Are international holidays really more expensive?

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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).
DestinationTotal Hotel CostFlight CostMeals CostTravel InsuranceTotal
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.
DestinationHotelFlights>MealsInsuranceTotal
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).
DestinationTotal Hotel CostFlight CostMeals CostTravel InsuranceTotal
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.
DestinationTotal Hotel CostFlight CostMeals CostTravel InsuranceTotal
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.
DestinationTotal Hotel CostFlight CostMeals CostTravel InsuranceTotal
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!)


Data / methodology:
  • 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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