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A top holiday destination in Portugal has emerged as one of Europe’s best value for families, according to new research.
The Post Office found that the Algarve is the cheapest resort for a bargain family break in its annual Family Holiday Costs Barometer.
The report evaluated the cost of ten tourist items including a cup of coffee, a bottle of beer, a can of cola, a glass of wine, a bottle of mineral water, suncream, insect repellent, two children’s pizzas, a two-course lunch for adults and a three-course family meal including wine and soft drinks.
The price of flights and accommodation were not, however, taken into account.
For 2026, the Algarve moved up from third place to the top of the list, with the 10 items costing £140 in total.
On Portugal’s southernmost coast, a cup of coffee was found to cost £1.27, suncream £9.95 and a two-course lunch for two adults around £20.97.
In close second was Sunny Beach, Bulgaria, (£142) with the Black Sea resort featuring the cheapest family evening meal with drinks, priced at £73, compared with £78 in the Algarve.
Eight destinations in Spain were among the best value resorts for holidaymakers, but Costa Teguise (£147) on the Canary Island of Lanzarote ranked third in this year’s price comparison.
Menorca placed fourth (£151) and the Costa Brava (£155) took fifth place.
Rounding off the top 10, resorts in Turkey and Cyprus remain good value options despite being “negatively affected by the ongoing war in the Middle East”, said the report.
Elsewhere, prices have fallen in Malta (£181), and Ibiza (£212) for the 10 typical items.
Of the 22 destinations surveyed in the Family Holiday Costs Barometer, Sorrento was rated the most expensive, with the barometer basket costing almost twice as much as in the Algarve at £268.
The report looked at six new resort areas – Costa Blanca, Costa Brava, Menorca, Sorrento, Tenerife and Zadar – to this year’s cost comparison to “meet the increased demand for holidays in Western Europe reported by Tui”.
Prices varied by as much as 92 per cent across the destinations.
Elsewhere in the report, two buckets and spades in Paphos, Cyprus, were found to cost £2.60, but were priced at £24.46 in Crete. A waterpark visit on the Greek island of Kos was found to cost an average of £56, while tickets were priced at £140 in Corfu.
Laura Plunkett, head of Post Office Travel Money, said: “We found big variations in costs between the European resorts surveyed, which means it is more important than ever to do some research before heading off on your holiday to inform how much holiday cash you’ll need for meals, drinks and other tourist staples.
“For those families who haven’t already booked and are looking for a late deal, the low resort prices in Portugal and Spain make these countries great value for money, while Bulgaria’s Black Sea resorts are strong contenders too.”
The top 10 best value family holiday destinations in 2026
- Algarve, Portugal
- Sunny Beach, Bulgaria
- Lanzarote, Canary Islands
- Menorca, Balearic Islands
- Costa Brava, Spain
- Tenerife, Canary Islands
- Marmaris, Turkey
- Costa del Sol, Spain
- Costa Blanca, Spain
- Paphos, Cyprus
According to the Post Office Family Holiday Costs Barometer 2026
Read more: Free UK summer holiday train tickets: Who is eligible?
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