Turkey Alongside France, Spain, Croatia and Others Highlight Europe’s Biggest Summer Holiday Price Shock as New Rankings Reveal the Cheapest Destinations, Best Value Escapes and Most Expensive Travel Hotspots for 2026

New price comparisons reveal where visitors can enjoy greater value and which destinations require higher budgets for hotels, food, restaurants and leisure experiences across Europe. A summer holiday in Europe can deliver completely different experiences for travellers depending on the destination they choose, with major differences seen in the prices of hotels, restaurants, food, drinks, transport and everyday holiday expenses. A comparison of seven popular European destinations shows that Turkey offers the lowest overall prices, while France remains the most expensive option among the countries analysed. The price comparison is based on Eurostat price level data covering a wide range of consumer goods and services. The figures represent national average price levels rather than the exact cost of a holiday. Popular tourist areas, coastal resorts and famous cities may have significantly higher prices compared with national averages. For example, accommodation costs in major tourist cities can differ greatly from prices in smaller destinations within the same country. A hotel stay in a major capital city may cost much more than accommodation in a less visited coastal region. However, national price indexes provide a broad picture of how affordable each destination is for international visitors. The comparison focuses on seven popular European holiday markets, including Turkey, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal and Croatia. Turkey Leads Europe’s Affordable Travel Rankings With Lowest Overall Consumer Prices Among the seven destinations, Turkey records the lowest overall consumer price levels. Based on thousands of goods and services included in the analysis, Turkey offers a significantly cheaper holiday environment compared with the European Union average. If a standard basket of goods and services costs €100 across the EU, the same basket costs around €59.6 in Turkey. This means Turkey’s overall consumer prices are approximately 40% below the EU average. The lower price levels make Turkey an attractive destination for travellers seeking affordable summer escapes, especially for visitors looking for competitive prices across accommodation, dining, transport and daily expenses. France ranks at the opposite end of the comparison, with overall consumer prices slightly above the EU average. A similar basket of goods and services costs around €100.3 in France. Italy follows closely behind with an index of €97.1, while Spain records €91.6. Greece and Portugal remain more affordable, with price levels of €87.4 and €86.6 respectively. Croatia offers the lowest overall prices among EU destinations in the comparison, with an index of €78.4. Hotels and Restaurants Show Major Price Differences Across European Holiday Destinations For travellers, accommodation and dining expenses are among the most important factors when planning a summer trip. The Eurostat category covering restaurants and hotels highlights significant differences between destinations. France is the most expensive destination in this category, with prices reaching 116% of the EU average. This means that restaurant meals and paid accommodation services cost considerably more compared with many other European holiday markets. Italy also remains a high-cost destination for travellers, with restaurant and hotel prices standing at 110.8% of the EU average. Portugal provides the most affordable option for accommodation and dining among the seven destinations analysed. Prices in this category are measured at 73.6% of the EU average, making Portugal one of the strongest choices for budget-conscious travellers. Turkey also remains highly competitive, with restaurants and hotel services recording a price level of 78.3% of the European average. Croatia, Greece and Spain sit between these extremes. Croatia records 89.6%, while Greece stands at 86.1% and Spain at 85.4%, showing that Mediterranean destinations can offer different value levels despite similar tourism appeal. Food Costs Remain Competitive as Turkey and Spain Offer Lower Prices Food prices across the seven destinations show smaller differences compared with accommodation and restaurant costs. However, Turkey again stands out as the most affordable market. A food basket costing €100 on average across the European Union costs around €75.6 in Turkey. This places Turkey significantly below other destinations and strengthens its position as a low-cost holiday option. Spain is the only other country in the comparison where food prices remain below the EU average, with an index of €94.6. France records the highest food prices among the destinations analysed, although the difference is relatively moderate. Food costs in France stand at around 107.9% of the EU average. Italy, Greece, Portugal and Croatia record slightly higher-than-average food prices, but remain within a relatively narrow range. Alcohol Prices Create the Biggest Cost Gap Between European Destinations Alcohol prices show one of the largest differences across the seven holiday markets. Turkey records the highest alcohol prices by a wide margin, with alcoholic drinks costing more than double the EU average. The price level reaches 210.2, making Turkey the most expensive destination for alcohol despite having lower overall consumer costs. Greece follows with an alcohol price index of 154, while Croatia records 133.9. Italy provides the lowest alcohol prices among the destinations analysed, with a price level of 81.9. Spain also remains below the EU average at 90.1. France and Portugal are closer to the European average, recording alcohol price levels of 100.9 and 107.1 respectively. Non-alcoholic drinks show a smaller gap, although differences remain visible. Prices range from 81.8 in Italy to 133.5 in Croatia. Tobacco and Transport Costs Highlight Turkey’s Strong Budget Advantage Tobacco prices create another major difference between destinations. Turkey offers the lowest tobacco prices, with an index of just 25.4 compared with the EU average. France records the highest tobacco prices among the seven countries, reaching 191.1. Croatia follows as the second-lowest priced market at 64.6, although it remains much more expensive than Turkey. Transport costs also favour Turkey. Public transport prices in Turkey stand at 68.3% of the EU average, making it the cheapest option in this category. France is the only destination where public transport prices exceed the EU average, reaching 112.8. Portugal, Spain and Croatia remain around the 80% level, while Greece stays close to the European benchmark. Seafood Prices Remain Similar Across Southern European Destinations For travellers planning seafood-focused holidays, price differences are much smaller compared with other categories. Seafood prices across the destinations range from 95.4% of the EU average in Portugal to 112.7% in Greece. This indicates that seafood lovers are likely to find relatively similar prices across many Mediterranean destinations. The comparison does not include income levels or purchasing power differences between countries. As a result, the same holiday expense may feel more affordable or expensive depending on where travellers come from and their local income conditions. Overall, the data shows that Turkey provides one of Europe’s strongest value-for-money travel experiences, while Portugal, Greece, Spain and Croatia offer competitive alternatives. France and Italy remain premium destinations where visitors can expect higher costs, particularly for hotels, restaurants and leisure experiences.