New Eurostat data shows sharp gaps in living costs across Europe, a factor travelers should consider alongside airfare and hotels. For Israelis planning a trip, the price level at the destination itself can make a major difference to the total vacation budget, because the same basket of goods and services can cost nearly four times more from one country to another.
At the expensive end of the continent are Iceland and Switzerland, where prices are more than 80% above the European average. Denmark, Ireland and Norway are also very costly, at about 40% above average. For tourists, that quickly translates into higher bills for meals, transport and attractions.
On the cheaper side are North Macedonia, Turkey, Bosnia, Romania and Bulgaria, where prices are significantly below the European average, in some cases by dozens of percentage points. Popular destinations for Israelis, including Greece, Portugal, Poland and the Czech Republic, are still considered relatively inexpensive compared with Western Europe. Within larger countries, the differences also stand out, Germany is about 9% above the European average, while Spain is about 9% below it.
The article notes that these are broad economic indicators and do not fully capture the tourist experience, but they still offer a useful guide. The main takeaway is that Europe is not priced equally, and the choice of destination can affect a trip's budget almost as much as the flight itself.
