LOS ANGELES – No one ever walks into a travel agency and asks to book the most expensive destination in the world. But on the off chance that someone does, you now have a concrete list of places to suggest.
Personal finance website GOBankingRates has published its findings of a new study that ranks the least affordable and most affordable places to visit during the holiday season. It examined six factors in popular destinations around the world: the cost of hotels, flights from Atlanta and Los Angeles, food, drinks, transportation and entertainment.
So which destination would put the biggest dent in travellers’ wallets during the holidays?
Cape Town, South Africa. This cosmopolitan city won the distinction with an average hotel/night cost (Christmas) of US$92.67, and average cost of flight (Christmas) of $2,107.05. The average cost of food (meals per day) was determined at $48.
Rounding out the top 5 ‘Least Affordable Places to Visit During the Holidays’ were:
2. Park City, Utah
- Average cost of hotel/night (Thanksgiving): $115.67
- Average cost of hotel/night (Christmas): $533.67
- Average cost of flight (Thanksgiving): $253.29
- Average cost of flight (Christmas): $338.98
- Average cost of food (meals per day): $50.00
3. Sydney
- Average cost of hotel/night (Thanksgiving): $115.00
- Average cost of hotel/night (Christmas): $84.00
- Average cost of flight (Thanksgiving): $1,554.61
- Average cost of flight (Christmas): $2,137.65
- Average cost of food (meals per day): $35.00
4. Kihei, Hawaii
- Average cost of hotel/night (Thanksgiving): $189.67
- Average cost of hotel/night (Christmas): $362.00
- Average cost of flight (Thanksgiving): $1,194.04
- Average cost of flight (Christmas): $870.00
- Average cost of food (meals per day): $44.00
5. Honolulu, Hawaii
- Average cost of hotel/night (Thanksgiving): $196.67
- Average cost of hotel/night (Christmas): $241.33
- Average cost of flight (Thanksgiving): $1,192.83
- Average cost of flight (Christmas): $932.84
- Average cost of food (meals per day): $42.00
And what about the most affordable destinations? Everyone loves to save a buck or two, especially during the holidays, so suggest any of these top 5 cities:
1. Playa del Carmen, Mexico
- Average cost of hotel/night (Thanksgiving): $137.67
- Average cost of hotel/night (Christmas): $174.00
- Average cost of flight (Thanksgiving): $451.51
- Average cost of flight (Christmas): $526.63
- Average cost of food (meals per day): $14.00
2. San Francisco
- Average cost of hotel/night (Thanksgiving): $121.00
- Average cost of hotel/night (Christmas): $121.00
- Average cost of flight (Thanksgiving): $247.90
- Average cost of flight (Christmas): $257.90
- Average cost of food (meals per day): $31.00
3. Chicago
- Average cost of hotel/night (Thanksgiving): $87.00
- Average cost of hotel/night (Christmas): $84.67
- Average cost of flight (Thanksgiving): $204.40
- Average cost of flight (Christmas): $261.92
- Average cost of food (meals per day): $34.00
4. Seattle
- Average cost of hotel/night (Thanksgiving): $142.33
- Average cost of hotel/night (Christmas): $139.67
- Average cost of flight (Thanksgiving): $328.69
- Average cost of flight (Christmas): $345.51
- Average cost of food (meals per day): $37.00
5. Washington, D.C.
- Average cost of hotel/night (Thanksgiving): $96.67
- Average cost of hotel/night (Christmas): $85.33
- Average cost of flight (Thanksgiving): $345.90
- Average cost of flight (Christmas): $308.49
- Average cost of food (meals per day): $30.00
