Budapest Price Index
The prices locals actually pay, next to the prices tourists get charged for the same thing. We check these ourselves. Everything is in forint, because that is what you should be paying in. Where a place gouges, we name it.
Drinks
| Local reality | Tourist price | |
|---|---|---|
| Beer in a kocsma (0.5l)A kocsma is a no-frills local pub. The beer is the same. | 800 Ft | 2,500 Ft on Gozsdu |
| Beer in a ruin bar (0.5l)Szimpla charges for the postcard. Smaller ruin bars do not. | 1,500 Ft | 2,200 Ft at the famous one |
| Froccs (wine spritzer)Order a "nagyfroccs". Two parts wine, one part soda. | 700 Ft | 1,800 Ft on a rooftop |
| EspressoSpecialty cafes run 900 to 1,100 Ft and are worth it. | 700 Ft | 1,500 Ft near the Basilica |
| CocktailAnything over 4,500 Ft is paying for the location. | 3,500 Ft | 6,000 Ft with a river view |
Food
| Local reality | Tourist price | |
|---|---|---|
| Langos (plain cheese + sour cream)Market halls in outer districts sell the same thing for half. | 1,800 Ft | 4,500 Ft at the Central Market upstairs |
| Street food combo (main + drink) | 3,500 Ft | 6,000 Ft in the party district |
| Weekday lunch menu (soup + main)Look for "napi menu" chalkboards before 3pm. | 2,500 Ft | Rare in tourist zones. That is the tell. |
| Mid-range dinner for two (with wine)If the menu has photos and a guy waving you in, walk on. | 25,000 Ft | 45,000 Ft on Vaci utca |
| Goulash (gulyas soup)It is a soup, not a stew. Anyone selling "goulash stew" is selling porkolt. | 3,200 Ft | 6,000 Ft with folk music |
Baths
| Local reality | Tourist price | |
|---|---|---|
| Szechenyi ticket (weekday, with cabin)Buy on the official site. Third-party "skip the line" adds nothing. | 12,000 Ft | 18,000 Ft via resellers |
| Budget bath ticket (Dandar, Palatinus)Same thermal water, quarter of the crowd. | 4,500 Ft | Tourists do not know these exist |
| Massage add-on (20 min) | 15,000 Ft | 25,000 Ft booked through hotels |
Transport
| Local reality | Tourist price | |
|---|---|---|
| Single BKK ticketValidate it. Inspectors love the airport bus and the M1 line. | 450 Ft | Fine for no ticket: 25,000 Ft |
| 72-hour travelcardUnlimited metro, tram, bus. Buy in the BudapestGO app. | 6,500 Ft | The Budapest Card costs 3x and most people never break even |
| 100E airport busRuns to Deak ter every 10 minutes. Needs its own ticket. | 2,200 Ft | Airport "transfer desks" charge 10,000 Ft+ |
| Taxi airport to center (metered)Use the official Fotaxi stand or Bolt. Never a guy in arrivals. | 13,000 Ft | Unmarked cars quoting "50 euros" |
Extras
| Local reality | Tourist price | |
|---|---|---|
| Museum entry (major museums)National Gallery and Museum of Fine Arts are the two worth a morning. | 4,000 Ft | Bundled "attraction passes" rarely pay off |
| Parliament tour (EU citizens)Book on the official Jegymester site. Sells out days ahead in summer. | 10,000 Ft | Non-EU price is around double, resellers add more |
| SIM / eSIM data (10 GB)EU roaming works fine for EU visitors. Everyone else: buy an eSIM online before landing. | 4,000 Ft | Airport kiosk SIMs cost double |
How this index is maintained
- Every price is checked in person by locals who live here. No scraping, no guessing.
- Updated monthly. The date on the badge above is real.
- Local price means what a Hungarian pays at a normal spot. Tourist price means what the same thing costs in a tourist zone, or the scam to watch for.
- Spotted a stale number? Tell us:hello@hungaryunlocked.com. We fix it in the next update.
We quote forint only. Exchange rates move around, so convert on the day you travel.
Money questions, answered straight
Is Budapest cheap in 2026?
Cheaper than Western Europe, no longer dirt cheap. A local beer is 800 Ft and a solid dinner for two runs about 25,000 Ft. The real story is the gap: tourist zones charge two to three times the local price for the exact same thing.
Should I pay in EUR or HUF?
Always HUF. Places that list euro prices bake a terrible exchange rate into them. And when a card terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, hit decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and it quietly skims 5 to 10 percent.
Card or cash?
Card works almost everywhere now, including baths, markets, and most kocsmas. Keep around 10,000 Ft in cash for the stubborn old-school spots and public toilets. If you need an ATM, use a bank branch machine and never the blue Euronet ones.