These cities offer the most affordable urban vacations in the world

After a year of lockdown, we're all itching to get out and see the world again. While some people are going all-out on the luxury bucket-list adventure of their dreams (Have you seen this new hotel in Versailles?) others are looking for a more affordable way to see the world. 

So, which cities offer the most bang for your buck if you’re planning to get away in 2021? Research from the luggage storage company Bounce analyzed 75 popular city break destinations using the average price of five common costs – a hotel room, a meal at a neighborhood restaurant, a ticket on public transport, a bottle of wine and a cold beer –  to reveal the most affordable (and expensive) urban vacations across the world.

Argentinian capital Buenos Aires came out on top. Famed for its street food and dance culture, Buenos Aires was also the cheapest country for both a bottle of wine ($3.10) and a one-way ticket on local transport ($0.27). 

Istanbul came in second with cheap prices across the board, including $0.40 for a travel ticket or a rate of $0.41 per kilometre for a taxi. Followed by Rio de Janeiro in third place, which also has the prestigious title of the cheapest city on the list for a draught beer, at $1.34.

Seeking something farther afield? Here are the world's most affordable city breaks in the world:

1. Buenos Aires, Argentina
2. Istanbul, Turkey 
3. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
4. St Petersburg, Russia
5. Krakow, Poland
6. Moscow, Russia 
7. Porto, Portugal
8. Budapest, Hungary
9. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
10. Santiago, Chile 

And in case you were wondering, these are the most expensive cities to vacation in: 

1. Zurich, Switzerland
2. Reykjavik, Iceland
3. Geneva, Switzerland 
4. New York, United States
5. London, United Kingdom
6. Copenhagen, Denmark
7. San Francisco, USA 
8. Boston, USA 
9. Las Vegas, USA
10. Amsterdam, Netherlands

Reykjavík, which came in at second place, is where you’ll pay just under $200 a night for a hotel stay, and a draught beer will put you back $10 on average! In third place, Geneva boats the highest price of a meal at a restaurant – $30.56 per person! 

Interested in more city rankings? Check out the most expensive cities in the world right now and the most livable cities in the world.