Anyone planning a beach vacation for the summer of 2026 will have to dig much deeper into their pockets in Croatia than at Lake Balaton in Hungary. A recent analysis by the University of Pannonia in Veszprém, commissioned by the Hungarian Hotel and Restaurant Association (MSZÉSZ), has found that Hungarian hotels offer a significant price advantage in nearly all categories.
For the study, researchers systematically compared offers on the booking platforms Booking.com and Szallas.hu for three identical travel periods in the summer of 2026. They analyzed offers for a five-night stay, divided into the segments “couples” and “families” (two adults and two children).
Lake Balaton. Photo: Hungary Today
For the comparison with Croatia, coastal resorts were specifically selected that are particularly popular with Hungarian vacationers and located within a 600-kilometer radius of Budapest.
The result is clear. Whether for bed and breakfast or half-board, the “Hungarian Sea” is the more affordable option.
For couples, Lake Balaton proves to be the cheaper choice in every star category. The differences are particularly significant for offers including breakfast on Booking.com. Here, Croatian coastal hotels charge on average one and a half times as much as their Hungarian competitors.
The gap widens the higher the hotel category:
- 3 stars: The price difference is already over 120,000 forints (339 euros) per stay.
- 4 stars: The largest percentage difference is seen here—coastal hotels in Croatia are on average over 200,000 forint (565 euros) more expensive.
- 5 stars: In the absolute top-tier hospitality sector, couples in Croatia pay over 330,000 forint (932 euros) more than at Lake Balaton.
Even those who prefer half-board will find it cheaper in Hungary. In the 3-star category, you can save 90,000 forints (254 euros) at Lake Balaton, and in the 4-star category, even more than 270,000 forints (763 euros). Only in the case of 5-star hotels with half-board do the two destinations come a bit closer together—but even here, Central Europe’s largest inland lake remains the winner of the price comparison with an advantage of 90,000 forints (254 euros).
Badacsony, on the northern shore of Lake Balaton. Photo: MTI/Máthé Zoltán
The verdict is even clearer for families with two children. Those planning to travel to Croatia in the summer of 2026 should expect high prices, especially in the higher categories. For classic bed-and-breakfast accommodations, the researchers consider the competitive advantage of the “Hungarian Sea” to be indisputable. In Croatian 3-star hotels, families pay about a third more than at Lake Balaton. In 4-star hotels on the Adriatic, the surcharge doubles to one and a half times the price, and in the 5-star segment, Croatia costs nearly two and a half times as much as Lake Balaton.
However, the price advantage of Lake Balaton for families really becomes noticeable with half-board, where the savings in the four- and five-star categories reach immense proportions.
While the percentage difference is smallest for basic accommodations in the 3-star category, families at the “Hungarian Sea” already save over 110,000 forints (311 euros) here compared to the Croatian coast. In the 4-star category, this advantage grows to 470,000 forints (1,328 euros). When staying at a 5-star hotel with half-board, the household budget at Lake Balaton is even spared nearly 860,000 forints (2,430 euros).
Lake Balaton. Photo: Hungary Today
In the summer of 2026, Lake Balaton will no longer score points solely on the traditional arguments of geographical proximity and easy accessibility. The data shows that, thanks to its more attractive pricing, the Hungarian destination represents a competitive and economical alternative to the Croatian Adriatic coast.
Via hah.hu, Featured image: MTI/Vasvári Tamás
