City breaks are brilliant holidays – you can soak up a shedload of culture, bar hop, and eat at brilliant local restaurants all without using too much of your annual leave. However, across Europe, the cost of visiting cities varies staggeringly, and given times are pretty tough right now, many of us are tightening our travel purse strings where we can.
Handily, Post Office Travel Money’s 2026 City Cost Barometer has landed, which analyses the cost of a city break in 50 popular and trending destinations across the continent. To do so, they evaluate the following factors: two nights in three-star weekend accommodation, a three-course meal for two (including a bottle of house wine), a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, a bottle of beer and Coca Cola, return airport transfers, a sightseeing bus tour, a 48-hour local travel card plus a top heritage attraction, gallery and museum.
So, where on the continent can you get the most bang for your buck – and where will cost you an arm and a leg?
Topping the list of the most affordable cities in Europe is (drum roll, please) Sarajevo! According to the research, a weekend here (which comprises all the above costs) will set you back a mere £248.27 – which is almost three times cheaper than the priciest city break on the list, Oslo.
The capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina makes for an excellent weekend getaway destination. Part of the appeal is that it’s primed for wandering around, whether you stroll its pretty streets at your own pace or join a walking tour. There are also lots of good museums – including the National and the War Childhood Museum – as well as a mixture of churches, mosques and synagogues.
Hungry? Head to Gradska tržnica Markale and pick up some snacks for lunch – traditional burek will set you back less than a fiver – and enjoy one of those budget-friendly local beers.
As highlighted in ’s own budget-friendly European city break guide, August is a particularly good time to visit the city this year. Sarajevo Film Festival is on from August 14 – 21, where you can catch premieres and open-air screenings. It’s hands down the most prestigious festival of its kind in this part of the world, so is absolutely worth incorporating into your weekend itinerary.
Way down at the other end of the scale, a weekend in Oslo will reportedly cost you around £733.99, while Copenhagen averages at £670.65, and Edinburgh will set you back roughly £668.10. Scroll on for a look at the full roundups of the cheapest and most expensive cities to visit right now.
The 10 cheapest city breaks in Europe right now
- Sarajevo
- Bucharest
- Tirana
- Belgrade
- Trenĉin
- Riga
- Lille
- Vilnius
- Strasbourg
- Podgorica
The 10 most expensive city breaks in Europe right now
- Oslo
- Copenhagen
- Edinburgh
- Geneva
- Barcelona
- Dublin
- Amsterdam
- Cork
- Venice
- Madrid
Read the full report on Post Office Travel Money’s official website.
🌃 This is ’s guide to the cheapest city breaks in Europe for 2026, ranked.
ICYMI: Four Asian cities are some of the best in the world for culture in 2026.
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