Second place is claimed by another African city, as Mombasa in Kenya offers a travel basket totalling £63.66. While the average suncream cost is £11.25, the low meal cost of £42.78 means it’s just one of three locations where a three-course meal comes in under £50.
Tokyo, Colombo and Phuket round out third, fourth and fifth places, respectively. However, as the barometer doesn’t account for flight costs from the UK, the best overall deals are likely to be found at the short-haul destinations further down the list. The first short-haul region to feature is the Portuguese Algarve, with a total travel basket cost of £82.35. With Spain’s Costa del Sol in seventh place and the island of Tenerife in eighth, where temperatures remain toasty year-round, there are plenty of places we’re setting our sights on for a long weekend spread across a poolside lounger.
Laura Plunkett, head of Post Office Travel Money, said: “Mild weather makes a number of destinations in southern Europe appealing for a winter sun break – particularly for activity sports like golf. However, holidaymakers should be aware that sunshine hours may be more limited and temperatures lower in mid-winter than in the longer haul destinations we feature, so October and November may be better times to plan travel to Europe.”
The cheapest destinations for winter sun, 2026/2027
10. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
9. Penang, Malaysia
8. Tenerife, Canary Islands
7. Costa del Sol, Spain
6. Algarve, Portugal
5. Phuket, Thailand
4. Colombo, Sri Lanka
3. Tokyo, Japan
2. Mombasa, Kenya
1. Cape Town, South Africa