Cash or Card in Budapest: What Is the Best Way to Pay?
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I grew up in Budapest, and I remember that many years ago, I used to pay by cash most of the time. Then, it has changed over the years, and I hardly ever use cash in Budapest anymore. Almost all places accept card payments now, so there is no need to carry around a lot of cash.
If you are wondering whether you should pay by cash or card in Budapest, the good thing is that actually, most places accept both payments. There are only a few small shops and street food vendors that take cash payment, but all places in the city center accept both cash and cards.
It’s easier to pay by card, than to carry around a large amount of cash. So for anyone coming to Budapest, I recommend paying by card, and only exchange a small amount of cash for emergencies.
BUDAPEST ESSENTIALS:
💳 Travel Card: Wise (best exchange rates for card payments)
✈️ Travel Insurance: SafetyWing (My go-to affordable travel insurance)
🛳️ Must-do: Evening River Cruise
Cash or Card in Budapest
There used to be a time when there were lots of shops that only accepted cash payments (mostly smaller shops in local areas). In 2021, a law was passed that all merchants that have an online cash register, must have electronic payment options.
Since 2021, lots of businesses introduced POS payments that only accepted cash payments beforehand, and it has made Budapest a place where you can now pay by card almost everywhere.
One of my friends’ used to have a pub and they used to accept cash payments only. Their pub was far our in the suburbs and cash payment was fine. Then, after 2021, they also introduced the POS terminals, and now you can pay by card even in small, local places away from the city center.
So, when planning to visit Budapest, you can pay by both cash or card. However, my view is that it’s better to use cards, and not carry around a lot of cash. It’s a good plan to withdraw a small amount of cash just in case, but mostly, you’ll be fine paying by card.
| Establishment/Service | Cash | Card |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | Accepted | Accepted (small, local shops might only accept cash) |
| Restaurants & Cafés | Accepted | Accepted (some very small cafes might only accept cash) |
| Bars (including ruin bars) | Accepted | Accepted |
| Taxis | Accepted (Some drivers might also accept major foreign currencies but check the exchange rate beforehand) | Accepted |
| Public Transport (Ticket office/machine) | Accepted | Accepted (If you take a bus in the suburbs and you don’t have a ticket, you can only pay by cash for the bus driver) |
| Thermal Baths | Accepted | Accepted |
| Museums | Accepted | Accepted |
When It’s Best to Use Cash
There are only a very few places where you have to pay by cash, but almost all places accept card payments. If you stay in the city center and visit touristy places, you’ll be able to pay by card everywhere.
It’s only at small local markets, small food stalls (e.g. vendors selling chimney cake or lángos), and hairdressers and barbers that usually prefer cash. Sometimes, if you are in a small shop and your items are below HUF 1,000 (USD 3), they also prefer it to be paid in cash, but should be fine to use a card if they have a POS machine.
When It’s Best to Use Cards
Card payments are widely accepted in Budapest, and you can pay by card pretty much everywhere. You can pay by card at supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, bars (including the ruin bars), thermal baths, museums, and at the tourist attractions’ ticket offices (Parliament, St. Stephen’s Basilica, Buda Castle, Fisherman’ Bastion).
If you are visiting Budapest in winter, and you plan to go to the Christmas markets, it’s also best to have your bank cards with you. Many stalls at the Christmas markets only accept cards, and there is not even an option to pay by cash. So, really, card is the best option for payments in Budapest.
You can also pay via contactless payment and digital wallets, like Apple Pay, and Google Pay. My family still lives in Budapest and my brother barely uses cash anymore. He mostly just pays using Apple Pay.
Will My Foreign Bank Card Work in Budapest?
Yes, ATMs and card terminals (POS) support foreign cards (Visa, MasterCard) in Budapest, so you can use your card to withdraw money from an ATM or to pay in shops.
Before leaving for Hungary, make sure to notify your bank that you’ll be using your card abroad. Many times, banks block your card if you use them outside of your home country. It happened to me many times when I first started traveling and I continuously had to call the bank to unblock my card.
Best Travel Card to Use in Budapest
Now whenever I travel, I don’t use my usual bank card. Around 5-6 years ago, I started using a Wise travel card, and it’s been a life saver. It’s a multi-currency card that has one of the best exchange rates and transaction fees. So, whenever I am abroad, I always use this card for card payments to save on exchange rates.
What I also love about the Wise card is that it never gets blocked by the bank if you use it anywhere abroad. I can hold multiple currencies in one card, and if I want to transfer money between my bank cards, it has a low exchange rate.
Wise can hold multiple currencies within one card, but let’s say, if I had money on my account in US Dollars and wanted to pay in a shop in Hungarian currency, it would automatically convert the amount from US Dollars to Hungarian Forint, using the best exchange rates.
Why Use a Wise Card in Budapest?
- Security: It’s safer to have a Wise card with you than to carry around a lot of cash. If your wallet is stolen, you can quickly log into your Wise app and freeze your card. You can also log into your Wise account using a laptop or desktop, and freeze you account from there.
- Exchange Rates: It has one of the best exchange rates, and you can save more money on exchange fees than as if you went to a regular currency exchange shop.
- Money Transfer: If you want to transfer money from one account to another, Wise also has a great transaction rate for money transfers. I use it all the time when I transfer money between my account.
Get a Wise card: so you don’t have to stress about exchange rates or carrying around a lot of cash! I use this card all around the world, even when I am in Budapest.
Currency in Hungary
Hungary is part of the European Union, but the Euro was never introduced, and the country kept its own currency, the Hungarian Forint (HUF). If Hungary had the Euro, then travelers from countries in Europe who already uses the Euro could have just easily used Euro for payments.
As we don’t have the Euro in Hungary, everyone who would want to pay in cash, would have to exchange their own currency to the Hungarian Forint.
Currency Exchange in Budapest
You don’t need a lot of cash for Budapest, but if you want to exchange a small amount, it’s best to exchange it after arriving in Budapest to get the better exchange rate.
There is a currency exchange shop at the airport, but I don’t recommend exchanging money there as it has really bad exchange rates. It’s better to wait until you get to the city center and exchange money there. There are many currency exchange shops in the city center, and they have better exchange rates.
ATMs in Budapest
Another way to get Hungarian currency is to withdraw money using one of the ATMs. I recommend using the ATMs of one of the biggest banks in Hungary, like OTP Bank, Erste Bank, Raffaisen, K&H Bank, or CIB Bank.
There are also other ATMs across the city, the Euronet ATMs, but avoid using these. The Euronet ATMs are located in tourist areas, and charge higher fees than a normal ATM would. These ATMs are located in tourist areas and are specifically there to target unassuming foreigners who want to withdraw money.
How Much Cash Should I Have?
Because card payments are accepted in Budapest pretty much everywhere, you don’t need to have a lot of cash on you. You could just exchange or withdraw a small amount of cash for emergencies or for the odd occasion that the seller doesn’t accept card payments.
If you are traveling solo in Budapest for a few days, you can exchange around HUF 10,000 (USD 30) which should be enough in case you have to pay by cash. If you are traveling with your family, then I recommend getting around HUF 20,000 (USD 60) in cash.
Do Shops, Taxis Accept Euros or US Dollars?
Most of the shops don’t accept foreign currencies, so you can either pay by card or Hungarian Forint. A few places (souvenir shops) in the city center might accept major foreign currencies (Euro, US Dollars, Pounds) for payment, but they would use an exchange rate which is not favourable, so I only recommend it if it’s like an emergency and there is no other way you could pay.
Taxis in Budapest also accept major foreign currencies. One of my friends used to work as a taxi driver in Budapest, and he got paid in foreign currencies all the time. He drove a lot of passengers between the airport and the city center, and many passengers only had foreign currencies with them when first landing in Budapest. He was actually happy for getting foreign currency, so most likely, you could also pay by foreign currency for taxis. Just pay attention to how much you are paying as some taxi drivers may try to overcharge you.
Tipping in Budapest
Tipping is expected in Hungary, but most of the time, the bill already includes a service charge around 10-15%. So, before paying, check the bill. If there is a service charge (“szervízdíj” in Hungarian) added to the bill, then you don’t have to tip on top of that.
If there is no service charge added to the bill, then it is customary to tip 10% of the total bill.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to take cash or card to Budapest?
It’s best to take a bank card to Budapest, and only have a small amount of cash with you for emergencies. Almost all the shops accept card payments, and it’s only a few small shops or vendors that take cash only.
How much cash should I carry in Budapest?
As you can pay by cash practically everywhere in the city, you don’t need to carry a lot of cash. I recommend approximately HUF 10,000 (USD 30) for a solo traveler for a 3-4 day trip in Budapest. If you are visiting with your family, get around HUF 20,000 (USD 60) for 3-4 days.
Can I use US Dollars in Budapest?
No, most places don’t accept US Dollars. A few souvenir shops or cafes might accept US Dollars in the city center in tourist areas, but most places only accept payments in the Hungarian currency. Taxi drivers do accept major foreign currencies, but check the exchange rate beforehand, otherwise they’ll try to rip you off.
Cash vs Card in Budapest: My Final Advice
My final tips are that you can use both card or cash in Budapest, but using the card makes the trip so much easier. Almost all places (especially in the city center and touristy areas) accept card payments. Plus, if you use your card, you don’t have to carry around a lot of cash.
For a trip to Budapest, I recommend using a Wise travel card so that the exchange rates are lower when you are paying. It’s good to have some cash, but you don’t need that much. I would only exchange a small amount, around HUF 10,000 (USD 30) for a solo traveler for few days in Budapest.
Get a Wise card for paying in Budapest: the best multi-currency travel card that helps you save on exchange rates!
