Boston More Costly than Budapest

According to a report in the Daily Mail (www.dailymail.co.uk,) a weekend in Boston, Massachusetts will cost quite a lot more than a similar weekend for two in Budapest, Hungary. The Boston break comes to $647 U.S., compared with $184 U.S. in Budapest. (I have changed the original British pound figures at the rate of $1.57 U.S. equals one pound.)

The higher cost of hotels in Boston accounts for most of the difference, but meals too are inexpensive in Budapest. A three course meal with wine for a couple costs just about $41 in Hungary`s gracious capital. I haven`t been to Budapest since the bad old days of Communism, but even then the food was exceptionally good. And the price for a meal now sounds like a bargain, since last week at the Alpenhaus, a Swiss-themed restaurant in Montreal, a main course with wine came to about $40 U.S. for one.

Vilnius, Lithuania is only slightly more expensive than Budapest, while Warsaw, Poland and Prague, Czech Republic are also relatively cheap in this survey. The least costly place in Western Europe  for a weekend break turned out to be Lisbon, Portugal.

The prices do not include the cost of travel, unfortunately, or we could all nip over to Budapest next weekend for an inexpensive Easter meal.