Budapest costs

How much do things cost in Budapest?

Sightseeing

A goulash cooking lesson at one of the upstairs restaurants in the central marketThose fabulous and famous Budapest bathhouses? Entry for a day, including use of a private changing cabin, costs about $18 to $21. Once inside, massages run as little as $13 to $20.

Dining & drinking

It’ll cost $6 for a bottle of really good wine—a bit more for that famous sweet Hungarian wine called tokaj—or $1.50 to $4 for a beer even at the trendiest of “Ruin pubs” (semi-legal squatter bars, like the classic and excellent Szimpla kert [www.szimpla.hu], installed in the courtyards of abandoned buildings; www.ruinpubs.com).

The elegant New York Cafe at the Boscolo Palace Hotel (www.boscolohotels.com)A massive bowl of goulasch will run you $5 to $6, while the priciest main course on a menu may break $10 or $11 (and that’s not even for the famed Hungarian fried goose liver on brioche—best accompanied by a glass of that sweet tokaj wine).

Hotels

At online booking sites like Venere.com and Booking.com, Hotels in the center start around $26 for two people—though around $40 per night is more typical (international chain properties like Ramada or Best Western start at $60 to $90). Simple guesthouses sell double rooms starting as low as $17.

Shopping

You can bargain in the central market for handicrafts—and they stall owners are refreshingly devoid of shill or tout-ism. They just sit there quietly waiting for a potential customer to ask them a question, rather than constantly exhorting passersby to come peruse their wares. I love it.

(I also love the prices, where embroidered linens start at $2 to $4 for smaller pieces, and sampler packs of super-fresh paprika cost half what they would at home.)