Updated September 2025
Travel is getting more expensive. Flights, hotels, museum tickets, and even a simple coffee break can quickly add up. Fortunately, some destinations still offer excellent value for money.
There are plenty of lists claiming to reveal the cheapest places to visit, but for this one I used data comparing typical backpacker spending across major travel costs. The 12 cities below are among the 15 cheapest city destinations for travellers in 2026. I’ve roughly ranked them from expensive to cheap, although exchange rates and local prices change constantly. After all, Istanbul used to be on this list and a bargain.
One more rule: I’ve only included cities I’ve actually visited myself. No recycled recommendations from places I’ve only seen on Instagram.
DISCOVER 11 EUROPEAN CULTURAL CITIES ON A BUDGET
ZAGREB, CROATIA
I only just recently (June) visited Zagreb during my 2. trip to Croatia. The capital is completely different from the coastline and with only few tourists, Zagreb is much nicer than expected and has a few cool sights.
Besides being cheaper than average city in Europe, Zagreb has huge amount of beautiful buildings. Not only the famous St. Mark’s church with the beautiful tiled roof (not the one in the picture) with the emblem of the city, but also (like Riga) Art Nouveau buildings in a special geometrical version. My favourite was the one with the bats. And of course the Medieval stone gate Kamenita vrata.
Don’t miss the Museum of Broken Relationships. It started as a pop-up, but is now permanent. And yes, it’s about broken relationships based on true stories. Also don’t miss the underground Gric tunnel system.
The city of Spilt is also on the list, but one Croatian city must be enough. Live Like an Emperor in a Roman palace in Split.
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
The two cities Buda and Pest merged into one and created my final cheap cultural destination. I haven’t been elsewhere in Hungary, but would definitely like to see more after visiting the capital.
Budapest has many sights and just like many of the other cheap destinations it’s on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
 A highlight is a guided tour of the 3. largest parliament in the world. There’s a lot of gold inside including the crown jewels. And who doesn’t love some bling. Also take the funicular up to castle hill. the photogenic Fisherman’s Bastion is also worth a visit early in the day or very late to avoid crowds.
After all this sightseeing, make sure to visit one of the many ruin bars. Close to the synagogue is Szimpla Kert which also has excellent food. And end the day in the famous, yellow Széchenyi Thermal Bath.
Don’t miss the Dohaney Street Great synagogue to learn about the history of the Hungarian Jews. It’s the largest synagogue of Europe, the second largest one in the world. The onion shaped and gilded domes made fashion, that synagogues built later around the world were often designed in the same style.Â
SOFIA, BULGARIA
Sofia is not only a great budget destination, but also has a lot to offert he cultural traveller as one of the oldest capitals in Europe. In fact, Bulgaria is fantastic country to travel and the countryside is even cheaper.
You can’t see everything in Sofia in 24 cultural hours, but you can see a lot.
Must-sees in Sofia is the Nevsky Cathedral and the National Archaeological museum. The Cathedral is not very old, but it’s the largest Orthodox temple on the entire Balkan and very impressive inside with several relics. The museum is inside what was the Grand Mosque and shows artefacts from the Stone Age up to modern times. It has some exceptional golden treasures.
For something old, the Rotunda Sveti Georgi is said to be the oldest church in the Bulgarian capital from the early 4th century.
Don’t miss the small, but spectacular church Boyana just in the outskirts of town. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and only a few people are allowed to enter at the time due to the fragility of the exquisite frescoes.
BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA
Slovakia is not the most visited country in Europe. But the capital Bratislava is only an hour by bus from the ajor tourist city Vienna. Most people only visit for a day trip, but the city can take a night.
The castle is the symbol of Bratislava and many come here for the sunset. Don’t spend money going inside. But instead climb the bridge platform UFO for a sunset and night view of the town. St. Michael Tower is the center of the city, but also the busiest place. You can walk the old city wall with great views of the old rooftops. The old town hall are now a ok museums with a dungeon. Street art and especially sculptures are fun to locate – including one of Napoleon’s soldiers.
Don’t miss Devin Castle right outside the city. Just jump a bus by using your credit card.
KRAKOW, POLAND
A beautiful and charming city with the largest square in Europe, churches with golden treasures, a castle and an old town that’s on UNESCO World Heritage list.
In 2023, I finally visited Krakow. Having already visited Warsaw (above) and Gdansk, the old royal capital was on my list. If you haven’t been to Poland, stop the excuses.
Krakow is a large tourist attraction in Poland. Bigger than Warsaw. The reason – according to a local – is that almost all other Polish cities were destroyed in WWII. But Krakow still has its old churches and palaces. Visit the castle’s treasury for golden reminder of Poland’s glorious past or hear the local composer Chopin at a concert.
Don’t miss the harsh history lesson at Oskar Schindler’s factory for the full story of the Polish Jews. Afterwards, you might need something to cheer you up, but luckily beer and vodka is cheap.
WARSAW, POLAND
Poland is on every list of budget destinations I’ve read. And it’s a country I like to visit due to it’s fascinating history.
Warsaw is a very old city and a very new city. It’s been under Prussian, Swedish, Russian and German rule in its 1000 year long history. But during WWII 85% of the city was bombed into oblivion. The painstakingly rebuilt placed the historic centre on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Discover the history in the top 6 Museums.
Don’t miss the small private Neon Museum. It’s just fun, the signs tell about the history, and they make for excellent pictures.
TALLIN, LITHUANIA
The second cheapest city in 2025. The Lithuanian capital is very budget-friendly. I finally visited Lithuania this year.Â
Tallinn blends Estonian traditions with Nordic and European influence. Head to Tallinn for an UNESCO-listed Old Town. The amazing city walls creates a medieval charm alongside the Gothic town hallcomplete with cobbled streets and Gothic spires.
In Tallinn, you’ll find good food, but my favourite was dumplings. I had one with bear. Not my favourite that pork ad dill. Â
Don’t miss Telliskivi Creative City, a former industrial complex, has become a hub for galleries, cafes, and art.
VILNIUS, LITHUANIA
Once the largest country in Europe, now probably the least visited of the Baltic countries, Lithuania is best known for its landscapes and the coast. But that’s not my main goal. Luckily, the capital also has a few cultural attractions.
The small capital is not so crowded as Riga or Tallinn despite the old town is a World Heritage Site with many different types of architecture. The main attraction is the white palace of the Grand Dukes in the image. Unfortunately, it was closed when I went. The Cathedral has some royal tombs and that’s always worth visiting. My favourite thing was to walk the old cobblestones streets and take in the relaxed atmosphere of the city. Only half an hour outside Vilnius by train is Trakai – a medieval castle on an island in a lake.
Lithuanian food is solid. I got a great beaver meat stew with mashed potatoes, but you’ll also find a lot of delicious Georgian food.
Don’t miss the KGB Museum – it’s an unavoidable part of their history and identity!
BELGRADE, SERBIA
Serbia might not be on many traveller’s bucket list, but the former capital of Yugoslavia is cheap and has cool worn down post-communist vibe.
Explore the many neighbourhoods, climb the fortress, be gold struck in the temple of Sveti Sava and dive into the history of Yugoslavia.
Belgrade has lots of fantastic gelato places, pizza places and a Balkan favourite of cevapi. Belgrade is known for its nightlife and when the weather is good, the streets are filled with bars and you can even find floating bars by the river.
Don’t miss the Nikola Tesla Museum – it’s electric!
RIGA, LATVIA
The cheapest city in 2025. The Latvian capital is quite cheap compared to most European cities.The Baltic countries are often on list of destinations for budget travels. But I have yet the two other countries to visit (I’m planning a trip to Lithuania this December).
Head for the historic centre of Riga, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Not many know that the charming city has the finest Art Nouveau buildings in Europe.
Riga is also the city, where I tasted my first bear-burger. Riga is definitely cheap, and with my 4 friends, we could easily afford a luxury hotel and fine dining every night – as well as plenty of wine. This makes Riga perfect for a Weekend Trip.
Don’t miss the view from the Latvian Academy of Science Observation deck. I can see on Instagram most people just photograph this classic communist-architecture palace, but the view is really nice.
SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA
I am fresh back from visiting North Macedonia. The capital Skopje is the weirdest capital in Europe. Full of huge statues of men – especially Alexander the Great, the town tries to create an identity.Â
North Macedonia is one of the cheapest countries in all of Europe. But it doesn’t get a lot of visitors. No wonder since the small capital doesn’t have a lot of sights and most visit the country for Lake Ohrid. But the old town has an Ottoman bridge and center with narrow streets and small cafes serving mint tea. There’s also a castle with a view of the not so pretty city and it is also the birth place of Mother Therese.Â
Don’t miss the Brutalist architecture. Part of a rebuilding project, the distinctive style can be explored in the Post Office and the University. It might not be the most beautiful architectural style, but it tells of a time with focus and function and not afraid of embracing its materiality.
SARAJEVO, BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA
I went to Sarajevo with a friend on a business trip to keep her company, but I left charmed. And that’s despite the city’s well known grim past, the many war museums will remind you of. I’m a huge favourite of Balkan. It’s not only great for budget travel, but it also has a unique blend of cultural traditions and religions merging into a special atmosphere.
Highlights – besides the mandatory war museums – include the Bascarsija fountain and the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque from 1530. The mosque is a masterpiece of Ottoman architecture, which I love, and has a very pleasant courtyard.
And the food is great. Delicious lokum and great tea. I spent hours, while my friend where at seminar, just sipping tea and people-watching.
Don’t miss the old Olympic Bobsled Track. Take the funicular up and hike the weird, but fun track. And hurry, for I’ve read the government wants to do something else here.
If you’re a history nerd like me, you also have to find the corner, where the Archduke Ferdinand and his wife was shot in 1914 – starting WWI. Dark tourism for sure, but extremely important historical place of events.
BUDGET TRIP
I hope you found inspiration for your next trip.
Of course, your budget trip will be even cheaper with street food and taking the train. And I love both. Hotels however, I do not like the cheapest options, since they are often far away from the sights and you spent way too much time on transport. But everyone to his own.
Since you’re writing a travel blog, here’s a more engaging outro that keeps your personal style:
Of course, there are other budget-friendly cities in Europe. One that keeps coming up on travellers’ lists is Bucharest. It looks like the kind of place I’d enjoy—history, architecture, good food, and prices that don’t make your wallet cry—but I haven’t made it there yet.
Have you visited Bucharest? Or is there another affordable city in Europe that surprised you? Let me know in the comments. I’m always looking for ideas for the next trip.
Or, if you want something a little more humorous:
And before anyone points it out: yes, Bucharest is missing.
It consistently ranks among Europe’s cheapest capitals, but I haven’t been there yet, so it didn’t make the list. Maybe next year.
Until then, I’d love to hear your suggestions. Which budget destination exceeded your expectations—and which one wasn’t worth the hype?
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Thanks for the travel ideas. We are planning our first trip to the Balkans and appreciate your insights.
Hi Joe,
thanks for writing. I’m so happy if I can inspire more people to visit Balkan. I love it.
I haven’t even written about all my Balkan trips yet, but I really liked Ljubljana and Sarajevo. And the entire Bulgaria as I wrote. My least favourite was probably Montenegro, but everyone has a different experience.
Counting on visiting Albania next summer.
I hope you have lots of cultural experiences and a safe trip.
Best regards Sara
Thank you for the additional information, Sara. Hope your travels are interesting and safe as well.