Many Americans dream of living in European cities such as Paris, Rome or Barcelona, or perhaps in a quaint villa in Burgundy, Tuscany or the English countryside.
Many cities and towns in Europe project idyllic images as safe places full of culture and with excellent transportation systems. To at least some degree, these visions are true.
But traveling to Europe can be a hassle. In addition to enduring the long flights, it can be expensive to visit places in Europe — from the cost of the flights to hotels, transport, food and so on. Plus, it can be hard for some tourists to adapt to the conventions of European cities and towns. But the good news is that there are plenty of travel destinations in the U.S. that have similar characteristics to Europe but that are way cheaper.
Of course, no city is cheaper than another in every way, and there will always be some expenses that cost more in one city than another. For purposes of this study, prices were culled from a variety of sources, ranging from Numbeo and Statista to Budget Your Trip and various general and local transportation/accommodation pricing services. All prices are as of May 31, 2024.
For the most part, prices in the comparison cities were higher for some things but lower for others. However, overall the European destinations always ended up costing significantly more if for no other reason than the cost of flying.
With this in mind, here’s a look at some interesting American-European city pairs.