I agree with most of your points, even though I never felt unsafe in Budapest during the 3 months I spent there, including many many long walks after midnight.

I picked Budapest as an example because it's a very well known international destination with high walkability, great public transportation, and affordable prices.

Prague and Krakow are two other similar options in Central Europe, only much less "weird".

There are also plenty of pleasant and affordable cities in Southern Europe, such as Valencia and Porto.