Cheap Holiday Destinations

On average, holidays cost around £947 per person for 10 nights abroad, but you certainly don't need to spend that much. One of the easiest ways to lock in a cheap holiday is with choice of destination. Between flights and food and hotel costs, some countries cost 3X as much to visit as other countries. Here are some of the cheapest countries for a holiday from the UK.

Key Takeaways for 2026:

Most Expensive and Cheapest Countries to Visit

When you consider the all-in holiday costs such as flights, hotels, food and entertainment, the six cheapest countries to visit from the UK are Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Cyprus, Spain and Turkey, assuming a 7 night stay. The average 7 night trip to these countries could cost under £600, if you're able to secure the cheapest airfares on offer.

The most expensive countries for a Brit to go on holiday are Mexico, Finland, Jamaica, UAE, Brazil and Barbados (the most expensive destination), where the typical 7 day holiday costs over £1,300—even by booking the cheapest flights in the market. In addition to more expensive flights, these countries cost more per day for hotels and food.

Here is the data for 46 popular destinations from the UK. Look through the list to get an idea of holidays that might fit in your budget. Note: The "Total Holiday Cost" in the table below is calculated by adding the "Average Cost of 7 Days Accommodation, Food, etc." to the "Cheapest Flights from UK" to give you a true, all-in baseline price.

Cheapest Holiday Destinations for Hotel and Food, per day

Flights aside, which countries cost the most in terms of daily expenses once you land? This is particularly important to consider if you're going on a long stay holiday.

The most expensive five countries to visit from the UK in terms of per day costs are Belgium, Israel, Barbados, Finland and United Arab Emirates (the most expensive). Brits spend £136 to £179 a day on hotels, restaurants, entertainment and shopping when they visit these five countries.

The cheapest countries are Romania, Pakistan and India, where Brits spend £45 a day or less. If you're looking for a cheap holiday or want to get a sense of how expensive it is to visit somewhere, look up the country in the table below. These numbers do not include flights, just "on the ground" spending on accommodation, food, activities, etc.

Cheapest Countries to Fly to from the UK

There are some amazing flight offers available in the market, especially for nearby destinations in Europe, ideal for long weekends or short city breaks. In fact, we found 10 countries you can fly to for airfares under £50. Destinations in Europe dominate the list of cheap destinations to fly to, which is not surprising given the proximity (e.g., less fuel required) and competition from regional airlines.

The most expensive places to fly are, not surprisingly, further away. Oman tops the list with the cheapest flights from £1,594, but warm destinations like Colombia, Mauritius, Barbados, Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, Argentina and Peru start from £650; while the cheapest flights to Australia and New Zealand start from the low £600s.

FAQs

Methodology

We analysed data from the Office of National Statistics to determine the average amount spent by holidaymakers per day in the destination countries in our study for expenses like accommodation, food, entertainment, etc. To determine the cost of the cheapest flights available to each country, we used SkyScanner data for a one-week stay in May booked two months in advance. Bookings at other times of the year or with more or less time until you fly could change the outcome of the study.