Long Haul Holiday Report 2023

How far will your long-haul spending money go?

Every year, the Post Office Travel Money Long Haul Holiday Report highlights the far-flung destinations where UK holidaymakers’ budgets will go further. This year, the answer is again Hoi An in Vietnam. 

In 2023, we and travel specialist Travelbag compared prices in 30 destinations. We looked at the costs of common holiday items like a cup of coffee, a bottle of water, suncream and a three-course meal for two. Then we compared the totals to find out which destinations offer the best value. 

Here, we’ve summarised the key findings and the top 10 long haul destinations for value. For the full findings, including prices for all items surveyed in each destination, you can download the full report.

Key findings

• A stronger pound means prices have dropped in 23 of the 26 destinations we surveyed for the report a year ago. Sterling is stronger particularly against the US dollar and currencies linked to it
• For the second year running, Hoi An in Vietnam offers the best value, with prices down 19.2% on 2022. If you’re making the most of it, make sure you’ve got your Vietnamese dong currency 
• Mombasa Beach in Kenya and Cape Town in South Africa are the runners up again, but they’ve switched places. In Mombasa Beach prices are down by over almost 20% 
• Prices are down in all of five best value destinations, which also include Bali, Indonesia and Tokyo, Japan
• Thailand and Malaysia also make the top 10, which means five of the best value top 10 are Far Eastern destinations
• There are three new entrants to the top 10: Delhi in India, Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt and Colombo in Sri Lanka
• Only two currencies are currently stronger against sterling than a year ago – the Costa Rican colon and Mexican peso

Top 10 best value long haul destinations

The destinations that came out cheapest overall for the holiday items we surveyed this year were:

Destination	Total cost	% rise/fall since 2022
1. Hoi An, Vietnam (1)	£52.66	-19.2%
2. Mombasa, Kenya (3)	£59.57	-19.8%
3. Cape Town, South Africa (2)	£61.58	-8.2%
4. Bali, Indonesia (5)	£72.39	-9.8%
5. Tokyo, Japan (4)	£73.54	-7.7%
6. Delhi, India (-)	£79.53	N/A
7. Phuket, Thailand (6)	£88.36	-3.7%
8. Sharm el-Sheikh (-)	£89.56	N/A
9. Penang, Malaysia (10)	£90.11	-17.1%
10. Colombo, Sri Lanka (-)	£92.58	N/A

 

The Americas and Caribbean

You’ll notice there are no US or Caribbean destinations in the top 10. In fact, Bridgetown, Barbados and New York, USA are the most expensive destinations in the report. That’s despite prices falling by over 26% in Bridgetown and by 5.4% in New York compared with 2022 levels.

In the US, there’s still a big difference between prices in Orlando and New York City. They’re down in both, boosted by the continued recovery of the pound against the US dollar. But UK visitors can expect to pay around 57% more for meals, drinks and other tourist items in New York than in Orlando.

Prices have risen by 7.1% in Cancun, Mexico and by 5.8% in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. This is partly because these are the only countries who currencies have weakened against sterling. Prices are also up by 18% in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

In the Caribbean, Montego Bay in Jamaica is the lowest priced of seven resorts surveyed and is placed 12th in our table. Prices there are 40% cheaper than in the most expensive of the seven – Bridgetown in Barbados.  

Help and hints for happy travels

Get more from your travel money

Wherever you’re going on holiday, you’re likely to get a better rate on your travel money if you buy before you get to the airport. To get a favourable exchange rate, keep an eye on prices and buy the currency you want when it’s at its lowest against the UK pound. 

With Post Office, we’ve got ways to get foreign currency to suit your needs. Order online for our best rates and choose Click and Collect or next-day delivery. Or order holiday money from a participating branch if you prefer to do it in person. 

Safe, convenient holiday spending 

If you prefer not to carry cash, there’s also our simple and secure prepaid multi-currency card, the Travel Money Card. 

You can load funds onto your card in any of 22 different currencies and pay with it anywhere you see the Mastercard® symbol. Plus, you can track your holiday spending and move money between currencies easily using our free travel app.

Protecting you on your travels

Travel insurance is hugely important if you’re going away. If anything goes wrong, your travel insurer is there to help put it right, with everything from emergency medical issues to lost and damaged belongings. Plus, if you buy it with Post Office, you’re covered from the moment of purchase, so you’ve got it to fall back on if something beyond your control prevents you from going away. 

Remember to check the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice for the country you’re visiting as travelling against it can invalidate your cover.
 

 

About this report

The Post Office Long Haul Holiday Report barometer table is compiled from a combination of data supplied by the long haul specialist Travelbag cross-referenced with prices provided by national or regional tourist offices of participating countries. Resorts featured are chosen as representative of the prices that UK holidaymakers will generally find in the country/destination. Online checks were made to authenticate these prices. Exchange rates used are Post Office internet rates for exchange of £500-£999 in mid-September 2023.