As the summer holidays approach, the majority of people start to prepare for their vacations. While some tourists spend fortunes on a week or less of traveling and discovering exotic destinations, many prefer to arrange a holiday on a budget. No matter which of the two types you are, you may be interested to learn about the most expensive and most affordable cities in the world for tourists.
Travel website TripAdvisor published its TripIndex Cities 2013, in which in ranks the most expensive and cheapest cities popular among travelers in 2013. The report is based on the cost of an overnight stay in a 4-star hotel for two individuals in cities from all over the world, as well as the costs of an evening out.
According to the survey, the most affordable city for travelers this year is Bulgaria’s capital Sofia. There a one-night stay in a 4-star hotel in for two people will cost you a little over $95. Hotel prices in the city are actually the cheapest in the world. A dinner in Sofia can amount to an average of $40.44 and if you are willing to have only cocktails, then you will spend less than $17. However, taxis in Sofia are less affordable. A ride with a cab will cost you an average of $4.78 which is pricier compared to the cost of taxis in Istanbul, for example.
The second and third positions on this list belong to Hanoi, Vietnam and Warsaw, Poland, respectively. In Hanoi you can enjoy the most budget-friendly dinner for only $36.71. The total daily expenses of two travelers in Warsaw reach $158.42.
The top five here is completed by Egypt’s Sham el Sheikh and Hungary’s Budapest. Sham el Shaikh has the third lowest taxi prices ($2.90), while an overnight stay in Budapest will cost you just $103.89.
All in all, the ranking for most affordable cities for travelers is dominated by cities in Southeast Asia and Central and Eastern Europe. The Southeast Asian top performers are Hanoi (2), Bangkok (6) and Kuala Lumpur (7).
The positions on the top ten list of the most expensive cities for tourists are mainly occupied by North European cities. There are also single representatives of North and South America, Australia and the Caribbean region.
The index points that the priciest city in the world is Oslo in Norway. There, travelers will spend a total of $581.08 per a day out of which $276.72 will go for dinner. Oslo is followed by another two European cities – Zurich (2) and Stockholm (3). Tourists who choose to spend their holidays there will need to be prepared to spend over $520 per day.
Surprisingly, Dubai is ranked 12th on the list of most affordable cities for travelers. According to TripIndex Cities 2013, a day in the emirate will cost you $232.18. Average taxi prices in Dubai are estimated at $5.45, while an overnight stay in a hotel in the city reaches around $145.59. Dubai is the second most budget-friendly city in the Middle East preceded only by Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (10).
Take a look at the first ten spots on the two lists.
Most Affordable Cities in the World for Tourists in 2013:
- Sofia, Bulgaria – $158.42
- Hanoi, Vietnam – $176.14
- Warsaw, Poland – $187.45
- Sharm el Shaikh, Egypt – $191.34
- Budapest, Hungary – $193.44
- Bangkok, Thailand -$201.15
- Kuala Lampur, Malaysia – $217.73
- Tunis, Tunisia – $218.91
- Cape Town – South Africa – $219.46
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – $220.14
Dubai, UAE – $232.18
Most Expensive Cities in the World for Tourists in 2013
- Oslo, Norway – $581.08
- Zurich, Switzerland – $523.41
- Stockholm, Sweden – $521.68
- New York City, US – $515.97
- Paris, France – $511.40
- Sydney, Australia – $460.21
- London, UK – $451.35
- Copenhagen, Denmark – $443.58
- Cancun, Mexico – $441.06
- Punta Cana, D.R. – $435.66
