Budapest Price Index
What a beer, a goulash, a bath ticket or a metro pass costs in Budapest right now. Every figure comes from the venue’s or operator’s own menu or price list, with the date we read it. Where a pricier version of the same thing exists, it sits next to it.
Drinks
| What | Price | The pricier version |
|---|---|---|
| Beer in a neighborhood pub (0.5 l)A kocsma is a plain local pub. Soproni at Grinzingi, Dreher at Kakas Presszó.Source: Grinzingi, Kakas Presszó (read ) | 1,200–1,320 Ft | none published |
| Beer in a ruin bar (0.5 l)Szimpla is the famous one and prices to match. Kobuci Kert and Instant-Fogas cost less.Source: Kobuci Kert, Instant-Fogas, Szimpla Kert (read ) | 1,320–1,570 Ft | 2,200–2,500 Ft at Szimpla Kert |
| Fröccs (wine spritzer)Bars price the wine and the soda by the deciliter. A nagyfröccs is 2 dl wine and 1 dl soda.Source: Grinzingi, Kakas Presszó (read ) | wine 400–590 Ft/dl, soda 60–130 Ft/dl | none published |
| EspressoSource: Grinzingi, Kakas Presszó (read ) | 800–870 Ft | none published |
| CocktailSource: Kakas Presszó, Szimpla Kert (read ) | 2,990–3,890 Ft | 4,000–5,500 Ft at Szimpla Kert |
Food
| What | Price | The pricier version |
|---|---|---|
| Lángos with sour cream and cheeseRetro Lángos versus the two lángos bars on Duna utca, a block from the river.Source: Retro Lángos, Danube Goulash & Lángos Bar, Mama Paprika (read ) | 3,490 Ft | 4,990–5,490 Ft + 15% service on Duna utca |
| Goulash soupMama Goulash and Gettó Gulyás (Gettó adds 12% service). It is a soup, not a stew.Source: Mama Goulash, Gettó Gulyás, Danube Goulash & Lángos Bar, Mama Paprika (read ) | 2,900–3,090 Ft | 5,990–6,990 Ft + 15% service on Duna utca |
| Weekday lunch menu (soup + main)Weekdays only, at Mini Ételbár, Mákvirág and Semmi Extra. Look for "napi menü" on the board.Source: Mini Ételbár, Mákvirág, Semmi Extra (read ) | 2,360–2,680 Ft | none published |
| Grilled sausage at a butcher’s counterBelvárosi Disznótoros.Source: Belvárosi Disznótoros (read ) | 1,500 Ft | none published |
Baths
| What | Price | The pricier version |
|---|---|---|
| Széchenyi day ticket with lockerA private cabin instead of a locker is 1,000 Ft more.Source: Széchenyi Thermal Bath (read ) | 13,200 Ft Mon–Thu, 14,800 Ft Fri–Sun, 15,800 Ft on peak days | Fast Track (official, online only) 15,200–17,800 Ft |
| Széchenyi early ticketMonday to Thursday, entry before 9:00, bought at the bath in person.Source: Széchenyi Thermal Bath (read ) | 10,500 Ft | none published |
| Dandár bath ticketA small neighborhood thermal bath in District IX.Source: Dandár Gyógyfürdő (read ) | 3,500 Ft weekdays, 4,000 Ft weekends | none published |
| Palatinus ticket (Margaret Island)Open all year.Source: Palatinus Strand (read ) | 3,800 Ft weekdays, 4,200 Ft weekends | none published |
| 20-minute massage at SzéchenyiSource: Széchenyi Thermal Bath (read ) | 11,800 Ft | none published |
Transport
| What | Price | The pricier version |
|---|---|---|
| Single BKK ticketSource: BKK (read ) | 500 Ft (700 Ft from the driver) | Riding without a valid ticket: 12,000 Ft on the spot |
| 24-hour travelcardUnlimited metro, tram, bus and trolleybus. Sold in the BudapestGO app.Source: BKK (read ) | 2,750 Ft | none published |
| 72-hour travelcardThe Budapest Card adds free entry to some sights and baths. It only pays off if you use them.Source: BKK (read ) | 5,750 Ft | 72-hour Budapest Card 29,990 Ft |
| 100E airport busRuns to Deák Ferenc tér. Travelcards do not cover it: pass holders buy a 1,000 Ft add-on in BudapestGO.Source: BKK (read ) | 2,500 Ft | none published |
| Taxi fareThe city sets this tariff and every licensed Budapest taxi must charge it. Főtaxi is the airport’s official taxi partner.Source: Főtaxi (read ) | 1,300 Ft start (2,100 Ft from the airport) + 520 Ft/km + 130 Ft/min waiting | none published |
Sights and extras
| What | Price | The pricier version |
|---|---|---|
| Budapest CardSource: BKK (read ) | 17,990 Ft for 24 h, 23,990 Ft for 48 h, 29,990 Ft for 72 h | none published |
| Parliament tour, EU/EEA adultBook on jegymester.hu.Source: Jegymester (Hungarian Parliament) (read ) | 7,000 Ft (students 6–24: 3,500 Ft) | 14,000 Ft for adults from outside the EU/EEA |
| Fisherman’s Bastion upper terracesCard only. The lower terraces are free.Source: Fisherman's Bastion (read ) | 1,700 Ft | none published |
| Museum of Fine Arts, permanent collectionSource: Museum of Fine Arts (read ) | 5,800 Ft (EU/EEA concession 2,900 Ft) | none published |
| Tourist eSIM (Yettel)The 3-day pass has unlimited data in Hungary and needs an eSIM-capable phone. EU visitors can just roam.Source: Yettel (read ) | 3,000 Ft for 3 days, 7,000 Ft for 7 days, 9,000 Ft for 30 days | none published |
How we check these prices
- Every price is read off the venue’s or operator’s own menu or price list. Each row names the source and the day we read it.
- A price we cannot find published does not go on this page, so some rows have no pricier version.
- Prices are in forint, because that is what you pay at the counter. Exchange rates move, so convert on the day you travel.
- Spotted a stale number? Tell us at hello@hungaryunlocked.com and we will recheck it.
Money questions, answered straight
Is Budapest cheap in 2026?
Cheaper than most of Western Europe, but not dirt cheap. At Grinzingi and Kakas Presszó, two neighborhood pubs, a half-liter of beer costs 1,200 to 1,320 Ft, and the weekday lunch menus in this index run 2,360 to 2,680 Ft. Location matters more than anything: the same goulash is 2,900 Ft at Mama Goulash and 6,990 Ft plus 15% service on Duna utca.
Should I pay in EUR or HUF?
Pay in HUF. When a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, decline it. EU rules make them show that markup as a percentage over the ECB rate, and paying in forint skips it.
Card or cash?
Card works in most places, and a few desks are card only, such as Széchenyi’s Circus-side entrance and the Fisherman’s Bastion ticket desk. Carry some forint as a backup.