The best-value holiday destinations for Brits this year have been revealed – and at the cheapest, beer goes for just £2, and flights to get there cost as little as £36.
The Post Office Holiday Money Report surveyed 47 destinations around the globe, looking at the price of eight items typically bought on holiday, such as coffee, beer, sun cream and meals out, to predict the best value holidays.
For the ninth year in a row, the Algarve has retained the top spot as the best value for money holiday destination for Brits, mainly thanks to its low-cost meals and drinks.
Tourists in Portugal’s popular southern coast can expect to pay as little as £40.33 for a three-course meal for two with wine.
Coffee is just over £1 on average in the Algarve, a beer is £2.12, and a glass of wine is just £2.80.
Flights from London to the Algarve’s nearest airport, Faro, are currently going for as cheap as £36 in June, making it an affordable family holiday.
Laura Plunkett, the Post Office Travel Money’s expert, said: ‘It’s interesting to see the Algarve back at the top of the barometer chart again and this is largely down to the remarkable consistency in its low prices for meals and drinks.
The best-value holiday destinations for Brits this year have been revealed – and at the cheapest, beer goes for just £2, and flights to get there cost as little as £36. Tourists in Portugal’s popular southern coast can expect to pay as little as £40.33 for a three-course meal for two with wine. Pictured: Camilo Beach (Praia do Camilo) at Algarve, Portugal
Coffee is just over £1 on average in the Algarve, a beer is £2.12, and a glass of wine is just £2.80 (stock image)
‘Even though the Algarve has featured in the best value top 10 since 2010, it has struggled to match the cheapest long haul destinations on price in recent years.
‘Now prices have risen in its closest competitors but remained low in Portugal.’
Other budget-friendly European destinations in the top ten include Prague, the Costa del Sol in Spain, and Sunny Beach in Bulgaria.
Travellers can expect to spend around £75.92 while on holiday in Prague, a similar £76.51 in Spain’s Costa del Sol, and a cheap £71.46 if staying at Sunny Beach along Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast.
In Spain’s Costa del Sol and Bulgaria’s Sunny Beach, tourists can enjoy a coffee for less than £2, wine for less than £3, and a beer for just £2.50 on average.
While tourists might pay a little more in Prague, with the average coffee priced at £2.13, and a three course meal with wine for two costing £55.69, flights are as cheap as ever.
Other budget-friendly European destinations in the top ten include Prague, the Costa del Sol in Spain, and Sunny Beach in Bulgaria. Pictured: Charles bridge at dawn in Prague city
Flights from London to the Algarve’s nearest airport, Faro, are currently going for as cheap as £36 in June, making it an affordable family holiday (stock image)
Return flights from the UK to Prague are available this summer for prices starting at just £27.
The second best value destination is revealed as Cape Town, South Africa, where a beer or glass of wine costs £2.07 and a coffee is just £1.44.
But it is further afield, and more expensive for Brits to get there, with one way flights from London starting at £297 and returns at £394.
The last destination in the top three is Tokyo, Japan.
Tourists to the Land of the Rising Sun can spend a total of just £63.34 on holiday there, with a coffee costing £2.44 and a three course meal for two with wine just £44.58.
Algarve in Portugal is the cheapest place to go on a budget break, with the Costa del Sol in Spain lagging behind in 10th position
But, again, flights will cost tourists wanting to visit Japan in 2025 more. Direct flights from London to Tokyo are available for £270, while returns are £400.
An American favourite with UK tourists, however, has placed number one as the most expensive holiday spot this year.
New York, which gets over 1 million British tourists per year, is the most expensive city in the report, expected to cost £167.85
The destination’s expected spending costs for tourists has risen by 15.6% on its prices last year, with a three course evening meal for two with a bottle of wine costing a whopping £128.27.
A New York cup of coffee will also set tourists back £3.77 on average, and a bottle of beer £7.07 and a glass of wine, shockingly, is £11.08.