The Budapest currency is the forint, and the one decision that costs visitors real money takes about two seconds: the moment a card machine asks “HUF or EUR?”. Pick the wrong button a dozen times over a long weekend and you’ve paid for a dinner you didn’t eat. This guide covers that button, which ATMs to use, whether euros are worth carrying, and the tipping rules that confuse almost everyone, because half the bills in town already include the tip.
If you’re still building the trip itself, start with our 3-day Budapest itinerary and come back here for the money side.
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What is the currency in Budapest?#
The currency in Budapest is the Hungarian forint (HUF, written “Ft” on price tags), and the official MNB rate on 1 October 2026 was 368.32 forints to the euro (Magyar Nemzeti Bank). On this site we convert at €1 ≈ 365 HUF, so 10,000 HUF is about €27.
Banknotes: 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000 HUF. Coins: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 HUF (MNB coins). There are no 1 or 2 forint coins: the MNB withdrew them on 1 March 2008. Since then, a cash total is rounded to the nearest 0 or 5 forints. Card payments aren’t rounded, so a 1,998 HUF bill is 2,000 in cash and 1,998 by card (MNB).
Is Hungary switching to the euro?#
No, not any time soon: Hungary has no date for adopting the euro. The European Commission’s Convergence Report of 24 June 2026 concluded that Hungary doesn’t meet the conditions. Its inflation, public finances, long-term interest rates and central-bank law all fell short, and the forint isn’t in ERM II, the exchange-rate system countries join before the euro (European Commission). The government has spoken of meeting the criteria around 2030. For any trip in 2026 or 2027, plan on forints.
Can you pay with euros in Budapest?#
You can pay with euros in some Budapest hotels, restaurants, bars and tourist shops, but it’s nearly always the most expensive way to pay. The business picks its own conversion rate, your change comes back in forints, and plenty of places, including public transport, don’t take euros at all.
Here’s how the maths goes. Say a bar takes euros at 330 forints each while the official rate is about 367. A 6,600 HUF round then costs €20 in cash, against roughly €18 by card in forints. That’s about 10% extra (330 is an example; the venue’s rate is posted at the till).
Verdict: Euro cash is only for emergencies. If you’ve brought some, change it at a city-centre exchange office (below). Don’t hand it over at the bar.
What is the best way to pay in Budapest?#
The best way to pay in Budapest is a contactless card, charged in forints, from a bank that doesn’t add a foreign-transaction fee. Since January 2021, every Hungarian business with an online cash register has had to offer electronic payment (Hungarian government). So “cash only” is rare outside tiny stalls and tip jars.
| Way to pay | What it costs you | The catch | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card, charged in HUF | Your bank’s rate (+ its foreign fee, if any) | Little to none | Best for nearly everything |
| Card, charged in your home currency (DCC) | The terminal operator’s markup, shown on screen | Easy to tap by mistake | Never |
| Bank ATM (OTP, Erste, K&H…), declining conversion | Your bank’s rate + any operator fee shown on screen | Some banks charge foreign cards per withdrawal | Best way to get cash |
| Freestanding non-bank ATM | Operator fee + a hard push towards conversion | Clustered on tourist streets | Avoid |
| Exchange office in the centre | The spread between its buy and sell rates | Rates vary a lot from shop to shop | OK for leftover euro cash |
| Airport exchange counter | Visit Hungary calls airport rates “the least convenient” | You pay for convenience | Avoid if you can |
| Paying in euro cash | The venue’s own rate | Change comes in forints | Emergencies only |
Checked October 2026.
Verdict: One card for everything, set to pay in forints, plus 10,000–20,000 HUF (about €27–55) in cash from a bank ATM. Using a fintech card or a travel card without foreign-transaction fees saves the most.
Should you pay in HUF or your home currency?#
Always pay in HUF: when a terminal or ATM offers to charge you in euros, pounds or dollars, that’s dynamic currency conversion (DCC), and it almost always costs more than letting your own bank convert. A Norwegian test cited by the European consumer organisation BEUC found that only 4 of 1,500 cash withdrawals were cheaper in the traveller’s home currency than in the local one (BEUC).
Since April 2020, EU law (Regulation 2019/518) has required anyone offering conversion at an ATM or a till to show the total cost as a percentage markup over the European Central Bank’s reference rate before you confirm (EUR-Lex). That number is your cue. If the screen says “+8%”, you’re about to pay 8% more than you need to.
Where you’ll meet it:
- Card terminals in restaurants and hotels. The waiter may hand you the machine already on the “EUR” screen. Press HUF.
- ATMs. You’ll see “Accept conversion” or “With conversion”. Choose decline or “without conversion”.
- Hotel checkout. Rates are often quoted in euros and charged in forints. If you’re asked which currency, say forints.
Which ATMs should you use in Budapest?#
Use an ATM run by a Hungarian bank (OTP, Erste, K&H, Raiffeisen, UniCredit and others), ideally one inside or attached to a branch, and decline the conversion offer. GOV.UK’s advice for Hungary is the same: use official ATMs or banks rather than street money exchanges, and check street machines for signs of tampering (GOV.UK).
Two things to know:
- Bank ATMs aren’t always free for foreign cards. Since 19 September 2025, OTP has charged cards issued by foreign banks 1,999 HUF (about €5) per forint withdrawal, up to 150,000 HUF a time. OTP says the fee is shown on screen before you confirm (OTP statement, reported by Világgazdaság). Erste has also charged foreign cards a fee. If the screen shows a fee, cancel and try another bank’s machine.
- The freestanding machines on tourist streets aren’t bank ATMs. They tend to charge an operator fee and push conversion, so the combined cost is the highest in town. Walk past them.
Withdraw fewer, larger amounts so any flat fee hurts less, and ask for an odd amount (19,000 rather than 20,000) to get smaller notes. A 20,000 HUF note for a 900 HUF coffee isn’t popular.
What about the airport?#
Budapest Airport has 17 ATMs in Terminal 2, and Interchange exchange counters in the arrivals halls of 2A and 2B (bud.hu). You don’t need cash to get into town: the 100E bus, taxis, Uber and Bolt all take cards (our airport-to-city guide). If you want forints straight away, use an ATM and decline conversion.
Where should you exchange money in Budapest?#
If you have to change cash, do it at an exchange office in the city centre, never on the street or at the airport. Hungary’s national tourism agency says airport exchange points have “the least convenient exchange rates” and that changing money on the street “is definitely not recommended” (Visit Hungary).
Before you hand over your notes, compare the office’s “we buy” rate for euros with the official MNB rate on your phone. The closer it is, the better. “No commission” means little, because the margin can sit in the rate, so ask for the exact forint amount before the cashier counts it out. Don’t change more than you’ll spend: changing back costs you the spread twice.
Verdict: For most visitors, an exchange office only makes sense for leftover euro cash. Getting cash from an ATM with your card is simpler and usually cheaper.
How much cash do you need in Budapest?#
Most visitors need only 10,000–20,000 HUF (about €27–55) in cash for a long weekend, because almost everything takes cards. Here’s where cards work and where cash still helps:
- Cards work for: the metro and the 100E airport bus (tap your card at the gate or by the door with Budapest Pay&GO), taxis, museums, baths, supermarkets, most restaurants and the big ruin bars (our ruin bar guide).
- Pay&GO doesn’t cover buses and trams. Buy tickets in the BudapestGO app or at a machine. See is the Budapest Card worth it? if you’d rather prepay transport and museums in one go.
- Christmas markets: in recent years the Vörösmarty tér food stalls have been card-only. Smaller markets may want cash (our Christmas markets guide).
- Cash still helps for: tips, tip-based “free” walking tours, some public toilets, small market stalls and the odd cash-only bakery.
Have your PIN ready. On Hungarian cards, contactless payments above 15,000 HUF need a PIN (MNB), and your own bank may ask for one sooner. For full daily budgets, see how much a Budapest trip costs.
Do you tip in Budapest?#
Yes, tipping is customary in Budapest, and the usual amount is about 10% in restaurants and taxis, according to Hungary’s national tourism agency (Visit Hungary). But first check whether a service charge is already on the bill. Many restaurants add one, printed as szervizdíj or felszolgálási díj. It’s optional for the restaurant, but by law the receipt can show at most 15% (NAV, 4 March 2026). If it’s there, it is the tip, and you don’t need to add another.
| Situation | Usual tip | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant, service charge on the bill | Nothing extra | Up to 15% is already included. Add a little only for exceptional service |
| Restaurant, no service charge | ~10% (10–15% for great service) | Tell the waiter the total you’re paying when you hand over the money |
| Café or bar counter | Round up | Small change is fine |
| Taxi, Uber Taxi, Bolt | ~10% or round up | Regulated fares; cards accepted |
| Hairdresser, massage, spa treatment | ~10% | A custom, not an obligation |
| Tip-based “free” walking tour | €10–15 per person suggested | TripToBudapest’s own guidance; cash preferred |
| Paid tour guide | Optional | A tip for a good guide is welcome, never required |
| Hotel porter, housekeeping | Optional | Small change, if you want to |
Checked October 2026. Apart from the 15% legal cap, these are customs, not rules.
Verdict: The service-charge line decides it. If it’s there, don’t tip again. If it isn’t, give about 10% in forint cash.
How do you tip in Hungary?#
The local habit is to tell the waiter the total you want to pay as you hand over the money, rather than leaving coins on the table. On a 9,200 HUF bill, hand over a 10,000 HUF note and say “ten thousand”. Be careful with köszönöm (“thank you”) as you hand over a note: many waiters take it to mean “keep the change”. If you pay by card, staff generally prefer the tip in cash (Visit Hungary), so card terminals that ask for a tip percentage are optional. Tip in forints, not euros, so the waiter doesn’t lose a cut to an exchange office.
Our restaurant picks note which ones add a service charge, and our Hungarian food guide explains what you’re paying for. If you’d rather have someone walk you through a menu and a market, a food tour such as Foodapest’s Market to Tavern tour with 12+ tastings and wines covers the tastings in the price. Other options are in our food tours guide.
Can tourists get a VAT refund in Hungary?#
Yes: non-EU residents can claim back VAT on goods worth more than 68,000 HUF (about €186) on a purchase in 2026, the forint value of €175 (NAV). The goods must leave the EU unused within 90 days, and customs must validate your refund form as you leave. At Budapest Airport that can be done at self-service kiosks. It can’t be validated afterwards, so do it before you fly. EU citizens living in the EU don’t qualify.
FAQ#
Can I use euros in Budapest?#
Sometimes, but you shouldn’t. Hungary’s currency is the forint (HUF), and businesses that take euros set their own exchange rate, which is usually worse than the official one, and give change in forints. Pay by card in forints or carry a little forint cash instead.
Is Budapest cash or card?#
Mostly card. Since January 2021, every business with an online cash register in Hungary has had to offer electronic payment, so shops, restaurants, taxis, the metro and the 100E airport bus all take contactless cards. Keep a small amount of forint cash for tips, small stalls, public toilets and tip-based walking tours.
Should I pay in HUF or my home currency in Budapest?#
Always choose HUF. When a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in euros, pounds or dollars, that is dynamic currency conversion, and the rate it uses almost always costs more than your own bank’s conversion. EU rules require the machine to show the markup before you confirm.
How much cash should I bring to Budapest?#
You don’t need to bring any. Withdraw around 10,000 to 20,000 HUF (about 27 to 55 euros) from a bank ATM after you arrive and pay for everything else by card. That covers tips, a free walking tour and the odd cash-only stall for a weekend.
Do you tip in Budapest restaurants?#
Check the bill first. Many Budapest restaurants add a service charge (szervizdíj), which by law can be at most 15 percent on the receipt. If it is there, you don’t need to tip again; if it isn’t, about 10 percent is normal for good service, ideally in forint cash.
How much do you tip a taxi in Budapest?#
About 10 percent, or round the fare up, is the usual tip for a Budapest taxi, according to Hungary’s national tourism agency. It is a custom, not an obligation. Budapest taxi fares are regulated, and you can pay by card.
Will Hungary switch to the euro?#
Not soon. Hungary has no euro adoption date. The European Commission’s Convergence Report of June 2026 found that Hungary does not meet the conditions to join, and the government has talked only about meeting the criteria around 2030. Plan on forints for any trip in 2026 or 2027.
Last verified: October 2026. Prices and timetables change — confirm with the operator before booking.
