As flight prices soar amid the Middle Eastern conflict, holidaymakers face mounting challenges when booking their next getaway. Yet fresh research from Solo Female Travelers has uncovered more affordable destinations where the cost of living is significantly lower for a weekend break.
Research Methodology
Researchers examined data from Numbeo covering 49 European destinations, excluding Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict and unreliable data. Crown Dependencies such as the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar, and the Faroe Islands were also omitted, as they are not sovereign states. The team then worked out a daily solo basket spanning six spending categories.
The six categories included an inexpensive restaurant meal, coffee or cappuccino, bottled water (0.33L), local transport (return), a cinema ticket, and a one-bedroom city-centre flat (per night).
North Macedonia: The Cheapest and Safest
The study revealed that a solo traveller could enjoy a weekend in North Macedonia for just €52.38 (£45.33). Skopje serves as the capital and largest city in North Macedonia, boasting a population exceeding 500,000. The landlocked Balkan nation shares borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the north.
A meal at a budget-friendly restaurant in Skopje would set you back €6.51 (£5.63), a regular-sized cappuccino would cost €1.92 (£1.66), and a 0.33L bottle of water would cost €1.05 (£0.91). Direct flights from London to Skopje are priced at roughly £90 for a weekend trip or approximately £49 if you have flexibility with your dates. According to World Population Review, North Macedonia also ranks among the safest countries in the world, with a low risk level based on the Global Peace Index.
Other Affordable Destinations
Coming in second was Bosnia and Herzegovina, where a solo weekend would run you €54.66 (£47.30). Meanwhile, a weekend in Moldova would cost slightly more at €54.93 (£47.53). Rounding out the top four is Serbia, where a weekend will set a solo traveller back €61.65 (£53.35).
Remarkably, the top four combined would nearly match the priciest destination for solo weekend travel. Liechtenstein's weekend cost is 4.25 times higher than the cheapest option, at €222.66 (£192.68). For a combined total of €223.62 (£193.51) — virtually identical to a single weekend in Liechtenstein — travellers could experience all four cheaper alternatives.
Liechtenstein: The Most Expensive
Liechtenstein narrowly edged out neighbouring Switzerland (€221.70, £191.85) by less than one euro. Liechtenstein's daily basket of €74.22 stands as the highest in Europe, with dining expenses exceeding accommodation costs. Dining in Liechtenstein runs 20% higher than Switzerland at €27.13 (£23.48) and more than double the European average of €14.98 (£12.96).
Mar Pages, co-founder of Solo Female Travelers, commented: "Liechtenstein may be small, but its costs are anything but. What's interesting is that the premium isn't driven by accommodation — it's the everyday spending, from a simple meal to a coffee, that pushes it to the top. For solo travellers planning a European trip, this data is a powerful reminder that cost differences across the continent are enormous and the destination you choose makes all the difference."
