What is the least expensive Europe city?

Littlejen22 · February 2012

Ok, I know this will get more than one answer but if you were planning a trip to Europe and were trying to keep the costs down, could get airfare on miles so all airfare would be equal, what country/city would you choose? Just curious, we are not planning anything in the next few years to Europe.

Publius · February 2012

The cheapest cities are in the East and the Balkans. Ljubljana was pretty inexpensive even though it's on the Euro. Budapest, Krakow, Prague, Bratislava, Belgrade, Sarajevo, etc., are on the cheaper side as well. The first three have pretty big touristy areas where things can get a bit pricey, but as long as you don't eat in the big tourist traps in the super touristy areas they're still inexpensive compared to Western Europe.

iLikeSloths · February 2012

We're planning a 4 week trip to various cities in Central/Eastern Europe this spring and Budapest and Krakow are both very affordable. They seem to be the cheapest compared to the other cities and countries we'll be visiting.

I recently came across this article comparing average prices, but it's geared toward budget backpackers so it may not suit you. However, I thought it was a little helpful because it gives you an idea of transportation and food. 47 European Cities by Price: European Backpacker Index for 2012

http://www.priceoftravel.com/1979/european-backpacker-index/

There's also this list geared toward moderate accommodations and travel, but it's from May last year. Europe 3-star Traveler Index, 40 Cities by Price

http://www.priceoftravel.com/1020/europe-3-star-traveler-index-for-2011-compare-40-cities-by-price/

MrsA1210 · February 2012

We were in Lisbon over the holidays and I found prices to be very reasonable for western Europe. We rented an apartment through zuza suites & apartments for 1000/week (the apartment had a kitchenette that came stocked with things like bread, eggs, yogurt, fresh fruit, snacks, and wine so we ate breakfast in everyday). We found plenty of reasonable places for lunches and dinner. We bought the Lisboa Card three-day pass which turned out to be a great value (includes unlimited public transportation, and free and discounted entry to many, many cultural sites and museums). Total, we spent about 1200 for the entire week (meals, sightseeing, transportation) and other than staying away from the super fancy restaurants, I don't really feel like we skimped (stopped for coffee and pastries every afternoon, bottles of wine with meals, etc.) so you could definitely do it on a smaller budget.

mxolisi · February 2012

As others have noted, the further east you go things are generally cheaper (that said, Moscow is NOT cheap).

In my experience Tbilisi has been the cheapest European city. Whether you consider it part of Europe is another question. But the people who live there certainly do

Sarajevo and other cities in the Balkans are also very cheap. I've heard great things about Sofia and Bulgaria in general, but I have not been.

TravelingJen · February 2012

Krakow was by far the cheapest European city I have ever visited, followed closely behind by Budapest and then Prague. I also found parts of the south of Spain to be affordable (Cordoba, Granada, etc).

maggie78 · February 2012

Definately some of the Balkan cities. Sarajevo is my favourite European city (not that I've visited West or Central Europe due to the costs!)

VABeach08 · February 2012

Unsolicited, but I'd say don't let costs totally scare you off. Even in the more expensive, W European capitals you can usually find good deals and values, if you have time to research and plan. Also, if youre flexible on dates you can save a lot. Take Paris, as an example. It's like NYC in that it's massive and high end is pretty high. However, just like NYC, if you're willing to stay in an actual neighborhood, you can find hidden jem/values.

That said, I think Spain offers the best values in the west.

PittPurple · February 2012

With the exception of Switzerland and the Scandanavian countries, we have managed to travel cheaply everywhere we've been in Europe. For me, it's all about your style of travelling as opposed to anything else - if you travel during warm weather, and have a hiking/picnics/public transportation trip and rent an apartment, everywhere is affordable. If you eat at restaurants every night, go to tons of expensive attractions and stay in a hotel, everything is expensive.

Overall, Eastern Europe is much cheaper than Western Europe and Portugal has been the most affordable part of Western Europe we've been to so far. I find the UK, Switzerland and Scandanavia to be the most expensive.

VESmith25 · February 2012

We visited Hungary and Croatia 3 years ago during the shoulder season (May/June). Since neither country is on the Euro is was very reasonable. We only spent $5500 for 18 days. This included a combination of private accommodations and luxury boutique properties. We even did one night in Slovenia at a castle and one night in Paris on our way home. We also used miles for our airfare.

ooolalalolo · February 2012

I just stayed in a 5* hotel in Budapest (central area, great location) for $150/night. I consider that an amazing deal. We were paying in pounds, so it worked out to be ?40/pppn, which is basically the price of a hostel in most major western European cities. Food was ridiculously cheap as well. Amazing all around.

stever · February 2012

Publius:
The cheapest cities are in the East and the Balkans. Ljubljana was pretty inexpensive even though it's on the Euro. Budapest, Krakow, Prague, Bratislava, Belgrade, Sarajevo, etc., are on the cheaper side as well. The first three have pretty big touristy areas where things can get a bit pricey, but as long as you don't eat in the big tourist traps in the super touristy areas they're still inexpensive compared to Western Europe.

This. Stay east, the less visited the better. Serbia and Bulgaria should be pretty cheap, cheaper than the rest of the Balkans, and some smaller towns in Poland, CZ or Hungary should still be pretty cheap.

stever · February 2012

TravelingJen:
Krakow was by far the cheapest European city I have ever visited, followed closely behind by Budapest and then Prague. I also found parts of the south of Spain to be affordable (Cordoba, Granada, etc).

While I love Krakow, Prague and Budapest, they are way more expensive than smaller cities in their respective countries.

What is the least expensive Europe city?

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