Hoi An tops list of cheapest long-haul destinations, Post Office Travel Money finds

Travel writers and holiday planners may find value in a new look at long-haul affordability. The Post Office Travel Money Long Haul Holiday Report assesses the cost of a ten-item “barometer basket”—drinks, meals, sun protection and other essentials—to compare destinations across continents. This year, the list is led by Hoi An, Vietnam, followed by Cape Town, Bali, Mombasa, Tokyo, Colombo, Penang, Delhi, Phuket and Santiago. The analysis comes as inflation and tax changes squeeze household budgets, making the question of value more salient for would-be travelers.

Hoi An, on Vietnam’s central coast, tops the ranking with a barometer-basket total of £58.81. The best bargain among the items tracked is a bottle of beer at £1.23, while the average price for a three-star hotel sits at about £48 per night. Return flights to the city start around £765, according to the report, which highlights the city’s lantern-lit old town, canals and nearby beaches as appealing context for value-minded visitors. The destination is described as a laid-back port with French colonial hints and a mix of riverside eateries near Bang Beach and surrounding rice-paddy countryside.

Cape Town, South Africa, ranks second for value, with a barometer basket cost of £64.28. The best bargain among the basket items is a glass of wine, priced at £2.65. The three-star hotel average sits around £70, and return flights start from about £337. Visitors can ride the cable car up Table Mountain, explore Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and enjoy the V&A Waterfront’s dining and nightlife; trips to Robben Island offer a glimpse into South Africa’s recent history. The mix of natural scenery, city culture and accessible price points helps sustain Cape Town’s standing in the annual evaluation.

Bal i, Indonesia, comes in third on the list, with the barometer basket tally at £67.79. The standout value among the basket items is a three-course meal for two with a bottle of wine at £35.48. The typical three-star hotel price sits around £59, and return flights are listed from about £699. Bali’s draw continues to be its lush landscapes, temple sites and opportunities for Balinese cooking courses, with Ubud’s Monkey Forest often cited as a day-trip option for travelers seeking cultural depth at reasonable cost.

Mombasa, Kenya, is fourth, at £68.33 for the basket. The best bargain recorded is a small tube of insect repellent at £1.12. A three-star hotel averages about £48, and return flights begin around £530. Beyond its beaches such as Nyali and Bamburi, the city offers safari day trips to nearby Tsavo East National Park, where visitors can potentially combine beach time with wildlife experiences.

Tokyo, Japan, sits fifth with a basket total of £68.61. A cocktail can be had for about £4.07, while the average price for a three-star hotel stands near £78. Return flights to Tokyo start around £799. For first-time visitors, Tokyo offers a mix of historic temples, modern districts and famed markets, with Ueno Park and Senso-ji among the city’s most visited sights.

Colombo, Sri Lanka, occupies sixth place at £73.93 for the basket. A filter coffee costs about £1.71, and three-star hotel rates average roughly £46. Return flights to Colombo begin around £715. The city blends Buddhist and Hindu temples with colonial-era architecture, and nearby Mount Lavinia Beach provides a coastal complement to urban exploring.

Penang, Malaysia, is seventh, with a basket total of £83.85. Among the items tracked, a 1.5‑litre bottle of mineral water can be found for about £0.32. The three-star hotel average is around £43, and flights start from roughly £737. George Town, the island’s capital, is known for its British colonial architecture, botanical gardens and a mix of temples, making it a compact cultural stop with beach options nearby.

Delhi, India, ranks eighth with £85.89 for the basket. A 1.5‑litre bottle of mineral water costs about £0.28, the hotel average for three stars is around £35, and return flights start near £515. Delhi’s highlights include the Akshardham Temple, the Qutub Minar complex and Humayun’s Tomb, with Gandhi Smriti offering a poignant memorial experience that complements a city renowned for its cuisine and bustling bazaars.

Phuket, Thailand, sits ninth at £87.82. The best bargain among tracked items is a bottle of lager at £2.23. The average three-star hotel price is about £54, and return flights begin around £576. Phuket’s beaches range from quiet Kata and Freedom to the lively Patong, and visitors often combine island time with temple visits such as the Big Buddha and weekend markets.

Santiago, Chile, rounds out the top 10 with a basket total of £93.02. A filter coffee costs about £2.52, and three-star hotels average around £59. Return flights to Santiago start from about £724. The city offers panoramas from hillside viewpoints, iconic cathedrals and the Bellavista neighborhood’s vibrant dining and arts scene, with nearby modernist temples such as the Templo Baha’i de Sudamerica drawing curious visitors.

The Post Office notes that the ranking reflects genuine daily costs rather than flashy attractions, aiming to help travelers plan affordable getaways in a year marked by sustained price pressures. While the destinations span continents, the underlying message is clear: value across long-haul travel remains widely distributed, and careful planning can yield enticing experiences at moderate costs. Holiday planners are advised to compare not only flight and hotel rates but also local prices for meals, drinks and essentials, which the barometer basket tracks, to gauge true affordability for a given itinerary.