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The Cheapest and Most Expensive European Cities Based on Travelers' Spending Habits

Caroline SchagrinContributor
Caroline graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. She works on both the editorial and video team at TPG and is interested in people, places, culture, and of course, travel.

September 13, 2018 • 3 min read

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With insanely cheap flights from low-cost carriers and effective ways to use points and miles, travel costs over to Europe can be rather inexpensive. So, while getting to Europe is the easy part, knowing which countries fit into your budget or how cities in similar regions compare in terms of your spending criteria will make planning your trip much more efficient.

Thankfully, Wanderu, a travel search platform that lets people find and book deals on inter-city bus and train travel, used data based on travelers' average spending habits when visiting a new place to determine the least and most expensive European capitals. The company looked at where people spend the most while traveling; these included hotels, taxis, public transit, food, coffee, museum admissions and beer.

The results revealed more Eastern European capitals as being more budget-friendly, with more expensive cities in Western and Northern Europe.

Least to Most Expensive Western Capitals

Brussels, Belgium
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Paris, France
London, United Kingdom
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dublin, Ireland
Monaco, Monaco

Amsterdam landed an expensive ranking for high accommodation costs, but public transit, taxis, and food are relatively affordable for that area.

Least to Most Expensive Northern Capitals

Vilnius, Lithuania
Riga, Latvia
Tallinn, Estonia
Oslo, Norway
Stockholm, Sweden
Helsinki, Finland
Copenhagen, Denmark
Reykjavik, Iceland

Least to Most Expensive Central Capitals

Bratislava, Slovakia
Zagreb, Croatia
Warsaw, Poland
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Berlin, Germany
Budapest, Hungary
Prague, Czech Republic
Vaduz, Liechtenstein
Bern, Switzerland
Vienna, Austria

Least to Most Expensive Eastern Capitals

Skopje, Macedonia
Pristina, Kosovo
Podgorica, Montenegro
Yerevan, Armenia
Chisinau, Moldova
Tirana, Albania
Minsk, Belarus
Sofia, Bulgaria
Belgrade, Serbia & Bucharest, Romania
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ankara, Turkey
Tbilisi, Georgia
Moscow, Russia
Baku, Azerbaijan
Kiev, Ukraine

Least to Most Expensive Southern Capitals

Nicosia, Cyprus
Andorra la Vella, Andorra
San Marino, San Marino
Madrid, Spain
Rome, Italy
Athens, Greece
Lisbon, Portugal
Valletta, Malta

Hotels are a major spending category for an average traveler — although, there are ways around these costs and ways to maximize your stays through loyalty programs. Wanderu calculated the average price for a one-night stay for one person at the top 10 Best Value hotels on Trip Advisor for each city and analyzed a travel expenditures study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and found that hotels make up for 42% of a traveler's budget. Food (rightfully) takes up the second most of a budget at 33%. Following comes museum admissions, beer — if you can find it, and coffee.

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Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
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Cons

Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits

You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.

The results revealed more Eastern European capitals as being more budget-friendly, with more expensive cities in Western and Northern Europe.

Least to Most Expensive Western Capitals

Brussels, Belgium
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Paris, France
London, United Kingdom
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dublin, Ireland
Monaco, Monaco

Amsterdam landed an expensive ranking for high accommodation costs, but public transit, taxis, and food are relatively affordable for that area.

Least to Most Expensive Northern Capitals

Vilnius, Lithuania
Riga, Latvia
Tallinn, Estonia
Oslo, Norway
Stockholm, Sweden
Helsinki, Finland
Copenhagen, Denmark
Reykjavik, Iceland

Least to Most Expensive Central Capitals

Bratislava, Slovakia
Zagreb, Croatia
Warsaw, Poland
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Berlin, Germany
Budapest, Hungary
Prague, Czech Republic
Vaduz, Liechtenstein
Bern, Switzerland
Vienna, Austria

Least to Most Expensive Eastern Capitals

Skopje, Macedonia
Pristina, Kosovo
Podgorica, Montenegro
Yerevan, Armenia
Chisinau, Moldova
Tirana, Albania
Minsk, Belarus
Sofia, Bulgaria
Belgrade, Serbia & Bucharest, Romania
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ankara, Turkey
Tbilisi, Georgia
Moscow, Russia
Baku, Azerbaijan
Kiev, Ukraine

Least to Most Expensive Southern Capitals

Nicosia, Cyprus
Andorra la Vella, Andorra
San Marino, San Marino
Madrid, Spain
Rome, Italy
Athens, Greece
Lisbon, Portugal
Valletta, Malta

Comments

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Least to Most Expensive Western Capitals

Least to Most Expensive Northern Capitals

Least to Most Expensive Central Capitals

Least to Most Expensive Eastern Capitals

Least to Most Expensive Southern Capitals

Comments

Comments

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TPG featured card

TPG featured card

American Express® Gold Card

Rewards rate

Intro offer

Annual fee

Regular APR

Recommended credit

Pros + cons

Pros

Cons

More details

Pros

Cons

Least to Most Expensive Western Capitals

Least to Most Expensive Northern Capitals

Least to Most Expensive Central Capitals

Least to Most Expensive Eastern Capitals

Least to Most Expensive Southern Capitals

Comments

TPG featured card

American Express® Gold Card

Rewards rate

Intro offer

Annual fee

Regular APR

Recommended credit

Pros + cons

Pros

Cons

More details

Pros

Cons

American Express® Gold Card

Rewards rate

Intro offer

Annual fee

Regular APR

Recommended credit

Pros + cons

Pros

Cons

More details

Pros

Cons

American Express® Gold Card

Rewards rate

Intro offer

Annual fee

Regular APR

Recommended credit

Pros + cons

Pros

Cons

More details

Pros

Cons

American Express® Gold Card

Rewards rate

Intro offer

Annual fee

Regular APR

Recommended credit

Pros + cons

Pros

Cons

More details

Pros