The Most and Least Expensive European Capitals

Budgeting is an essential part of pretty much everyone's travel planning process. Having a good estimate of expenses

In this article, we'll take a closer look at the cost of eating out in Europe's capitals, comparing prices of meals ranging from casual eats to fine dining. We'll uncover how budget-friendly destinations like Budapest and Prague stack up against the upscale dining scenes of cities like London and Bern.

We compare meal prices in all European capitals to see which cities offer the best bang for our buck.

The ranking is based on the average prices of a simple meal, or lunch menu, in an average restaurant. Since everyone's budget is different, we've also included the average prices of fast food meals, as well as what one should expect to pay when they treat themselves to a nice three-course dinner.

While the Big Mac index is a popular measure of gauging prices and purchasing power in a destination, we believe that the price of a common local dish is a better alternative. This is mainly due to the fact that not only is local food a vital part of one's trip, but also that, in some countries, fast food chains are actually on the pricier side!

Below is a chart which shows the average prices of basic meals in all European capital cities. It illustrates the stark differences in living standards, and we trust that it provides some useful insights to the cost-aware travellers. We'll get into further detail for each city below.

All prices are per person. Please note that we've excluded the capitals of Transcontinental countries because they fall into different regions in our classification.

Without further ado, let's dive right in and check out each capital!

We hope you found this information useful. If you have any comments or suggestions, let us know!