices in Hungary rose +2.2%, a real change of +0.3%. City prices broadly follow the country.
- When is the best time to visit Budapest for lower prices?
- For Hungary the shoulder months, with workable weather and lower prices, are March, April, October, November. Peak season is May, June, September.
- Is Budapest safe?
- The US State Department rates Hungary at Level 1: Normal precautions. Country-wide levels can hide large differences between cities and regions, so read the full advisory.