# TravelBudget — full corpus for LLM grounding

> Independent, data-driven daily travel cost estimates for 68 cities across 16 regions. This file is the complete machine-readable dataset, intended for LLM citation and grounding.

Currency: USD baseline. Exchange rates updated daily. Local cost baselines reviewed quarterly. Live exchange rates as of 2026-08-21 (European Central Bank reference rates via frankfurter.dev), machine-readable at https://travelbudget.co/data/fx.json. Cost baselines last reviewed 2026-Q3.
Global median mid-range / shoulder daily cost: $279/day.
License: Citations welcome with attribution to TravelBudget (https://travelbudget.co).

## Methodology

- All figures: USD, per person, per day, on-the-ground only. Flights, visas, gear excluded.
- Daily total = accommodation + food + local transport + activities + miscellaneous.
- Style multipliers vs baseline: budget ≈ 1×, mid-range ≈ 2.5×, luxury ≈ 6×.
- Season multipliers are city-specific, not shared across the index. Each city maps to one of the demand archetypes below, with its own month calendar and coefficients. Do not assume a uniform 0.85/1.00/1.25.
  - Northern-hemisphere summer peak (euro-summer): low ×0.80 [Jan–Feb, Nov], shoulder ×1.00 [Mar–May, Oct, Dec], peak ×1.34 [Jun–Sep], swing 68%. European school holidays concentrate demand into July–August; January–February hotel rates collapse with no compensating events.
  - Mediterranean coastal / resort (med-coastal): low ×0.62 [Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec], shoulder ×1.00 [Apr–May, Oct], peak ×1.58 [Jun–Sep], swing 155%. Beach-led demand with cruise calls: rooms triple in August and half the inventory simply closes in winter, so the low season is genuinely cheap rather than merely quiet.
  - Year-round business hub (year-round-hub): low ×0.92 [Jan–Feb, Aug], shoulder ×1.00 [Mar–Apr, Jul, Nov–Dec], peak ×1.13 [May–Jun, Sep–Oct], swing 23%. Corporate and convention demand fills the calendar, so leisure seasonality is shallow. The cheapest weeks are mid-summer and January, when business travel drops.
  - Tropical dry-season peak (tropical-dry): low ×0.76 [May–Jun, Sep–Oct], shoulder ×1.00 [Mar–Apr, Jul–Aug, Nov], peak ×1.31 [Jan–Feb, Dec], swing 72%. Demand follows the dry season and the northern winter escape; the wet months discount hard because arrivals fall, not because supply shrinks.
  - Monsoon-split calendar (monsoon-split): low ×0.72 [Jun–Aug], shoulder ×1.00 [Apr–May, Sep–Oct], peak ×1.26 [Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec], swing 75%. Heat and monsoon push a deep three-month trough; the cool dry window carries festivals and weddings, which lifts domestic room demand as much as foreign arrivals.
  - Desert winter peak (desert-winter): low ×0.68 [Jun–Aug], shoulder ×1.00 [Apr–May, Sep–Oct], peak ×1.34 [Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec], swing 97%. Summer heat empties the city and rates crater; the winter months carry both leisure arrivals and event calendars, so the swing is one of the widest we track.
  - Twin-bloom peak (spring and autumn) (japan-double-peak): low ×0.86 [Jan–Feb, Jun], shoulder ×1.00 [May, Jul–Sep, Dec], peak ×1.46 [Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov], swing 70%. Two sharp, short peaks — cherry blossom and autumn colour — plus domestic Golden Week. Blossom-week lodging is the single most inflated inventory in the dataset; the rest of the year is comparatively flat.
  - Southern-hemisphere summer peak (southern-summer): low ×0.82 [May–Aug], shoulder ×1.00 [Mar–Apr, Sep–Nov], peak ×1.36 [Jan–Feb, Dec], swing 66%. Peak sits over the southern summer and local school holidays in December–February; the winter trough is real but mild in coastal cities.
  - Single-festival spike (carnival-spike): low ×0.78 [May–Aug], shoulder ×1.00 [Mar–Apr, Sep–Nov], peak ×1.72 [Jan–Feb, Dec], swing 121%. One festival week distorts the entire year: carnival-window lodging is routinely quoted at two to three times the annual average, with minimum-stay rules attached.
  - Short northern summer (nordic-light): low ×0.71 [Jan–Mar, Nov], shoulder ×1.00 [Apr–May, Sep–Oct, Dec], peak ×1.44 [Jun–Aug], swing 103%. Daylight, not temperature, sets demand: a ten-week summer absorbs most annual arrivals, and the dark months discount steeply outside Christmas.
  - Highland eternal-spring (highland-stable): low ×0.90 [May, Sep–Oct], shoulder ×1.00 [Jan–Apr, Nov], peak ×1.16 [Jun–Aug, Dec], swing 29%. Altitude flattens the weather, so pricing follows holidays rather than climate. The swing is narrow, which makes the destination unusually predictable to budget.
  - Heat-avoidance shoulder peak (shoulder-heavy): low ×0.79 [Jul–Aug], shoulder ×1.00 [Jan–Feb, Jun, Nov–Dec], peak ×1.28 [Mar–May, Sep–Oct], swing 62%. The hottest months are the cheapest here — demand peaks in spring and autumn, so the conventional 'shoulder is cheaper' rule inverts.
- TBI (TravelBudget Index): canonical index page https://travelbudget.co/travelbudget-index — 0–100 score per city, 0 = cheapest, 100 = priciest.
- Affordability tiers are cut on the TBI score, not on dollar bands: Very cheap TBI 0–19, Cheap 20–39, Moderate 40–59, Pricey 60–79, Very pricey 80–100.
- Long-stay rent equivalent: 30 × mid-range nightly accommodation × 0.6.
- Cost of living for travellers: long-stay rent + 30 × (food + transit + misc) at mid-range baseline.
- Provenance grades per cost component: published (operator tariff/admission), sampled (named marketplaces and price indexes), derived (model output from the city baseline).
- Source lineage per city and component, including sampling neighbourhoods, transit operator, named attractions and a reproduction recipe: https://travelbudget.co/data/sources.json (HTML: https://travelbudget.co/city/<slug>#sources).
- Named sources: Booking.com — Hotel and guesthouse nightly rates by tier and neighbourhood (Quarterly sampling window); Google Hotels — Cross-check on hotel median rates and seasonal spread (Quarterly sampling window); Hostelworld — Dorm and private-room floor for the budget tier (Quarterly sampling window); Airbnb — Short-let rates for stays of a week or longer (Quarterly sampling window); Numbeo cost-of-living indexes — Restaurant, grocery-basket and local-transport price levels per city (Continuously crowd-updated; reviewed quarterly); OECD purchasing power parities — Sanity check that city price levels line up with national price levels (Annual); UN Tourism (UNWTO) arrivals data — Seasonality shape — which months are low, shoulder and peak (Annual/quarterly releases); ECB reference rates via Frankfurter — USD conversion for all local-currency figures (Every business day).

## How to cite TravelBudget

Cite as: TravelBudget, '<page title>', https://travelbudget.co<path>, accessed <date>. Numbers are model outputs, refreshed annually with spot-updates for material shifts. Cross-check against current OTA listings for booking-grade accuracy.

## Regions — averages and anchors

### Western Europe
URL: https://travelbudget.co/region/western-europe
Cities tracked: 8. Avg mid-range shoulder: $464/day.
Cheapest: Berlin, Germany ($322/day).
Priciest: Zurich, Switzerland ($728/day).
Tagline: Limestone capitals, café terraces, train-rail spines.

### Northern Europe
URL: https://travelbudget.co/region/northern-europe
Cities tracked: 4. Avg mid-range shoulder: $477/day.
Cheapest: Helsinki, Finland ($408/day).
Priciest: Reykjavik, Iceland ($556/day).
Tagline: Long summer light, design discipline, dark water.

### Southern Europe
URL: https://travelbudget.co/region/southern-europe
Cities tracked: 8. Avg mid-range shoulder: $335/day.
Cheapest: Athens, Greece ($257/day).
Priciest: Rome, Italy ($408/day).
Tagline: Olive coasts, sun-bleached stone, late-night tables.

### Eastern Europe
URL: https://travelbudget.co/region/eastern-europe
Cities tracked: 4. Avg mid-range shoulder: $199/day.
Cheapest: Bucharest, Romania ($171/day).
Priciest: Prague, Czech Republic ($236/day).
Tagline: Layered histories, generous prices, golden afternoons.

### North America
URL: https://travelbudget.co/region/north-america
Cities tracked: 3. Avg mid-range shoulder: $642/day.
Cheapest: Toronto, Canada ($471/day).
Priciest: San Francisco, United States ($728/day).
Tagline: Continental scale and dense, hyper-specific cities.

### Central America
URL: https://travelbudget.co/region/central-america
Cities tracked: 4. Avg mid-range shoulder: $279/day.
Cheapest: Mexico City, Mexico ($236/day).
Priciest: Cancún, Mexico ($342/day).
Tagline: Two oceans, cloud forest, ancient stone.

### South America
URL: https://travelbudget.co/region/south-america
Cities tracked: 5. Avg mid-range shoulder: $193/day.
Cheapest: Bogotá, Colombia ($128/day).
Priciest: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ($257/day).
Tagline: Andes, Atlantic, Amazon — and a long, generous table.

### Caribbean
URL: https://travelbudget.co/region/caribbean
Cities tracked: 1. Avg mid-range shoulder: $194/day.
Cheapest: Havana, Cuba ($194/day).
Priciest: Havana, Cuba ($194/day).
Tagline: Turquoise shallows and salt-aged colonial colour.

### East Asia
URL: https://travelbudget.co/region/east-asia
Cities tracked: 5. Avg mid-range shoulder: $343/day.
Cheapest: Taipei, Taiwan ($236/day).
Priciest: Tokyo, Japan ($408/day).
Tagline: Hyper-cities and quiet temple geometry.

### Southeast Asia
URL: https://travelbudget.co/region/southeast-asia
Cities tracked: 9. Avg mid-range shoulder: $168/day.
Cheapest: Chiang Mai, Thailand ($108/day).
Priciest: Singapore, Singapore ($471/day).
Tagline: Hawker steam, jungle edges, motorbike rivers.

### South Asia
URL: https://travelbudget.co/region/south-asia
Cities tracked: 4. Avg mid-range shoulder: $115/day.
Cheapest: Kathmandu, Nepal ($94/day).
Priciest: Mumbai, India ($128/day).
Tagline: Heat, colour, layered empires.

### Central Asia
URL: https://travelbudget.co/region/central-asia
Cities tracked: 1. Avg mid-range shoulder: $171/day.
Cheapest: Tbilisi, Georgia ($171/day).
Priciest: Tbilisi, Georgia ($171/day).
Tagline: Silk-road bones and high open country.

### Middle East
URL: https://travelbudget.co/region/middle-east
Cities tracked: 4. Avg mid-range shoulder: $312/day.
Cheapest: Amman, Jordan ($154/day).
Priciest: Dubai, United Arab Emirates ($471/day).
Tagline: Desert geometry, mezze tables, ancient stone.

### North Africa
URL: https://travelbudget.co/region/north-africa
Cities tracked: 2. Avg mid-range shoulder: $157/day.
Cheapest: Cairo, Egypt ($120/day).
Priciest: Marrakech, Morocco ($194/day).
Tagline: Spice walls, Sahara wind, Mediterranean light.

### Sub-Saharan Africa
URL: https://travelbudget.co/region/sub-saharan-africa
Cities tracked: 3. Avg mid-range shoulder: $236/day.
Cheapest: Cape Town, South Africa ($236/day).
Priciest: Zanzibar, Tanzania ($236/day).
Tagline: Wildlife at scale and city pulse to match.

### Oceania
URL: https://travelbudget.co/region/oceania
Cities tracked: 3. Avg mid-range shoulder: $471/day.
Cheapest: Auckland, New Zealand ($428/day).
Priciest: Sydney, Australia ($514/day).
Tagline: Pacific edges and big-sky outdoor cities.

## Top 10 cheapest cities (mid-range, shoulder)

1. Kathmandu, Nepal — $94/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/kathmandu
2. Chiang Mai, Thailand — $108/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/chiang-mai
3. Delhi, India — $108/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/delhi
4. Hanoi, Vietnam — $108/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/hanoi
5. Siem Reap, Cambodia — $108/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/siem-reap
6. Cairo, Egypt — $120/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/cairo
7. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam — $120/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/ho-chi-minh-city
8. Bali, Indonesia — $128/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/bali
9. Bogotá, Colombia — $128/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/bogota
10. Colombo, Sri Lanka — $128/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/colombo

## Top 10 most expensive cities (mid-range, shoulder)

1. New York, United States — $728/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/new-york
2. San Francisco, United States — $728/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/san-francisco
3. Zurich, Switzerland — $728/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/zurich
4. London, United Kingdom — $556/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/london
5. Reykjavik, Iceland — $556/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/reykjavik
6. Paris, France — $514/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/paris
7. Sydney, Australia — $514/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/sydney
8. Copenhagen, Denmark — $471/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/copenhagen
9. Dubai, United Arab Emirates — $471/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/dubai
10. Melbourne, Australia — $471/day · https://travelbudget.co/city/melbourne

## Full city dataset (68 cities)

Format: City, Country | Region | TBI | Tier | Currency | Daily B/M/L (shoulder) | Daily M (low/shoulder/peak) | Weekly mid | Monthly cost-of-living | Long-stay rent | Best time | Season profile (peak months, swing) | URL

- Amman, Jordan | middle-east | TBI 9 | Very cheap | JOD | $67/$154/$432 | $105/$154/$206 | $1078/wk | $3,012/mo | $1,422 rent | Mar–May | desert-winter (peak Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec, ×1.34; low Jun–Aug, ×0.68; swing 97%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/amman
- Amsterdam, Netherlands | western-europe | TBI 50 | Moderate | EUR | $177/$408/$1141 | $326/$408/$547 | $2856/wk | $8,022/mo | $3,762 rent | Apr–Jun | euro-summer (peak Jun–Sep, ×1.34; low Jan–Feb, Nov, ×0.80; swing 68%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/amsterdam
- Athens, Greece | southern-europe | TBI 26 | Cheap | EUR | $112/$257/$720 | $159/$257/$406 | $1799/wk | $5,046/mo | $2,376 rent | Apr–Jun | med-coastal (peak Jun–Sep, ×1.58; low Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec, ×0.62; swing 155%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/athens
- Auckland, New Zealand | oceania | TBI 53 | Moderate | NZD | $187/$428/$1200 | $351/$428/$582 | $2996/wk | $8,400/mo | $3,960 rent | Nov–Mar | southern-summer (peak Jan–Feb, Dec, ×1.36; low May–Aug, ×0.82; swing 66%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/auckland
- Bali, Indonesia | southeast-asia | TBI 5 | Very cheap | IDR | $58/$128/$360 | $97/$128/$168 | $896/wk | $2,508/mo | $1,188 rent | Apr–Oct | tropical-dry (peak Jan–Feb, Dec, ×1.31; low May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×0.76; swing 72%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/bali
- Bangkok, Thailand | southeast-asia | TBI 9 | Very cheap | THB | $65/$151/$421 | $115/$151/$198 | $1057/wk | $2,976/mo | $1,386 rent | Nov–Feb | tropical-dry (peak Jan–Feb, Dec, ×1.31; low May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×0.76; swing 72%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/bangkok
- Barcelona, Spain | southern-europe | TBI 43 | Moderate | EUR | $159/$365/$1020 | $226/$365/$577 | $2555/wk | $7,176/mo | $3,366 rent | May–Jun | med-coastal (peak Jun–Sep, ×1.58; low Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec, ×0.62; swing 155%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/barcelona
- Berlin, Germany | western-europe | TBI 36 | Cheap | EUR | $140/$322/$901 | $258/$322/$431 | $2254/wk | $6,330/mo | $2,970 rent | May–Sep | euro-summer (peak Jun–Sep, ×1.34; low Jan–Feb, Nov, ×0.80; swing 68%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/berlin
- Bogotá, Colombia | south-america | TBI 5 | Very cheap | COP | $58/$128/$360 | $115/$128/$148 | $896/wk | $2,508/mo | $1,188 rent | Dec–Mar | highland-stable (peak Jun–Aug, Dec, ×1.16; low May, Sep–Oct, ×0.90; swing 29%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/bogota
- Brussels, Belgium | western-europe | TBI 43 | Moderate | EUR | $159/$365/$1020 | $292/$365/$489 | $2555/wk | $7,176/mo | $3,366 rent | May–Sep | euro-summer (peak Jun–Sep, ×1.34; low Jan–Feb, Nov, ×0.80; swing 68%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/brussels
- Bucharest, Romania | eastern-europe | TBI 12 | Very cheap | RON | $75/$171/$480 | $137/$171/$229 | $1197/wk | $3,354/mo | $1,584 rent | Apr–Oct | euro-summer (peak Jun–Sep, ×1.34; low Jan–Feb, Nov, ×0.80; swing 68%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/bucharest
- Budapest, Hungary | eastern-europe | TBI 16 | Very cheap | HUF | $84/$194/$540 | $155/$194/$260 | $1358/wk | $3,822/mo | $1,782 rent | Apr–Oct | euro-summer (peak Jun–Sep, ×1.34; low Jan–Feb, Nov, ×0.80; swing 68%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/budapest
- Buenos Aires, Argentina | south-america | TBI 12 | Very cheap | ARS | $75/$171/$480 | $140/$171/$233 | $1197/wk | $3,354/mo | $1,584 rent | Mar–May | southern-summer (peak Jan–Feb, Dec, ×1.36; low May–Aug, ×0.82; swing 66%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/buenos-aires
- Cairo, Egypt | north-africa | TBI 4 | Very cheap | EGP | $52/$120/$336 | $82/$120/$161 | $840/wk | $2,346/mo | $1,116 rent | Oct–Apr | desert-winter (peak Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec, ×1.34; low Jun–Aug, ×0.68; swing 97%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/cairo
- Cancún, Mexico | central-america | TBI 39 | Cheap | MXN | $150/$342/$960 | $260/$342/$448 | $2394/wk | $6,708/mo | $3,168 rent | Dec–Apr | tropical-dry (peak Jan–Feb, Dec, ×1.31; low May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×0.76; swing 72%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/cancun
- Cape Town, South Africa | sub-saharan-africa | TBI 22 | Cheap | ZAR | $103/$236/$661 | $194/$236/$321 | $1652/wk | $4,638/mo | $2,178 rent | Nov–Mar | southern-summer (peak Jan–Feb, Dec, ×1.36; low May–Aug, ×0.82; swing 66%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/cape-town
- Chiang Mai, Thailand | southeast-asia | TBI 2 | Very cheap | THB | $47/$108/$301 | $82/$108/$141 | $756/wk | $2,130/mo | $990 rent | Nov–Feb | tropical-dry (peak Jan–Feb, Dec, ×1.31; low May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×0.76; swing 72%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/chiang-mai
- Colombo, Sri Lanka | south-asia | TBI 5 | Very cheap | LKR | $58/$128/$360 | $92/$128/$161 | $896/wk | $2,508/mo | $1,188 rent | Dec–Mar | monsoon-split (peak Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec, ×1.26; low Jun–Aug, ×0.72; swing 75%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/colombo
- Copenhagen, Denmark | northern-europe | TBI 59 | Moderate | DKK | $207/$471/$1320 | $334/$471/$678 | $3297/wk | $9,246/mo | $4,356 rent | May–Sep | nordic-light (peak Jun–Aug, ×1.44; low Jan–Mar, Nov, ×0.71; swing 103%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/copenhagen
- Delhi, India | south-asia | TBI 2 | Very cheap | INR | $47/$108/$301 | $78/$108/$136 | $756/wk | $2,130/mo | $990 rent | Oct–Mar | monsoon-split (peak Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec, ×1.26; low Jun–Aug, ×0.72; swing 75%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/delhi
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates | middle-east | TBI 59 | Moderate | AED | $207/$471/$1320 | $320/$471/$631 | $3297/wk | $9,246/mo | $4,356 rent | Nov–Mar | desert-winter (peak Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec, ×1.34; low Jun–Aug, ×0.68; swing 97%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/dubai
- Dublin, Ireland | western-europe | TBI 50 | Moderate | EUR | $177/$408/$1141 | $326/$408/$547 | $2856/wk | $8,022/mo | $3,762 rent | May–Sep | euro-summer (peak Jun–Sep, ×1.34; low Jan–Feb, Nov, ×0.80; swing 68%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/dublin
- Dubrovnik, Croatia | southern-europe | TBI 39 | Cheap | EUR | $150/$342/$960 | $212/$342/$540 | $2394/wk | $6,708/mo | $3,168 rent | May–Jun | med-coastal (peak Jun–Sep, ×1.58; low Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec, ×0.62; swing 155%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/dubrovnik
- Florence, Italy | southern-europe | TBI 46 | Moderate | EUR | $169/$385/$1080 | $304/$385/$493 | $2695/wk | $7,554/mo | $3,564 rent | Apr–May | shoulder-heavy (peak Mar–May, Sep–Oct, ×1.28; low Jul–Aug, ×0.79; swing 62%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/florence
- Hanoi, Vietnam | southeast-asia | TBI 2 | Very cheap | VND | $47/$108/$301 | $82/$108/$141 | $756/wk | $2,130/mo | $990 rent | Oct–Apr | tropical-dry (peak Jan–Feb, Dec, ×1.31; low May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×0.76; swing 72%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/hanoi
- Havana, Cuba | caribbean | TBI 16 | Very cheap | CUP | $84/$194/$540 | $147/$194/$254 | $1358/wk | $3,822/mo | $1,782 rent | Nov–Apr | tropical-dry (peak Jan–Feb, Dec, ×1.31; low May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×0.76; swing 72%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/havana
- Helsinki, Finland | northern-europe | TBI 50 | Moderate | EUR | $177/$408/$1141 | $290/$408/$588 | $2856/wk | $8,022/mo | $3,762 rent | Jun–Aug | nordic-light (peak Jun–Aug, ×1.44; low Jan–Mar, Nov, ×0.71; swing 103%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/helsinki
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | southeast-asia | TBI 4 | Very cheap | VND | $52/$120/$336 | $91/$120/$157 | $840/wk | $2,346/mo | $1,116 rent | Dec–Mar | tropical-dry (peak Jan–Feb, Dec, ×1.31; low May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×0.76; swing 72%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/ho-chi-minh-city
- Hong Kong, China | east-asia | TBI 46 | Moderate | HKD | $169/$385/$1080 | $354/$385/$435 | $2695/wk | $7,554/mo | $3,564 rent | Oct–Dec | year-round-hub (peak May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×1.13; low Jan–Feb, Aug, ×0.92; swing 23%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/hong-kong
- Istanbul, Turkey | middle-east | TBI 16 | Very cheap | TRY | $84/$194/$540 | $153/$194/$248 | $1358/wk | $3,822/mo | $1,782 rent | Apr–May | shoulder-heavy (peak Mar–May, Sep–Oct, ×1.28; low Jul–Aug, ×0.79; swing 62%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/istanbul
- Kathmandu, Nepal | south-asia | TBI 0 | Very cheap | NPR | $42/$94/$264 | $68/$94/$118 | $658/wk | $1,854/mo | $864 rent | Oct–Nov | monsoon-split (peak Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec, ×1.26; low Jun–Aug, ×0.72; swing 75%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/kathmandu
- Krakow, Poland | eastern-europe | TBI 16 | Very cheap | PLN | $84/$194/$540 | $155/$194/$260 | $1358/wk | $3,822/mo | $1,782 rent | Apr–Sep | euro-summer (peak Jun–Sep, ×1.34; low Jan–Feb, Nov, ×0.80; swing 68%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/krakow
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | southeast-asia | TBI 12 | Very cheap | MYR | $75/$171/$480 | $157/$171/$193 | $1197/wk | $3,354/mo | $1,584 rent | Dec–Feb | year-round-hub (peak May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×1.13; low Jan–Feb, Aug, ×0.92; swing 23%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/kuala-lumpur
- Kyoto, Japan | east-asia | TBI 46 | Moderate | JPY | $169/$385/$1080 | $331/$385/$562 | $2695/wk | $7,554/mo | $3,564 rent | Mar–Apr | japan-double-peak (peak Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov, ×1.46; low Jan–Feb, Jun, ×0.86; swing 70%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/kyoto
- Lima, Peru | south-america | TBI 12 | Very cheap | PEN | $75/$171/$480 | $154/$171/$198 | $1197/wk | $3,354/mo | $1,584 rent | Dec–Apr | highland-stable (peak Jun–Aug, Dec, ×1.16; low May, Sep–Oct, ×0.90; swing 29%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/lima
- Lisbon, Portugal | southern-europe | TBI 32 | Cheap | EUR | $132/$300/$840 | $186/$300/$474 | $2100/wk | $5,892/mo | $2,772 rent | Apr–Jun | med-coastal (peak Jun–Sep, ×1.58; low Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec, ×0.62; swing 155%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/lisbon
- London, United Kingdom | western-europe | TBI 73 | Pricey | GBP | $245/$556/$1560 | $512/$556/$628 | $3892/wk | $10,908/mo | $5,148 rent | May–Sep | year-round-hub (peak May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×1.13; low Jan–Feb, Aug, ×0.92; swing 23%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/london
- Madrid, Spain | southern-europe | TBI 39 | Cheap | EUR | $150/$342/$960 | $270/$342/$438 | $2394/wk | $6,708/mo | $3,168 rent | Apr–Jun | shoulder-heavy (peak Mar–May, Sep–Oct, ×1.28; low Jul–Aug, ×0.79; swing 62%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/madrid
- Manila, Philippines | southeast-asia | TBI 9 | Very cheap | PHP | $65/$151/$421 | $109/$151/$190 | $1057/wk | $2,976/mo | $1,386 rent | Dec–Feb | monsoon-split (peak Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec, ×1.26; low Jun–Aug, ×0.72; swing 75%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/manila
- Marrakech, Morocco | north-africa | TBI 16 | Very cheap | MAD | $84/$194/$540 | $132/$194/$260 | $1358/wk | $3,822/mo | $1,782 rent | Mar–May | desert-winter (peak Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec, ×1.34; low Jun–Aug, ×0.68; swing 97%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/marrakech
- Melbourne, Australia | oceania | TBI 59 | Moderate | AUD | $207/$471/$1320 | $386/$471/$641 | $3297/wk | $9,246/mo | $4,356 rent | Mar–May | southern-summer (peak Jan–Feb, Dec, ×1.36; low May–Aug, ×0.82; swing 66%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/melbourne
- Mexico City, Mexico | central-america | TBI 22 | Cheap | MXN | $103/$236/$661 | $212/$236/$274 | $1652/wk | $4,638/mo | $2,178 rent | Mar–May | highland-stable (peak Jun–Aug, Dec, ×1.16; low May, Sep–Oct, ×0.90; swing 29%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/mexico-city
- Mumbai, India | south-asia | TBI 5 | Very cheap | INR | $58/$128/$360 | $92/$128/$161 | $896/wk | $2,508/mo | $1,188 rent | Nov–Feb | monsoon-split (peak Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec, ×1.26; low Jun–Aug, ×0.72; swing 75%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/mumbai
- Nairobi, Kenya | sub-saharan-africa | TBI 22 | Cheap | KES | $103/$236/$661 | $179/$236/$309 | $1652/wk | $4,638/mo | $2,178 rent | Jun–Oct | tropical-dry (peak Jan–Feb, Dec, ×1.31; low May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×0.76; swing 72%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/nairobi
- New York, United States | north-america | TBI 100 | Very pricey | USD | $318/$728/$2040 | $670/$728/$823 | $5096/wk | $14,292/mo | $6,732 rent | Apr–Jun | year-round-hub (peak May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×1.13; low Jan–Feb, Aug, ×0.92; swing 23%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/new-york
- Panama City, Panama | central-america | TBI 32 | Cheap | USD | $132/$300/$840 | $276/$300/$339 | $2100/wk | $5,892/mo | $2,772 rent | Dec–Apr | year-round-hub (peak May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×1.13; low Jan–Feb, Aug, ×0.92; swing 23%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/panama-city
- Paris, France | western-europe | TBI 66 | Pricey | EUR | $224/$514/$1440 | $411/$514/$689 | $3598/wk | $10,092/mo | $4,752 rent | Apr–Jun | euro-summer (peak Jun–Sep, ×1.34; low Jan–Feb, Nov, ×0.80; swing 68%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/paris
- Porto, Portugal | southern-europe | TBI 29 | Cheap | EUR | $122/$279/$781 | $173/$279/$441 | $1953/wk | $5,484/mo | $2,574 rent | May–Sep | med-coastal (peak Jun–Sep, ×1.58; low Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec, ×0.62; swing 155%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/porto
- Prague, Czech Republic | eastern-europe | TBI 22 | Cheap | CZK | $103/$236/$661 | $189/$236/$316 | $1652/wk | $4,638/mo | $2,178 rent | Apr–Oct | euro-summer (peak Jun–Sep, ×1.34; low Jan–Feb, Nov, ×0.80; swing 68%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/prague
- Reykjavik, Iceland | northern-europe | TBI 73 | Pricey | ISK | $245/$556/$1560 | $395/$556/$801 | $3892/wk | $10,908/mo | $5,148 rent | Jun–Aug | nordic-light (peak Jun–Aug, ×1.44; low Jan–Mar, Nov, ×0.71; swing 103%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/reykjavik
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | south-america | TBI 26 | Cheap | BRL | $112/$257/$720 | $200/$257/$442 | $1799/wk | $5,046/mo | $2,376 rent | Dec–Mar | carnival-spike (peak Jan–Feb, Dec, ×1.72; low May–Aug, ×0.78; swing 121%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/rio-de-janeiro
- Rome, Italy | southern-europe | TBI 50 | Moderate | EUR | $177/$408/$1141 | $322/$408/$522 | $2856/wk | $8,022/mo | $3,762 rent | Apr–May | shoulder-heavy (peak Mar–May, Sep–Oct, ×1.28; low Jul–Aug, ×0.79; swing 62%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/rome
- San Francisco, United States | north-america | TBI 100 | Very pricey | USD | $318/$728/$2040 | $670/$728/$823 | $5096/wk | $14,292/mo | $6,732 rent | Sep–Nov | year-round-hub (peak May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×1.13; low Jan–Feb, Aug, ×0.92; swing 23%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/san-francisco
- San José, Costa Rica | central-america | TBI 22 | Cheap | USD | $103/$236/$661 | $179/$236/$309 | $1652/wk | $4,638/mo | $2,178 rent | Dec–Apr | tropical-dry (peak Jan–Feb, Dec, ×1.31; low May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×0.76; swing 72%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/costa-rica
- Santiago, Chile | south-america | TBI 22 | Cheap | CLP | $103/$236/$661 | $194/$236/$321 | $1652/wk | $4,638/mo | $2,178 rent | Sep–Nov | southern-summer (peak Jan–Feb, Dec, ×1.36; low May–Aug, ×0.82; swing 66%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/santiago
- Seoul, South Korea | east-asia | TBI 32 | Cheap | KRW | $132/$300/$840 | $276/$300/$339 | $2100/wk | $5,892/mo | $2,772 rent | Apr–Jun | year-round-hub (peak May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×1.13; low Jan–Feb, Aug, ×0.92; swing 23%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/seoul
- Siem Reap, Cambodia | southeast-asia | TBI 2 | Very cheap | KHR | $47/$108/$301 | $82/$108/$141 | $756/wk | $2,130/mo | $990 rent | Nov–Feb | tropical-dry (peak Jan–Feb, Dec, ×1.31; low May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×0.76; swing 72%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/siem-reap
- Singapore, Singapore | southeast-asia | TBI 59 | Moderate | SGD | $207/$471/$1320 | $433/$471/$532 | $3297/wk | $9,246/mo | $4,356 rent | Feb–Apr | year-round-hub (peak May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×1.13; low Jan–Feb, Aug, ×0.92; swing 23%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/singapore
- Stockholm, Sweden | northern-europe | TBI 59 | Moderate | SEK | $207/$471/$1320 | $334/$471/$678 | $3297/wk | $9,246/mo | $4,356 rent | May–Sep | nordic-light (peak Jun–Aug, ×1.44; low Jan–Mar, Nov, ×0.71; swing 103%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/stockholm
- Sydney, Australia | oceania | TBI 66 | Pricey | AUD | $224/$514/$1440 | $421/$514/$699 | $3598/wk | $10,092/mo | $4,752 rent | Sep–Nov | southern-summer (peak Jan–Feb, Dec, ×1.36; low May–Aug, ×0.82; swing 66%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/sydney
- Taipei, Taiwan | east-asia | TBI 22 | Cheap | TWD | $103/$236/$661 | $217/$236/$267 | $1652/wk | $4,638/mo | $2,178 rent | Oct–Dec | year-round-hub (peak May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×1.13; low Jan–Feb, Aug, ×0.92; swing 23%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/taipei
- Tbilisi, Georgia | central-asia | TBI 12 | Very cheap | GEL | $75/$171/$480 | $135/$171/$219 | $1197/wk | $3,354/mo | $1,584 rent | Apr–Jun | shoulder-heavy (peak Mar–May, Sep–Oct, ×1.28; low Jul–Aug, ×0.79; swing 62%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/tbilisi
- Tel Aviv, Israel | middle-east | TBI 53 | Moderate | ILS | $187/$428/$1200 | $265/$428/$676 | $2996/wk | $8,400/mo | $3,960 rent | Mar–May | med-coastal (peak Jun–Sep, ×1.58; low Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec, ×0.62; swing 155%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/tel-aviv
- Tokyo, Japan | east-asia | TBI 50 | Moderate | JPY | $177/$408/$1141 | $351/$408/$596 | $2856/wk | $8,022/mo | $3,762 rent | Mar–May | japan-double-peak (peak Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov, ×1.46; low Jan–Feb, Jun, ×0.86; swing 70%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/tokyo
- Toronto, Canada | north-america | TBI 59 | Moderate | CAD | $207/$471/$1320 | $377/$471/$631 | $3297/wk | $9,246/mo | $4,356 rent | May–Oct | euro-summer (peak Jun–Sep, ×1.34; low Jan–Feb, Nov, ×0.80; swing 68%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/toronto
- Vienna, Austria | western-europe | TBI 50 | Moderate | EUR | $177/$408/$1141 | $326/$408/$547 | $2856/wk | $8,022/mo | $3,762 rent | Apr–Oct | euro-summer (peak Jun–Sep, ×1.34; low Jan–Feb, Nov, ×0.80; swing 68%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/vienna
- Zanzibar, Tanzania | sub-saharan-africa | TBI 22 | Cheap | TZS | $103/$236/$661 | $179/$236/$309 | $1652/wk | $4,638/mo | $2,178 rent | Jun–Oct | tropical-dry (peak Jan–Feb, Dec, ×1.31; low May–Jun, Sep–Oct, ×0.76; swing 72%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/zanzibar
- Zurich, Switzerland | western-europe | TBI 100 | Very pricey | CHF | $318/$728/$2040 | $582/$728/$976 | $5096/wk | $14,292/mo | $6,732 rent | May–Sep | euro-summer (peak Jun–Sep, ×1.34; low Jan–Feb, Nov, ×0.80; swing 68%) | https://travelbudget.co/city/zurich

## Countries

- Argentina (South America) — 1 city, avg $171/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/argentina
- Australia (Oceania) — 2 cities, avg $493/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/australia
- Austria (Western Europe) — 1 city, avg $408/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/austria
- Belgium (Western Europe) — 1 city, avg $365/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/belgium
- Brazil (South America) — 1 city, avg $257/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/brazil
- Cambodia (Southeast Asia) — 1 city, avg $108/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/cambodia
- Canada (North America) — 1 city, avg $471/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/canada
- Chile (South America) — 1 city, avg $236/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/chile
- China (East Asia) — 1 city, avg $385/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/china
- Colombia (South America) — 1 city, avg $128/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/colombia
- Costa Rica (Central America) — 1 city, avg $236/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/costa-rica
- Croatia (Southern Europe) — 1 city, avg $342/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/croatia
- Cuba (Caribbean) — 1 city, avg $194/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/cuba
- Czech Republic (Eastern Europe) — 1 city, avg $236/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/czechia
- Denmark (Northern Europe) — 1 city, avg $471/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/denmark
- Egypt (North Africa) — 1 city, avg $120/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/egypt
- Finland (Northern Europe) — 1 city, avg $408/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/finland
- France (Western Europe) — 1 city, avg $514/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/france
- Georgia (Central Asia) — 1 city, avg $171/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/georgia
- Germany (Western Europe) — 1 city, avg $322/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/germany
- Greece (Southern Europe) — 1 city, avg $257/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/greece
- Hungary (Eastern Europe) — 1 city, avg $194/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/hungary
- Iceland (Northern Europe) — 1 city, avg $556/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/iceland
- India (South Asia) — 2 cities, avg $118/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/india
- Indonesia (Southeast Asia) — 1 city, avg $128/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/indonesia
- Ireland (Western Europe) — 1 city, avg $408/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/ireland
- Israel (Middle East) — 1 city, avg $428/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/israel
- Italy (Southern Europe) — 2 cities, avg $397/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/italy
- Japan (East Asia) — 2 cities, avg $397/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/japan
- Jordan (Middle East) — 1 city, avg $154/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/jordan
- Kenya (Sub-Saharan Africa) — 1 city, avg $236/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/kenya
- Malaysia (Southeast Asia) — 1 city, avg $171/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/malaysia
- Mexico (Central America) — 2 cities, avg $289/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/mexico
- Morocco (North Africa) — 1 city, avg $194/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/morocco
- Nepal (South Asia) — 1 city, avg $94/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/nepal
- Netherlands (Western Europe) — 1 city, avg $408/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/netherlands
- New Zealand (Oceania) — 1 city, avg $428/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/new-zealand
- Panama (Central America) — 1 city, avg $300/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/panama
- Peru (South America) — 1 city, avg $171/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/peru
- Philippines (Southeast Asia) — 1 city, avg $151/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/philippines
- Poland (Eastern Europe) — 1 city, avg $194/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/poland
- Portugal (Southern Europe) — 2 cities, avg $290/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/portugal
- Romania (Eastern Europe) — 1 city, avg $171/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/romania
- Singapore (Southeast Asia) — 1 city, avg $471/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/singapore
- South Africa (Sub-Saharan Africa) — 1 city, avg $236/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/south-africa
- South Korea (East Asia) — 1 city, avg $300/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/south-korea
- Spain (Southern Europe) — 2 cities, avg $354/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/spain
- Sri Lanka (South Asia) — 1 city, avg $128/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/sri-lanka
- Sweden (Northern Europe) — 1 city, avg $471/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/sweden
- Switzerland (Western Europe) — 1 city, avg $728/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/switzerland
- Taiwan (East Asia) — 1 city, avg $236/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/taiwan
- Tanzania (Sub-Saharan Africa) — 1 city, avg $236/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/tanzania
- Thailand (Southeast Asia) — 2 cities, avg $130/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/thailand
- Turkey (Middle East) — 1 city, avg $194/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/turkey
- United Arab Emirates (Middle East) — 1 city, avg $471/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/uae
- United Kingdom (Western Europe) — 1 city, avg $556/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/uk
- United States (North America) — 2 cities, avg $728/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/usa
- Vietnam (Southeast Asia) — 2 cities, avg $114/day mid-range · https://travelbudget.co/country/vietnam

## Curated best lists

### The cheapest cities in Europe right now
URL: https://travelbudget.co/best/cheap-cities-in-europe
European travel doesn't have to mean Paris prices. These cities all sit well below the European median on mid-range daily cost in shoulder season, while offering the architecture, food and pace travellers actually come to Europe for. Ranked from cheapest mid-range daily cost upward.

### The cheapest cities in Asia for travellers
URL: https://travelbudget.co/best/cheap-cities-in-asia
Asia covers the widest cost spectrum of any region we track — from Kathmandu well under $150/day mid-range to Tokyo and Singapore over $400. This list ranks the most affordable cities across South, Southeast and East Asia by mid-range shoulder-season daily cost.

### Budget-friendly beach destinations worldwide
URL: https://travelbudget.co/best/budget-beach-destinations
Beach trips don't have to mean resort markups. These coastal and island cities combine genuine ocean access with mid-range daily costs in the bottom half of our index. Ranked from cheapest upward.

### Cities where luxury travel still costs under $400/day
URL: https://travelbudget.co/best/luxury-cities-under-400-per-day
Luxury travel is usually a multiple of mid-range, but in the right cities the gap stays narrow. These destinations offer genuine high-end accommodation, food and experiences while keeping the luxury-style daily figure under $400 — half what the same tier costs in Zurich or New York.

### Cities that work for a family trip on a budget
URL: https://travelbudget.co/best/family-friendly-budget-cities
Family travel multiplies every line item. These cities combine low-to-moderate mid-range daily costs with the practical things families need — safe transit, kid-tolerant restaurants, public parks, walkable centres, and short-haul transit options.

### Digital nomad cities ranked by monthly cost
URL: https://travelbudget.co/best/digital-nomad-cities-by-cost
For long-stay travellers and remote workers, the headline daily number understates how affordable a city actually is. Long-stay rents run roughly 40% lower than nightly rates, and locals' food and transit prices apply. This ranking uses a monthly cost-of-living estimate — rent + food + transit + miscellaneous — not the tourist day rate.

### Where shoulder-season pricing creates the biggest savings
URL: https://travelbudget.co/best/shoulder-season-deals
The shoulder months either side of peak season are where the model finds the most consistent savings — 15–25% off peak daily totals while keeping the weather and most of the openings. These cities show the largest peak-to-shoulder swing in our data.

### Expensive cities that earn their daily cost
URL: https://travelbudget.co/best/expensive-cities-worth-it
Some destinations sit at the top of the index for a reason — they offer concentrated experiences, infrastructure, food and design density that justifies the daily spend. This list ranks our highest-cost cities, with a one-line case for why each is worth it.

## Guides

- How to Budget for Travel — A pragmatic framework for translating a vague trip idea into a defensible number. · https://travelbudget.co/guides/how-to-budget-for-travel
- Saving Money While Travelling — Where the savings actually live — and the false economies that quietly cost more. · https://travelbudget.co/guides/saving-money-while-traveling
- Understanding Travel Currencies — Why the exchange rate on your screen is rarely the rate you actually get. · https://travelbudget.co/guides/understanding-travel-currencies
- What Drives Travel Costs — The four forces that actually move the number on your spreadsheet. · https://travelbudget.co/guides/what-drives-travel-costs
- Daily Budget by Region — A regional cheat-sheet for mid-range daily travel costs — and what actually drives the gaps. · https://travelbudget.co/guides/daily-budget-by-region
- How Much Does a Week Abroad Cost? — Honest, data-backed weekly totals for budget, mid-range and luxury travellers — anywhere in the world. · https://travelbudget.co/guides/how-much-does-a-week-abroad-cost
- Shoulder Season Explained — The single largest-impact, lowest-effort lever in any travel budget — and how to identify it for any destination. · https://travelbudget.co/guides/shoulder-season-explained
- Digital Nomad Monthly Budget: What a Realistic Cost Looks Like — A grounded month-by-month cost breakdown for remote workers picking their next base — rent, coworking, food, and the hidden overheads no one lists. · https://travelbudget.co/guides/digital-nomad-monthly-budget
- Travelling in Peak Season Without Blowing the Budget — School holidays, festivals, and the only weeks you can go — how to travel peak without paying the full peak premium. · https://travelbudget.co/guides/traveling-in-peak-season-without-blowing-budget
- Estimating Food Costs Before You Travel — How to build an honest daily food number for any destination — three meals, one snack, one nicer dinner a week. · https://travelbudget.co/guides/estimating-food-costs-before-you-travel

## Glossary

- **Shoulder season**: The 4–8 weeks immediately before and after a destination's peak tourism season. Weather is usually close to peak; prices and crowds are materially lower. Our default for cost comparisons.
- **Peak season**: The busiest, most expensive window for a destination. Driven by weather, school holidays, festivals or all three. Accommodation typically 25%+ above shoulder rates.
- **Low season**: The cheapest window of the year for a destination. Often coincides with off-weather or rainy months. Daily costs ~15% below shoulder.
- **Dynamic currency conversion (DCC)**: When a foreign merchant or ATM offers to bill you in your home currency. Always decline — the exchange rate is typically 3–7% worse than your card's network rate.
- **Per diem**: A daily allowance budgeted for travel expenses, expressed as a single $/day number. The unit we use across the entire TravelBudget index.
- **TravelBudget Index (TBI)**: A 0–100 score per city, derived from mid-range shoulder-season daily cost vs the global cheapest and priciest cities we track. 0 is the cheapest, 100 the priciest.
- **Affordability tier**: A 5-band label (Very cheap / Cheap / Moderate / Pricey / Very pricey) derived from a city's TBI score. Gives a consistent vocabulary across listings and comparisons.
- **Mid-range (style)**: A traveller style: 3-star or boutique hotel, mix of casual restaurants and one nicer meal per day, public transit plus occasional taxi, paid attractions. Our default tier.
- **Budget (style)**: Hostel dorm or guesthouse, local food and self-catering, public transit only, free or low-cost activities. Roughly 1× the city baseline cost.
- **Luxury (style)**: 4- or 5-star hotel, fine-dining meals, private transfers when needed, curated activities. Roughly 6× the city baseline cost.
- **Daily total**: Sum of five categories per person per day: accommodation, food, local transport, activities, miscellaneous. Flights, visas and insurance are excluded.
- **Fixed costs**: One-off costs added at the trip level rather than per day: flights, long-haul ground transport, visas, vaccinations, insurance, gear.
- **Long-stay rent equivalent**: An estimate of what 30 nights of accommodation cost if booked monthly rather than nightly. We use ~60% of the nightly mid-range accommodation rate × 30.
- **Cost of living (for travellers)**: Long-stay rent + 30 × (food + local transport + misc) at the mid-range baseline. Excludes tourist activities. Used for digital-nomad and long-stay comparisons.
- **Schengen 90/180**: EU border rule allowing non-EU travellers up to 90 days inside the Schengen Area within any rolling 180-day window. Material constraint for long-stay European trips.
- **Hostel dorm**: A shared room with 4–12 beds in a hostel. Typically 30–50% cheaper than a private room and the cheapest accommodation option in most cities.
- **Ryokan**: A traditional Japanese inn, usually with tatami rooms, futon bedding and multi-course dinner. Mid-tier ryokans run $200–400/night; premium ones can exceed $600.
- **Couchsurfing**: Free hosted accommodation arranged through community platforms. Eliminates the largest line item in a daily budget but adds time and social cost.
- **Third-class rail**: The lowest paid tier on most national rail networks. Often 50–70% cheaper than first class with the same arrival time. Standard for budget travel in Europe and Asia.
- **ATM network fee**: A flat fee a foreign ATM operator charges on top of your bank's withdrawal fee. Withdraw larger amounts, less often, from bank-owned ATMs to minimise it.
- **Card FX rate**: The exchange rate your credit or debit card uses for foreign transactions. Typically close to the mid-market rate; always better than airport currency exchange.
- **Tourist tax**: A per-night fee charged on accommodation in many European cities, typically €1–7/night/person. Almost always paid at check-in, not pre-booked.
- **City pass**: A bundle of museum, attraction and transit access for a fixed price. Worth it when planning 4+ attractions in 3 days; otherwise individual tickets beat the pass.
- **Buffer**: An explicit overage added to the trip-level budget to cover unknowns. We recommend 15% on top of the daily total × trip length.
- **The shoulder rule**: If your dates are flexible by two weeks, shifting into shoulder season usually saves more than any in-trip optimisation. The cheapest fix is almost always the calendar.
- **Per-memory cost**: Trip cost divided by the number of distinct, lasting experiences. Slower trips usually beat faster ones on this metric even when their daily cost is higher.