A new Euronews Business analysis of 7 popular European holiday destinations has found that Türkiye is the cheapest country overall, while France is the most expensive. The study, based on Eurostat data covering more than 2,000 goods and services, also found that Portugal offers the lowest prices for hotels and restaurants.
The findings highlight how sharply holiday costs can vary depending on where travellers go, even though the figures reflect national averages rather than the price of a full trip. Popular tourist areas can be much more expensive than the country-wide data suggests, the analysis said.
Türkiye stood out in several categories. It had the lowest overall price level index at 59.6, meaning a basket of goods and services that costs 100 euros on average in the EU would cost 59.6 euros in Türkiye, or 40.4% less than the EU average.
At the other end of the scale, France recorded the highest overall price level among the 7 destinations at 100.3, slightly above the EU average. Italy came next at 97.1, followed by Spain at 91.6, Greece at 87.4, Portugal at 86.6 and Croatia at 78.4.
For travellers focusing on accommodation and dining, Portugal was the cheapest destination. Eurostat’s category for restaurants and hotels put Portugal at 73.6, or 26.4% below the EU average. Türkiye followed at 78.3, also below 80 points.
France was the most expensive in that category at 116, with Italy second at 110.8. Croatia, at 89.6, was slightly more expensive than Greece at 86.1 and Spain at 85.4.
Food prices were broadly similar across most of the countries, but Türkiye again stood out. France was the most expensive for food, yet it was only 7.9% above the EU average, with a food basket costing 107.9 euros if the EU average is set at 100 euros. In Türkiye, the same basket cost 75.6 euros.
Spain was the only other country below the EU average for food, at 94.6. The remaining countries were all slightly above it.
Alcohol showed the sharpest price gap in the comparison. Türkiye was by far the most expensive destination, with an alcohol price level index of 210.2, more than twice the EU average. Greece was second at 154, followed by Croatia at 133.9.
Italy was the cheapest for alcohol at 81.9, while Spain also stayed below the EU average at 90.1. France and Portugal were closer to the European average, at 100.9 and 107.1 respectively.
For non-alcoholic drinks, the spread was narrower, but the difference remained clear. Price levels ranged from 81.8 in Italy to 133.5 in Croatia.
Türkiye also had the lowest tobacco prices by a wide margin. Its index stood at 25.4, compared with 191.1 in France. All other countries were below the EU average, but none came close to Türkiye’s level. Croatia had the second-lowest tobacco index at 64.6.
Public transport was also cheapest in Türkiye, where the index was 68.3 against an EU average of 100. France was the only country above the average, at 112.8. Portugal, Spain and Croatia were all around 80, while Greece sat just below the EU average.
Seafood prices were less varied than in many other categories. A basket of seafood costs 95.4 euros in Portugal and 112.7 euros in Greece, a comparatively narrow range for travellers heading to southern Europe.
The analysis did not take personal or household income into account, meaning that price differences may feel more pronounced for travellers from lower-income countries than for those arriving from wealthier ones.
The data provide a useful snapshot for holidaymakers comparing costs across 7 major destinations, but they also underline an important point: the cheapest country overall is not always the cheapest for every part of the trip. A destination that looks affordable for food or transport may be costly for drinks, hotels or other travel essentials.
For travellers planning a summer break, the study suggests Portugal remains a strong option for accommodation and meals, while Türkiye offers the lowest overall prices, despite being the most expensive for alcohol and among the cheapest for tobacco, transport and food.
