These are 2017’s most affordable travel destinations outside of Europe
- Posted by
- Moya Crockett
- Published

Of all the months, January – bleak, dark, rainy January – is when we’re most in need of a holiday far, far away. Unfortunately, in a cruel twist of fate, it also tends to be the month that we feel least able to afford a lusted-after long-haul trip.
But there are plenty of far-flung holiday destinations that won’t break the bank. Every year, Post Office Travel Money compares the cost of travel items in locations around the world, to find the cheapest places for a getaway. The results for 2017 are now in – and from Cancun to Tokyo, the rankings might surprise you.
This year’s rankings were made by calculating the average spend for one day in destinations in 44 countries, according to Business Insider. Researchers estimated a day’s total average spend by adding the typical cost of 10 common holiday items, from a cup of coffee to a pint of beer and a three-course dinner for two. We’ve excluded some of the items here for the sake of brevity, but you can check out the full price comparison tool here.
From buzzing cities to tropical idylls, here are 17 affordable exotic locales to book now, going from most expensive to cheapest.
Images: iStock
China Town, Singapore
Average daily spend on selected items: £88.12
Meal for two: £59.56
Beer: £5.93
Wine: £7.15
Filter coffee: £3.57
Coca-Cola: £2.68
Suncream: £9.23
Tamarindo, Costa Rica
Average daily spend on selected items: £83.14
Meal for two: £62.02
Beer: £2.51
Wine: £5.87
Filter coffee: £1.68
Coca-Cola: £1.84
Suncream: £9.22
Vancouver, Canada
Average daily spend on selected items: £84.32
Meal for two: £66.38
Beer: £3.79
Wine: £5.06
Filter coffee: £1.58
Coca-Cola: £1.19
Suncream: £6.32
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Average daily spend on selected items: £81.36
Meal for two: £66.52
Beer: £2.47
Wine: £3.05
Filter coffee: £1.43
Coca-Cola: £1.24
Suncream: £6.65
Tobago
Average daily spend on selected items: £87.21
Meal for two: £67.98
Beer: £1.57
Wine: £4.58
Filter coffee: £1.96
Coca-Cola: £0.92
Suncream: £10.20
Grand Baie Maritius
Average daily spend on selected items: £81.64
Meal for two: £52.52
Beer: £3.30
Wine: £4.89
Filter coffee: £2.37
Coca-Cola: £2.44
Suncream: £16.12
Seoul, South Korea
Average daily spend on selected items: £82.06
Meal for two: £66.24
Beer: £2.94
Wine: £5.52
Filter coffee: £2.21
Coca-Cola: £1.47
Suncream: £3.68
Hoi An, Vietnam
Average daily spend on selected items: £79
Meal for two: £60.62
Beer: £2.99
Wine: £4.79
Filter coffee: £2.55
Coca-Cola: £2.07
Suncream: £5.98
Penang, Malaysia
Average daily spend on selected items: £76.13
Meal for two: £48.40
Beer: £5.81
Wine: £6.53
Filter coffee: £2.66
Coca-Cola: £1.36
Suncream: £11.37
Orlando, USA
Average daily spend on selected items: £74.89
Meal for two: £54.09
Beer: £4.16
Wine: £5.82
Filter coffee: £1.66
Coca-Cola: £2.50
Suncream: £6.66
Lima, Peru
Average daily spend on selected items: £72.94
Meal for two: £47.92
Beer: £2.66
Wine: £4.26
Filter coffee: £3.19
Coca-Cola: £1.60
Suncream: £13.31
Mombasa, Kenya
Average daily spend on selected items: £72.74
Meal for two: £49.93
Beer: £2.37
Wine: £4.09
Filter coffee: £2.15
Coca-Cola: £1.72
Suncream: £12.48
Phuket, Thailand
Average daily spend on selected items: £68.34
Meal for two: £54.43
Beer: £2.66
Wine: £3.99
Filter coffee: £2.30
Coca-Cola: £1.09
Suncream: £3.87
Bali, Indonesia
Average daily spend on selected items: £66.12
Meal for two: £46.47
Beer: £1.13
Wine: £4.65
Filter coffee: £1.66
Coca-Cola: £0.56
Suncream: £11.65
Cancun, Mexico
Average daily spend on selected items: £62.13
Meal for two: £43.36
Beer: £2.01
Wine: £5.01
Filter coffee: £1.84
Coca-Cola: £1.59
Suncream: £8.32
Cape Town, South Africa
Average daily spend on selected items: £59.54
Meal for two: £45.28
Beer: £1.55
Wine: £3.10
Filter coffee: £1.24
Coca-Cola: £0.93
Suncream: £7.44
Tokyo, Japan
Average daily spend on selected items: £53.59
Meal for two: £37.96
Beer: £4.17
Wine: £2.83
Filter coffee: £1.97
Coca-Cola: £2.19
Suncream: £4.47