You know it and we know it: People are getting squeezed by inflation and stressed economies.
Yet people still want to travel. They always will. They just need to do it more economically.
So Thomas Cook Tourism, a vacation packager catering to British consumers, took the time to look at the current prices it's seeing in cities across Europe to figure out which ones offer the best value for travelers right now.
Sure, Thomas Cook has a dog in the fight because it sells vacations, but in this case, it's the booking data the company collects from day to day that makes this research so useful.
Using pricing numbers gathered between June 11–29, 2026, Thomas Cook Tourism checked the daily rates its customers were quoted for vacations in early September, and it compiled the results into a list: The 18 European cities that can be visited for a combined daily total of £100 ($135) or less.
Thomas Cook calculated the expenses in each city based on combining "sightseeing, food and drink, local transport and a 3-star hotel stay."
Amazingly, the least expensive tourist city in Europe this year came in at just $69 a day, or £51.
European cities costing less than £100 ($135) a day
What follws are the most affordable European cities in 2026, according to Thomas Cook Tourism. For additional reference, €1 is worth US $1.16 right now.
18. Helsinki, Finland: £99 / €114 a day
17. Lisbon, Portugal: £95 / €109
16. Budapest, Hungary: £94 / €108
15. Rhodes, Greece: £91 / €105
14. Munich, Germany: £90 / €104
13. Porto, Portugal: £86 / €100
12. Heraklion, Greece: £85 / €99
11. Tallinn, Estonia: £80 / €93
10. Lyon, France: £79 / €91
9. Frankfurt, Germany: £78 / €90
8. Vilnius, Lithuania: £78 / €90
7. Kraków, Poland: £76 / €87
6. Coastal Muğla, Turkey: £76 / €87
5. Istanbul, Turkey: £71 / €82
4. Warsaw, Poland: £68 / €78
3. Antalya, Turkey: £67 / €78
2. Bucharest, Romania: £57 / €66
1. Tirana, Albania: £51 / €59
It's understandable if Albania wasn't on your bucket list yet, but amazingly low expenses aside, Thomas Cook reported in June that it has recently seen a 282% increase in bookings for the country among its customers. The travel agency says Albania is surging in popularity as an affordable, Mediterranean-like experience without the crowds and prices of Croatia or Southern Italy.
Tirana supports "beautiful architecture, a lively cafe culture and easy access to beaches, national parks and lakes" and an "abundance of three-star accommodation options (116) with an average cost of €32 ($37) per person, per night in early September," Thomas Cook said in a statement accompanying the research results.
Food in Tirana is also insanely cheap: meals at inexpensive restaurants cost "€8.50 ($9.86), while a coffee (€1.99 / $2.30) and a local beer (€1.50 / $1.74) are also very affordable."
While the numbers in the list above represent the total tourism costs per person per day, Thomas Cook pointes out that some cities shine brighter in some budget departments than others.
For example, "hotels in Istanbul are among the most affordable in the study, costing €28 ($32) per person, per night at a three-star hotel on average. Eating out is also affordable, with dinners and lunches costing a roughly €9 ($10) and €8 ($9), respectively." Where Turkey's expenses rack up, Thomas Cook says, is for attraction admission.
The "Best Value" cities in Europe
Because not all of the cheapest cities are mainstays on the tourism circuit, Thomas Cook carved out a second list that focused just on the European cities with the fullest slate of highly rated things to do.
The 6 European cities that made this more elite list of cheap cities were dubbed the Best Value European City Breaks.
The 6 Best Value cities from the previous list that offer the best match between low prices and world-class touristic value are Vilnius, Bucharest, Warsaw, Kraków, Istanbul, and Porto.
TCT pointed out that a few other major Best Value cities weren't cheaper than £100 a day, but they came awfully close.
Rome rated tops as a value city, too, but its daily costs were calculated as £102 a day, just £2, or $2.71, over Thomas Cook's list limit.
Prague would have a been a top Best Value city, too, but its daily costs were £104.
Other honorable mentions went to Athens (£101) and Seville (£110).
May this list of affordable European cities guide you to the victory of squeezing your pennies into unforgettable travel memories.
Arthur Frommer's Europe
The 800-plus pages of this four-color book mark a milestone in European travel writing. It was Arthur Frommer who first set off an avalanche of travel to Europe, and whose subsequent writings and commentary have constantly expanded that market. And now Arthur Frommer has himself edited (and written ...
Get the bookArthur Frommer's Europe
The 800-plus pages of this four-color book mark a milestone in European travel writing. It was Arthur Frommer who first set off an avalanche of travel to Europe, and whose subsequent writings and commentary have constantly expanded that market. And now Arthur Frommer has himself edited (and written ...