The Cheapest and Most Expensive European Cities Based on Travelers’ Spending Habits
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
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.
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
WELCOME OFFER: 80,000 Points
TPG'S BONUS VALUATION*: $1,600
CARD HIGHLIGHTS: 3X points on dining and 2x points on travel, points transferrable to over a dozen travel partners
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. View our latest valuations here.
- Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
- With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.