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Cities such as London, Singapore and New York are regularly touted as the world’s most expensive. The problem is, they’re all great cities that everybody else wants to see.
But don’t think you have to blow the budget to enjoy yourself. Most-expensive lists are often based on statistics relevant to residents rather than visitors, with housing the biggest budget-busting item.
Every city has its cheaper neighbourhoods and well-priced hotels and restaurants if only you look. And you don’t have to do all the big sights: parks, smaller museums, temples and lively residential districts can offer a free and more local experience.
Research well and think beyond obvious guidebook recommendations, and you’ll have a great stay at more reasonable prices.
SINGAPORE
The lowdown Singapore’s hotels, restaurants and bar drinks are priced like any global city, and are noticeably higher than elsewhere in South-East Asia. Everything is imported, and standards are high.
Fee-free pleasures Public gardens include the outstanding UNESCO-listed Botanic Gardens, Chinese Garden, Japanese Garden, historic Fort Canning Park and the new Jurong Lake Garden. Futuristic Marina One Green Heart Garden is also worth a stroll.
Bargain neighbourhoods Chinatown and Little India are two enclaves with character, historical buildings and street art, as well as striking free-entry Confucian, Buddhist and Hindu temples. Dining and shopping are modestly priced. Chinatown’s department stores, the unglamorous alternative to upmarket Orchard Road, are great for electrical goods, clothes, cosmetics and handicrafts.
Cheap eats Hawker centres on Maxwell Road, Lau Pa Sat, Bugis Street, Cuppage Terrace and elsewhere offer wide ranges of low-cost dishes and local ambience. For mid-range dining, look for zi char or open-air, family-run eateries. Among the best are Keng Eng Kee Seafood, Kok Sen Restaurant and JB Ah Meng Restaurant.
Worth a splurge Singapore has some of the world’s best bars. Avoid pricey cocktails and enjoy a gin and tonic for $SG25 ($30) at Atlas Bar. Its 1920s New York-inspired interior is magnificent. See visitsingapore.com
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
The lowdown Tied top with Singapore as the world’s most expensive city, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit, and claiming the world’s priciest dining and coffees, says Deutsche Bank. Yikes.
Fee-free pleasures Hit the river and lake. Start at venerable Unterer Letten baths and join locals floating downriver. Then walk the riverfront through the historic centre before continuing around the Alp-gazing, flower-lined lakeshore. In summer Zurichers picnic, swim, jog and party after dark by the lake.
Bargain neighbourhoods Inner-city Zurich West, a former industrial district turned hip, is better value than the city centre for shopping and dining. Plus it’s edgier and more interesting. For hotels, consider Langstrasse district or Altstadt, or base yourself in attractive Winterthur, a 20-minute train ride away, where hotels are on average 30 per cent cheaper.
Cheap eats Change your restaurant habits because meat, soft drinks and alcohol are super-expensive. Go vegetarian. Haunt food trucks and fast-food joints (Swiss sausages are great). Hunt down student cafeterias and department-store diners, and assemble picnics from supermarket cold cuts, cheeses and bread.
Worth a splurge Upmarket Swiss chocolate brand Sprüngli’s flagship Confiserie Sprüngli isn’t cheap, but what price a long black and five melt-in-your mouth pralines? CHF20.80 ($40) is the answer. See zuerich.com
HONG KONG, CHINA
The lowdown Global consulting firm Mercer reckons Hong Kong is the world’s costliest city, at least for international workers. You won’t have to stump up astronomical rent, but it’s folded into hotel and restaurant prices.
Fee-free pleasures Take all day to walk the four kilometres (plus detours) from Central to Causeway Bay. If you’re flagging, the classic old tram costs $HK3.30 (AU65¢). Explore Hong Kong Park and its aviary and Museum of Tea Ware (all free), then continue to Wan Chai for street markets and into pulsating, neon-filled Causeway Bay, before unwinding in Victoria Park.
Bargain neighbourhoods Take yourself to the Kowloon side of the harbour and into Sham Shui Po, Kwun Tong, and Mong Kok, packed with family-run shops, small eateries and street markets selling everything from songbirds to clothes, accessories and gadgets.
Cheap eats Noodle shops are great, but less well-known are dai pai dong, or old-fashioned, open-air street restaurants that serve traditional dishes such as pork chops, stir-fries, braised-beef noodles and barbecued meats. Try Sing Heung Yuen in Central.
Worth a splurge The Peak Tram, the classic ride to a stupendous view over Central and Hong Kong’s harbour, remains a bargain at $HK108 ($21) return. Walk along Harlech and Lugard roads for a terrific walk. See discoverhongkong.com
PARIS, FRANCE
The lowdown The website budgetyourtrip.com estimates the average visitor spends €265 ($473) a day in Paris, which escalates to €752 if you’re looking for luxury. Our exchange rate with the euro certainly doesn’t help.
Fee-free pleasures Culture vultures can gorge themselves – and avoid queues – in municipal museums such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Modern Art, Musée Carnavalet for Paris history, and the National Archives in a sumptuous palace. Other major museums such as Musée d’Orsay have free entry on the first Sunday of the month.
Bargain neighbourhoods The student Latin Quarter and north side of Montmartre have budget hotels and restaurants, but you’ll do even better beyond tourist areas in this city with good public transport. Try Montparnasse, Belleville or the 10th arrondissement.
Cheap eats Consider bistros, brasseries and cafes rather than restaurants, and take advantage of lunchtime set menus. Food halls, markets and bakeries provide great eats you can enjoy in squares and parks. Little restaurants in the Place Saint-Michel area and Middle Eastern fast food in the Marais are good value.
Worth a splurge Indulge in a fancy pastry anywhere, although Bontemps is the prettiest patisserie you’ll ever see. Take away a box of 16 assorted mini-bites for €40 ($71) and damn the expense. See parisjetaime.com
TOKYO, JAPAN
The lowdown Tokyo’s pricey reputation is predicated on expat living, but hotel prices vary greatly with season, entrance fees and public transport costs are low, and bargain food abounds. No tipping is expected anywhere, so there’s a straight-up saving.
Fee-free pleasures Few cities are as rewarding for stickybeaking in streets, and many classic Tokyo sights are free, from the Imperial Gardens to Toyosu Fish Markets and key temples such as Senso-ji and Meiji Shrine. And why pay for a view when it costs nothing from the observation decks of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building?
Bargain neighbourhoods Avoid international hotels and stay in plain business hotels from chains such as APA or Toyoko Inn in Shinjuku or Shibuya. Shimokitazawa and Koenji are good for affordable shopping.
Cheap eats Hole-in-the-wall eateries and simple yakitori (chicken-skewer) joints abound, and you’ll find budget eateries on the upper floors of tower blocks. Basement food halls in department stores are do-it-yourself heaven: assemble a meal from bento boxes, dumplings, smoked fish, confectionery and more – and all discounted at closing time.
Worth a splurge If you can’t scrape together ¥JP3600 ($37) you’ll miss out on the wonder of teamLab Planets, an immersive, interactive digital-technology museum that must be seen to be believed. See gotokyo.org
LONDON, UK
The lowdown Deutsche Bank ranks London in the top-five most expensive cities for a drink, taxi ride, cinema ticket and public transport. High taxes, expensive fuel, a housing shortage: you get the picture.
Fee-free pleasures Leg it and London is magnificent: you can soak up all those monuments, streetscapes and Thames embankments seen in TV shows. Nothing is more British than London’s parks, where you’ll find formal gardens, lawns, English flowerbeds, statues and more monuments. Regent’s Park, Hyde Park and St James’s Park are top picks.
Bargain neighbourhoods You’d be wrong to stay in central London when many neighbourhoods offer character, local life and budget-friendly accommodations and dining. Consider Camden, Clapham, Islington, Kennington and Shepherd’s Bush. Greenwich and Richmond are further out but have their own attractions.
Cheap eats Head to the East End. Districts such as Shoreditch, Hoxton and Spitalfields have up-and-come, but the eclectic, immigrant-driven food scene remains reasonably priced. Borough Market, Brick Lane and Brixton are also budget-friendly.
Worth a splurge £22 ($45) – and that’s if you book in advance online – to get into a garden? Madness, yet worth it for Kew Gardens, one of the world’s great collections of plants, plus assorted pavilions and glasshouses. See visitlondon.com
NEW YORK CITY, US
The lowdown The Economist Intelligence Unit ranks New York as the world’s third-most expensive city.
Fee-free pleasures The city has dozens of free museums, and dozens more are free on some days. In summer especially, squares and parks host free movies and concerts. If you plan well in advance, you can get free tickets to live TV shows. Everywhere from Central Park to Times Square is a free walk through a movie set.
Bargain neighbourhoods Avoid midtown Manhattan and book a hotel in Greenwich Village, Little Italy or the Financial District. You’ll get even better value in Brooklyn or Queens, with Williamsburg or Bushwick in Brooklyn top picks for vibrant, trendy neighbourhoods.
Cheap eats West Village, East Village, Chinatown and Brooklyn are great places for multicultural budget dining but wherever you are, immigrant food – tacos, noodles, jerk chicken, Punjabi curries – is good value. Look, too, for food trucks and diners.
Worth a splurge Broadway shows are among the world’s best, making a $US50-$200 ($75-$300) ticket worth every cent. If you’re a fanatic, time your visit for twice-yearly NYC Broadway Week, with two-for-one ticket pricing. See nyctourism.com
ROME, ITALY
The lowdown Short-term rentals and hotel rooms are in huge demand; Skyscanner.com.au says the average four-star hotel costs $537. Rome is on par with Australia for meals and drinks, although coffee is cheaper.
Fee-free pleasures Rome is an open-air museum of ruins, baroque squares and colossal monuments, with superb vistas from its hills, and landscaped parks filled with statuary. Art-laden churches are free, so is St Peter’s Basilica. Walk beyond the city on the ancient Via Appia for an often-overlooked experience.
Bargain neighbourhoods Hotel prices plunge beyond the city centre. Example: Mercure Colosseum is $680 in September, Mercure Corso Trieste (four kilometres out) $451, and Mercure Rome Cinecitta (10 kilometres, but near the metro line) only $188. Esquilino is often recommended but rough after dark.
Cheap eats Trattorias and osterias are cheaper than restaurants. Trastevere and Monti are good-value dining neighbourhoods. Plunder street markets, delis and bakeries for picnics. Trapizzini (triangular pizza pockets stuffed with meatballs or oxtail stew) are filling snacks.
Worth a splurge Considering their staggering treasures and the inclusion of the Sistine Chapel, you should stump up €20 ($36) for the Vatican Museums – and another €5 so you can skip the line and save time for the art. See turismoroma.it
DUBAI, UAE
The lowdown Dubai has recently surged up the rankings and, although it scrapes into the top 30 worldwide, is the most expensive Middle-Eastern city, thanks to inflationary pressure.
Fee-free pleasures Dubai isn’t pedestrian-friendly and is often roasting hot, but you could stroll the more walkable Al Seef and Al Fahidi historical districts, and investigate the gold, spice and perfume souks. Vast malls are a showcase of Emirates bling, though you’ll have to resist spending. The best free local experience is camel racing between October and April.
Bargain neighbourhoods Deira and Bar Dubai, among the oldest districts in Dubai, have a concentration of better-priced hotels. Avoid popular The Marina and Jumeirah Beach, which are pricey and have inconvenient, taxi-costly locations.
Cheap eats Satwa and Deira are the best neighbourhoods thanks to abundant South Asian and Middle Eastern restaurants. You’ll want to focus on those cuisines anywhere; European food is pricier. Street food such as kebabs, falafel rolls and samosas are modestly priced.
Worth a splurge Get out into the desert. For AED290 ($120) or less you can enjoy an evening’s dune bashing in a 4WD, camel rides, falconing and henna painting, with a barbecue dinner thrown in. See visitdubai.com
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
The lowdown Deutsche Bank’s famous “cheap date” index has Stockholm in the world’s top-10 priciest cities for a night out, which includes dinner, drinks and the cinema. Good news? Stockholm is still cheaper (and better) than Oslo and Helsinki.
Fee-free pleasures To think of free things, think like a local taxpayer. Case in point: free guided tours of the Riksdag or parliament, where you’ll learn more about Sweden than in any palace. The National Sports Museum, botanic gardens, World Heritage Skogskyrkogården cemetery and (though currently closed for renovations) the architecturally magnificent Stockholm Public Library are other examples.
Bargain neighbourhoods Vasastan is a good compromise, not far out of downtown yet with reasonably priced small hotels (though more expensive ones, too). The newly trendy Hornstull is another suitable option.
Cheap eats If you want to save, you’re stuck with street food, pizza and Thai or Middle Eastern dishes. Avoid the old town and, if staying a while, use Airbnb so you can cook. Restaurants often offer lunchtime dishes of the day and other promotions. Avoid super-pricey alcohol.
Worth a splurge Tickets for ABBA The Museum cost from KR239 ($39) depending on the day. What Australian would refuse a romp through the glamour and glitter that was the 1970s? See visitstockholm.com
Five more saving tips in the world’s most expensive cities
Know your restaurants
Anything called a restaurant is a more expensive type of eating establishment. You can get cheaper (but good) meals in places such as brasseries in France, osterias or trattoria in Italy, yakitori-yas in Japan or tavernas. Also look for food halls, cafeterias and department-store diners. Often, eating on European cafe terraces costs more than inside.
Tackle public transport
It takes a while to work out how to buy bus or train tickets and where routes go, but you’ll save significantly compared with other transport options – and get a local experience too. The hop-on bus in Hong Kong costs $HK405 ($80), a day pass on public transport $HK75. In Paris, you’ll pay €44 ($78) while the fun of a public bike rental is yours for €5.
Eat up at lunchtime
In Europe, restaurant meals are 30 per cent cheaper at lunchtime than at dinner, if ordered from specials or menus of the day (sometimes called fixed-price menus). Don’t confuse these with overpriced, usually poor-quality tourist or happy-hour menus. Business neighbourhoods yield well-priced lunches aimed at office workers. Avoid pricey alcohol, and ask for tap water.
Seize the moment
Timing is all. Tuesday is the cheapest day to fly in Europe and Asia, Sunday the cheapest for hotel stays. Car rental is best over weekends in business-oriented cities. Many museums have free entry on certain days. For example, the Louvre is free on the first Friday evening of the month except in July-August, which saves a couple €44 ($78).
Get off the tourist trail
Walk 10 minutes beyond well-tramped streets, take a tram into a quieter neighbourhood, base yourself in a nearby town, and you’ll save. For example, a family hotel room in Copenhagen costs an average $314 a night, in nearby Malmo $131; the 30-minute train ride is $26. Beer in St Mark’s Square in Venice? Same price as lunch in Padua, namely €18.
