Budget · Belfast · United Kingdom
Belfast on a budget
What a trip to Belfast really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Man vyi, Public domain
Quick answer
Belfast is moderately priced for most international visitors. Budget roughly $65–$110 per person per day on a tight budget, $150–$260 mid-range and $350–$800 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in January–February and November.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $65–$110 a day
- Mid-range
- $150–$260 a day
- Luxury
- $350–$800 a day
- Local currency
- GBP
- Free sights
- 10
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $65–$110 | $195–$330 | $325–$550 | $455–$770 |
| Mid-range | $150–$260 | $450–$780 | $750–$1,300 | $1,050–$1,820 |
| Luxury | $350–$800 | $1,050–$2,400 | $1,750–$4,000 | $2,450–$5,600 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Belfast, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Metro or Glider single fare | about £2–£2.50 |
| Coffee in a café | about £3–£4 |
| Ulster fry in a café | about £8–£12 |
| Pint of Guinness | about £5–£6 |
| Pub main course | about £14–£20 |
| Titanic Belfast adult ticket | about £25–£30 |
| Causeway Coast coach tour | about £35–£50 |
Money-saving tips
- City Hall, the Ulster Museum, the Botanic Gardens, the Linen Hall Library and the murals on foot all cost nothing.
- Northern Irish banknotes are legal currency in the UK but are sometimes refused in Great Britain; spend them before you leave.
- Hotels are much cheaper on Sunday to Thursday nights than at weekends.
- A coach tour to the Giant's Causeway is usually cheaper than hiring a car for a solo traveller or couple.
- Pre-theatre and early-bird menus offer two or three courses for much less than à la carte.
Free things to do
- Belfast City Hall — The Portland-stone, copper-domed City Hall opened in 1906 and dominates Donegall Square.
- Ulster Museum — Northern Ireland's national museum covers art, natural history and local history, with an Egyptian mummy named Takabuti, a dinosaur gallery, treasure from the Spanish Armada ship Girona and a measured gallery on the Troubles.
- Botanic Gardens and Palm House — The Victorian Botanic Gardens beside Queen's University centre on the curvilinear iron-and-glass Palm House, one of the earliest of its kind, and the sunken Tropical Ravine with its jungle plants.
- St George's Market — Belfast's last surviving Victorian covered market, built in the 1890s, comes alive from Friday to Sunday with stalls selling local produce, fish, crafts and street food, often with live music.
- Cathedral Quarter and St Anne's Cathedral — St Anne's Cathedral, with its stainless-steel Spire of Hope, anchors a district of cobbled lanes, street art and pubs such as the Duke of York and the Dirty Onion.
- Cave Hill and Belfast Castle — Cave Hill rises about 370 metres above north Belfast; its basalt cliff, Napoleon's Nose, is said to have inspired Jonathan Swift's sleeping giant in Gulliver's Travels.
Where to stay on a budget
$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping and budget
City Centre
City Hall, Donegall Place shopping and the main bus and rail hubs
$$ · Best for budget, solo travellers, culture and families
Queen's Quarter
Student cafés, Botanic Avenue and the Lanyon Building
$$ · Best for quiet stays, budget and families
East Belfast
C.S. Lewis Square, the Connswater Greenway and Ballyhackamore brunch spots
Eating well for less
- Ulster fry — Cafés across the city, hotel breakfasts and the stalls at St George's Market on weekends.
- Soda bread and potato bread — Local bakeries and supermarkets; buy a pack to fry at home or have one toasted with butter in a café.
- Pastie supper — Belfast chip shops; it is a local takeaway staple rarely found outside Northern Ireland.
- Dulse — Market stalls at St George's Market and shops on the Causeway Coast; often sold alongside yellowman.
Getting around for less
Translink day tickets
Day tickets for Metro buses and the Glider give unlimited travel in the city zone and are cheaper than several singles.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Belfast cost?
About $750–$1,300 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $325–$550 on a tight budget.
+Is Belfast expensive?
It is moderately priced for international visitors. City Hall, the Ulster Museum, the Botanic Gardens, the Linen Hall Library and the murals on foot all cost nothing.
+How much money do I need per day in Belfast?
Roughly $65–$110 on a budget and $150–$260 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Belfast?
Usually in January–February and November.