What it costs
Budapest prices, with the date they were checked
Every figure below carries the day it was checked and a link to whoever publishes it. Tariffs come from the operator's own price list. Everything else is a sampled range, marked as such — because nobody publishes the price of a beer, and a guide that states one as a fact is guessing.
Getting around
- Single ticket500 Ft≈ €1.4
Bought in advance. On the spot it costs 700 Ft, and it is not valid on the airport shuttle bus.
Published tariff15 August 2026 · BKK (Budapest public transport)
- Single ticket bought on the spot700 Ft≈ €1.9
Published tariff15 August 2026 · BKK (Budapest public transport)
- 30-minute ticket600 Ft≈ €1.6
Allows changes within the half hour, unlike the single, which covers one uninterrupted journey.
Published tariff15 August 2026 · BKK (Budapest public transport)
- Block of 10 tickets4 500 Ft≈ €12
Published tariff15 August 2026 · BKK (Budapest public transport)
- 24-hour Budapest travelcard2 750 Ft≈ €7.6
Pays for itself from about six journeys in the day. Below that, singles are cheaper.
Published tariff15 August 2026 · BKK (Budapest public transport)
- 72-hour Budapest travelcard5 750 Ft≈ €16
Published tariff15 August 2026 · BKK (Budapest public transport)
- Monthly Budapest pass8 950 Ft≈ €25
Less than two 72-hour travelcards, which makes it the right buy for any stay much past a week.
Published tariff15 August 2026 · BKK (Budapest public transport)
From the airport
- Airport shuttle bus, single ticket2 500 Ft≈ €6.9
The direct airport bus needs this ticket; an ordinary single does not cover it.
Published tariff15 August 2026 · BKK (Budapest public transport)
- Airport shuttle add-on, with a valid pass1 000 Ft≈ €2.7
Published tariff15 August 2026 · BKK (Budapest public transport)
Thermal baths
- Széchenyi Baths, weekend day ticket12 000 Ft≈ €33
Bath prices across the city rose by roughly 5% on 7 January 2026. Weekday and locker-only tickets are cheaper.
Published tariff1 August 2026 · Széchenyi Baths
Eating
- Lángos at a market stall~1 500–2 200 Ft≈ €4.1–6.0
Sampled range1 August 2026 · Market stall prices, Great Market Hall and Hunyadi tér
- Main course, ordinary restaurant~3 500–6 000 Ft≈ €9.6–16
Restaurants directly on Váci utca run well above this.
Sampled range1 August 2026 · Menu prices sampled at mid-range restaurants off the main streets
Drinking
- Coffee in a speciality bar~1 000–1 700 Ft≈ €2.7–4.7
Sampled range1 August 2026 · Menu prices sampled across District V, VI and VII cafés
- Pint of beer in a ruin bar~1 800–2 800 Ft≈ €4.9–7.7
Sampled range1 August 2026 · Menu prices sampled in District VII ruin bars
Conversions use the European Central Bank reference rate (27 August 2026).
The one that costs more than any of these
When a card machine or a cash machine offers to charge you in your own currency, decline. That rate is set by the machine's operator and is consistently worse than your bank's. It costs visitors more money in Budapest than every scam on this site combined, and it is entirely legal.
Why the forint works this way →Where to stay
Live prices and availability on a map centred on this exact spot — hotels, apartments and hostels, so you can judge the walk from here rather than guess from an address.
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Tickets & tours
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Questions about money
How much is a transport ticket in Budapest?
A single ticket bought in advance is 500 Ft, or 700 Ft on the spot. A 24-hour travelcard is 2,750 Ft and a 72-hour one 5,750 Ft. Figures from the official BKK price list, checked on 15 August 2026.
Why are some prices given as a range?
Because nobody publishes them. There is no official source for the price of a coffee or a beer, so we sample menus and present a range with the month it was sampled. A guide that gives you an exact price for a beer is guessing.
Should I change money before I arrive?
No. Withdraw forint from a cash machine attached to an actual bank, and decline dynamic currency conversion when the machine offers to charge you in your own currency. That rate is set by the machine's operator and is consistently the worst available.
Are cards accepted everywhere in Budapest?
Almost everywhere. The last holdouts are market-hall counters, some small bakeries and market stalls. Carry a small amount of forint and you are covered.
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