What Are the Cheapest Cities in Europe for Students in 2026?

"Budapest is affordable" and "Riga is cheap" get thrown around a lot, but usually against one or two Western European cities picked to make the point look dramatic. The short answer: the cheapest European cities for students are in Central and Eastern Europe. In Eurostat's 2024 price levels, Poland and Hungary sit at about 72 to 74 percent of the EU average and Latvia and Lithuania at about 82, against 109 to 143 percent in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Denmark. Below is the fuller picture across fourteen cities, from Kraków to Copenhagen, with the monthly budget each city's universities or government tell international students to plan for.

The Ranking: Price Levels and Official Student Budgets, City by City

Two numbers per city. The first is the 2024 price level for household spending in that city's country, from Eurostat, the EU's statistics office: the EU average is 100, so 72 means everyday goods and services cost about 28 percent less than average. The second is the monthly budget that a university in the city, or the government, tells international students to plan for, rent included unless noted. Universities count costs differently and capitals cost more than their country's average, especially for rent, so read the numbers as a guide to the size of the gap, not as an exact budget. Euro conversions use the European Central Bank rates of 9 October 2026.

City Typical Monthly Student Budget

Vilnius €700 – €950

Tallinn €700 – €950

Riga €700 – €900

Krakow ≈ €700 – €900

Prague €700 – €900

Budapest €750 – €950

Warsaw ≈ €900 – €950

Berlin €1,100+

Munich ≈ €1,200 – €1,500

Barcelona €1,200+

Paris €1,200 – €1,800

Amsterdam (Netherlands): 116 | €1,200 to €1,800 (Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences)

London (UK): 125 | about £1,770, roughly €2,090 (King's College London, 2026/27)

London ≈ £1,600 (≈ €1,850)

Why the Gap Is So Large

Three things are doing most of the work here. First, currency and general cost of living: wages, rents and everyday prices are structurally lower across most of Central and Eastern Europe, not just for students but for the whole local economy. Second, housing itself: Eurostat's 2024 price level for housing, water and energy was 49 in Poland, 55 in Latvia and 61 in Hungary, against 113 in Germany, 130 in the Netherlands and 186 in Denmark. In cities like London, Amsterdam and Paris, far more students chase each room, and rents follow. Third, transport, food and entertainment costs scale with local wages, which is why the gap isn't just about rent, it shows up in every category.

The Catch With the Cheapest Cities on Paper

National figures hide a lot. Capitals cost more than the rest of their country, rent above all, and official estimates count different things: Vilnius University's €500 assumes a dorm room at about €70 to €105 a month, while Rīga Stradiņš University advises a cautious minimum of €1,200 for students renting privately. Tallinn is the outlier among the Baltic capitals, as Estonia's price level matches the EU average. And in the cheapest markets, managed all inclusive rooms you can book from abroad can be harder to find than private rentals found through local contacts, so the saving can come with more legwork.

Where Budapest and Riga Actually Sit

Hungary is one of the two cheapest countries on this list and Latvia sits in the affordable middle, both far below every Western European city here. Budapest and Riga are also the two cities where Fuse has rooms now: furnished, all inclusive and booked online with no viewing, from €380 a month in Budapest and €250 in Riga on a 12 month contract. Chasing a slightly cheaper market where rooms are hard to book from abroad usually means more legwork, more risk and less certainty about what you're actually getting.

The Smart Way to Lock In These Numbers

Wherever you land on this list, the number that matters isn't the average, it's what you actually end up paying once utilities, WiFi and any hidden fees are added back in. All-inclusive pricing, like Fuse's in Budapest and Riga, removes that uncertainty: one fixed monthly number for rent, utilities and Wi Fi (in Budapest, if the utilities of your room or flat go above €70 in a month, the extra can be charged), on a contract of 5, 6, 10 or 12 months to match your stay.

Browse available rooms in Budapest and Riga at Fuse's listings page.

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