How Far Does Your Dollar Take You in the World’s Most Popular Cities?

Jun 15, 12 | 12:05 am

SYDNEY – 13 June 2012 –TripAdvisor^®, the world’s largest travel site*, today unveils TripIndex^TM 2012, a cost comparison of an evening out for two people in 48 key tourist cities around the world.

The TripAdvisor TripIndex is tracked against the Australian Dollar and is based on the combined costs for two of a one night stay in a four-star hotel, cocktails, a two-course dinner with a bottle of wine and return taxi transportation (two journeys of approximately 3.2 kilometres each). Costs listed are accurate for 1 June – 31 August 2012.

Hanoi, Vietnam offers the most affordable night out for Australian travellers with a total TripIndex cost of A$144.95. At more than triple the cost of Hanoi, London topped the list as most expensive with a TripIndex cost of A$531.09.

“TripIndex helps travellers see where they will get more bang for their buck,” said Jean Ow-Yeong, TripAdvisor spokesperson. “Interestingly, European cities such as Budapest and Warsaw turn out to be as affordable as some Asian cities, while Singapore and Sydney are in the ranks of London, Paris and New York as some of the most expensive cities”.  

Hotels Set the Tone

Cost of hotels was the most important factor in determining the least and most expensive cities on TripIndex:

• The least expensive average hotel room goes to Bangkok at A$83.38 per night, while the most expensive goes to London at A$371.66 per night. This means hotel rooms in London are more than quadruple the cost of those in Bangkok.
• The average cost of a room in ten of the least expensive cities for hotels is just A$116.46, while the most expensive cities come in at an average of A$269.25. That means the rooms in the ten most expensive cities for hotels more than double the cost of those in the ten least expensive.

Save in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia was the region which claimed the most cities in the ten least expensive list, including Hanoi which took the top spot, while Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta took the third, fifth and ninth spots respectively.

Comparatively Costly in Europe

Europe dominated the most expensive list with seven cities in the top ten, including London which took the first place, while Oslo, Zurich, Paris, Stockholm, Moscow and Copenhagen took the second, third, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth places respectively.

TripIndex Cities

Least Expensive:

Most Expensive:

The full TripIndex is available here. 

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

The international TripIndex destination list comprises key cities from 48 of the 50 countries which receive the largest number of international visitor arrivals (data compiled by the UNWTO). 

TripIndex prices out the following items in each destination to represent the cost of a night out for two people:

• One night’s accommodation in a four-star hotel
• Cocktails for two people
• Dinner for two (two courses and a bottle of house wine)
• Return taxi transportation (two taxi journeys of 2 miles or approximately 3.2 kilometres each)

Prices were collected through a variety of research methods as outlined below. Prices were taken in local currencies between March and May 2012 and converted into Australian Dollars on 31 May 2012 (source: xe.com)

Hotels: Prices specify the average per-night cost of a room at four-star hotels found on TripAdvisor (via partner booking sites such as online travel agencies and direct hotel suppliers) in each destination for the travel period between 1 June - 31 August 2012.

Cocktails for two: Prices specify the average cost of two traditional dry martinis from a top-rated five-star hotel on TripAdvisor in each destination.

Dinner for two: Prices specify the average cost of a traditional or common two-course meal (starter and main course) for two people with a bottle of house (or cheapest available) white wine (prices averaged from three mid-range restaurants in each destination).

Return taxi trip: Prices specify the approximate cost of two taxi journeys of 2 miles or approximately 3.2 kilometres each (representing an evening’s return transportation). Data was taken from local authorities, recognised taxi companies, and/or travel experts on the area.

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 50 million unique monthly visitors*, and over 60 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 30 countries worldwide, including China under daodao.com

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 19 other travel media brands, and together the sites attract more than 69 million unique monthly visitors**. TripAdvisor's travel media brands include www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.onetime.com, www.seatguru.com, www.sniqueaway.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travel-library.com, www.travelpod.com, www.virtualtourist.com, www.whereivebeen.com, and www.kuxun.cn.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, Worldwide, January 2012

**Source: comScore Media Metr