Yahoo Finance The cheapest (and most expensive) cities in the world for a weekend getaway
If you are looking for a vacation that won’t break the bank, then it’s probably best to avoid Switzerland.
For the fifth year in a row, Deutsche Bank has released its survey of global prices, which concludes that Swiss and Nordic cities are generally the most expensive in the world to visit.
For instance, the most expensive place in the world to take a weekend getaway is Zurich, Switzerland, which Deutsche Bank estimates would cost $2,475. The survey defines a weekend getaway as two nights at a standard five-star hotel, two pub meals for two, two restaurant dinners for two, a two-day car rental, two pints of beer, four liters of soft drinks/water, and a bit of shopping including a pair of jeans and sport shoes. Note the hefty price tag doesn’t even include airfare!
Sydney, Australia, was deemed the most expensive city for a weekend getaway, costing $2,320, and London, England, rounded out the top three with a projected cost of $2,226 for a weekend away.
With its shopping and world-class restaurants, New York CIty was the most expensive destination for a weekend getaway in the US; visitors spend $1,763 in two days there, the survey predicts. The Big Apple ranked seventh on the global list, followed by eighth-place San Francisco, which costs $1,662 for a weekend getaway.
If spending your rent money on a two-day trip isn’t in the cards, consider a visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where the average cost of a weekend getaway will cost you just $688.
When you break down the individual costs of a weekend getaway, the biggest expense is definitely the hotel. Five-star hotels are never cheap, but Sydney has the most expensive rates in the world, costing guests a staggering $874.70 a night. Close behind is Zurich ($711), followed by Milan, Italy ($698.50).
Again, Kuala Lumpur comes in at the bottom of the list, letting guests check in to five-star hotels for just $89.60 a night.
Public transportation is a great way to save money while traveling, but if you decide to rent a car, prepare to pay. If you choose to skip the Tube in the United Kingdom, it will cost approximately $174.50 to rent a car for one day. In Switzerland, the price drops to $165.60 a day, and in the Netherlands you can rent a car for the not-so affordable price of $160.30 a day.
But then you have China, which holds the designation as the cheapest country to rent a car and basically gives away vehicles for just just $26.10 a day. We can’t promise the cars are safe, but for that price, we’ll just wear a helmet.
Other note-worthy travel prices to know:
Public Transportation
Most expensive:
1. Amsterdam, Netherlands: $3.32
2. Stockholm, Sweden: $3.11
3. Melbourne, Australia: $2.97
Least expensive:
1. New Delhi: $0.08
2. Mumbai: $0.12
3.Beijing: $0.15
Taxi trip on a business day-5 Miles
Most expensive:
1. Zurich, Switzerland: $32
2. Stockholm, Sweden: $29.50
3. Tokyo, Japan: $29
Least expensive:
1. Bangalore, India: $2.30
2. New Delhi, India: $2.50
3. Mumbai, India: $2.70
Do you have questions about the cost of traveling to different cities around the world? Email us at yfmoneymailbag@yahoo.com.
