The 14 cheapest cities to visit in Europe on a budget in 2025

Albania’s pretty coastline has been having a bit of a moment over the last couple of years as a budget alternative to Greece, Spain and Italy, but you’d be a fool to pay the country a visit and overlook its capital – particularly if you’re after a budget city break. Tirana is steeped in Communist era history: Bunk’art 1, a Cold War bunker turned museum, and one of the city’s most popular attractions costs just £4 to enter, but lots of traditional buildings have since been given vibrant makeovers in the form of street art. Then there’s brilliant restaurants (like Mystic 2) and bars (such as Radio Bar), which are rustling up great dishes and cocktails at decent prices. 

🏩Average one-bed Airbnb: £40 ($50)
🍻Average pint: £2.96 ($3.70)

📍 Discover the best places to visit in Albania
🏘️ Check out the best Airbnbs in Albania

Kaunas was a European Capital of Culture for 2022, and an incredible 1,000 events took place to celebrate it. But otherwise, for those of us who weren’t there are plenty of seriously impressive exhibition spaces open all year round, like the Mykolas Žilinskas Art Gallery. And if you want something a bit weirder, head to the seriously strange Devil’s Museum. 

🏩Average one-bed Airbnb: £58 ($76)
🍻Average pint: £2.90 ($3.81)

Not a lot of major cities are what we’d call ‘affordable’ anymore – but a trip to Porto, Portugal’s second city, still holds true (we can’t say the same for Lisbon anymore, that’s for sure). I visited in 2023 and 2024, and found that a meal for two in its best restaurants (with wine, lots of wine), came in at less than £50 all in, and Portuguese beers out could cost as little as a euro. Porto’s attractions are well-priced too, from beautiful public parks to €8 museum tickets, but let’s be honest, if you’re anything like me, you’re really just here to eat and drink.

🏩Average one-bed Airbnb: £79 ($103)
🍻Average pint: £1.72 ($2.25)

📍 Discover the best things to do in Porto

If I hadn’t already been on a road trip around Croatia, Zagreb almost definitely wouldn’t have been on my radar. Despite being Croatia’s capital, the city is pretty underrated, cowering in the shadow of popular destinations such as Split and Dubrovnik – but I’m here to make a case for it as a brilliant budget destination. Why? Because it’s so goddamn walkable. That’s right – alongside the reasonable accommodation and food prices, Zagreb’s streets are some of the most pleasant to get around on foot: we barely used public transport at all (but even if you do, a tram ride of up to 30 mins costs just 44p). Start from the city’s sprawling main square and meander your way to pretty much every one of the city’s best sights before grabbing an excellent people watching spot – the cafés here are excellent.

🏩Average one-bed Airbnb: £51 ($66)
🍻Average pint: £1.82 ($2.39)

Český Krumlov is a lot like Prague, but without the stag dos. Its labyrinthine, baroque streets all lead you, eventually, to the huge castle complex at the centre. It’s beautiful in summer, but for the really picturesque views go in winter, when it’s blanketed in snow. Keep warm in one of the many cosy cafés, or try traditional food in one of the live music parlours. Not a rowdy bunch of blokes to be seen. 

🏩Average one-bed Airbnb: £76 ($99)
🍻Average pint: £1.44 ($1.89)

Bucharest is great if you’re looking for a good time. Don’t sleep on the nightlife, just make sure to avoid the overhyped bars near the centre and head for one of the sky bars instead. You can try (delicious, hearty) traditional food for bargain prices, too. Our reccomedation is the legendary Caru’ cu Bere – order the grilled pork and a side of sauerkraut.

🏩Average one-bed Airbnb: £45 ($59)
🍻Average pint: £1.48 ($1.94)

We named Hull as one of the UK’s best places to visit last year, for its culture (it was Capital of Culture in 2017), its thriving LGBTQ+ scene and, for tourists, its very pretty old town – a town steeped with history, having survived the Hull Blitz during WW2. But you can’t ignore one of Hull’s biggest draws; it‘s seriously cheap. And as the UK’s major cities all get closer to London prices (we’re looking at you, Bristol, Glasgow and Manchester), that’s more and more hard to come by. For the perfect weekend visit, check out indie art gallery Ground, cute shops at Hepworth Arcade, and splash out a little at restaurant and bakery Hearth with all the cash you saved on the Airbnb. 

🏩 Average one-bed Airbnb: £69 ($85)
🍻 Average pint: £4.75 ($5.87)

Sofia is properly, properly gorgeous. The domed churches dotted around the city will be a guaranteed hit on your Insta, as will the elaborate mosques, Soviet statues and grand galleries. As most people overlook it in favour of Bulgaria’s ski slopes and coastline, you won’t feel crowded while you wander. 

🏩Average one-bed Airbnb: £46 ($60)
🍻Average pint: £1.37 ($1.80)

Argos is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. Right in the heart of the Peloponnese, this is Greece as you imagine it: balmy Mediterranean weather with archaelogical beauty sprawling as far as the eye can see. According to legend, it was literally ruled by the son of Zeus at one point, too. It’s largely off the tourist path too, so you can explore the ancient theatre ruins, the prehistoric castle and sixth-century BC Roman Agora in peace.

🏩Average one-bed Airbnb: £38 ($49)
🍻Average pint: £3.66 ($4.80)

📍 Discover the best places to visit in Greece

Festival vibes meet olde-worlde history in Kraków. We recommend packing in as many medieval sites as possible, and then getting stuck into a great night out. Try to plan your trip to coincide with one of the city’s many, many festivals, which range from the typical (think Summer Jazz Festival and the Kraków Film Festival) to the more obscure, like the International Soup Festival. Yum.

🏩Average one-bed Airbnb: £59 ($77)
🍻Average pint: £2.15 ($2.82)