As the weather turns autumnal, many will be considering escaping the UK for a winter break.
New research that is first revealed by i ranks the most cost-effective options among 32 long-haul resorts and cities.
Cape Town has been rated as the cheapest place for tourists in Post Office Travel Money‘s latest Long Haul Holiday Report thanks to a fall in local prices and a weaker South African Rand compared to 2023. Costs for British visitors are down by 12 per cent since last autumn.
The data has also revealed that places such as Japan and Vietnam are more affordable than Caribbean islands, with Asian destinations taking three spots among the five best-value.
There are 10 holiday staples featured in a cost barometer, on which the research relies, including a cup of filter coffee, a bottle of local lager, a bottle or can of cola, a 175ml glass of wine, a cocktail, a small chocolate bar, a 1.5-litre bottle of supermarket mineral water, a 200ml bottle of sun cream, a 50ml tube or bottle of insect repellent and a three-course evening meal for two adults, including a bottle of house wine.
In Cape Town, the shopping list comes in at £55.59.
Cape Town is now as affordable as it was when it last topped the Post Office’s list in 2018.
Which other long-haul destinations offer good value?
Tokyo and Hoi An in Vietnam were found to be the second and third most affordable, respectively.
Hoi An was last year’s best-value destination, but it has slipped down the ranking after seeing prices rise by more than 21 per cent since 2023. The ten items came in at £64.80.
In contrast, the Japanese capital has seen its prices fall by 13.5 per cent (£64.07 for the holiday items). There have been concerns surrounding the safety of visiting Tokyo due to typhoons, but typhoon season typically ends in October.
In fourth place is Bali, which has held onto its 2023 ranking. It’s more affordable than last year, with the holiday costs coming in at £67.70, down 8 per cent.
Another African city – Mombasa in Kenya – is in fifth place.
While a trip there is still competitively priced, visitors can expect to pay nearly 14 per cent more in Mombasa (£68.53) than in 2023 – due in part to the rising value of the Kenyan shilling.
Delhi in India, the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt and Sri Lanka’s capital of Colombo were also found to be affordable, with costs falling year on year.
Similarly, Santiago in Chile and Montego Bay in Jamaica – which come in at ninth and tenth place – have seen a fall in costs.
Which destinations have seen the biggest price falls?
While St James in Barbados is still relatively expensive, and takes 26th place in the ranking, it has seen the most significant fall in prices.
Costs are down 18.5 per cent since 2023, with the 10 typical holiday purchases totalling £141.29.
They have also fallen by almost 11 per cent in Cancun as a result of sterling’s recovery against the Mexican peso. With a total of £113.67 for the ten items, this takes the resort up four places since last year, to 16th.
There have also been significant falls in costs for Sharm el-Sheikh (16.4 per cent) and Colombo (14.8 per cent).
Where is most expensive this winter?
For the first time this year, the Post Office survey looked at four Australian destinations, with the introduction of Sydney, Cairns and Melbourne, alongside Darwin, which has been featured previously.
All four are among the 10 most expensive destinations in the research.
Sydney, perhaps unsurprisingly, emerged as the costliest – not least because a three-course meal with a bottle of wine is nearly £117, which makes it the priciest place to eat out. The price tag for ten tourist staples was £164.92.
Darwin (£157.56) and Cairns (£153.42) are slightly less pricey, but not much. Melbourne was found to be the cheapest at £146.76 for the 10 items.
Costa Rica was found to be the second most expensive destination, with a total cost of £164.30 for the ten items, while New York (£163.51) was the third most expensive.
As the most visited destination in the United States, New York is 57 per cent more expensive for UK visitors than Orlando in Florida, the other US destination surveyed.
However, despite the pound’s continuing recovery against the US dollar, prices are up in both cities – 5 per cent in New York and 9.8 per cent in Orlando.
“Holidaymakers could make a big difference to the overall cost of their winter trip by doing some basic holiday homework before booking to find out where meals, drinks and other staples are going to cost the least,” said Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at Post Office.
Of course, the ranking doesn’t take in to account the cost of accommodation or flights and other transport to, and in, these destinations, which will have a major impact on the price of a holiday.
The 10 cheapest long-haul destinations
Post Office Travel Money Holiday costs barometer: the total cost for 10 typical holiday itemsCape Town, South Africa: £55.59
Tokyo, Japan: £64.07
Hoi An, Vietnam: £64.80
Bali, Indonesia: £67.70
Mombasa, Kenya: £68.53
Delhi, India: £74.90
Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt: £76.47
Colombo, Sri Lanka: £78.14
Santiago, Chile: £88.92
Montego Bay, Jamaica: £93.74