Fancy a city break that won't strip your savings to the bone? Head east, to Budapest. The Hungarian capital is the cheapest place in Europe for a short break, according to holiday rental site Housetrip. It found that a two-night trip could cost as little as £139, including flights, a few basic provisions, a cheap meal and local transport.

The only time of year Budapest is not a good choice for the budget-conscious traveller is at New Year, when the cost of flights shoots up. By contrast, Croatia – once seen as a cheap summer-sun option – is the most expensive European short break destination, with city breaks to Dubrovnik and Split coming in at £327 and £286 respectively.

Other cities to look at if you're on a tight budget include Madrid, which costs an average of £148 for two nights, Barcelona (£150), Nice (£162) and Brussels (£162). Surprisingly, Paris is also up among the cheap options at £165 for two nights.

If you're planning a New Year break, Barcelona and Berlin are your best bets, but for Valentine's Day Budapest tops the list again, with Lisbon and Barcelona close behind.

10 cheapest city break destinations - two-night trip with flights

1 Budapest £139
2 Madrid £148
3 Barcelona £150
4 Nice £162
5 Brussels £162
6 Berlin £163
7 Paris £165
8 Amsterdam £185
9 Lisbon £187
10 Prague £194

Five cheapest cities for accommodation

1 Budapest £28 a night
2 Lisbon £37 a night
3 Istanbul £38 a night
4 Barcelona £39 a night
5 Madrid £39 a night
(based on a one-bedroom apartment available on housetrip.com.)

Fancy a trip? See our guide to booking a holiday apartment in Europe; Istanbul city guide; Barcelona city guide.

Five cheapest flights

1 Brussels £69
2 Amsterdam £69
3 Paris £75
4 Madrid £80
5 Nice £83

Five cheapest cities for supermarket groceries

1 Budapest £5.63
2 Prague £6.31
3 Lisbon £6.63
4 Barcelona £6.66
5 Split £7.48
(source: numbeo.com)

Five cheapest popular museum tickets

1 The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, Istanbul, £3.29
2 The National Museum, Prague, 3.30
3 The Meštrovic Gallery, Split, £3.39
4 The National Museum of Ancient Art, Lisbon, £4.26
5 The Hungarian National Museum, Budapest, £4.54

Fancy a trip? See our guide to the best sights in Istanbul.

Five cheapest cities to travel around: single trip on local transport

1 Istanbul £0.63
2 Budapest £0.95
3 Nice £1.05
4 Prague £1.05
5 Venice £1.18
(source: numbeo.com)

Fancy a trip? See our guide to arty Nice; the Venice most tourists miss and Venice's green spaces.

Five cheapest cities for eating out: basic restaurant meal

1 Prague £3.27
2 Istanbul £3.77
3 Budapest £3.93
4 Berlin £5.05
5 Lisbon £5.89
(source: numbeo.com)

Fancy a trip? See our guide to the best places to eat in Prague; 10 great local bars in Berlin; where to eat in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar; a foodie tour of Lisbon.

Five cheapest Valentine's destinations

1 Budapest £125
2 Lisbon £126
3 Barcelona £128
4 Prague £138
5 Madrid £138

Fancy a trip? See our readers' tips on the best of Hungary.

Five cheapest New Year destinations

1 Barcelona £164
2 Berlin £165
3 Nice £167
4 Budapest £175
5 Lisbon £176

Fancy a trip? See our guide to 10 of the best clubs in Barcelona, and 10 of the best barrio bars in Barcelona.

• All survey prices are per person based on two sharing a one-bedroom apartment, specific holiday expenses (groceries, local transport and museum ticket). Flights are based on Kayak.com searches done on the same day, for return flights from London (New Year break 30 December 2013-1 January 2014; Valentines break 13-15 February 2014) correct as of 12/09/13