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As Christmas approaches, the number of Christmas fairs grows, with Budapest featuring prominently in many lists of the best Christmas fairs across Europe. But the question arises: how wallet-friendly are the capital’s markets compared to the rest of Europe?
Compared to neighboring Vienna, what you buy makes a big difference, because while mulled wine is cheaper in Budapest – HUF 1,350 (EUR 3.5) in Hungary and EUR 5.5 in Austria – chimney cake is worth buying in the Austrian capital, which is HUF 3,200 (EUR 8.4) in Budapest while EUR 6 in Vienna, writes Világgazdaság. However, the fact that the unit of measurement is not the same makes comparisons difficult. For instance, roasted chestnuts cost HUF 2,500 (EUR 6.6) per 10 decagrams in the Hungarian capital and EUR 4 per 8 decagrams in Vienna.
Chimney cakes. Photo: Pexels
However, Budapest only came sixth on the list of the cheapest Christmas holidays.
The main reason for the relatively low ranking in the survey by the British Post Office is the high cost of accommodation and travel (from Britain), leaving only Krakow, Poland ahead of the Hungarian capital for mulled wine.
Christmas fair in Vienna. Photo: Facebook/Wiener Christkindlmarkt
In Poland’s second largest city, you can buy 10 decagrams of various cheeses for as little as PLN 5 (EUR 1.15), while freshly baked products can be bought for PLN 10-20 (EUR 2.3-4.6) and soups for PLN 15 (EUR 3.45). And for a classic Krakow pretzel, you can buy it for PLN 3 (EUR 0.7).
Graph: postoffice.co.uk
Prague’s Christmas markets are also very cheap, with a hot drink going for as little as CZK 90 (EUR 3.7) last year. Last year, mulled wine cost just CZK 65 (EUR 2.7), but this year it’s up to CZK 75 (EUR 3) for the festive season’s favorite. In the Czech capital, you can buy a grilled sausage for CZK 105-120 (EUR 4.3-4.9) and pancakes for CZK 90-120 (EUR 3.7-4.3) at the Christmas market. A Czech chimney cake, trdelník, costs CZK 80 (EUR 3.3), an increase of CZK 10 in a year.
The most expensive Christmas fair, according to the British Post Office, is in Copenhagen,
where you can get a mulled wine for nearly DKK 59 (EUR 8), but when including accommodation and restaurant dining, the survey shows that Vienna is the most expensive.
Via Világazdaság, postoffice.co.uk; Featured image: Facebook/Budapesti Karácsonyi Vásár