Budapest on a Pioneer Budget

One of the cool things about living in Turkey is that it fits our pioneer budget on many levels. Besides the cheap cost of living, access to the Istanbul International Airport give us good budget options for holidays.

This makes travel on a budget possible to so many destinations in Europe and beyond. It fits perfectly with a pioneer budget and so I want to share our budget experience in Budapest.

The culture shock hit us pretty quick though. A small bottle of water in Turkey is about 25 cents. Here in Budapest, it’s around $3. Same brand! After that initial shock, we were ready to experience some bonafide Hungarian culture.

Here are, in our opinion, the best things to enjoy in Budapest on a budget.

Hungarian Goulash – 15 euro

After living in Turkey for a while, you really start to miss pork – especially bacon. Muslims don’t eat pork so it’s almost impossible to find in Turkey.

So we asked a local at our hotel for a place that the locals go to for Hungarian food. We weren’t disappointed.

Here is the place. It’s called Drum Cafe Budapest and it’s right behind us in the picture. Reasonably priced at 15 euro for both of us and full of locals. Perfect!

After getting our “pork fix” we were ready to explore the city.

At this point our trip cost a mere $60 for our plane tickets, 15 euro for the meal, and 69 euro for the room.

The Character of Budapest City – Free

I could start an Instagram channel just about doors in Budapest. They are amazing and definitely add to the character of the city. I highly recommend just walking around the city and exploring their beauty. It’s a completely free experience and an awesome way to experience Budapest on a budget.

We LOVED the coffee shops in Budapest. Check out this coffee shop located here called New York Coffee near our hotel. Notice the ceiling.

New York Coffee Shop in Budapest. The Ambience is amazing!

What you are seeing at the bottom of the picture above, is the line-up to get into the cafe. So I recommend arriving early for your cup of java.

The Hot Springs of Budapest – 50 USD

By far the most expensive activity for us in Budapest was visiting the hot springs. (About $50 USD entry for each.) It’s really the reason we went there. There are many choices but according to our research, Rudas Baths and Széchenyi Thermal Baths are the best.

The outdoor pool at Széchenyi Thermal Baths in Budapest

The value we got for those places was amazing. You can spend the whole day going from room to room and enjoying various pools and saunas, each with a different theme and purpose.

But when you go, I have a few good tips when going to Rudas or Széchenyi Thermal Baths:

1. Bring a robe. You really need this, especially if you will be walking outside. Robes are conveniently sold there and there are no rentals.
2. Wear Sandals or Shoes. Clogs or some sort of sandal are essential and you cannot enter without them. It is a requirement.
3. Bring a Towel. These are also not provided, but essential. Once again, they are conveniently sold there for about 20 euros each – no thanks.
4. Bring a water bottle. You can get water from the fountains, but you will need your own container to fill.

Proper change rooms with locks are provided and the change rooms are decent. Upon entry you are given a wrist band which give you a locker and entry through a gate that reads it. Very organized.

As you progress from room to room, each is beautiful in it’s own way. Check out this ceiling when we entered.

The ceiling at Széchenyi Thermal Baths

Széchenyi Thermal Baths are actually inside a park called Városliget. It’s a beautiful park and if you walk across the street you will see a castle called Vajdahunyad Castle. It’s located here and it’s a beautiful stroll after being in the baths.

The City Park of Budapest – Free

I think the most memorable thing we did was just walk around the city and enjoy the character of the art and castles in the city park. Hungarians obviously take much pride in their architecture.

The park in which the Széchenyi Thermal Baths are located is a perfect example of this. The beautiful castle gatehouse is full of character and history. There are plenty of photo opportunities around this castle and a picturesque mini-lake. Best of all it fits our pioneer budget – FREE!

The castle gatehouse near Széchenyi Thermal Baths. Vajdahunyad Castle.

The park also has curious art that distinguishes Hungary as unique. I must say that I was strangely enamored by the Mermaid Fountain.

Sellők díszkút, or Mermaid Fountain in the City Park.

Visiting the Kingdom Hall – Free (of course!)

Visiting the English congregation was fantastic. It’s a real mix of brothers and sisters from all over the world. About 100. Many are native, most not. Some were in Hungary to work; some were there by marrying a Hungarian, others were learning English.

I can’t share any pictures of them since I am not able to ask for their permission to publish them, but here we are at the Entrance. And here is the location.

The local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Budapest

The Budapest Central Market – Free (unless you’re a spender)

The market was one of those places you can visit for absolutely free; just expect to pay tourist prices for everything. At least from a shopping perspective, this is not the place to do Budapest on a budget, but it’s the eye candy that makes it worth it.

What makes this place amazing is the architecture of the building and the variety of shops. The food court is also amazing as there is every kind of Hungarian culinary experience that you can ask for.

The Budapest Central Market

Even just the ambiance was amazing – the smells, the buskers, the amazing people. Overall it is a great experience.

Shopping at the Budapest Central Market

The nice thing about living in Turkey is that we can live near a major airport hub (Istanbul) and have access to cheap flights on all the European budget airlines.

Probably the biggest expenses on this trip were the hotel and the entrance to the hot springs. Other essentials we did on the cheap – restaurants, public transportation, etc. Besides that, everything is free if you are willing to use your legs and the subway to get around. A perfect little pioneer budget getaway.

This trip was definitely a departure from the usual experiences that we enjoy in Turkey related to the Bible. If you want to check out a few, here are some of our favorites:

TARSUS, TURKEY – WHAT TO SEE CONNECTED TO THE BIBLE

MOUNT ARARAT, TURKEY – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

THE GARDEN OF EDEN – POSSIBLE MODERN DAY LOCATION

THE 3 BEST BIBLICAL THINGS TO SEE IN ANTAKYA, TURKEY

I’m big on value. I don’t mind if something is a little expensive, as long as we get something good for it. We definitely did this trip to Budapest on a budget. But my wife and I definitely felt that we got good value from this trip. Best of all, it fit our budget nicely. Hope you enjoyed. Leave a comment about anything you would like to share about Budapest.