The British Post Office Travel Money has released its annual Holiday Costs Barometer for European cities in 2023. Surprisingly, Lisbon takes the top spot as the most affordable city, while Zagreb ranks seventh on the list.
Every year, the British Post Office Travel Money compares the costs of short breaks in European cities and compiles a ranking of the most cost-effective cities, i.e., those that offer the most for the money spent. The ranking is determined based on 12 typical tourist expenses in 35 European cities.
The report is based on a wide range of common costs, including three-course meals with a bottle of wine, transportation costs, ticket prices for attractions, and the average cost of a two-night stay in a three-star accommodation. This year’s ranking of the cheapest destinations for a short city break shows that costs have increased in all 35 destinations, with accommodation prices rising the most.
For 2023, the numbers revealed that Lisbon is the most affordable city for a weekend getaway. In the sixteen years that the Post Office has been publishing the City Costs Barometer, an Eastern European city is not at the top of the list for the first time. However, Vilnius takes the second spot, followed by Krakow in third place.
Prices in Lisbon have only risen by 2% compared to last year, which allowed it to dethrone last year’s winner, Athens, from the top spot, with Athens now ranking fourth.
Zagreb also made the list, occupying the seventh position among the most cost-effective European cities for a short visit.
Amsterdam and Venice remain the most expensive cities, primarily due to high accommodation prices, joined by Paris, Barcelona, London, Rome, Edinburgh, Madrid, Dublin, and Berlin.
Top 10 Most Affordable European Cities:
1. Lisbon, Portugal
2. Vilnius, Lithuania
3. Krakow, Poland
4. Athens, Greece
5. Riga, Latvia
6. Porto, Portugal
7. Zagreb, Croatia
8. Budapest, Hungary
9. Warsaw, Poland
10. Lille, France”
