An Unexpected Type Of Accommodation In Europe Has Some Of The Cheapest Prices

If you plan on traveling through Europe on a budget, being cognizant of how much of your income you should spend on a vacation is a necessity. According to June 2025 data from the European Travel Commission (ETC), 33% of people surveyed said they had plans to visit Europe in 2025, representing a shortfall of 7% from the previous year. Although some of that has to do with American's fears of resentment on the part of Europeans — mostly due to the divisive nature of President Trump's political maneuvers — much of it also has to do with affordability. 

According to travel expert Rick Steves, planning a trip in the off-season can reduce the costs of air travel and hotel accommodations, but the cost of a midrange hotel in a European city like London or Paris is still in the range of $220 per night. That estimate lines up with data from Empower, which prices midrange hotels at $150 and up, and luxury hotels at $300 and up per night. Per Luxury Villas, that 'up' can be anywhere from $500 to $10,000 per night. With Europe cracking down on Airbnbs — Spain delisted 65,000 rentals in June 2025, and Italy and Greece are instituting their own rules around short-term rentals — more affordable options appear to be drying up. While you can obviously hunt to find cheaper hotels than others, you'll have a hard time finding anything that resembles the sort of cost savings, and unique experience, as staying at a monastery.

According to Monasteries.com, the average cost of an overnight stay in a monastery is around €40-80, or roughly $46 to $93 USD. If booking is managed by a third-party operator, you may end up paying over €100, which, when compared to the aforementioned cost of staying in the average European hotel, can still be a steal. Per Monastery Stays, the top six monastery picks by travelers range in price from around $48 USD for Istituto Beata Angelina in Assisi, Italy to a high of around $112 USD for Gastehaus im Priesterseminar Salzburg in Salzburg, Germany. 

The Poblet Monastery in Spain, an hour's drive from Barcelona, offers the added perk of being able to say you've stayed in a Unesco World heritage site. Here, you can count 28 monks as part of your personal hospitality brigade, where, as per Expedia, the average stay costs between $90 to $106 USD per night depending on who you book through. Monastery accommodations can be a part of a cost saving strategy, especially while traveling in more expensive regions of Europe for travelers. The Benedictine Convent of St Johann in Müstair, Switzerland is a great example of this. With prices ranging per room from 60 to 95 Swiss Francs, or roughly $75 USD to a high of $119 USD, you may feel like you're committing a sin — likely theft — when you're actually simply being financially smart. 

Finding a monastery that offers lodgings won't require divine intervention, just a decent Wi-Fi connection. Websites like Monastery Stays make it easier for travel agents to register with the site in order to book a stay at a monastery on your behalf. The site is currently booking group travelers for 2026, and includes a list of past traveler's favorites. At Monasteries.com, the monastery itself has the option to either accept or decline your booking. Plus, many monasteries offering accommodations in the digital age allow visitors to book directly through their own websites. A few examples include La Cartuja de Cazalla in Seville, Spain, and the Maison St Joseph d'Allex in Rhône-Alpes, France.

Assuming your booking is selected, some monasteries require a deposit upfront for your selected monastery, with the rest in cash, or on a credit card, upon your arrival. If paying with cash, make sure you know the best place to exchange currency before your trip, and if using a card, ensure you know what type of credit card to avoid traveling with. Once you've made your booking, you'll receive a letter of introduction with all the necessary information for your stay.