It's time to present the cheapest weekend cities this spring. FOREX Bank has recently presented a new Metropolitan Index, which shows average prices in a number of cities suitable for a long weekend visit. In this index you will find a total of 41 cities that are cheaper than Stockholm.
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What is the metropolitan index?
FOREX Bank's Metropolitan Index is a recurring survey of actual price levels in a number of major cities. The survey shows what it costs to go on holiday in these cities compared to Stockholm, where Stockholm has an index of 100. The index takes into account the relationship between exchange rates as well as the cities' price levels for common holiday expenses.
Cheapest weekend cities in Europe
Holidays in the eastern part of Europe are, as usual, affordable. One of the newcomers to the spring Metropolitan Index is the beautiful Polish city of Gdansk, which is actually one of our favourites. The number in brackets indicates the current index.
- St Petersburg, Russia (34)
- Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (38)
- Belgrade, Serbia (38)
- Istanbul, Turkey (39)
- Sofia, Bulgaria (39)
- Krakow, Poland (41)
- Tirana, Albania (41)
- Bucharest, Romania (41)
- Gdansk, Poland (41)
- Podgorica, Montenegro (42)
- Riga, Latvia (43)
- Budapest, Hungary (46)
- Vilnius, Lithuania (47)
- Warsaw, Poland (47)
- Zagreb, Croatia (48)
Cheapest weekend cities outside Europe
Outside of Europe, the cheapest places are Manila in the Philippines and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Manila is hardly the most charming city we've visited, but even so, we have only good (and slightly crazy) memories of our days there. Many of the cities on this list we've never visited, but we highly recommend China's capital Beijing.
- Manila, Philippines (31)
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (32)
- Jakarta, Indonesia (40)
- Bangkok, Thailand (42)
- Lima, Peru (43)
- Cairo, Egypt (44)
- Colombo, Sri Lanka (46)
- Bombay, India (46)
- Sao Paolo, Brazil (49)
- Beijing, China (50)
Where is the most expensive place to spend a weekend?
The list includes 12 cities that are good for a weekend getaway, but where prices are higher than in Stockholm. The most expensive is in Reykjavik (143) and Geneva (136). Other cities that are also more expensive than Stockholm are San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Oslo, Sydney, London, VeniceCopenhagen, Amsterdam and Dubai.
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Liniz Travel says:
Interesting 🙂 today you can see me on Aftonbladet morning / TV3 again at 8.15 talking just weekend trips 😉 comically have also ploughed this list this week! Hugs
22 March 2018 - 6:51
Helena says:
But what fun Lina! I did not see it this morning, but maybe I can check afterwards! 🙂
22 March 2018 - 12:30
Anette says:
Wow, I haven't visited any of the cheapest European cities, but some of the most expensive. In Asia, however, I've apparently been more frugal.
22 March 2018 - 6:57
Helena says:
Then you have the cheap cities left! 🙂
22 March 2018 - 15:32
Mr Nils-Åke Hansson says:
Will probably be many WEEKEND trips with the motorhome. Would be fun to drive east and visit Estonia & Latvia again. But I am curious about more countries eastwards.
22 March 2018 - 8:01
Helena says:
There are many interesting things to discover in the East! 🙂
22 March 2018 - 15:33
Ama de casa says:
Many of the cheapest in Europe are in the eastern parts where we have not been very much. However, we have visited most of the cheap ones outside Europe.
Our 'resistance' to the East came about when we visited East Berlin in the summer of 1989, just before the Wall came down. Once we managed to get out of there, we both said "Never again East!". and celebrated with bullens pilsner sausages at the campsite 😉 Apparently I'm very long-winded? 😀
22 March 2018 - 9:59
Helena says:
Haha, yes, now I think Ama is a bit far-fetched 😉.
22 March 2018 - 15:33
Ditte says:
Fun! Feels like Petersburg has become cheaper over the years. Didn't think it was very cheap when we were there in 2007.
More than half of the cities on the list of cheap cities we have visited but not in recent years. Except Krakow. As for cities outside Europe, we have visited them, but not San Paulo.
China's economy has grown strongly and this is reflected in the prices, especially for clothes, where I think that in ordinary stores like Zara and H&M it is similar to Sweden. The markets are almost completely gone and that's where the big bargains were. Some are still there and you can reach them through contacts.
Food prices in both small and large restaurants have also gone up. I smiled the other day when I saw that lemons cost 10 SEK each. More than in Sweden and they are imported.
It feels more like index 60 in Beijing right now. But of course you can still live cheaply. Or very expensive if you want to.
22 March 2018 - 12:00
Helena says:
Maybe it has become cheaper in Russia...? Interesting that you find China more expensive. It would be interesting to know a bit more exactly what they base the prices on. According to Triviago, they include hotel prices, but otherwise I don't know exactly.
22 March 2018 - 15:36
Ruth in Virginia says:
Jakarta may be cheap, but why anyone would want to travel there,
I don't understand. It's a hell hole - hot, humid, dirty,
unsafe, incredible traffic, etc. etc.
(Personal experience)
22 March 2018 - 12:23
Helena says:
Interesting with your experience from Jakarta! Like Manila, maybe it's a city to visit for a day on the way to a quieter part of the country?
22 March 2018 - 15:37
ANNALENA says:
Now I'm home from the heat and have caught up with the blog and can say that I'm safe (as a Volvo driver), that I celebrated St Patrick's day with a lot of people in green clothes and wigs on 3rd street, although I went to the cinema instead of drinking beer, and I definitely did NOT choose to go to one of the cheap weekend cities! But what do you do when your daughter has chosen to settle in LA...? Still hope that she will choose to study further in some other city / country so I get to see something else for a while... 🙂 Nice that you continue to work on the blog even though I did not have time to read until I got home 😀 😀 😀 😀.
22 March 2018 - 15:56
Helena says:
Haha, fun update! 🙂 And funny that you also celebrated St Patrick's day! And the blog, yes it goes on and on ... 😉 😉
22 March 2018 - 18:43
Emma, sun like sun? says:
Yes, look! Belgrade placed well and as I said before, you get a lot for your money there! We are thinking of going back there this summer, almost two years since we were there. Gosh ....
22 March 2018 - 17:25
Helena says:
We are also keen on Belgrade!
22 March 2018 - 18:44
Anonymous says:
Of all the cities that are cheaper than Stockholm, only Istanbul is not a former eastern state... Great fun with Gdansk, which is also one of my favourites along with Riga.
Ditte is in Beijing right now, so she will be happy:-)
I was a bit surprised that Amsterdam is among the cities where it is more expensive than in Stockholm. I did not think so at all, but it has been a while since I was there.
22 March 2018 - 17:53
Anonymous says:
My comment disappeared... Check the spam. WP and blogspot hate each other;-)
22 March 2018 - 17:55
BP says:
All the cities except Istanbul are in former eastern states, so I'm not surprised. Nice to see Gdansk and Riga, which I also really like.
Ditte, who is in Beijing right now, gets away "cheaply";-)
The fact that Amsterdam is more expensive than Stockholm surprises me. I did not think so at all, but on the other hand, it has been a while since I was there.
22 March 2018 - 17:59
Helena says:
The countries in the east are usually good when it comes to prices 😉 And Ditte thinks it's a bit more expensive in Beijing than what Forex says 😉 Amsterdam wasn't much more expensive, just a bit more according to Forex.
22 March 2018 - 18:46
Lena - good for the soul says:
Hmm, some of the cities on my wish list are more expensive and some cheaper. We will see what the choice falls on next time 🙂.
Hug Lena
26 March 2018 - 6:15