Europe on a $23.71 a day . . . or maybe $118.78

The European Backpacker Index has been updated for 2012, giving folks an idea as to what cities are the most expensive. Top of the bargain list was Sofia, Bulgaria, while the city most likely to drain your bank account is Zurich, Switzerland. If you look at the numbers, you’ll find you could spend four days in Sofia, or Krakow in Poland, for the price of a single day in Zurich. You also might be surprised to find London smack in the middle.

The index lists costs for a night in U.S. dollars for the cheapest bunk in the cheapest hostel in town in a good location with good reviews, as well as two public transit rides per day, one paid/famous attraction per day, three “budget meals” per day and three cheap local beers or glasses of wine per day.

Here’s what they came up with in order from cheapest to most expensive, with a few descriptive words and the cost of the above in U.S. dollars.

1. Sofia, Bulgaria – More popular each year but a touch hard to get to. $23.71.

2. Krakow, Poland – “Europe’s best travel bargain.” $23.83

3. Budapest, Hungary – “All around cheap,” with castles and cathedrals. $30.05

4. Warsaw, Poland – “An interesting piece of the post-Soviet puzzle.” $31.52.

5. Bucharest, Romania – “Romania’s most charming town. Huge parliament building worth a look.” $31.79.

6. Istanbul, Turkey – “Classic east-meets-west city” with markets, temples, more.” $38.19.

7. St. Petersburg, Russia – Hermitage Museum/Winter Palace and hotels costly, but still a bargain overall. $39.49

8. Prague – Mass tourism has hiked prices but still gorgeous with some bargain food/drinks. $43.61

9. Zagreb, Croatia – A bargain and worthwhile stop on way to beach towns. $43.64

10. Moscow – Relatively few hotels and traveler-friendly restaurants but still fairly cheap for backpackers. $44.80

11. Tallinn, Estonia – Still quite cheap compared to northern Europe neighbours. $54.34

12. Lisbon – “Extremely handsome and charming city that’s a bargain as well.” $56.34

13. Berlin – “An arts and entertainment scene that rivals anywhere in Europe.” $60.78

14. Athens – Olympic infrastructure makes it easy-to-visit, and there’s no shortage of attractions. $61.69.

15. Bruges, Belgium – Reasonable hostels and affordable attractions. $62.34

16. Naples – “Italy’s cheapest city, with casual dining choices.” $62.99

17. Madrid – “This classic European city definitely feels like a bargain compared to capitals to the north.” $62.99

18. Reykjavik, Iceland – Currency has stabled a bit but still a relative bargain. $66.22

19. London – Fierce competitions for hostels makes city cheaper than you might think. $66.67

20. Dublin – Good deals on hostels lately but still too much for a Guinness. $67.01

21. Dubrovnik, Croatia – Pricey compared to the rest of Eastern Europe but cheaper than Italy beach resorts. $67.77

22. Florence – Relatively cheap compared to Rome, Venice and Milan, with fierce hostel competition. $68.70

23. Nice, France – Prices shoot up in summer, but a decent infrastructure for budget tourists. $69.09

24. Barcelona, Spain – Hostels costly in summer, much cheaper at other times. $69.35

25. Luxembourg City, Luxembourg – Underrated and mostly forgotten city with stunning location. $70.78

26. Munich – Not too pricey as long as you avoid Oktoberfest. $72.99

27. Hamburg, Germany – A lovely and classy city with plenty of budget options. $73.64

28. Edinburgh, Scotland – Very reasonable outside of Festival Season, and if you skip the castle (but who would want to do that?). $73.80

29. Paris – Can be quite reasonable if you stay outside the main tourist districts. Main attractions not too expensive. $80.06

30. Milan, Italy – Fashion and finance success make it hard on budget types but hostels aren’t outrageously priced. $80.26

31. Vienna – Good value hostels and one of Europe’s grandest capitals. $80.78

32. Copenhagen – Quality is high, so at least you get something for your money. A good place to give up drinking. $81.36

33. Rome – Hotels and hostels expensive, and so are main attractions. You’ll probably go, anyway. $81.43.

34. Helsinki – Cheapest of the continental Nordic capitals, but that ain’t saying much. $82.08.

35. Amsterdam – A victim of its own popularity but there are some deals on food and drinks. $87.79

36. Brussels – Few hostel options and cheap meals tough to find in city center. Bruges is pretty, and cheaper. $90.13

37. Venice – Pricey but worth it, and you can see main sights in two days and one night. $91.43

38. Stockholm – Almost nothing is cheap. Beautiful, but hard to justify a visit on a backpacker budget. $96.37.

39. Oslo – Insanely expensive. Non-urban parts of Norway much more reasonable. $103.51

40. Zurich – Swiss franc’s value not helping a city that’s expensive to begin with. $118.78.

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Tips for your trip to Europe!

Love, 

ALPHA

Provided by thestar.com