Istanbul is the cheapest weekend destination

Türkiye's largest city is famous for its eclectic mix of Eastern and Western cultures. The best time to visit Istanbul is in the spring or fall, when the climate is perfect and the festival season is at its peak.

Coming in just behind Istanbul for the cost of a weekend getaway is Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which costs just $754. Here are the top 10 cheapest weekend getaway destinations (estimated cost in parentheses):

1. Istanbul, Türkiye ($711)

2. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (754 USD)

3. Johannesburg, South Africa ($768)

4. Manila, Philippines (779 USD)

5. Lagos, Nigeria ($840)

6. Bangalore, India ($846)

7. New Delhi, India ($864)

8. Mumbai, India ($900)

9. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (900 USD)

10. Lisbon, Portugal ($960)

In addition, Deutsche Bank also released a list of the most livable cities on the planet. This list is based on many specific criteria such as: consumer purchasing power, crime and safety in the area, overall quality of health care, general cost of consumer goods, housing affordability (measured as an asset and price-to-income ratio), traffic congestion and commute time, overall pollution and regional climate.

Based on the overall results, Zurich (Switzerland) topped the list (in 2018, Zurich ranked 2nd). Closely behind Zurich were the cities of Wellington (New Zealand), Copenhagen (Denmark), Edinburgh (Scotland) and Vienna (Austria).

Looking at each criterion, Zurich scores particularly well for purchasing power, safety and pollution. Wellington scores well for property price-to-income ratio, commute time and pollution. Copenhagen scores highly for healthcare, commute time and pollution. San Francisco (USA) tops the list for monthly salaries for cities at $6,526 (after tax) while Zurich has “only” $5,896.

Zurich is quite expensive to rent. The city ranks fourth in monthly rent for a mid-range two-bedroom apartment, at $2,538. Zurich is behind only Hong Kong ($3,685), San Francisco ($3,631) and New York ($2,909).

The Phong