City breaks in Europe can be costly, but prices vary widely depending on the destination. Cities such as Zurich, Switzerland, and Paris, France, consistently rank among the most expensive for tourists, but there are far more affordable options.
We compared accommodation, food, entertainment and local transportation costs across the most visited cities to show where travel expenses add up most quickly, how the most expensive cities compare with the cheapest, and how hotel prices differ across budget, mid-range and luxury stays.
Key Statistics
- Paris, France is the most expensive city in Europe overall, with the lowest affordability score in the study at 3.63 out of 10 (lower scores indicate higher costs), driven by average accommodation costs of €217, entertainment spending of €115, food costs of €96, and local transport costs of €30.
- There is a clear gap between the most and least affordable cities, with Belgrade, Serbia, scoring 9.96 out of 10 for affordability and recording average accommodation costs of €38, compared with €217 in Paris.
- Looking specifically at average daily tourist spending, Zurich, Switzerland is the most expensive city at €309 per day, reflecting consistently high daily costs such as tours and other activities. While Paris ranks second with an average daily spend of €267.
- Accommodation costs range from €11 for budget stays in Belgrade, to €167 for mid-range hotels in Zurich, and peaking at €441 per night for luxury accommodation in Paris.
- The average McDonald’s meal (Combo Meal) costs around €12, rising to €18.8 in Zurich, while falling to €6.8 in Minsk, Belarus, almost half the European average.
- When projected over a short city break, Zurich remains the most expensive destination, with a three-day stay costing €928, compared with €800 in Paris and €711 in Belgrade.
The most expensive cities in Europe ranking
Based on overall travel costs across accommodation, food, entertainment, and local transport, Paris ranks as the most expensive city in Europe in our analysis of the 50 most visited destinations.
Cities are ranked using an affordability score out of 10, where lower scores indicate higher overall visitor costs, capturing destinations where spending remains consistently high across a typical city break rather than being driven by a single expense.
Paris ranks first due to the highest accommodation costs in the dataset (€217) and the highest entertainment spending (€115), alongside elevated food (€96) and local transport (€30) costs. While Paris does not lead every category, the combination of extreme accommodation and entertainment costs leaves visitors with little opportunity to offset spending elsewhere, making it the least affordable city overall. Unfortunately, the city recently made it into the dirtiest cities in Europe, too.
Looking across the full table highlights how different cities dominate individual cost categories without necessarily ranking first overall. Food costs peak in Newcastle upon Tyne at €155, the highest average food spend in the dataset, yet Newcastle, England, ranks lower overall because accommodation (€66) and transport (€17) costs are comparatively modest. This contrast shows how even extreme prices in one category can be balanced out by savings in others.
Copenhagen, Denmark, records the highest local transport costs (€99) and also features among the highest food costs (€130), but ranks behind Paris overall, as accommodation costs (€107) are substantially lower than in the most expensive cities. Zurich, which has the second-highest accommodation costs (€206) and food costs of €128, follows closely for the same reason: high costs across multiple categories, but not the single highest combined pressure seen in Paris.
| Most Expensive Cities (top 20) in Europe Based on Overall Travel Costs | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | City | Country | Affordability Score (out of 10) | Average Entertainment | Average Food Costs | Local Transportation Costs | Average Accommodation Costs |
| 1 | Paris | France | 3.63 | €115 | €96 | €30 | €217 |
| 2 | Copenhagen | Denmark | 4.31 | €40 | €130 | €99 | €107 |
| 3 | Zurich | Switzerland | 4.47 | €40 | €128 | €42 | €206 |
| 4 | Liverpool | England | 5.59 | €46 | €135 | €37 | €108 |
| 5 | London | England | 5.60 | €49 | €80 | €34 | €179 |
| 6 | Rome | Italy | 5.82 | €52 | €108 | €30 | €129 |
| 7 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | 5.95 | €48 | €103 | €27 | €138 |
| 8 | Milan | Italy | 6.05 | €40 | €78 | €53 | €126 |
| 9 | Manchester | England | 6.13 | €38 | €133 | €27 | €101 |
| 10 | Glasgow | Scotland | 6.36 | €32 | €104 | €40 | €103 |
| 11 | Vienna | Austria | 6.49 | €50 | €74 | €25 | €132 |
| 12 | Birmingham | England | 6.51 | €60 | €86 | €32 | €87 |
| 13 | Bergamo | Italy | 6.64 | €37 | €89 | €37 | €100 |
| 13 | Dublin | Ireland | 6.64 | €31 | €119 | €25 | €93 |
| 15 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | 6.65 | €37 | €108 | €30 | €89 |
| 16 | Berlin | Germany | 6.70 | €29 | €126 | €23 | €85 |
| 17 | Barcelona | Spain | 6.72 | €42 | €73 | €26 | €128 |
| 18 | Turin | Italy | 6.73 | €31 | €82 | €49 | €88 |
| 19 | Newcastle upon Tyne | England | 6.76 | €22 | €155 | €17 | €66 |
| 19 | Bologna | Italy | 6.76 | €48 | €85 | €26 | €98 |
Cheapest vs most expensive cities
When comparing the most expensive city to the cheapest, there’s a stark contrast across the board, with huge discrepancies between the cost of entertainment, food, transport and accommodation.
Belgrade is the most affordable city in Europe, with an impressive affordability score of 9.96 out of 10, taking into account the overall tourist costs mentioned above. Whereas Paris scored a mere 3.63 on the affordability score.
| Most expensive and cheapest cities comparison | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Most expensive cities | Affordability score | Cheapest cities | Affordability score |
| Paris | 3.63 | Belgrade | 9.96 |
| Copenhagen | 4.31 | Sofia | 9.43 |
| Zurich | 4.47 | Warsaw | 8.94 |
| Liverpool | 5.59 | Minsk | 8.86 |
| London | 5.60 | Palermo | 8.77 |
Costs of the most expensive and affordable compared
Looking more closely at the costs that drive these affordability scores helps explain why Paris and Belgrade sit at opposite ends of the ranking. Accommodation is the biggest differentiator, with Paris averaging €217 per night compared with €38 in Belgrade, a difference of €179 that alone has a major impact on overall affordability.
The significant difference in costs between France and Serbia’s capitals doesn’t end there, with Belgrade being cheaper across every comparison. Entertainment costs, which reflect spending on paid attractions and activities such as museums, landmarks, and tours, are €111 higher in Paris (€115 versus €4). Food costs also differ massively, with visitors spending €78 more per day in Paris (€96 compared with €18), while local transport adds a further €23 gap (€30 versus €7).
Average daily cost for tourists by city
Average daily costs differ from the category averages above, showing how much tourists typically spend in a single day. This reflects reported daily spending from real travellers rather than combined cost factors.
Zurich is the most expensive city for daily tourist spending, with visitors spending an average of €309 per day, making it more expensive than Paris on a day-to-day basis. While there are ways to experience Switzerland’s largest city for free, such as visiting Lake Zurich, exploring the Old Town, or entering Grossmünster Church (with a separate charge to climb the tower), everyday costs across accommodation, food, and paid activities remain consistently high.[1]
Paris follows behind Zurich, with tourists spending an average of €267 per day, ahead of Manchester, England (€257) and London, England (€250). Despite Paris’s reputation as Europe’s most expensive destination, Switzerland’s higher baseline prices push Zurich ahead when looking specifically at daily travel costs.
| Cities with the most expensive average daily costs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | City | Country | Average total daily cost for a tourist |
| 1 | Zurich | Switzerland | €309 |
| 2 | Paris | France | €267 |
| 3 | Manchester | England | €257 |
| 4 | London | England | €250 |
| 5 | Belgrade | Serbia | €237 |
| 6 | Copenhagen | Denmark | €235 |
| 7 | Liverpool | England | €234 |
| 8 | Marseille | France | €228 |
| 9 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | €211 |
| 10 | Rome | Italy | €207 |
Cost of a weekend city break in Europe
Building on the daily cost analysis above, the same destinations continue to rank as the most expensive when travel costs are projected across a short city break. With over half of trips (56.3%) in Europe lasting up to three nights, a three-day stay provides a practical way to illustrate how tourist spending accumulates over a typical city (long) weekend visit. [2]
Using this approach, Zurich remains the most expensive city for a short break, with a three-day stay costing an average of €928. Switzerland’s higher baseline prices for accommodation, food, and everyday services mean costs add up quickly, even when visitors balance paid attractions with free experiences.
Paris follows at €800, ahead of Manchester (€771) and London (€749), showing how accommodation and dining costs continue to dominate spending during short stays in major cities. Further down the ranking, Belgrade (€711) and Copenhagen (€705) demonstrate how different cost pressures, from hotel prices to transport and food, can still result in an expensive city break overall.
| Cities with the most expensive average weekend costs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | City | Country | Average total weekend cost for a tourist |
| 1 | Zurich | Switzerland | €928 |
| 2 | Paris | France | €800 |
| 3 | Manchester | England | €771 |
| 4 | London | England | €749 |
| 5 | Belgrade | Serbia | €711 |
| 6 | Copenhagen | Denmark | €705 |
| 7 | Liverpool | England | €702 |
| 8 | Marseille | France | €683 |
| 9 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | €633 |
| 10 | Rome | Italy | €621 |
Different costs per city
While overall rankings show which cities are most expensive to visit, breaking down those costs per category can help us understand why some cities are expensive and how to save on tourist costs.
Transport prices by city
Local transport costs are highest in Copenhagen, where average daily transport spending reaches €99, making it the most expensive city for getting around in the dataset. This reflects the cost of public transport passes and taxis, which remain high even for short journeys.
Despite this, Copenhagen does not rank as the most expensive city overall, as accommodation and food costs are lower than in cities such as Paris or Zurich. This highlights how high transport costs alone are rarely enough to push a city to the top of the overall ranking. By comparison, Paris, which ranks as the most expensive city overall, records significantly lower average transport costs at €30, showing that transport is not the primary driver of its high total costs.
Cost of food by city
Food costs peak in Newcastle upon Tyne, where average daily food spending reaches €155, the highest of any city analysed. Other cities with high food costs include English cities, Liverpool (€135) and Manchester (€133), highlighting the cost of dining out and everyday purchases over the course of a visit.
However, none of these cities rank at the very top of the overall affordability ranking. This is because accommodation and transport costs in these destinations remain comparatively moderate, allowing visitors to offset higher food spending elsewhere. In contrast, Paris, while expensive overall, records a lower average daily food cost of €96.
Entertainment costs by city
Entertainment costs are highest in Paris, where visitors spend an average of €115 on paid attractions, tours, and experiences. This reflects the density of ticketed landmarks, museums, and cultural experiences that many visitors include in their itinerary.
Despite leading this category, Paris is not the most expensive city for food or transport, reinforcing that its overall ranking is the result of multiple consistently high costs. Other cities with relatively high entertainment spending, such as Rome, Italy (€52) and London (€49), rank lower overall because visitors can balance attraction spending with cheaper transport or accommodation.
Hotel prices by city and rating
Hotel prices vary widely across Europe and significantly influence the perceived cost of visiting a city. To compare accommodation costs fairly between destinations, hotels are grouped by price level rather than star rating. This avoids differences in national rating systems and reflects how travellers actually choose where to stay.
The data is split into budget, mid-range, and luxury stays, covering the most affordable options, typical hotels used by leisure travelers and higher-end accommodations in each city.
Budget accommodation prices by city
Budget accommodation represents the lowest-priced overnight stays available in each destination, including basic hotels, hostels and similar low-cost options.
There are huge disparities between cities, with Zurich and Paris again proving expensive, averaging €68 and €56 respectively for budget accommodation. In contrast, cities such as Belgrade (€11), Sofia, Bulgaria (€16) and Warsaw, Poland (€17) offer far cheaper budget accommodation.
Mid-range accommodation prices by city
Mid-range accommodation offered no surprises, with Zurich and Paris once again ranking as the most expensive cities for accommodation. Zurich records the highest average mid-range hotel cost at €167 per night, followed by Paris at €153, with London close behind in third place at €125 per night. In each case, accommodation alone represents a significant portion of overall travel spend, reinforcing why these cities consistently rank among Europe’s most expensive to visit.
Belgrade offers the cheapest mid-range accommodation at €28 per night, a €139 difference compared with Zurich.
Luxury accommodation prices by city
Luxury accommodation shows the widest price gaps across Europe, highlighting how sharply costs rise at the top end of the market.
Paris is the most expensive city for luxury accommodation, with average prices reaching €441 per night, followed by Zurich (€382) and London (€366). In all three cities, luxury stay costs alone can exceed the full daily travel budget of Europe’s cheapest destinations, reinforcing their position as premium places to visit.
At the other end of the scale, cities such as Minsk, Belarus (€66), Belgrade (€76) and Sofia (€82) offer luxury accommodation at a fraction of the cost seen in Western European capitals.
Everyday food and drink prices across European cities
Outside of major costs such as accommodation, food, entertainment and transport, it’s useful to compare everyday expenses. Items like a fast-food meal, a beer, or a cappuccino offer a more relatable way to understand how expensive a city feels day to day.
Cappuccino prices by city
Copenhagen (€6.0) and Zurich (€5.9) are the most expensive cities for a regular-sized cappuccino, followed by Stockholm (€5.0). At the other end of the scale, cities such as Turin (€1.7), Minsk (€1.8) and Porto, Portugal (€1.8) record the lowest prices. Paris (€4.4) and London (€4.6) also sit well above average, reinforcing why both cities feel expensive even for everyday purchases.[3]
Beer prices by city
Oslo, Norway (€10.2) is the most expensive city for a domestic draft beer (0.5 litre), followed by Zurich (€8.6) and Copenhagen (€8.0). These cities also rank highly overall, reflecting how higher wages and operating costs translate into pricier casual drinks.
In contrast, Minsk (€1.2), Budapest, Hungary (€2.6) and Sofia (€2.6) offer some of the cheapest beer prices in Europe, and well below the average beer cost of €5.40. Paris (€7.0) and London (€7.2) again sit toward the higher end, reinforcing why even informal spending adds up quickly in these cities.[4]
McDonald’s prices by city
Across cappuccino, beer and McDonald’s prices, the same cities repeatedly rank as the most expensive, closely mirroring the overall affordability rankings. Zurich (€18.8) has the highest McDonald’s combo meal price, followed by Amsterdam (€16.3) and Copenhagen (€15.5). Paris (€14.0) also sits well above average, reinforcing why everyday spending quickly adds up in these destinations.
Across all cities analysed, the average McDonald’s meal costs around €12. At the other end of the scale, Minsk (€6.8) records the lowest price, at nearly half the European average.[5]
Sources
- https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-gb/destinations/zurich/
- https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Tourism_trips_-_introduction_and_key_figures
- https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/region_prices_by_city?itemId=114®ion=150&displayCurrency=EUR
- https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/region_prices_by_city?itemId=114®ion=150&displayCurrency=EUR
- https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/region_prices_by_city?itemId=114®ion=150&displayCurrency=EUR
Methodology
This study compares travel costs across major European cities using multiple datasets to reflect how tourists spend.
The city list was built using a seed list of European cities from World Population Review, then matched to destinations with available cost data. Category-based costs for accommodation, food, entertainment, and local transport were taken from city-level spending data published by Budget Your Trip and weighted to produce an overall affordability score out of 10, where higher scores indicate cheaper destinations and lower scores indicate more expensive ones.
Average daily and weekend costs were analysed separately using a second dataset from Budget Your Trip, based on reported daily spending by travellers. Weekend city break costs were calculated using a three-day total to keep comparisons consistent across destinations.
For accommodation comparisons, hotels were grouped into budget, mid-range, and luxury tiers based on price level within each city, rather than star ratings, to account for differences in standards and pricing between destinations. Everyday price comparisons, such as coffee, beer, and fast-food meals, were taken from Numbeo to add context around common day-to-day costs.
