Cost of Backpacking in Europe & Budget Calculator (2025)

Wondering how much it costs to backpack Europe?

You’ve come to the right article as I’m a full-time budget traveller and I’ve travelled across more than 20 countries in Europe.

The cost of backpacking in Europe is one of the main turn-offs people have about travelling across the continent on a budget.

I’ll be honest from the start- no, it’s nowhere near as cheap as Asia, Central and South America or Africa.

You won’t be finding $3-a-night hostels in Europe, unfortunately. So how much does it cost?

Well, I’ve written a complete guide and even created a budget calculator so you know exactly how much to budget.

How much does Backpacking Europe cost?

The cost of backpacking Europe isn’t as straightforward as saying “It will cost this much each month”.

There are so many factors which affect a backpacking budget, especially in Europe.

These factors are:

Which countries you backpack
How long you backpack
What type of backpacker you are

It might sound obvious when it’s written out, but it’s true. Naturally, the longer you backpack for, the more it’s going to cost.

A young man standing by a balustrade overlooking the River Rhine with the Basel Minster and cityscape in the background, under a sky with scattered clouds.

And where you are backpacking in Europe will affect it too. There are some really expensive countries in Europe like Denmark or Switzerland. In Denmark, I spent about $50 a day, for example.

In the western part of Europe, countries are averagely expensive. France, Germany, Belgium, etc., all have similar economies and things cost pretty much the same price in each country. In these countries, my average daily cost is usually around $30.

But as you move further east, things get cheaper. Italy, for example, is cheaper than France. And Croatia is cheaper than Italy. And Romania is cheaper than Croatia. For example, in Poland, I spent about $20 a day when I visited Gdańsk.

A general rule of thumb is “West, expensive, east, cheap”.

A picture of me in Gdansk, an example of somewhere where the cost of backpacking in Europe is lower.

To give you an idea of the difference in budgets, a month in France for an average backpacker would be $1500 USD but a month in Bulgaria for the average backpacker would be $750. That’s half the price!

So it really is impossible to give a “one size fits all” answer to how much it costs to backpack Europe.

Naturally, though, backpacking is cheaper than travelling “normally” as you aren’t staying in hotels or booking expensive activities, and you’re trying to save money wherever possible.

A smiling man in a winter jacket standing in front of the Seljalandsfoss waterfall in Iceland, with the sun casting a warm glow on the cliff face. Iceland is an example of where the cost of backpacking in Europe increases.

If I had to put a figure to it, I would say an average budget of $1500 a month in Western Europe and $900 a month in Eastern Europe. This doesn’t include flights- only bus/train travel, accommodation, food and activities.

There are also lots of different currencies used across Europe, obviously, the main one is the euro, but there are still lots of countries which don’t use it. Except for Scandinavia and Switzerland, most countries which have their own currencies are cheaper like Poland, Czech Republic or Hungary.

But don’t worry- I know that you want a clear answer to know how much to budget for your backpacking trip. So I’ll go into further detail now- or you can skip to my budget calculator if you want to personalise your budget to you.

A person viewed from behind, looking towards the elaborate façade of Hamburg's Town Hall with a clear blue sky above.

Cost of Backpacking Europe by Country

As I said, the cost of backpacking in Europe depends very heavily on which countries you are visiting. So to give you a rough idea, here’s a rough budget for 3 different types of backpackers in every country in Europe.

A shoestring backpacker is someone who spends as little money as possible and sacrifices basically everything. Making your own meals, cheapest hostel no matter the quality, walk everywhere, free walking tours, etc.

The average backpacker is what I categorise myself in. I’ll stay in a hostel, do a few paid activities but mostly free or cheap, take public transport, and I eat out for one main meal a day whether that’s fast food or street food.

A flashpacker is a backpacker with some more luxuries. They might book a private room in a hostel, or eat in a proper restaurant instead of fast food or street food, take taxis, and they do all of the main attractions, no matter the price.

There’s no right or wrong way to backpack, but obviously how you backpack will affect your budget. So here are some rough budgets for each country in Europe.

Albania

Shoestring: $15
Average: $30
Flashpacker: $60

Andorra

Shoestring: $20
Average: $45
Flashpacker: $70

Armenia

Shoestring: $10
Average: $25
Flashpacker: $50

Austria

Shoestring: $25
Average: $50
Flashpacker: $80

Belarus

Shoestring: $12
Average: $28
Flashpacker: $55

Belgium

Shoestring: $25
Average: $50
Flashpacker: $80

A young man smiling at the camera, standing in front of the historic Grand Place in Brussels with a sunset sky.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Shoestring: $15
Average: $30
Flashpacker: $55

Bulgaria

Shoestring: $12
Average: $25
Flashpacker: $50

Croatia

Shoestring: $20
Average: $40
Flashpacker: $65

Cyprus

Shoestring: $18
Average: $35
Flashpacker: $60

Czech Republic

Shoestring: $20
Average: $40
Flashpacker: $65

Denmark

Shoestring: $30
Average: $60
Flashpacker: $90

Copenhagen was the first expensive city I visited, and it was quite the shock to my budget-orientated system. But I really loved it there and I’m going back later this year.

A man poses in front of the colorful buildings and moored boats at Nyhavn Canal, Copenhagen, on a cloudy day.

Estonia

Shoestring: $18
Average: $35
Flashpacker: $60

Finland

Shoestring: $30
Average: $60
Flashpacker: $90

France

Shoestring: $25
Average: $50
Flashpacker: $80

Germany

Shoestring: $25
Average: $50
Flashpacker: $80

Tourists and a passing van in front of the iconic Brandenburg Gate under a partly cloudy sky in Berlin.

Greece

Shoestring: $20
Average: $40
Flashpacker: $65

Hungary

Shoestring: $15
Average: $30
Flashpacker: $55

Iceland

Shoestring: $35
Average: $70
Flashpacker: $100

Iceland is one of the most expensive countries in Europe for sure, I couldn’t believe how much things cost when I visited.

Ireland

Shoestring: $25
Average: $50
Flashpacker: $80

People walking by the vibrant red exterior of The Temple Bar pub in Dublin, adorned with Christmas decorations.

Italy

Shoestring: $25
Average: $50
Flashpacker: $80

When I visited Rome, I was surprised by how reasonable it was price-wise, I expected it to be so expensive because it was such a popular city to visit.

Kosovo

Shoestring: $12
Average: $24
Flashpacker: $48

Latvia

Shoestring: $15
Average: $30
Flashpacker: $55

Liechtenstein

Shoestring: $30
Average: $60
Flashpacker: $90

Lithuania

Shoestring: $15
Average: $30
Flashpacker: $55

Luxembourg

Shoestring: $25
Average: $50
Flashpacker: $80

Even though Luxembourg is the richest country in the world, I actually didn’t find it to be extortionately expensive.

A young man seated in front of a tranquil river with Vianden Castle perched atop a lush hill in the background, on a sunny day.

Malta

Shoestring: $20
Average: $40
Flashpacker: $65

Moldova

Shoestring: $10
Average: $20
Flashpacker: $40

Montenegro

Shoestring: $15
Average: $30
Flashpacker: $55

Netherlands

Shoestring: $30
Average: $60
Flashpacker: $90

North Macedonia

Shoestring: $12
Average: $24
Flashpacker: $48

Norway

Shoestring: $35
Average: $70
Flashpacker: $105

Poland

Shoestring: $15
Average: $30
Flashpacker: $55

Portugal

Shoestring: $20
Average: $40
Flashpacker: $60

A young man leaning against a graffiti-covered wall, with a panoramic view of Porto's terracotta rooftops under a clear sky.

Romania

Shoestring: $12
Average: $24
Flashpacker: $48

Serbia

Shoestring: $12
Average: $24
Flashpacker: $48

Slovakia

Shoestring: $15
Average: $30
Flashpacker: $55

Slovenia

Shoestring: $18
Average: $36
Flashpacker: $54

Spain

Shoestring: $20
Average: $40
Flashpacker: $60

A man stands on the steps of the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, with the ornate baroque facade and towers reaching into a sunny blue sky with light clouds.

Sweden

Shoestring: $30
Average: $60
Flashpacker: $90

Stockholm is particularly expensive as it’s the capital city and the most popular place to visit, but other destinations like Gothenburg and Malmo are also expensive.

Switzerland

Shoestring: $35
Average: $70
Flashpacker: $100

There are lots of reasons why Switzerland is expensive but to sum it up: their quality of living is much higher than other European countries.

Ukraine

Shoestring: $10
Average: $20
Flashpacker: $40

United Kingdom

Shoestring: $30
Average: $60
Flashpacker: $90

A man leaning on the railing of Westminster Bridge with the iconic Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in the background on an overcast day.

Backpacking Europe Budget Calculator

To give you a rough idea of how much to budget for a backpacking trip of Europe, I’ve created this custom calculator.

Simply select the country you are going to visit, what type of backpacker you are based on my definitions above, and how long you’ll be in that country.

Do that for each country you’re visiting and then you’ll have a rough total cost for your trip.

Note that this does not include international or domestic flights, visas, vaccines or travel insurance. It does include accommodation (hostels), food, transport and activities.

Budget Calculator

Select country: Type of backpacker: Number of Days:

I got the calculator to overestimate budgets ever so slightly because, in my opinion, it’s better to budget more than you need than to need more than you’ve budgeted.

A smiling man standing in front of a canal in Amsterdam, with houseboats moored along the tree-lined street under a partly cloudy sky. The cost of backpacking in Europe depends on the country, Amsterdam is average.

Cost of Backpacking Europe: FAQ

Below are some questions related to the cost of backpacking Europe along with my answers to each question.

What is a realistic budget for backpacking Europe?

A realistic daily budget for backpacking Europe can range from 20 to 80 euros per day depending on the country and how strict you are with your budget. Countries in Western Europe are more expensive than countries in Eastern Europe.

How much will it cost to backpack Europe for a month?

For a month-long backpacking trip, you could spend anywhere from 900 to 2000 euros. This varies heavily depending on where you are and how you travel. This estimate includes accommodation, food, transportation, and some paid attractions.

How much does a 3 week tour of Europe cost?

The price of a 3-week tour of Europe depends on which part of Europe you are travelling. Western Europe is much more expensive and can cost anywhere from €1200+ per person (backpacker budget) whereas Eastern Europe can cost anywhere from €600+ (backpacker budget)

How much does a 1 month Europe trip cost?

The cost of a 1-month trip varies depending on which European cities and countries you visit and how you travel. A backpacker might spend anywhere from €900 for a month whereas an average traveller might spend €3000 for a month of travel.

Final Thoughts: Europe Backpacking Budget

And there you have it, a complete guide to the cost of backpacking in Europe.

Remember, it depends on which countries you visit, how long you visit, and how you travel.

If you want the cheapest countries to visit in Europe, head to the East as it’s much cheaper than the West.

Now that you know how much it costs to visit Europe on a budget, it’s time to start planning where to go. I’d recommend checking out Rome- it’s not too expensive and is one of my favourite cities in the world.