The Most Affordable European Cities for a City Break

Short city breaks are a great way to explore multiple locations throughout the year. These quick trips allow you to get a taste of what a city has to offer, from stunning views and famous landmarks to delicious restaurants and top-rated shops.

Depending on your chosen location, this type of vacation can also be very affordable. With this in mind, which European cities can you visit in 2025 without breaking the bank?

Whether you fancy visiting the likes of Budapest, Prague, Zagreb, or Warsaw, the team at luggage storage network Bounce.com has analyzed average costs for hotels, meals, drinks, and transport, as well as the number of free attractions available to visit, in 70 of Europe’s top cities. 

Europe’s most affordable city breaks

1. Tbilisi, Georgia - 8.37/10 affordability score

The most affordable European city break destination is Tbilisi in Georgia, scoring 8.37 out of 10 for affordability. On average, a weekend hotel stay in the country’s capital costs around €162 ($182 or £136). There are over 110 free attractions in the city, including the Narikala Fortress, the Holy Trinity Cathedral, and the Bridge of Peace.

To get to one of Tbilisi’s many free attractions, you can take a taxi, which costs €1.95 ($2.19 or £1.64), on average, for a 1km journey on a standard tariff, plus start cost. Alternatively, you can use local public transport, where tickets cost an average of just €0.32 ($0.36 or £0.27).

Meals are also very affordable in Tbilisi, costing less than €39 ($44 or £33) for a three-course meal for two people at a mid-range restaurant. You can also grab two lunchtime meals at an inexpensive restaurant for around €19.50 ($22 or £16.50). Similar to a taxi journey, a pint of domestic draft beer costs an average of €1.95 ($2.19 or £1.64), and a bottle of wine is priced at around €6.50 ($7.30 or £5.46). 

2. Oradea, Romania - 8.05/10 affordability score

Oradea is in second place, earning an affordability score of 8.05 out of 10. Getting around the Romanian city is super affordable, with two taxi journeys costing around €2.88 ($3.22 or £2.42) or four one-way public transport tickets costing approximately €2.40 ($2.68 or £2.00). 

For lunches, you can enjoy two delicious yet inexpensive meals for less than €16 ($18 or £13.50). In the evenings, a three-course meal for two people will cost around €44.74 ($50.27 or £37.61). If you stop off for a drink throughout your day of exploring Oradea, a pint of domestic draft beer will cost approximately €1.99 ($2.23 or £1.67), while a bottle of wine will cost around €5.96 ($6.70 or £5.01).

3. Craiova, Romania - 7.83/10 affordability score

Craiova makes Romania’s second appearance on the list, scoring 7.83 out of 10 for affordability. Similar to Oradea, a bottle of wine in Craiova costs €5.96 ($6.70 or £5.01), and a pint of domestic draft beer costs around €8 ($2.23 or £1.67). In the city, two people can get a three-course meal at a mid-range restaurant for approximately €41.75 ($46.92 or £35.10). Two lunchtime meals at an inexpensive restaurant can be bought for less than €16 ($18 or £13.5). 

In terms of traveling around the city, four one-way journeys on Craiova’s public transport will cost around €2.40 ($2.68 or £2.00), while a 1km taxi journey on a standard tariff (plus start cost) will cost approximately €2.62 ($2.92 or £2.40). Travelers planning a trip to Romania can expect to pay around €220 ($248 or £186) for a two-night weekend stay in Craiova. 

Europe’s least affordable city breaks

1. Geneva, Switzerland - 0.94/10 affordability score

Topping the list as the least affordable European city break destination is Geneva, Switzerland, scoring just 0.94 out of 10 for affordability. A two-night weekend stay in the city can cost around €552 ($622 or £466), almost three and a half times more expensive than Tbilisi. However, there are 65 free attractions to visit, including the famous Lake Geneva, the Saint Pierre Cathedral, and the Broken Chair Sculpture.

To explore the city, you can either take a taxi, which costs around €19.96 ($22.44 or £16.78) for two 1km journeys plus start cost, or local transport, with four one-way tickets costing approximately €12.80 ($14.40 or £10.76).

Eating out can also be more on the expensive side in Geneva, with two lunchtime meals costing around €64.04 ($71.98 or £53.84). A three-course meal for two people can also cost approximately €128.09 ($143.95 or £107.68). If you fancy an alcoholic beverage, you can expect to pay around €34.16 ($34.80 or £28.72) for a pint of domestic draft beer, or almost €13 ($15 or £11) for a bottle of wine.

2. Reykjavik, Iceland - 1.07/10 affordability score

The Icelandic capital of Reykjavik places second, with an affordability score of just 1.07 out of 10. A couple of taxi journeys in the country’s capital can cost around €15.26 ($17.16 or £12.84), while four one-way tickets on public transport cost approximately €17.84 ($20.04 or £15.00).

Two three-course evening meals cost up to €130.22 ($146.35 or £109.48), on average, in Reykjavik. If you’re exploring during the day, you can expect to pay an average of €45.58 ($51.22 or £38.32) for two lunchtime meals. In the city, a pint of domestic draft beer costs €10.97 ($12.32 or £9.22), on average. Meanwhile, a bottle of wine can cost approximately €20.56 ($23.11 or £17.29).

On Friday and Saturday nights, you can expect to pay around €460 ($518 or £388) to stay in a hotel in Reykjavik. However, the city has an impressive 95 free attractions, including the Grotta Lighthouse, Lake Tjornin, and Rainbow Street.

3. Basel, Switzerland - 1.10/10 affordability score

Basel places third with an affordability score of just 1.10 out of 10, showing that Switzerland can be quite a pricey place to visit. In the city, a pint of domestic draft beer costs around €8.50 ($9.52 or £7.17) and a bottle of wine averages around €11.69 ($13.09 or £9.86). At a mid-range restaurant, two three-course meals cost approximately €132.89 ($148.74 or £112.03). For lunchtimes, two meals at an inexpensive restaurant can cost around €53.16 ($59.50 or £44.82).

There are almost 60 free attractions in Basel, including the Tinguely Brunnen Fountain, the Merian Garten, and Basel Minster. You can expect to pay around €334 ($376 or £282) for a two-night weekend stay in the city.

Two 1km taxi journeys on a standard tariff (plus start costs) can cost approximately €21.90 ($24.50 or £18.48), while four one-way public transport tickets can cost around €16.16 ($18.08 or £13.64).

Cody Candee, CEO and Founder at Bounce.com, comments on how to make the most of a city break when you’re on a budget:

“Although traveling can seem expensive, it can be done on a budget. Consider visiting your chosen destination outside the peak season, as this is often when prices for flights and accommodations increase. If you’re comfortable doing so, you could also consider staying in a budget hotel or hostel to reduce costs.

“When exploring your chosen city, make use of local public transport, such as buses and trains. Many cities offer travel passes, allowing tourists to take unlimited journeys on local transport for a set fee. Of course, you can also walk around the city and live like a local.

“Before flying to your destination, take time to research free attractions and ‘hidden gem’ restaurants that local residents enjoy visiting. These eateries often serve traditional food and drink for an affordable price, allowing you to enjoy some delicious meals without breaking the bank.”

Methodology:

We used sources such as Mrs O Around The World, CN Traveller, and European Best Destinations to create a seed list of 70 popular city break destinations in Europe.

Next, we used Kayak to discover the average hotel cost per night on a Friday or Saturday in each city.

We then used Numbeo to collect the average cost for the following in each city: a three-course meal for two people at a mid-range restaurant, a lunchtime meal in an inexpensive restaurant, a 0.5-litre domestic draft beer, a bottle of wine, a 1km taxi journey at a standard tariff plus start cost, and a one-way local transport ticket. 

Next, we used Tripadvisor to gather the number of free attractions in each city.

Finally, we gave each of the eight factors a normalized score out of 10 before taking an average across all factors to form our affordability score.