For more than one generation, the words "cheap vacation" have are strongly associated with a few specific countries.
Mexico's all-inclusive resorts and location just south of the border have for years attracted steady stream of U.S. visitors while the uneven labor wages and cost of living make many South East Asian countries extremely affordable for Westerners who spring for the higher airfare.
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While going farther away from home can increase what one ends up spending, a major portion of the final cost also comes down to the cost of food, entertainment and accommodation.
By crunching the average prices for a combination of these categories, UK-based travel website Traveller's Elixir identified Delhi as the cheapest vacation destination in the world — a five-day sojourn in the India city would only set travelers back $181.
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Visiting This Major City Costs Less Than $40 A Day
"It won't cost you a lot to visit Delhi at all as the average cost of a three-star hotel room for one night is just $19," the study says. "The average cost of a five-star hotel in Delhi is just $186 per night [...] in comparison to the most expensive travel destination on this list, Monaco, where one night in a five-star hotel would cost you $1,217."
The final number comes down to average rates on a hotel, transportation (within the city rather than getting there), meals out and the attractions commonly visited by tourists. The southern Cambodian city of Phnom Penh came second with just $224 while Nepal's Kathmandu was just behind with a $229 average.
While eight out of the ten cities on the list are located in Asia, Tbilisi bucks the trend — the Georgian capital sits on the intersection of Europe and Asia and costs an average of $249 for a five-day visit.
While visiting other cities in Colombia could set you back more, Medellín landed on the list with a $255 average.
Exclusive Vacation Destinations Remain Pricey
By contrast, Monaco was the least affordable city and country on the list. Long associated with its wealth of ultra-luxe hotels and casinos, the city-state commands an average $2,258 for a five-day trip — a number that will climb significantly higher if you gamble, sample fine restaurants and stay at some of the exclusive hotels that may have even been featured in some spy movies.
A French island in the Caribbean, St. Barthélemy has also long been a place where the ultra-wealthy converge to get some rest and sun. An average five-day visit to the island nicknamed St. Barts costs $2,181 while getting there also costs a pretty penny as most arrive either by chartered plane or number of transfers through small island airports.
Isolation is, generally, almost always synonymous with expense — places like Reykjavik in Iceland and Bora Bora in French Polynesia also had the high average prices. Grand Cayman in the Caribbean Sea commands an average $1,637.
"Its isolation and limited infrastructure contribute to its high cost of living and expensive tourism industry," the Traveller's Elixir author writes of Bora Bora.
SEE THE FULL LIST OF CHEAP AND EXPENSIVE VACATION DESTINATIONS HERE.
