Explore the world on £100 a day

12th September 2019

Comparing prices in the world’s top tourist cities

  • Enjoy dinner, drinks, and plenty of attractions within a £100 budget.
  • Sydney is the top destination for entertainment and offers free access to the Harbour Bridge, Darling Harbour, and Bondi Beach.
  • Starling’s interactive tool makes it easy to compare the prices of the world’s most popular cities.

Starling, the leading digital bank, has created a handy interactive travel tool that shows people how far a £100 daily budget can get them in top tourist attractions around the world. With the current weakness in the value of the pound against major currencies making overseas travel more expensive, UK tourists are keen to get the best value they can from their holiday money. The new tool will allow them to compare prices of food, accommodation and entertainment in different cities around the world with a few taps.

With UK tourists spending £45.4 billion abroad in the past year alone, we are spending more money than ever on our trips away. Holidays can involve some strict budgeting to make sure funds can cover the cost of travel, accommodation, entertainment, food and drink while abroad.

Best locations for attractions

Whether you prefer a day out in a theme park or a cultural day exploring landmarks, here’s where you can experience the most culture and entertainment for the least amount of money.

Top 5 for cheap entertainment*

1

Location

Sydney

Attraction 1

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Attraction 2

Sydney Opera House

Attraction 3

Bondi Beach

Attraction 4

Darling Harbour

Attraction 5

Port Jackson

Total cost

£0

2

Location

Santiago

Attraction 1

San Cristóbal Hill

Attraction 2

Santa Lucía Hill

Attraction 3

Plaza de Armas

Attraction 4

Parque Metropolitano de Santiago

Attraction 5

La Moneda Palace

Total cost

£0

3

Location

Buenos Aires

Attraction 1

La Boca

Attraction 2

Teatro Colón

Attraction 3

Casa Rosada

Attraction 4

Obelisco

Attraction 5

Recoleta Cemetery

Total cost

£0

4

Location

Warsaw

Attraction 1

Palace of Culture and Science

Attraction 2

Warsaw Old Town

Attraction 3

Łazienki Park

Attraction 4

The Royal Castle (£6.22)

Attraction 5

Museum of King Jan III's Palace at Wilanów (£4.15)

Total cost

£10.37

5

Location

Marrakesh

Attraction 1

Jemaa el-Fnaa

Attraction 2

Koutoubia Mosque

Attraction 3

Bahia Palace (£6.34)

Attraction 4

Jardin Majorelle (£6.01)

Attraction 5

Saadian Tombs (£0.86)

Total cost

£13.21

Location

Attraction 1

Attraction 2

Attraction 3

Attraction 4

Attraction 5

Total cost

1

Sydney

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sydney Opera House

Bondi Beach

Darling Harbour

Port Jackson

£0

2

Santiago

San Cristóbal Hill

Santa Lucía Hill

Plaza de Armas

Parque Metropolitano de Santiago

La Moneda Palace

£0

3

Buenos Aires

La Boca

Teatro Colón

Casa Rosada

Obelisco

Recoleta Cemetery

£0

4

Warsaw

Palace of Culture and Science

Warsaw Old Town

Łazienki Park

The Royal Castle (£6.22)

Museum of King Jan III's Palace at Wilanów (£4.15)

£10.37

5

Marrakesh

Jemaa el-Fnaa

Koutoubia Mosque

Bahia Palace (£6.34)

Jardin Majorelle (£6.01)

Saadian Tombs (£0.86)

£13.21

Where to dine

It’s important to be prepared for the average cost of dining whether you’re on a weekend break with your partner or a week-long trip with your friends. You don’t want to be stung by any surprising costs when you’re seated at a table in Buenos Aires or Johannesburg.

Best for a quick meal

Of the most popular travel cities in the world, Bangkok offers the cheapest dinner and drinks, according to the crowdsourced cost of living index, Numbeo. For a local meal and a bottle of water here, you can expect to pay just £1.84. Popular local dishes include Tom Yum Goong (spicy shrimp soup), Gaeng Daeng (red curry) and Khao Pad (fried rice).

Luxury dining on any budget

Indulging in a luxury experience doesn’t have to be expensive. A sit-down meal at an up-market restaurant and a beer or wine in Istanbul will only cost £7.03 for the experience. Here, you can indulge in an opulent, three-course meal, and still have £92.91 left over for entertainment and accommodation - continue reading to find out how you can spend that budget.

However, if you do prefer to spend a little more on your dining experience, head to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Here, you’ll expect to pay around £44.13 for a luxury meal. This would mean spending the night in a budget hotel and making the most of the free attractions this city has to offer, such as The Dubai Mall, Palm Jumeirah, and The Dubai Fountain.

How you can live the life of luxury on £100 a day

Which cities offer tourists the greatest luxury?

In Istanbul, you can experience the greatest variety of culture while living in luxury, as with a £100 budget, you can get a mid-range night stay, and a variety of entertainment options including visiting the Hagia Sophia Museum, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace Museum, Grand Bazaar and the Basilica Cistern, and taxis between all locations! Also within the budget, you can experience two luxury meals, a three-course meal, two bottles of wine, and six bottles of water, all for £97.81.

A trip to Delhi also offers a life of luxury for its guests. With exactly £100 you can visit the Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb, India Gate and the Jama Masji, enjoy a night’s stay at a mid-range hotel and eat two meals in luxury restaurants and one up-market three-course meal, paired with 6 bottles of water to deal with the day’s heat and a bottle of wine with dinner. No need to rely on public transport as you can afford taxis to transport you across the city for the day.

Most luxury for least money

1

City

Istanbul

Average hotel room cost

£18.07

Average luxury meal cost

£5.52

Average attraction cost

£3.92

Items you can get for £100 (how many are luxury)

23 (17)

2

City

Delhi

Average hotel room cost

£15.80

Average luxury meal cost

£6.42

Average attraction cost

£3.21

Items you can get for £100 (how many are luxury)

23 (16)

3

City

Cairo

Average hotel room cost

£14.42

Average luxury meal cost

£6.82

Average attraction cost

£3.96

Items you can get for £100 (how many are luxury)

22 (13)

4

City

Buenos Aires

Average hotel room cost

£31.99

Average luxury meal cost

£19.51

Average attraction cost

£0

Items you can get for £100 (how many are luxury)

20 (13)

5

City

Marrakesh

Average hotel room cost

£31.75

Average luxury meal cost

£9.22

Average attraction cost

£4.40

Items you can get for £100 (how many are luxury)

20 (12)

City

Average hotel room cost

Average luxury meal cost

Average attraction cost

Items you can get for £100 (how many are luxury)

1

Istanbul

£18.07

£5.52

£3.92

23 (17)

2

Delhi

£15.80

£6.42

£3.21

23 (16)

3

Cairo

£14.42

£6.82

£3.96

22 (13)

4

Buenos Aires

£31.99

£19.51

£0

20 (13)

5

Marrakesh

£31.75

£9.22

£4.40

20 (12)

Most expensive luxury options

1

City

Miami

Average hotel room cost

£84.26

Average luxury meal cost

£21.58

Average attraction cost

£22.32

Items you can get for £100 (how many are luxury)

10(3)

2

City

Auckland

Average hotel room cost

£62.66

Average luxury meal cost

£18.11

Average attraction cost

£15.46

Items you can get for £100 (how many are luxury)

10(3)

3

City

New York City

Average hotel room cost

£109.95

Average luxury meal cost

£33.40

Average attraction cost

£15.73

Items you can get for £100 (how many are luxury)

11(3)

4

City

Los Angeles

Average hotel room cost

£89.40

Average luxury meal cost

£36.99

Average attraction cost

£39.94

Items you can get for £100 (how many are luxury)

10(4)

5

City

Singapore

Average hotel room cost

£57.28

Average luxury meal cost

£22.11

Average attraction cost

£9.33

Items you can get for £100 (how many are luxury)

11(6)

City

Average hotel room cost

Average luxury meal cost

Average attraction cost

Items you can get for £100 (how many are luxury)

1

Miami

£84.26

£21.58

£22.32

10(3)

2

Auckland

£62.66

£18.11

£15.46

10(3)

3

New York City

£109.95

£33.40

£15.73

11(3)

4

Los Angeles

£89.40

£36.99

£39.94

10(4)

5

Singapore

£57.28

£22.11

£9.33

11(6)

How far can £100 take you?

Travelling the globe doesn’t have to break the bank, you can have a great holiday in the world’s greatest cities and experience what these unique and diverse cities have to offer for less than £100. Explore for yourself.

-ENDS-


Notes to Editors:

Sources

Numbeo is the largest online database of user contributions about cities and countries ranging from cost of living to property markets. The site also uses a systemic API to calculate scores and prices for each of the categories.

Budget Your Trip helps travellers plan their trips and budgets. All costs are entered anonymously and then aggregated to average the costs of countries and cities around the world.

*Notes to first table

Free unless price stated
La Moneda Palace - Entrance to certain exhibits costs around £5.57
Casa Rosada - Tours only available on Saturdays
Łazienki Park - Museum entrance will cost extra, the museum is free on Fridays
The Royal Castle - Free on Wednesdays
Museum of King Jan III's Palace at Wilanów - Free on Thursdays at specified times

Media Contact

For more information on the travel tool contact:

Katheryn Watson
Email: katheryn.watson@kaizen.co.uk
Telephone: 020 3950 2164

For any enquiries about Starling Bank, please contact Pagefield:

Email: starlingbank@pagefield.co.uk
Telephone: 020 3327 4079

Campaign URL

https://www.starlingbank.com/current-account/tools/around-the-world-on-100-pounds-daily/

About Starling Bank

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