Is Budapest Still a Low-Cost Destination?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 พ.ค. 2024
- We came to Budapest to see whether it's still is a low-cost alternative for experiencing Europe or if it’s just as expensive as everywhere else.
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ABOUT US
Imagine finally ticking off all those experiences on your bucket list. Every Sunday, we share the inspiration and practical tips you need for enjoying your own freedom years. We're Stephanie and Gillian, a couple who said goodbye to our corporate careers after years of saving and investing. We've been traveling the world full time ever since.
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00:00 Intro
01:31 Castle District
05:30 Ruszwurm Cafe
07:24 Cruise
10:26 Margaret Island
10:58 Dining Out
13:27 Szimpla Kert
15:14 Gellert Baths
17:25 Airbnb
19:46 Costs - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
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I think many of us are a bit stuck in the past as concerns our expectations regarding price levels. Budapest used to be a budget destination for "western" (whatever that may mean) tourists, but that is not so much the case these days. Same in other countries, I am just back from Estonia, and it's the same there - prices for e.g. restaurant meals were on par with what you would expect in Germany or France, although some things, like public transport, were still very affordable. The question we should ask ourselves is what this means for the people actually living there. If incomes keep pace with inflation, fine, but if not, there is a challenge...
This is an excellent point and one we think about quite a bit as we travel. Too much tourism does tend to inflate the prices of everything in the centre of a city. Certainly we saw that with the cost of our Airbnb.
I’m in Budapest now been renting an Airbnb on Pozsonyi street . Ine if the coolest streets in the city just in the edge of tourism . I’ve been here 3 months and a fraction of the cost of a lot of other cities . I’m been travelling across Europe from March
Sounds like you did very well with your location in Budapest -- nicely done! Enjoy the rest of your time in Europe! 😊
So nice to see you wandering around my beloved home city for over 20 years! Now I live in London and yes, I can confirm, Budapest is not as affordable as it used to be, and it has its fair share of problems, but at least it's compact and pretty, and public transport is still good and dirt cheap. Living on a western salary now, it's definitely much more enjoyable when I visit. Have fun!😊
We also found that Croatia is basically the same price as Italy, especially in very popular places like Split. I really think that you have to go off-the-beaten path to get deals these days, eg Albania, Romania, Serbia.
I got their apartment before it was renovated for around $40 a night
I am super glad, that you enjoyed our city this much. ❤ Hugs from Budapest 🇭🇺
It's a beautiful city! We hope to visit again one day 😊
I’ve been a connected to Budapest from 2001 still the best city in Europe even if it’s getting tourist heavy
It really is a wonderful city -- just bursting with beauty, history and culture.
Never been in Buda-Pest, but it's on my bucket list.
Great video !
Thanks for watching! 😊
Nice video guys! I think you should definitely reach out to your community before going to a new place to get some tips. 2400 for the place you stayed in is horrible... Anyone who visited Budapest knows it's the noisiest area. A nicer airbnb in a much better location should be easy to find at 1500 a month (I did it a few times). That would make the trip more affordable :)
You have a nice community, use it :)
Great suggestion! It really was an incredibly noisy, busy neighbourhood 😂
Thank you for another great video! I can’t believe how pricey the Airbnb was. However, the inside of your apartment did look very nice for the down town area.
I’ve been a follower for a couple years now, and I just wanted to let you guys know that I went to Turkey after getting inspired by your videos! And the borek was as amazing as Gillian describe! I was a bit scared to eat the kokoretsi though, maybe another time 😅
That's wonderful to hear -- thanks for sharing! After traveling to so many countries, Turkey remains one of our favourites. Definitely try the kokoretsi next time -- it's surprisingly delicious 😁
I first visited Budapest in 2018 and it was a low-cost destination. I just left there, stayed in District V, and it's no longer the least expensive. I love Budapest but Bucharest for the win! Bratislava is a bit too slow for me but Bucharest has the balance. It's now one of my favorite cities.
We're heading to Bucharest in a couple weeks and we're excited to see what it has to offer. 😊
@@OurFreedomYears BUCHAREST is amazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzing and dirt cheap
I was in Budapest last July for three weeks. Walking the same path as yours. Your video makes me want to go back..😊
Such a beautiful city! Hopefully you had a wonderful trip. 😊
I was actually living and playing semi pro American football in Hungary. First time in Eger of 2019 and the second time in Miskolc in 2022. I took a train to Budapest almost every weekend and made connections, friends, fav bars, etc. The difference between the two separate times was CRAZY. In 2019 I think I caught the end of the low-cost travel or living destination era. Airbnb was so cheap, like as in 28-50 dollars a night for a whole apartment. The beer price was 300 forint which was a joke to my Canadian dollar. Grocery prices were amazing. Now fast forward to coming back in 2022, it was different from what I was used to. You're right, the Airbnb price has gone up. In my opinion it has doubled or even tripled then. Beer did change to 600-700 forint, and groceries was a big increase as well. I still had a great time that year, but I even noticed the changes happening before my eyes. I can only imagine how frustrating it is for the locals. I even started acting like a local and getting upset seeing everyone from the UK going to Budapest just to celebrate their bachelors and bachelorette parties and acting nuts in the streets. That was annoying.
Nonetheless I guess sometimes it's good, it means the city is attracting people from all over the world. I will be forever connected to Budapest and Hungary. Hungary holds a special place in my heart, and I will always go back no matter the prices. But as for the video. Yes, I don't think it's a low-cost destination anymore, which makes me sad. But as Dwight Schrute says... "Life goes on"
Great insights on Budapest - thanks so much for sharing! It sounds like you really did catch the end of the lost-cost era. We were pretty shocked by the prices that we were seeing, along with the crowds (including many bachelor and bachelorette parties 😂). But still it's a beautiful city and well worth a visit, even with all the crowds.
The point to stay in the city center is to save time when You visit a place for a couple of days. If you have a whole month you are not pressed for time. You could have found a place for half that price or maybe even less just a 10-15 minutes metro ride away.
They totally could have found something in 3rd, deep in 2nd like Torokméz or deep in 12th, and then just rode scooters (unless in 2nd) or used BKK. Would have cut the price in half.
Thanks for the suggestion! Next time. 😊
That's crazy for an airbnb! I'm staying outside downtown in three weeks, and I have something very reasonable. Restaurants outside the downtown area are also more affordable. Plus I have a few hundred $$ (usd) worth of HUF from my last trip, so I've basically paid this trip from the last one. In my travels so far, Istanbul (finishing up my 2 months here in a week) is the most affordable city ever. I'll have to see if Budapest has changed since my last trip. Thanks for the video! (I had to laugh - I DID do the hoho cruise on the Danube! They didn't give us sparkling wine, but it was a nice cruise :) ).
Enjoy your upcoming trip! I'm not surprised to hear that you got a much better deal on your apartment since it's outside the centre of the city. We also found Istanbul to have mostly reasonable prices although the Airbnbs weren't as cheap as expected.
@@OurFreedomYears I got a crazy good price ($220 USD/mo) on a room in a shared apartment in Istanbul, but it wouldn't be do-able for you guys, and it's very very basic. It was the factor that determined my 2 month stay in Istanbul. And it's my first encounter, even after visiting Beijing for 10 days, with an Asian style toilet. Who says old guys can't learn new tricks! LoL.
@@bjones9942 What an amazing price! Yup, that scenario definitely wouldn't work for us 😂
Great video! Glad you’re enjoying Budapest. I hope you rode the world’s first subway. Try Krakow next!
world's first subway - London - England
@@user-yb9yu7li9y And second is in Istanbul.
Budapest is oldest electrified. London used steam power
We used it quite a bit -- it was great!
Love this video! My husband is from Hungary, and we visit Budapest pretty often to see his parents, other relatives, and old friends. I'd say it's worth expanding a view of what's "central"; the most popular tourist areas are so jammed and stressful we rarely go, so I can't imagine the misery of staying there. There are more places you can stay where you have local vibe, great eateries, and access to attractions by foot or cheap public transportation. Also, beware, it can get super-hot in the summer, and air-conditioning isn't widespread. So it's wise to: be sure your lodging has good a/c; bring a swimsuit for large pool/spa complexes (a culturally rich experience in itself, and "rich" applies to the delicious snack foods there too!); and just know you may have to strategize during heat waves to enjoy yourself.
These are excellent tips -- thanks so much for sharing! Always great to get the inside track from a regular visitor. We can agree that summer is extra hot in Budapest...we were careful to get an airbnb with AC. And certainly we would choose to stay outside the city centre if we make a return trip to Budapest -- better to catch more of a local vibe. 😊
Wow, rental prices sure have changed! My first trip to Budapest was in May 2015 and I stayed in a 1BR Airbnb across from Westend Shopping Center. It was brand new with a fully-fitted kitchen, on the top floor (6th) with a terrace and only cost US $900/month. I'm guessing it would cost twice that now.
What an incredible deal...I think that amount would get you a guest room in someone's house these days 😂
It looks very nice.
Thanks! We found the city to be really beautiful.
I hope you guys will come back to Hungary and check out other places, like the Balaton (it can be expensive tho) or the Bükk Mountains.
Great suggestions! We hope to be back one day.
Francia krémes, the cake besides dobos cake. French cream or a version of that these shapes are liked by in Austria and central europe. I like them a lot.
So delicious! My new favourite dessert from central Europe.
Good video. What European cities do you recommend that are cheaper. I will be traveling in September.
September is probably the perfect month to be in Europe - the weather will be amazing! We found Bratislava to be less expensive than its neighbours, although it's a small place with less to do (you can check our recent video bit.ly/44sCUr3). We're in Romania now and it offers lots of interesting cultural experiences and much better prices than other places in Central Europe. Serbia is another interesting, low-cost option. Good luck with your planning!
Hmm, so if you had stayed about 5 miles out and rode trains in and out of the city center, how much could you have saved? It might be helpful to show the cost of housing in Vienna, Prague and Paris for comparison.
Likely we could have saved a bundle! 😂 We often use Numbeo.com for those types of cost comparisons and it can be helpful (although Airbnbs are always more expensive than a standard unfurnished long-term rental).
It happens sometimes. A few years ago I went to Croatia, everybody said I was nicer and much cheaper than Italy but it wasn't cheap at at all. Even more expensive sometimes ! 😮
We found the same with Croatia. We went there expecting to get so much value for our spend but instead the prices on the coast were quite high. Maybe the deals are to be found in Zagreb! 😊
Thanks so much for sharing and, welcome to "cheap" central Europe...🥴
Budapest is beautiful and, you made me smile with a sound when you said how the royals must have felt....past tense 😄
Yes these royals we had then..and the baths off course must have been so "royal" (still are) for the king's and queens we had.....oh and, some of us still do...💤
For some reason I think they must - still - be thinking, they are now going to have a new re-start of what, they know happened in times long passed.. 🥴
I heard someone say some years back that Europe will be a good tourist attraction for the Chinese in the future. .ok, I'll keep my mouth shut and, let you enjoy. I still haven't visited the city of Budapest but maybe one day I will.....not for the current European prises though...
Keep enjoying 🌹🌹🌹
Glad you enjoyed the video! Perhaps you'll get to Budapest one day...it's a really beautiful city.
Why do I have a sneaky suspicion that you keep a spreadsheet so that Gillian never wears the same t-shirt in these videos? 😂
I can neither confirm nor deny that Gillian tracks which t-shirt she wears 😂
The part with the ceiling fan made me jump! Poor Jasper.
Fortunately we don't run into ceiling fans very often in this part of the world. It was a serious issue when we spent the summer in Mexico 😂
Thanks for the excellent video. As a Californian, even a $2,400 AirBnB sounds cheap. BTW, my cat is also terrified of fans. He acts like fans will murder him if he is anywhere nearby one 😂
Glad you enjoyed it! Not sure what it is about pets and ceiling fans...poor little fellows 😂
I visited Budapest almost 26 years ago and would like to go back to teach Bikram yoga there. You two look great! It's funny, I was thinking Budapest is so dog friendly, when Stephanie stated it! Synchronicity.
AirBnB's have gotten outrageously expensive in the US. I've had some bad experiences and plan to NEVER use them again.
I may have missed it, but did you eat Hungarian Goulash? I visited October 1997 and went to a Hungarian Opera. The Opera was beautiful. I also took a cruise but there was no prosecco! It looked like a great month.
Yes, we had lots of Hungarian goulash...in the Czech Republic! 😂 There are certainly a lot of dishes shared across the region. Next time you're in Budapest, take the cruise with the prosecco - so much fun!
I think you could find a much better deal than $2400 for housing even if you are planning to stay in the inner city
I'm sure you're right! 😊
Lovely architecture. Imagine the comparative cost for things when those buildings were built!
Indeed! We were amazed at the sheer quantity of beautiful buildings. 😊
Is the price for two? Or per person?
The total price is for two people 😊
I think you went to the most expensive options all the time. There are options, affordable ones. A lot. You just did not know :) But agree, it is getting more expensive considering an average salary does not even reach 1100 USD most of the time which is also a joke, it should be around 1600-2000 just like in Vienna.
Indeed, it's hard to find the cheap options when you're only in town for a month. 😊
Wouldn't there be locally owned short term rentals that would be cheaper?
It can be pretty challenging to find a fully-furnished apartment for a month-long rental at a much cheaper price. I think it would be a different story if we were staying for 3 to 6 months -- then we could probably find a deal.
Why is everyone freaking out? It’s a central airbnb, short term rental with bills paid.
How much would that cost you in Toronto with the bills paid, even not short term but on a year lease on a prime location.
Budapest is 10 times nicer than Toronto. I think you got a steal.
Thanks for saying that. Every time we pay a lot for an Airbnb rental, we think about what that amount would buy in Toronto and it's not much. 😂
AirBNB prices are related to housing shortage caused by war in Ukraine, along with Chinese and Russians migrating to Budapest as well as new short-term rental regulations; which is good for locals. While the increase is also reflected in long term rentals, it is not as pronounced.
Lived here for 6 years, living expenses have doubled and locals are suffering the most.
Yes, the Airbnb price inflation is certainly a serious concern for locals who can get priced out of neighbourhoods.
Housing shortage and prices was a problem way before the war.
The country is developing and along Budapest too. It looks like it became very popular, but it is true to all of Hungary, and of course, businesses try to ride the wave.
Budapest was always more expensive but this popularity and the inflation push the prices even higher.
I live in a little town on the Great Plain and even we had more tourist than ever before. It was so crazy too see it, and a little bit frightening as well.
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😊
$2400 USD fro a month? That is insane. I would fly somewhere else before paying that - it is insane pricing.
For 30 days plus dogs in a Airbnb is not bad at all especially in the Jewish District area as well.
@@2Rugrats9597 do you know how rich you need to be to travel the world and pay $2400 USD in a month for lodging?
Doesn't matter to us, that is not our money but you have to be very, very, very wealthy to do that with any longevity.
Fortunately we were able to balance out our time in Budapest with a very low-cost experience in beautiful Romania 😊
@@OurFreedomYears would have to!
💙💙💙💙👍👍😍😍
I was watching a video tonight about some cases of people dying because of carbon dioxide in hotels, glampings... I thought on you inmediatly as you travel a lot! please try to research if there are portable carbon dioxide you can bring with you always.. please stay safe
That's a great suggestion - thanks for thinking of us. We've noticed that this is not always available in the places we stay.
Budapest is not cheap! There is no cheap place anywhere in Europe. But it's still better than USA or Canada.
Yes, there are plenty of places in Europe that are still cheaper than North America.
You also need to take into account the avg hungarian makes around 700 euros a month....if they are lucky. So plsnnever tell a hungarian how cheap this city is or they will get really mad.
Indeed. Thank you for sharing.😊
Love your videos and just fyi, I’m straight so just want you to know that not just LGBTQ people watch your videos.
So sweet of you to say - thanks so much! 😊
Budapest began to develop spectacularly in 2010, before that it was hardly known abroad. This is thanks to the professionally renovated buildings, which are all tourist attractions today. Unfortunately, Budapest once again has an incompetent, stupid and careless city administration. The liberal majority voted for it. There will be a new election next year. Maybe people have learned from their mistake and won't vote for the current leadership again.
Thank you for sharing