Cape Town Tops List as Most Affordable Winter Vacation Spot for 2026
A new report by Post Office Travel Money has revealed the most affordable winter vacation destinations for 2026. The 'Winter Sun Vacation Cost Barometer' compared prices for common travel expenses in 10 destinations worldwide.
The study assessed the cost of a standard basket of eight goods and services that tourists frequently purchase while on vacation, including coffee, local beer, sunscreen, and a three-course dinner for two with wine. Prices were converted to pounds sterling using the Post Office exchange rate, after which the destinations were ranked by total cost.
The top destination was Cape Town, South Africa, where the cost of this package came out to just over £58. This is 9.7% less than in March, partly due to changes in the exchange rate of the South African rand against the pound sterling.
The full list of destinations and their costs are as follows: Cape Town (£58.24), Mombasa (£63.66), Tokyo (£66.76), Colombo (£74.79), Phuket (£76.39), Algarve (£82.35), Costa del Sol (£83.58), Tenerife (£87.46), Penang (£89.72), and Punta Cana (£89.79).