10 holidays that cost less per day than living in Britain
Energy bills and water bills are going up. Council tax is rising. Rents are higher than ever. The supermarket is a luxury outing. The only thing going down are interest rates on savings.
Even if you’re not an avid TikToker, you might recall the Manchester man who racked up a million views last year after discovering it would cost him less to live in a resort for a month than in his city-centre apartment. He ended up going away to spend a month in Turkey.
Perhaps you’d like to do the same? If we add a typical UK rent of £1,332 to an average three-bedroom house monthly utility bill of £145, average band D council tax of £172 and a water bill of £50, you’re soon looking at around £1,699 – or £57 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 £57 per day – and our list below includes some month-long escapes which underline the fact that ordinary life in the – often wet, grey, doom-laden – UK has become a bit of a rip-off.
Agadir, Morocco
From £17/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.
How to do it
A month in an Airbnb starts from £373 for an entire flat with three beds close to the bus station and Souk El Had. EasyJet has flights from Manchester to Agadir at £49.99 on March 29, returning for £93.96 on April 30.
Costa del Sol, Spain
From £37/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.
How to do it
Love Holidays offers two weeks at Bluesea Al Andalus, Torremolinos from £519 per person, room only, including flights, departing April 18.
Mani Peninsula, Greece
From £28/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.
How to do it
Hundredrooms has an offer from April 1 to 31 that includes a stay in a minimalist apartment in Stoupa, Messenia, near the beach, at £2,601, with room for five people. Return flights from Heathrow to Kalamata from £333 per person.
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
From £40/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.
How to do it
Love Holidays has a 28-night deal at the three-star Art Villa Dominicana apartments from £1,129 per person, room only, including flights departing May 5.
Paphos, Cyprus
From £49/day
Glance at a newspaper weather forecast table and there is almost always one salient sunspot: Cyprus. When it’s mid-20s in Spain or Greece, this small island between Israel and Turkey is often in the 30s. In peak summer, it can be 10 degrees more. That can be a bit much, but it’s a great option for a winter top-up of UV and Vitamin D.
A large resort might not sound enticing, but Cyprus doesn’t draw massive crowds in the off-season, and a fair-sized town will supply the tavernas, bars, groceries and other services winter visitors need. It’s easy to set off on walks or drives to see vineyards, villages, monasteries, empty peninsulas and forested slopes, and uncover the Levantine, Venetian and Islamic cultures that have left their mark on the island.
How to do it
Travel Republic has a 21-night holiday at Capital Coast Resort & Spa Hotel in Chlorakas, Paphos, from £1,036 per person, B&B, including flights, departing March 10.
Hurghada, Egypt
From £28/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 it 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.
How to do it
On the Beach has a 28-night stay at the Sol y Mar Ivory Suites for £770 per person, room only, including flights departing May 17.
Mayan Riviera, Mexico
From £42/day
The Yucatán peninsula is a reliable option for winter sun. There are lots of beaches on the so-called Mayan Riviera between Cancún and Punta Allen – as well as Mayan sites, some of which can be reached on excursions from the coast.
There’s also lovely Mérida, the old urban centre of the northern region, and the sisal-making haciendas and cenotes (water-filled sinkholes) that dot the lowlands.
A practical option if you want to dine out and combine seaside trips with outings is to get a hotel room in Playa del Carmen. It’s forty miles on the coast road to Cancun or to Tulum, and you can also explore the island of Cozumel on a day-trip.
How to do it
Lastminute has a 29-night stay at Casa Maria Fernanda, Playa del Carmen, from £1,237 per person, room only, including flights, departing April 1.
Montevideo, Uruguay
From £53/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.
How to do it
Opodo has return flights between London Gatwick and Carrasco International in March from £1,036 per person. Hostelworld has multi-occupancy rooms and apartments in Montevideo from £16 per person per night.
Tirana, Albania
From £11/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…
How to do it
Expedia has a 28-night stay at Hilton Garden Inn Tirana from £1,178 per person, room only, including flights, departing April 1.
Antalya, Turkey
From £42/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.
How to do it
Jet2holidays has a 28-night all-inclusive break at the Grand Park Lara in Anatalya from £1,164 per person, including flights, departing March 12.
Prices are a guide and correct at time of publishing, check websites for full details.
This article was first published in February 2024, and has been revised and updated.
