Tag: Forint

What are the prices like in Budapest?

What are the prices like in Budapest?

Posted on by Budapest Guide

Most of us try to find out approximately how much money you will use as you come to Budapest before you arrive. How much does it cost to eat in a restaurant? What is the price of a beer in a pub? What do I need to pay for bread in a grocery store? What is the cost if I want to visit the Hungarian Parliament or pay the entrance fee to the Matthias Church or the Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest? We have written lots of articles about the currency in Budapest and whether or not Budapest is an expensive city before, but this article is yet another attempt at helping those coming to Budapest shortly plan better.

It is important to know that the prices in Hungary have increased a lot since 2020. As a result, many people who visited the city 5-6 years ago are shocked by the prices they see and pay as they eat in restaurants, drink coffee and eat cakes at confectioneries, or pay the entrance fees to museums and attractions in Budapest. Instead of just writing words in general about the prices in Budapest, let us take a closer look at some prices for some of the most popular objects and places that you might be interested in.

Price examples that will help you prepare for your trip to Budapest.

Prices from a grocery store

Let us first imagine that you enter a grocery store in Budapest. Here are examples of prices for popular products and articles. These are just examples meaning that you might find similar products at a lower price, but you can also find similar objects at a much higher price.

(these prices origin from August 2024)

  • 1 liter milk: 1 Euro
  • 1/2 bread: 1,5 Euro (this is normal white bread)
  • 1/2 liter beer: 0,75 Euro
  • 1 1/2 liter Coca Cola: 1,5 Euro
  • 1 kg apples: 1,5 Euro
  • 1 1/2 liter water: 0,5 Euro

These are just some examples from a local grocery store in Budapest. Let us enter a pub to have a drink.

Prices as you enter a local pub.

  • 1/2 liter local beer: 2,5 Euro
  • 1/2 liter Guinness: 5 Euro
  • 0,25 liter Pepsi: 1,5 Euro
  • 0,1 liter wine: 1,25 Euro
  • Cappuccino: 2 Euro
  • Jim Bean (0,4 CL): 3 Euro
  • Pizza (30cm): 9 Euro

Would you like to visit one of the favorite confectionaries instead?

Prices as you enter one of the famous confectionaries of Budapest.

  • Hungarian classics (three cakes + vanilla ice): 15 Euro (Gerbeaud)
  • Gerbeaud Pancake: 12 Euro (Gerbeaud)
  • Espresso: 4 Euro (Gerbeaud)
  • Cappuccino: 6 Euro (Gerbeaud)
  • Coca Cola (0,25 liter): 4 Euro (Gerbeaud)
  • 0,5 liter beer 7,5 Euro (Gerbeaud)
  • New York Chocolate Cake: 11 Euro (New York)
  • Ham and Cheese toast: 14 Euro (New York)
  • New York Burger: 22 Euro (New York)
  • Cappuccino: 10 Euro (New York)
  • San Pellegrino water (0,75 liter): 11 Euro (New York)
  • Beer (0,33 liter): 6 Euro (New York)
Hungarian Classics at Gerbeaud in Budapest.

As you can see, New York is a very expensive place and most likely among the most expensive in all of Budapest. But, it is a beautiful place so if you don’t mind paying extra, it is worth the experience.

Prices if you want to enter museums and attractions in Budapest.

Would you like to learn more about certain aspects of the history of Hungary, or maybe you want to see a beautiful building from the inside? Here you have examples of how much you have to pay to visit popular museums, attractions, and buildings in Budapest.

The prices are based on the full-price entrance fee for an adult.

  • Hungarian National Museum: 9 Euro
  • St. Stephen’s Basilica: 6 Euro (basic ticket)
  • Matthias Church: 8 Euro (basic ticket)
  • Hungarian Parliament: 15 Euro (for EU members) – 30 Euro (for non-EU members)
  • Szechenyi Thermal Bath: from 28 Euro
  • Museum of Fine Arts: 13 Euro
  • Budapest Zoo: 13 Euro
  • Tropicarium: 13 Euro
  • Madame Tussauds: 31 Euro
St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest.

These are some examples of prices for popular attractions and locations in Budapest. Are you getting hungry? How much do you pay for popular meals at restaurants in Budapest?

Prices if you want to eat at a nice restaurant in Budapest.

  • Pizza (32 cm): 10 Euro (this is a very average price)
  • Basic Hamburger: 10 Euro (may vary a lot in both directions)
  • Goulash Soup: 8-10 Euro
  • Chocolate Souffle: 5-7 Euro
  • Caesar Salad: 9-10 Euro
  • Big Mac and Whopper? Check this article for more information.

These are very average prices, and the nicer the restaurant, the more expensive it becomes. In general, you can calculate the prices of starters moving between 5 and 15 Euro, main courses between 8 and 30 Euro, and desserts between 4 and 10 Euro.

We hope this short article has given you some more information about the prices in Budapest. If you have questions about other prices or a comment that you would like to share, use the comment field below!

Currency converter (HUF/EUR/USD)

Currency converter (HUF/EUR/USD)

Posted on by Budapest Guide

The Hungarian Forint is a currency that moves quickly in all directions, mostly downwards. What does that mean? The currency is falling in value compared to bigger and more popular currencies such as the Euro, Dollar, British Pound, Swiss Franc, and smaller currencies such as the Swedish Krone and other currencies.

  • Would you like to find out how much one Euro is in Hungarian Forint?
  • If the price of a product is 10,000 HUF, how much is that in USD?

It is easy to find an answer to those and similar questions if you use the currency converter available on our page about the currency in Hungary. Not only can you find a currency converter there. You can read about where to exchange money in Budapest, what you need to look out for, the different bills and coins used in Hungary, and also some price examples. Are you only interested in how much you have to pay to buy a Big Mac in Budapest? Click the link to find out.

The HUF compared to other currencies.

Hungary joined the European Union in 2004. At that time, you could buy one Euro for approximately 250 HUF. It was at its strongest in 2008 when you “only” had to pay 230 HUF for one Euro. Since then, however, the general trend is pointing downwards (meaning that the Hungarians don’t like the trend). As a result, you must pay more to buy euros in Hungary.

the hungarian forint vs euro

The last year has been quite terrible for the Hungarian currency, seeing that it has jumped from 350 HUF per euro to a peak of 435 HUF per Euro. The current price as we write this article is 401 HUF per Euro, but to get an accurate number, use the converter below or at the currency page.

What is the value of the Hungarian Forint right now?

Check the actual prices of the Hungarian Forint compared to the USD, Euro, GBP, CHF, NOK, SEK, DKK, and other currencies right now.

Currency Calculator

From EUR
To HUF
Amount

It is evident that the political situation in Hungary impacts the value of the Hungarian Forint. The present situation in which the Hungarian government often opposes the EU doesn’t help people trust the Hungarian currency. Many people also complain and say that the government doesn’t manage the gas crisis in a good way. To help people, they force shops to sell certain products at lower prices. What is the result? Those products are almost impossible to buy (as they are always sold out), and to earn money, the stores push the prices on all other products much more. In the end, customers pay much more than they did before. It is not a coincidence that inflation in Hungary is among the highest in Europe.

Does this influence you?

If you come to Budapest, you don’t really have to worry. You will get more HUF for your money than you would one year ago. But, at the same time, the prices have increased a lot, meaning that you will pay more in the end anyway. Even though you get 20% more HUF per Euro, you have to pay 50%-100% more for several products, meaning that we all lose. The biggest losers are, of course, the Hungarians.

Do not forget, however, that many stores in Hungary seem to have forgotten about the real value of the Euro. What do we mean?

If you enter a store and buy products that normally cost 1000 HUF, you can nearly always pay with euros. The only problem is that stores still believe that the price of one euro is 350-370 HUF. So, when you pay 1000 HUF which should be approximately 2.5 Euro, you will pay 3 Euro instead (or something like that). In the end, you pay even more than needed. How can you solve this? The best is to pay with card (and set the currency to HUF if asked) or to pay with cash.

If you want Hungarian Forint in cash, the best is to use an ATM. It is possible to use an exchange office as well, but you should avoid those in or near Vaci utca, as those use pretty bad exchange rates.

Is Visa widely accepted for restaurants, shopping, etc. in Budapest? thanks

Is Visa widely accepted for restaurants, shopping, etc. in Budapest? thanks

Posted on by Budapest Guide

Thank you for the question and the answer is yes. Most shops, restaurants and activities in Budapest accept payment with VISA card.

VISA in BudapestThere are of course some exceptions to the rule, especially in smaller restaurants (like Comme Chez Soi) and if you visit Szentendre most shops there only accept payment in cash. However the general “rule” is that shops in the shopping street Vaci utca, shops in the malls and so on accept payment with VISA.

The Great Market Hall, a very popular place to go shopping, does not accept payment with VISA on any of the stands on the inside, so before entering this traditional market place downtown Budapest you better prepare yourself with some Hungarian Forint.

Where are the best places to change Euros to Florints in Budapest. Or, can I just use Euros?

Posted on by Budapest Guide

Thank you for the question and we hope you will find our answer satisfying. There are several articles dealing with this matter on the web, and in our own Budapest Guide you can also read about this in the following article. The first question is where it is best to change Euro to Forint (not Florint) in Budapest. Probably the best way to change money is by using an ATM. Thus you get the best exchange rate, which is the actual rate, and the only fee added is the fee of withdrawing money from your account using your card abroad. There are lots of ATMs in Budapest, so that should not be so hard to find. If you still need to change money, what to do then?

There are quite a lot of exchange offices around downtown Budapest, and our advice would be to check out 3 such offices before changing money for the first time. Compare the exchange rates, and pick the one that is best. There are some offices known in Budapest to be very good places to change money, and one of these are located just opposite the New York hotel (on the other side of the Grand boulevard), near Blaha Lujza square in Budapest. That would be our recommendation. A good sign of quality and great exchange rates is that if you change Euro to Forint the sale and buy price has very little difference. For example you can buy Euro for 286 Forint and sell Euro for 283 Forint. If you see such small difference, that is a good sign. In the very city center you will probably not find such good rates, but if the difference is 4-6 Forint between buy and sell, that is still quite good.

Can I pay with Euro in Budapest?

Yes, in many situations you can, but let us say that one Euro is currently worth 285 Forint. When you walk into a shop to pay with Euro they have normally a set Euro value, meaning that you get somewhere between 250-275 Forint per Euro, far less than what it is actually worth. It doesn’t mean to so much if you are only eating a meal in McDonalds, but if you use Euro in a lot of places you will in fact lose a good amount of money in the end. Therefore it is much better to grab hold of some local Forints instead of running around paying with Euro everywhere.

Hope this answer will help you. You can find more info about the Hungarian currency in this article as well.

Ask your Budapest question!

Currency converter

Posted on by Budapest Guide

The Hungarian Forint is never standing still, and it can be quite hard to keep up to date with the value of the Hungarian Forint. Some years ago 1 Euro was 230 Forint, and then in 2009 1 Euro reached around 320 Forint. Currently 1 Euro gives you somewhere between 280 and 290 Forints, but this keeps changing all the time. Because of this we just added a currency converter to our page about the currency in Hungary, so if you would like to know how much the Hungarian Forint is currently worth, head towards our currency page!

Currency page with currency converter

Forint getting weaker

Posted on by Budapest Guide

I just noticed yesterday that the Hungarian Forint has gotten a little bit weaker the last week. Lately 1 Euro has normally been between 268 and 270 Forints, but as I looked around and checked out the Currency Converter tool on our currency page I noticed that the Forint has grown a bit weaker and you can now get around 277 or 278 Forints pr. Euro.

This does not make to much of a change if you are speaking about little money, but for larger sums this for sure makes a difference. I am curious to see if the Forint will grow stronger again, or if this will be the new average level on which we can find it in the time to come!

By the way; do not forget to use all 200 Forint papermoney that you have, because from November 16 you will no longer be able to use them in Hungary. To use them you will have to go to the Hungarian National Bank (at the Liberty Square) and change them in there.

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