Eight holidays that cost less per day than living in Britain
Even if you’re not an avid TikToker, you may have heard about the Manchester man who racked up a million views after discovering it would cost him less to live in a resort for a month than in his city-centre apartment. He pays £950 a month for his home (actually somewhat less than the average rent for the city) and found it would cost just £938 to book a stay in an all-inclusive resort in Turkey for 28 nights – with flights included.
After all the attention, he has now said he’s going to go ahead and leave Manchester – famous for its climate, and not in a good way – and spend a month in Turkey.
Perhaps you’d like to do the same? If we add a typical UK rent of £1,220 to an average three-bedroom house monthly utility bill of £167, average band D council tax of £172 and a water bill of £37, you’re soon looking at around £1,600 – or £53 per day. You can also bank on saving money on food overseas, especially if self-catering, and might be able to enjoy a car-free break and a month away from petrol stations.
Finding deals can take time. The so-called dynamic booking adopted by search engines means prices change in the space of hours. But it isn’t difficult to bag a holiday for under £53 per day – and our list below includes some month-long escapes which underline the fact that ordinary life in the – currently wet, wintry, doom-laden – UK has become a luxury-free rip-off.
Agadir, Morocco – from £18/day
Morocco has blue skies for much of winter and spring is glorious. With a whole month you have time to explore; the train network is excellent. Marrakech is arguably at its loveliest at this time of the year and has all the allure of an ancient city. Cosmopolitan Tangier is very pleasant, and cooler afternoons make walks around the main sights and the old medina more enjoyable than ever.
As a base, though, Agadir is a wise choice; it has a long, wide beach and lots of smart hotels. The city is not the most interesting, but there are beauty spots and historic towns within striking distance.
EasyJet has flights from Manchester to Agadir at £48.99 on March 6, returning for £111.85 on April 6. A month in an Airbnb starts from £374 for an entire flat for one in the Quartier Hay Salam. In accordance with Moroccan law, the host says they cannot accommodate unmarried couples.
Costa del Sol, Spain – from £32/day
Does this famed resort strip need any intro? Britain has had a love affair with southern Spain’s liveliest coast for more than half a century. The secret is in the name; there’s often sunshine even when the north of the country is grey and drizzly. Marbella has miles of silky sand, five-star hotels and beach clubs. The main drag is a bit bling, but it’s a lot of fun.
Torremolinos’s popular beaches are backed by tapas bars, shops and ice-cream parlours. Nearby Benalmadena is a whitewashed old town, and it’s a short drive or bus ride to the romantic Andalusian “pueblos blancos” inland. Malaga, as well as the main airport, is a city of fine art and excellent gastronomy.
Loveholidays has a two-week room-only package in Bluesea Al Andalus, Torremolinos, departing Luton March 1 returning March 15 – including flights with Ryanair to Malaga, from £449 per person.
Mani Peninsula, Greece – from £43/day
The Peloponnese is huge; at 8,320 square miles, it accounts for roughly 16 per cent of the entire Greek landmass, Ionian and Aegean islands included. It’s no wonder that some parts of it are still relatively off-radar.
The Mani Peninsula – the middle of the three “fingers” that dangle down from the landmass – is a wonderland of mountains, rugged coastlines, tiny coves and pretty coastal villages. For years access was tricky but the road south from Kalamata to Areopoli provides smooth entry to villages which hitherto could only be reached only by boat.
Hundredrooms has a holiday offer from March 1-30 with Holihouse that includes a stylish studio near the sea at Mani, at £1,029, with room for two people. Skyscanner lists return flights from Heathrow to Kalamata in March with Olympic Air for £277 per person, covering the same period.
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic – from £32/day
On the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana has classically Caribbean photogenic white-sand beaches with palm trees and parasols, blue-green seas and shady little coves ideal for piracy or a spot of naturism. There are also nearby national parks, fantastic seafood restaurants and little offshore islands for the romantic, wild nightclubs with open bars for the hedonistic, and adventure and theme parks for those with families.
A lot of what is on offer is “touristy” and manufactured but if you stay a while, you can ride on local buses around the island to visit lots of cultural sites and the capital, Santo Domingo – the oldest city in the Americas.
Loveholidays has a 28-day deal at Punta Cana Seven Beaches for 29 days in March for £895 per person – including flights (departing March 3)
Hurghada, Egypt – from £40/day
The former fishing village of Hurghada is a major beach resort on Egypt’s Red Sea Riviera. It’s renowned for its beautiful coral reefs, and is a good place for novices to learn how to scuba dive. To the north of is the historic El Dahar, a warren of narrow streets, with traditional souks, coffee shops and a Coptic Church, traditional souks and local nightlife of traditional Egyptian coffee shops.
Sigala, which has a good marina, has a good spread of restaurants, bars and nightclubs. If you don’t mind longish bus rides or drives, Hurghada is also a serviceable base for visiting the Nile Valley sites.
On the Beach has a 28-night stay at the Bellagio Resort & Spa in Hurghada for £1,128 per person, including return flights with Easyjet in March from Belfast International.
Montevideo, Uruguay – from £43/day
Montevideo might be less glam than Buenos Aires but it has advantages over its rival. The city centre is small, walkable and lapped by the River Plate – sea breezes keep the city airy, and you can walk to La Rambla promenade in a matter of minutes.
There are some lovely plazas, an atmospheric port, tango bars and terrace cafés. Uruguay is small so it’s easy to hop on a bus to visit Unesco-listed Colonia del Sacramento; Casapueblo, the Gaudí-esque former summerhouse and workshop of the late artist Carlos Páez Vilaró; and the beach resorts of Punta del Este, La Barra and José Ignacio. To keep costs down you could head further up the coast and camp on the beach.
Opodo has return flights between London Gatwick and Carrasco International for March from £1,042 per person (out 1/3, return 29/3). Vrbo has multi-occupancy rooms and apartments in Montevideo that work out at £160 per person.
Tirana, Albania – from £10.50/day
The Albanian capital is home to 528,000 people, close to a fifth of all the country’s population. There’s a fast-developing café culture, a clutch of international-standard hotels and cuisine that rarely fails to impress. There are also 296 miles of waterfront including stretches of both the Adriatic and the Ionian – the two seas meet at the city of Vlore. Each summer, Italians flock to the beaches in the north of the country, at second-city Durres – and they know their beaches.
Head inland and you can explore ancient historic sites such as Butrint and Apollonia, gorgeous Ottoman towns like Berat and Gjirokaster, and Llogara National Park, where you can marvel at the soaring Ceraunian Mountains. If it’s good enough for Lord Byron…
Expedia has a 27-night stay at the Tirana City Rooms Guest House (Vatra e Lagjes) for £284 per person in March, including flights.
Antalya, Turkey – from £45/day
Package tourism has turned a once small port into the capital of the Turkish Riviera. Now it’s a major resort, with all-inclusive resorts, theme parks and shopping malls. The weather is generally lovely, with around 300 days of sunshine every year, the sand is soft and golden, and the sea is warm. At the heart of the modern city is the historic district of Kaleiçi (literally “within the castle”) and it’s easy to get away from the crowds. The Anatalya museum is one of the best in Turkey.
Jet2holidays has a 28-night break at the Gtand Park Lara in Anatalya, starting on March 1, at £1,267 per person, including flights from Manchester (and 22kg of luggage).