What is the cheapest country in Western Europe?

Austria, at about $1,428 a week, ahead of Germany ($1,447). Among Southern Europe's big destinations, Portugal ($1,302) costs less than Italy ($1,524) and Spain ($1,555).

What is the cheapest region of Europe?

Eastern Europe, with an average of $1,027 a week, then Southern Europe ($1,069). Northern Europe ($1,607) and Western Europe ($1,654) cost the most.

Are flights included?

No. The ranking counts only the cost on site, so it holds wherever you fly from.

What role does safety play in the ranking?

It works as a filter. A cheap trip is only a good deal if it goes well: countries with a HelloSafe safety score below 30/100 are not ranked. The others are ordered by the cost of the week alone, and each one shows its score.

HelloSafe data2026 edition · 38 European countries · prices surveyed in October 2026

Cheapest European Countries to Visit in 2026

The cost of a week in 38 European countries, with their safety. Bosnia and Herzegovina is the cheapest ($676), ahead of North Macedonia and Turkey.

Top 3 · 2026a week per person

under $600$600–$900$900–$1,300$1,300+

A. Fruchard
Co-Founder & Travel Insurance Expert

Last updated: November 10, 2026100 % public, traceable data

Key facts

The cheapest European countries in 30 seconds

These costs do not include the flight. For every country of the world, see our ranking of the cheapest countries to visit.

38European countries ranked by the cost of one week on site, from cheapest to most expensive

$676Bosnia and Herzegovina, the cheapest week in Europe: hotel, meals and transport for one person

$857Latvia, the cheapest week outside the Balkans and Turkey, with a safety score of 73/100

$2,205Switzerland, the most expensive week in Europe, more than three times Bosnia

The essentials in 20 seconds

Four of Europe's five cheapest weeks are in the Balkans: Bosnia and Herzegovina ($676), North Macedonia ($677), Kosovo ($785), Albania ($802). Turkey, now ranked, is 3rd ($680).
Outside the Balkans and Turkey, Latvia is the cheapest ($857), with a safety score of 73/100.
Eastern Europe is the cheapest region on average ($1,027 a week), Western Europe the most expensive ($1,654).
Among the big destinations, Turkey ($680) is the cheapest, well ahead of Portugal ($1,302), Germany ($1,447), Italy ($1,524), Spain ($1,555) and France ($1,587).

01 · Europe ranking

Cheapest European countries to visit in 2026

Where is a week in Europe cheapest? The 38 countries are ranked by what one person spends in a week (seven nights in a 3-star hotel, meals and local transport, in the capital), from cheapest to most expensive; only countries with a HelloSafe safety score of at least 30/100 are ranked. Each country also shows its place among the 111 countries of the world ranking. Click a country for the detail of its costs.

Search a country…

#1 in Europe · #1 in Southern Europe · #30 worldwide

Bosnia & Herzegovina

$676a week$600–$900

A week in Sarajevo costs about $676 per person: 7 nights in a 3-star hotel ($45 a night), meals and local transport ($52 a day). HelloSafe safety score: 48/100. Flights not included.

Cost breakdown

Hotel night$45

Meals and transport per day$52

HelloSafe safety score48/100

Amounts for one person: a 3-star hotel night and a day of meals and local transport. The HelloSafe safety score (out of 100) is shown for each country; below 40/100, a country is not ranked.

Insurance for Bosnia & Herzegovina →

02 · Map of Europe

The cost of a week across Europe

Each country in the colour of its band: $600 to $900 a week, $900 to $1,300, over $1,300. Click a country to see the detail of its costs and its safety score.

Showing 38 of 38 published countries · click a country for its info

Why are some countries grey? We rank only countries open to tourists with a HelloSafe safety score of at least 30 out of 100, recent Numbeo prices and at least five 3-star hotels offered in their capital. A country is not ranked either when France Diplomatie (the French Foreign Ministry) advises against travel to the whole country or to the city we price. In the world ranking, Mexico and Venezuela are ranked despite a score below 30/100, because they are much-searched destinations: their card says so.

03 · Regional rankings

The cheapest countries by region of Europe

Europe's four regions, as defined by the UN, each ranked on its own. Eastern Europe has the lowest average cost ($1,027 a week), ahead of Southern Europe ($1,069), Northern Europe ($1,607) and Western Europe ($1,654). First come Latvia in Northern Europe, Bosnia and Herzegovina in Southern Europe, Bulgaria in Eastern Europe and Austria in Western Europe.

Northern Europe · average $1,601 · 13 countries scored, 11 published

Cheapest countries · Northern Europe

1Latvia$857#7
2Lithuania$976#10
3Estonia$1,028#11
4Finland$1,310#21
5Sweden$1,486#25
6Jersey$1,741#32
7Norway$1,799#33
8United Kingdom$1,931#34
9Ireland$2,154#35
10Iceland$2,197#36
11Denmark$2,203#37

Reader service: the European Health Insurance Card covers public care only, at local rates, and never repatriation, and it is not valid in the Balkan countries outside the EU. Our travel insurance comparison shows what a policy costs for your trip. City by city, see the ranking of the most expensive cities in the world. For a trip within Europe, see what travel insurance for Europe covers on top of the card.

Reading the results

What the ranking says

The Balkans are the cheapestThe two cheapest weeks in Europe are in the Balkans: Bosnia and Herzegovina ($676) and North Macedonia ($677). Turkey ($680), now ranked, follows, then Kosovo ($785), Albania ($802) and Serbia ($815). A 3-star hotel night costs $45 in Sarajevo and $50 in Skopje.

The Baltics, cheap and safeOutside the Balkans and Turkey, Latvia has the cheapest week in Europe ($857, 7th) with a safety score of 73/100. Lithuania ($976, 75/100) is 10th and Estonia ($1,028, 82/100) 11th. Finland, with the second-best safety score in Europe (93/100), is 21st with a week at $1,310.

The big destinationsTurkey ($680) is 3rd. Portugal ($1,302) is 20th, ahead of Germany ($1,447, 24th), Italy ($1,524, 27th), Spain ($1,555, 28th) and France ($1,587, 29th). Austria is the cheapest country of Western Europe ($1,428).

The Nordics and Switzerland close the rankingSwitzerland ($2,205), Denmark ($2,203), Iceland ($2,197) and Ireland ($2,154) have the most expensive weeks, more than three times Bosnia and Herzegovina. The United Kingdom costs $1,931 a week.

Our method

Methodology

Order = cost of the week, from cheapest to most expensive. Cost of the week: 7 nights in a 3-star hotel + 7 days of meals and local transport, for one person. Safety: the HelloSafe safety score, out of 100, shown for each country; below 30/100, a country is not ranked. Nor is it ranked when France Diplomatie (the French Foreign Ministry) advises against travel to the whole country or to the city we price. Mexico and Venezuela are ranked despite a score below 30/100, because they are much-searched destinations: their card says so. The figures are those of the world ranking: a country has the same cost and the same order on both pages.

Hotel3-star hotels in each capital, one person, surveyed on lastminute.com on 14 October 2026 for two weeks, 8–15 March and 13–20 September 2027. We keep the price of the cheapest quarter of the offers.

Meals, transport and safetyNumbeo, mid-2026 edition: two inexpensive meals, half a mid-range dinner for two and four local transport tickets a day, in each capital. HelloSafe safety score: Global Peace Index, Corruption Perceptions Index and World Bank governance indicators.

RegionsUN geoscheme (M49), with Cyprus and Turkey in Southern Europe and Jersey in Northern Europe.

What the study does not show

Flights, visas, insurance and activities are not included.
Prices are those of the capital; beach resorts and tourist areas can cost more.
The cost is for one traveller. Two people sharing a room pay less each.
Hotel prices change every day and with the season: ours are the average of a week in March and a week in September.

A question about the method? Contact us →

04 · For journalists

Ready-to-publish visuals

This is exactly what your readers will see: the live block, with its credit link. Free to reproduce with credit to HelloSafe; a PNG version is included for CMSs that do not accept embeds.

HelloSafe data 2026

The cheapest countries to visit in Europeunder $600$600–$900$900–$1,300$1,300+Source: HelloSafe, Cheapest European Countries to Visit in 2026

Map of Europe · live embed, PNG version includedDownload PNG

“Bosnia and Herzegovina is the cheapest country to visit in Europe: about $676 for a week, hotel, meals and transport included.”

“Outside the Balkans and Turkey, Latvia has the cheapest week in Europe: $857, with a safety score of 73/100.”

“A week in Switzerland costs more than three times as much as a week in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

Quotes from Antoine Fruchard, travel insurance expert and author of the study · Contact us

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Bosnia and Herzegovina, at about $676 for a week for one person in a 3-star hotel, with meals and local transport. North Macedonia ($677) and Turkey ($680) follow.

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