Are international holidays really more expensive?
We compared the cheapest domestic and international holiday destinations from Australia's major cities - and the results might surprise you.
The holiday season is nearly upon us and Aussies are once again weighing up their travel options.
With the cost of living continuing to bite, many families have decided to forgo an overseas trip and will be flying domestically instead.
However, according to the latest Finder research, they might be better off sticking to their original plans.
To determine the cheapest holidays for each city, we compared the average price of airfares, food and accommodation using a range of data sources including the World Bank, Statista, Skyscanner and Finder's Travel Insurance Engine.
The results showed that some international holidays are actually cheaper than interstate ones, once you factor in all of the aforementioned expenses.
For example, a weeklong holiday from Brisbane to Indonesia would cost a family of 4 approximately $3,035.
Meanwhile, a weeklong holiday from Brisbane to Perth would set the same family back $4,150 - a difference of $1,115.
Here are the results for Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide.
(All prices are based on 7 nights in October for 2 adults and 2 children. Estimates do not include activities, and spending will vary depending on hotel and restaurant choices.)
Sydney
- The cheapest holiday destination for a one-week holiday from Sydney is Melbourne, followed by Adelaide.
- Thailand (Bangkok) is the cheapest international destination for a one-week holiday from Sydney, followed by Indonesia (Denpasar).
| Destination | Total Hotel Cost | Flight Cost | Meals Cost | Travel Insurance | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | $1,540 | $700 | $700 | $108 | $3,048 |
| Adelaide | $1,463 | $988 | $700 | $108 | $3,259 |
| Thailand (Bangkok) | $351 | $3,033 | $155 | $161 | $3,700 |
| TNQ (Cairns) | $1,470 | $1,871 | $700 | $108 | $4,149 |
| Indonesia (Denpasar) | $378 | $3,675 | $167 | $161 | $4,381 |
| New Zealand (Auckland) | $1,463 | $2,316 | $647 | $123 | $4,549 |
| Perth | $1,554 | $2,540 | $700 | $108 | $4,902 |
| India (New Delhi) | $330 | $4,356 | $146 | $161 | $4,993 |
| USA (Los Angeles) | $1,198 | $4,452 | $530 | $234 | $6,414 |
Brisbane
- Indonesia is the cheapest destination for a one-week holiday from Brisbane, followed by Tropical North Queensland (Cairns), Melbourne, and Thailand.
| Destination | Hotel | Flights | >Meals | Insurance | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia (Denpasar) | $378 | $2,329 | $167 | $161 | $3,035 |
| TNQ (Cairns) | $1,470 | $856 | $700 | $108 | $3,134 |
| Melbourne | $1,540 | $965 | $700 | $108 | $3,313 |
| Thailand (Bangkok) | $351 | $2,773 | $155 | $161 | $3,441 |
| Adelaide | $1,463 | $1,352 | $700 | $108 | $3,623 |
| Sydney | $1,883 | $1,080 | $700 | $108 | $3,771 |
| New Zealand (Auckland) | $1,463 | $1,729 | $647 | $123 | $3,963 |
| Perth | $1,554 | $1,788 | $700 | $108 | $4,150 |
| India (New Delhi) | $330 | $5,268 | $146 | $161 | $5,905 |
| USA (Los Angeles) | $1,198 | $5,409 | $530 | $234 | $7,371 |
Melbourne
- The cheapest holiday destination from Melbourne is Adelaide, followed by Sydney.
- Thailand (Bangkok) is the cheapest international destination for a one-week holiday from Melbourne, followed by New Zealand (Auckland).
| Destination | Total Hotel Cost | Flight Cost | Meals Cost | Travel Insurance | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | $1,463 | $857 | $700 | $108 | $3,128 |
| Sydney | $1,883 | $618 | $700 | $108 | $3,309 |
| Thailand (Bangkok) | $351 | $3,046 | $155 | $161 | $3,713 |
| Perth | $1,554 | $1,941 | $700 | $108 | $4,303 |
| New Zealand (Auckland) | $1,463 | $2,534 | $647 | $123 | $4,767 |
| TNQ (Cairns) | $1,470 | $2,606 | $700 | $108 | $4,884 |
| Indonesia (Denpasar) | $378 | $4,469 | $167 | $161 | $5,175 |
| India (New Delhi) | $330 | $5,311 | $146 | $161 | $5,948 |
| USA (Los Angeles) | $1,198 | $5,250 | $530 | $234 | $7,212 |
Perth
- Thailand (Bangkok) is the cheapest international destination for a one-week holiday from Perth, followed by Indonesia (Denpasar).
- For domestic travel, the cheapest holiday destination is Melbourne, followed by Adelaide.
| Destination | Total Hotel Cost | Flight Cost | Meals Cost | Travel Insurance | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand (Bangkok) | $351 | $1,998 | $155 | $161 | $2,665 |
| Indonesia (Denpasar) | $378 | $2,628 | $167 | $161 | $3,334 |
| India (New Delhi) | $330 | $3,105 | $146 | $161 | $3,742 |
| Melbourne | $1,540 | $2,054 | $700 | $108 | $4,402 |
| Adelaide | $1,463 | $2,424 | $700 | $108 | $4,695 |
Adelaide
- The cheapest holiday destination from Adelaide is Melbourne, followed by Sydney.
- Denpasar is the most affordable international option for families looking to travel from Adelaide, followed by Auckland.
| Destination | Total Hotel Cost | Flight Cost | Meals Cost | Travel Insurance | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | $1,540 | $917 | $700 | $108 | $3,265 |
| Sydney | $1,883 | $996 | $700 | $108 | $3,687 |
| TNQ (Cairns) | $1,470 | $2,158 | $700 | $108 | $4,436 |
| Indonesia (Denpasar) | $378 | $4,102 | $167 | $161 | $4,808 |
| New Zealand (Auckland) | $1,463 | $2,584 | $647 | $123 | $4,817 |
As seen in the comparisons above, international destinations like Bangkok and Denpasar can often provide more cost-effective options compared to domestic holidays, especially for families.
While flying overseas may involve longer travel times, the potential savings could make it worth considering. (Provided you already have passports, of course!)
- World Bank data used to compare hotel and meal prices internationally.
- Statista data used to compare hotel prices within Australia.
- Skyscanner data used to estimate flight costs; the lowest priced option with the minimum number of stops for the date range was used.
- For meal costs, we chose an arbitrary spend of $100 per day on meals and drinks, with international destinations converted to the local equivalent based on World Bank data.
- Insurance costs were obtained using Finder's Travel Insurance Engine. The lowest cost option was used for each trip.
- Markets selected based on tourism data from the Australian Trade and Investment Commission and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
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