According to a new study, Istanbul has the most affordable dining out experience in Europe in 2021. The Maxima Kitchen Equipment study looked at the top cities in Europe to find the cheapest and most expensive places to eat out, using data on the cost of living from Expatistan and Numbeo.
The analysis was based on the cost of a meal at a low-cost restaurant, a meal at a mid-range restaurant, a lunchtime meal, a pub dinner, and a three-course meal at an Italian restaurant.
According to the study, Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, is the most affordable city to eat at a restaurant, with an average cost of 17.42 euros for two people to dine out. The Turkish city has many low-cost dining options, topping the lists for mid-range meal, lunchtime meal, and pub dinner, making it Europe’s cheapest city.
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St. Petersburg is Europe’s second cheapest city for dining out, with a two-person meal costing an average of 21.60 euros. The Russian city offers a variety of low-cost dining options, including pubs. However, the average price for a mid-range restaurant meal is 30.10 euros, which is 10.90 euros more than Istanbul, making it Europe’s second cheapest city.
Budapest is Europe’s third cheapest city for eating out, with a two-person meal costing only 22.50 euros. The Hungarian capital also ranked first in terms of the cheapest place to eat a three-course meal at an Italian restaurant, with an average bill of 31 euros for two people.
| Top 10 cheapest cities in Europe for eating out | ||||||
| City | Average cost for a meal at an inexpensive meal for two | Average cost for a meal at a mid-range meal for two | Average cost for a lunchtime meal for two | Average cost for a pub dinner for two | Average cost for a three-course meal at an Italian restaurant for two | Total average cost to dine out for two |
| Istanbul | €7.70 | €19.20 | €8.20 | €15 | €37 | €17.42 |
| St. Petersburg | €13.30 | €30.10 | €8.60 | €16 | €40 | €21.60 |
| Budapest | €12.80 | €34.70 | €14 | €20 | €31 | €22.50 |
| Kiev | €12.40 | €26.30 | €12 | €16 | €49 | €23.14 |
| Prague | €11.80 | €35.40 | €14 | €21 | €44 | €25.24 |
| Lisbon | €19.80 | €40 | €18 | €28 | €43 | €29.76 |
| Moscow | €19.30 | €36.20 | €12 | €25 | €66 | €31.70 |
| Naples | €20 | €50 | €22 | €27 | €51 | €34 |
| Dubrovnik | €27.90 | €70 | €18 | €24 | €40 | €35.98 |
| Athens | €20 | €40 | €32 | €36 | €52 | €36 |
In comparison, Oslo topped the list as the most expensive European city for a meal out, with an average cost of €66.48 for two, nearly 400% higher than the average cost in Istanbul.
Norway has two of the top three most expensive cities for dining out (Oslo and Bergen), which may be attributed to the country’s high monthly net salary average of 3,068 euros, compared to Turkey’s average monthly net salary of 346 euros.
With an average of €63 for two, Copenhagen is Europe’s second most expensive city for dining out. It has the second highest cost for a mid-range meal, at €94.10, which is only 4.80 euros less than Oslo.
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London ranks fifth, with a total average cost of dining out for two of 53.82 euros. Other top UK cities include Manchester, which ranks 14th in Europe with an average cost of 45.22 euros for two people eating out, and Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, which ranks 18th with an average cost of 42.80 euros for two people eating out.
“Since the amber list has been scrapped, holiday makers are more eager than ever to start booking trips to Europe. Dining out and local cuisine are undeniably important factors when selecting a destination, so this research provides good guidance on which city is most cost-effective for food fans”
spokesperson from Maxima
Maxima Kitchen Equipment, which has over 40 years of experience in the supply and maintenance of professional kitchen equipment, conducted the analysis.
| Top 10 most expensive cities in Europe for eating out | ||||||
| City | Average cost for a meal at an inexpensive meal for two | Average cost for a meal at a mid-range meal for two | Average cost for a lunchtime meal for two | Average cost for a pub dinner for two | Average cost for a three-course meal at an Italian restaurant for two | Total average cost to dine out for two |
| Oslo | €38.50 | €98.90 | €40 | €55 | €100 | €66.48 |
| Copenhagen | €34.90 | €94.10 | €26 | €50 | €110 | €63 |
| Bergen | €38.50 | €81.10 | €34 | €49 | €85 | €57.52 |
| Helsinki | €25 | €80 | €24 | €49 | €94 | €54.40 |
| London | €35.40 | €70.70 | €30 | €46 | €87 | €53.82 |
| Milan | €30 | €70 | €30 | €42 | €90 | €52.40 |
| Stockholm | €23.70 | €79 | €22 | €43 | €87 | €50.94 |
| Paris | €30 | €60 | €34 | €51 | €78 | €50.60 |
| Edinburgh | €35.40 | €70.70 | €32 | €44 | €69 | €50.22 |
| Brussels | €30 | €60 | €32 | €49 | €72 | €48.60 |
Source: traveldailynews.com