Cape Town tops the Post Office’s Best-Value Long-Haul Destination list, proving cost-effective for UK travellers.
- A 12% decrease in local costs and a weaker rand contribute to the city’s affordability.
- Cape Town is now the most affordable of 32 surveyed international destinations.
- Comparative value shifts among international destinations highlight Cape Town’s position.
- Laura Plunkett from Post Office advises on cost-saving strategies for travellers.
Cape Town has emerged as the number one best-value long-haul destination according to the Post Office Travel Money’s annual cost-of-living barometer. This marks a significant development as Cape Town reclaims the top spot after a gap of six years. A drop in local prices coupled with the depreciation of the South African rand has resulted in a 12% fall in costs for British visitors when compared to last autumn, making the city highly economical for tourists.
The comprehensive survey included 32 global destinations, comparing typical tourist expenses like meals and drinks. At £55.59, the cost for ten common tourist staples in Cape Town has returned to a level reminiscent of 2018, when the city last held the top position. This basket of basics costs more than 14% less than Hoi An, Vietnam, the previous year’s leader, which saw its prices rise over 21% to £64.80.
Notably, Tokyo has advanced to second place in the rankings, overtaking Hoi An as prices there dropped by 13.5% to £64.07. Bali continues to hold the fourth position, with a slight decrease of approximately 8% in costs, now at £67.70. The Far East represents outstanding value, especially for British travellers seeking alternatives to the Caribbean Islands, as shown by three of its popular destinations featuring among the top five.
In the Caribbean, only Jamaica’s Montego Bay made it to the top ten, with prices falling by 9.4% on the previous year, positioning the city in tenth place. Another fresh addition to the top ten includes Santiago, Chile, which benefited from a 12.5% drop in the Chilean peso’s value coupled with reduced local prices, leading to a 14.3% overall decrease, bringing costs down to £88.92.
Price fluctuations are evident across the surveyed destinations, with a notable overall decline in costs being observed at Sharm el-Sheikh with a 16.4% drop, substantially influenced by the Egyptian pound’s significant depreciation. Similarly, costs in Colombo, Sri Lanka, have decreased by 14.8%, and in Delhi, India, a small 1% fall maintained its sixth position in the rankings.
Among the destinations displaying the most substantial price reductions is Barbados, with costs in St James plummeting by 18.5% to £141.29. Meanwhile, Cancun experienced an almost 11% reduction due to the pound’s resurgence against the Mexican peso. Despite the inclusion of four Australian cities, they remain among the ten most expensive, with Melbourne being comparatively more affordable at £146.76, while Sydney tops the list as the most costly, driven largely by high dining expenses.
Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at the Post Office, emphasised the importance of researching destinations beforehand as tourists can save significantly, with noticeable differences in staple costs across the 32 surveyed locations.
Understanding price trends can significantly reduce travel costs for British holidaymakers.
