By Daniel Mackrell on 24 October 2019

Cheap city breaks have become a popular choice for many travellers looking to get the most out of short trips abroad.

In our latest study, we reveal the cheapest cities to explore in 24 hours, with Asia proving to be one of the best places to visit if you want to get some good deals and save money.

We looked at many important factors for people looking to enjoy a short break abroad, including taxi costs, cheap food and the price of tour buses. You can also see which locations have the most free attractions and trips under £25, as well as where you need to go for the cheapest beer.

So which cities ranked the best and where can you go to get the most for your money?

What are the cheapest city breaks?

Delhi in India had the best overall score after having one of the cheapest taxi costs, as well as having 79 trips that were £25 or under. The cities hop-on hop-off bus service charges just £11.60, while the average beer cost is £1.47. Joining Delhi at the top of the table is Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Bangkok in Thailand.

If you are looking to find the cheapest places to have a beer, China proved to be the best destination to visit with Chinese cities making up all of the top three. The average price of a beer was 87p in Guangzhou, 93p in Shenzhen and £1.17 in Shanghai.

Many of the cheapest cities are from outside of Europe, but there are still several closer locations that you can head to. Shorter journeys mean that you can save money on flights, which could make the trip cheaper even if you pay a bit more for tours and food.

For holidaymakers looking to enjoy a city break closer to home, Prague in Czech Republic was the cheapest city in Europe to explore in 24 hours, which ranked seventh overall. Beer cost £1.42, while a taxi would set you back 99p for each km. The city also has 1,127 cheap eats as well as 1,059 free entry attractions to visit.

Other European cities to rank highly include Barcelona, Rome and London. The UK city ranked fifteenth overall with 2,135 free attractions to explore such as the National Gallery and The British Museum, while there are also 3,163 cheap eats for tourists to enjoy.

The USA was among the worst countries for saving money, with four of their major cities ranking in the bottom five. Miami was the lowest ranked city in our study with only four trips available for £25 or under, while a 24-hour tour bus is set to cost £36.30.

Which city breaks are you planning next and are they as cheap as you think? Have a look at our interactive list and find out how much you may need to budget to get the most out of your trip.


← What you need to know before celebrating Diwali in India

How could travel in Europe be affected by no deal Brexit or Boris Johnson’s deal? →