New research shows the price of a pint of beer can be staggeringly different depending on where in Europe you choose to drink.
ADVERTISEMENTAs we edge ever closer to summer, it’s not just the temperatures rising but also the cost of living for many of us across Europe.
The ability to have an al fresco drink - or two - is a favourite activity for lots of us, but often steep prices can be off putting.
German online travel comparison and booking website Omio has done some research and found out the European capital cities serving up the cheapest pints of beer, so that you can combine sightseeing with a drink in the sunshine.
Here’s where to head for a city break if you’re a fan of the hoppy nectar - and especially when it’s super affordable.
Which capital cities in Europe offer the most affordable beer prices?
For just over €1, Minsk is home to the best value pint in the whole continent. Belarus’ capital is well known for sites including the Museum Strana Mini and its Victory Square. While travel there is a little difficult at present, it’s a city to add to your city breaks list, especially if pints at €1.05 tickle your fancy.
Head south to Moldova and you’ll find the second most affordable glass. Coming in at just €1.29 on average, Chisinau’s offering won’t break the bank.
While you’re there, there’s plenty to do to break up a bar crawl, including paying visits to the Arcul De Triumf, Kishinev Cathedral and Stephen the Great Central Park.
Chisinau is famed for its wide variety of pubs and bars on offer too, meaning that you’ll be spoilt for choice when deciding where to head for a beer.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most affordable pints can often be found in capital cities off the beaten path for many tourists.
Baku in Azerbaijan, Tbilisi in Georgia and Armenia’s capital Yerevan are all hotspots for cheap pours, priced at €1.35, €1.69 and €1.83 respectively.
If you’re keen to stick to better-trodden destinations, then there are options for more touristy trips too.
At number six on the list is the popular stag destination of Sofia. The average pint in Bulgaria’s capital costs just €1.93. At that price, it’s perfect whether you’re on a high energy minibreak or visiting cultural hotspots like St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral or the city’s countless thermal and mineral springs.
A pint will also cost you €1.93 in the up-and-coming Skopje. North Macedonia is not just home to the second highest number of mountains in the world, but is increasingly a destination for tourists keen to explore the often underappreciated Balkan region.
Pristina in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital Sarajevo are in eighth and ninth place on the list, with pints costing €1.99 and €2.04 respectively.
In last place - but still very much affordable - is Prague. The Czech capital is one of Eastern Europe’s most popular destinations so, if you’re keen to visit somewhere with a long-formed tourist industry, it’s a good bet. Even better, pints of beer cost only €1.86 on average, meaning you can take in all the sights and have money left over for drinks at the end of the day.
Where are the most expensive pints of beer in Europe sold?
At the other end of the scale, Omio discovered the most expensive places across Europe to buy a pint.
In the top spot is Reykjavik. Considering Iceland is an island nation, it’s unsurprising that beer is less affordable there as in many other places but, at €10.03 each, a few pints could really break the bank.
The rest of the Nordic countries’s capital cities also make the top 10, with Oslo, Helsinki, Copenhagen and Stockholm in second, third, sixth and ninth place respectively.
ADVERTISEMENTSince Brexit, many Brits have complained about high prices on everything, not least alcohol.
Few eyebrows will be raised, then, to discover that the average pint price in London is €7.57 - higher even than Monaco, a famous playground of the super rich, where a glass will cost €7.47.
Also on the list are Paris, Switzerland’s capital of Bern, and a place frequently linked to beer, Dublin in Ireland.
Nowhere on the list of most expensive cities has an average beer price of less than €6.50. Depending on your budget - and the extent of your love of the beverage - we’d advise you to plan wisely to avoid financial shocks when the bill arrives.
