How much does a day cost? Daily budget by city

Istanbul is the best value in this guide. A lean day of a hostel bed, street food (a balık ekmek fish sandwich, simit, kebabs), tea and public transport runs around €40, helped by a weak lira for foreign visitors.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, sit-down meals, a Bosphorus ferry and a paid sight or two sits near €90. The grand mosques and bazaars are free to wander, so much of the city costs nothing.

Save here: Pay in lira (not euros or dollars) for the best value, and lean on the cheap, excellent street food.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Istanbul

Plan things to do in Istanbul

Budapest is one of Europe’s great-value capitals. A budget day of a hostel, cheap eats (a langos, a bowl of goulash), transit and a ruin-bar drink comes in around €45.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, restaurant meals and a thermal-bath visit lands near €95. The baths are the signature splurge and worth budgeting for.

Save here: Budget one thermal-bath visit as a treat; otherwise Budapest is cheap to eat, drink and get around.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Budapest

Plan things to do in Budapest

Prague is affordable, especially for food and the famously cheap beer. A budget day of a hostel, pub meals, transit and walking the Old Town is around €50.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, restaurant dinners and a paid sight or two sits near €100. Wandering the centre, the bridge and the castle grounds costs little.

Save here: Beer is cheaper than soft drinks in many pubs; eat where locals do, a few streets back from the Old Town Square.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Prague

Plan things to do in Prague

Athens is good value. A budget day of a hostel, souvlaki and bakery food, the metro and free outdoor sights runs about €55.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, taverna meals and the Acropolis plus another site sits near €110. Check current ticket options, as a bundled pass can save money if you plan to see several ancient sites.

Save here: Check current tickets or a bundled pass if you plan to see several ancient sites; tavernas are cheap and generous.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Athens

Plan things to do in Athens

Porto is cheaper than Lisbon and excellent value. A budget day of a hostel, a francesinha or pastries, the metro and riverside walks comes in around €50.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, restaurant meals and a port-cellar tasting sits near €105. Much of the appeal, the riverfront and the bridges, is free.

Save here: A port-wine cellar tasting across the river is the classic affordable splurge; the city itself is cheap to enjoy.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Porto

Plan things to do in Porto

Lisbon is still good value despite its popularity. A budget day of a hostel, cheap eats (a bifana, pastéis de nata), transit and free viewpoints runs around €55.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, restaurant dinners and a tram ride plus a paid sight sits near €110. The miradouro viewpoints and many churches are free.

Save here: Lisbon’s best views (the miradouros) are free; prices have risen with its popularity, so book accommodation early.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Lisbon

Plan things to do in Lisbon

Madrid offers big-capital culture at moderate prices. A budget day of a hostel, menú del día lunches, the metro and free-entry museum windows comes in around €60.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, tapas dinners and paid museums sits near €120. The Prado and Reina Sofía have free-entry hours that are worth timing.

Save here: Eat the menú del día at lunch (great value) and time the museums’ free-entry hours to cut costs.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Madrid

Plan things to do in Madrid

Berlin is the cheapest of the major Western-European capitals. A budget day of a hostel, döner and currywurst, transit and free history sites comes in around €60.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, restaurant meals and a couple of paid museums sits near €130. Many memorials and the East Side Gallery are free and central.

Save here: A lot of Berlin’s essential history (memorials, the Wall remnants) is free and outdoors; food can be very cheap.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Berlin

Plan things to do in Berlin

Rome is mid-priced, with the cost depending heavily on how close to the sights you sleep and eat. A budget day of a hostel, pizza al taglio and supplì, walking and free churches runs around €70.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, trattoria meals and paid sights (the Colosseum, the Vatican Museums) sits near €140. Free drinking fountains and countless free churches keep daytime costs down.

Save here: Eat a few streets back from the big sights to avoid tourist-trap prices; many of Rome’s wonders are free to see.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Rome

Plan things to do in Rome

Florence is compact and walkable, which saves on transport, but its museums add up. A budget day of a hostel, panini and markets, and free piazzas runs around €70.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, restaurant meals and the Uffizi or the Duomo complex sits near €140. The historic centre is small enough to cover entirely on foot.

Save here: You will walk everywhere (no transport cost), but book the Uffizi and Duomo ahead and budget for the museum fees.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Florence

Plan things to do in Florence

Barcelona is mid-priced and a little dearer than Madrid in peak season. A budget day of a hostel, menú lunches, the metro and the free beach runs around €70.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, tapas dinners and a Gaudí sight (the Sagrada Família, Park Güell) sits near €140. The big Gaudí attractions are the main paid splurges and sell out, so book ahead.

Save here: The Gaudí sights are the budget-busters and need booking ahead; the beach and many plazas are free.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Barcelona

Plan things to do in Barcelona

Vienna is comfortably mid-priced for a wealthy capital. A budget day of a hostel, sausage stands and supermarket lunches, transit and free palace gardens runs around €70.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, a café-house treat, restaurant dinner and a palace or museum sits near €140. The Schönbrunn and Belvedere gardens are free even when the interiors are not.

Save here: The palace gardens (Schönbrunn, Belvedere) are free; a coffee and cake in a grand café is an affordable splurge.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Vienna

Plan things to do in Vienna

Dublin is on the pricey side of mid-range, driven by high accommodation and pub prices. A budget day of a hostel, cheap eats, walking and free museums runs around €80.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, pub meals with a couple of pints and a paid attraction sits near €160. Several of the national museums are free, which helps.

Save here: Accommodation and pints are the budget-busters; lean on Dublin’s free national museums and galleries.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Dublin

Plan things to do in Dublin

Tokyo is more affordable than its reputation suggests, helped by a weak yen and famously cheap, excellent food. A budget day of a capsule or hostel, convenience-store and ramen meals, and the metro runs around €65.

A comfortable day with a business hotel, restaurant meals and a paid attraction sits near €150. Temples, parks and neighbourhood-wandering, the heart of a Tokyo trip, cost little.

Save here: Eating is cheap and superb (conbini, ramen, set lunches); accommodation and intercity trains are the bigger costs.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Tokyo

Plan things to do in Tokyo

Venice is expensive, with everything shipped in by boat and a captive tourist market. A budget day of a hostel (or a cheaper room on the mainland), cicchetti bar snacks and walking runs around €85.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, restaurant meals and a vaporetto pass plus a paid sight sits near €180. The vaporetto water buses are pricey, so a multi-day transport pass pays off.

Save here: A multi-day vaporetto pass saves money; eat cicchetti at bacari bars rather than canal-side restaurants.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Venice

Plan things to do in Venice

Amsterdam is pricey, with high accommodation costs the main driver. A budget day of a hostel, cheap eats, a bike or transit and free canal-walking runs around €90.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, restaurant meals and a couple of museums (the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh) sits near €180. Renting a bike is cheap and the best way to get around.

Save here: Hotels are the big cost; rent a bike (cheap) and book the major museums ahead to avoid pricier last-minute options.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Amsterdam

Plan things to do in Amsterdam

Dubai spans extremes: it can be cheap or lavish depending on your choices. A budget day of a modest hotel, inexpensive South-Asian and Lebanese eateries, the Metro and free beaches and malls runs around €90.

A comfortable day with a 4-star hotel, restaurant meals and a paid attraction (the Burj Khalifa, a desert safari) sits near €200, and the sky is the limit beyond that. Summer brings big accommodation discounts.

Save here: Eat where the large expat workforce does (great value), and note that summer heat brings steep hotel discounts.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Dubai

Plan things to do in Dubai

Paris is expensive but manageable with care. A budget day of a hostel, bakery and market food, the Metro and free landmarks (the city itself is the sight) runs around €90.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, bistro meals and a couple of paid museums sits near €180. Many museums offer free entry on the first Sunday of the month (rules vary, and the Louvre instead has free first-Friday evenings), and EU residents under 26 get into national museums free.

Save here: Time the free-entry days (first Sunday at many museums, free first-Friday evenings at the Louvre), picnic from bakeries and markets, and the city walks itself for free.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Paris

Plan things to do in Paris

London is among the priciest cities here, led by accommodation and transport. A budget day of a hostel, cheap eats (a meal deal, market food), contactless transit and free museums runs around €95.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, restaurant meals and a paid attraction sits near €190. The huge upside: most of London’s world-class museums (the British Museum, the Tate, the National Gallery) are free.

Save here: London’s major museums are free, which is a huge saving; use contactless with its daily fare cap for transport.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, London

Plan things to do in London

Las Vegas is wildly variable: room rates swing with the day of the week and events, and resort fees, shows and gambling can balloon the bill. A budget day of an off-Strip or weekday room, cheap eats and free Strip-walking runs around €80.

A comfortable day with a mid-range Strip hotel, restaurant meals and a show sits near €180, and a big night out can far exceed it. Watch for the mandatory resort fees added to room rates.

Save here: Beware resort fees added on top of the room rate, and that weekday stays are far cheaper than weekends.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Las Vegas

Plan things to do in Las Vegas

New York is the most expensive city in this guide, driven by very high accommodation. A budget day of a hostel, deli and food-cart meals, the subway and free sights (the parks, the Staten Island Ferry, walking the bridges) runs around €110.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, restaurant meals and a paid attraction or show sits near €230, before tax and tipping push it higher. Remember sales tax and tips are added on top of listed US prices.

Save here: Budget for sales tax and tips on top of menu prices, and lean on the many free sights (parks, the ferry, the bridges).

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, New York

Plan things to do in New York City

Milan is one of Italy's pricier cities, driven by business and fashion demand, so accommodation is the main cost. A lean day of a hostel bed, panini and a stand-up coffee, the metro and free sights (the Duomo exterior, the Galleria, the Navigli) runs around €80.

A comfortable day with a mid-range hotel, restaurant meals and a paid sight or two sits near €190 sharing a room, and a solo traveler or anyone visiting during the fashion and design fairs should budget well above that. The Milanese aperitivo (a drink with a generous buffet) is good value for an early evening meal.

Save here: Hotel prices swing hugely with the trade fairs; the aperitivo buffet is the local-value way to eat in the early evening.

Source: Numbeo: cost of living, Milan

Plan things to do in Milan