Families looking to stretch their vacation budget this summer may find the best deals in Bulgaria and Turkey, with Sunny Beach and Marmaris emerging as the most affordable European beach destinations for British travelers.
A new annual report from Post Office Travel Money, produced in partnership with Tui, found both resorts offer the lowest overall holiday costs among the destinations surveyed.
The study calculated the price of 12 common holiday purchases—including meals, drinks, sunscreen, and beach essentials—and found visitors could expect to spend approximately £86 at either resort.
Budget-Friendly Resorts Continue to Outperform Eurozone Destinations
Although holiday costs have increased in both locations over recent years, they still offer noticeably better value than many competing destinations across Europe.
The Algarve in Portugal, ranked as the cheapest eurozone option, came in at around £108, making it more than 20% more expensive than Sunny Beach and Marmaris.
Madeira’s capital, Funchal, followed at £125, while Spain’s Costa del Sol and the Greek island of Corfu were estimated at £127 and £133, respectively.
The findings suggest that travelers willing to look beyond the most popular Mediterranean hotspots can still enjoy significant savings.
Turkish Currency Helps Offset Rising Local Prices
The report noted that prices in Marmaris have more than doubled since the summer of 2019.
However, the sharp decline in the value of the Turkish lira has helped soften the impact for British visitors.
As a result, holidaymakers are expected to pay nearly 11% more than they would have three years ago in Marmaris, while costs in Sunny Beach have risen by roughly 8% over the same period.
Despite those increases, both destinations remain among the best-value options available this year.
Ibiza and Puglia Remain Europe’s Most Expensive Choices
At the opposite end of the rankings, Ibiza was identified as the costliest destination included in the survey, with the basket of holiday items totaling around £186.
Italy’s Puglia region followed closely at £185, although both destinations have actually become slightly cheaper compared with 2019, recording price declines of 4.9% and 5.2%, respectively.
Crete experienced the largest increase in costs among all destinations surveyed, with prices climbing nearly 38% to approximately £161.
Exchange Rates and Resort Costs Put Pressure on Holiday Budgets
Researchers found that prices have increased in 12 of the 16 destinations examined, with higher resort charges and weaker purchasing power for British travelers contributing to the trend.
Sterling has slipped against the euro in recent years and currently trades at around €1.17, compared with a peak of €1.21 in 2022.
According to Nick Boden, head of Post Office Travel Money, the weaker exchange rate means families will need to pay closer attention to their spending while abroad.
He also pointed out that costs can differ significantly within the same country, highlighting Corfu as being around 17% cheaper than Crete despite both being Greek holiday destinations.
Many Families Continue to Overspend on Vacation
The report also examined holiday spending habits and found that staying within budget remains a challenge for many travelers.
Nearly 59% of families surveyed said they plan to take an overseas holiday this year.
However, 76% admitted they exceeded their budget during their last trip, overspending by an average of £243.
On average, families intended to spend £644, but their final holiday bill reached approximately £887, underscoring the importance of careful budgeting even when choosing value-for-money destinations.
