Introduction
As a holiday destination, Spain is as popular as ever. According to the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE), in 2019, Spain welcomed 83.7 million tourists, up 1.08% from the previous year. This means that for the 7th year in a row, the number of people travelling to Spain has increased. "This is no surprise" says Spain-Holiday's CEO Jannich F. Petersen "for those looking for self-catering holidays, Spain ticks all the boxes - good prices, great weather, an abundance of tourist attractions, favourable flight times and safety."
With this in mind, we decided to provide travellers with valuable insights to plan their holiday to Spain with full confidence that all costs have been considered. The Summer Holiday Prices Report 2020 details and compares the rates found in 17 of the top destinations in Spain in relation to 5 fundamental categories of holiday expenses (rentals, transport, activities, eating out, food shopping).
Key Findings
Below we reveal the key findings from our research. This provides travellers with an overall idea of how much a holiday to Spain will cost in the summer of 2020.
Ibiza is the most expensive place to travel to Spain this summer out of the 17 destinations studied. The average price for accommodation on the "White Isle" is €4021 (£3418) for four people for one week. Furthermore, rental prices in Ibiza register a mere 14% variation between the cheapest and the most expensive week of the summer; this means that travelling to the island in the shoulder season does not guarantee huge savings.
According to our data, Ibiza is also at the top of the list for the most expensive car rentals (+51% compared to the average of all the destinations), activities (+75% above average), daily shopping (+42%) and is the fourth most expensive for eating out (after Mallorca, the Costa Tropical and the Costa del Azahar).
At the opposite end of the price range, we find Lanzarote and Tenerife. While not offering the cheapest prices overall in many categories, these two islands consistently guarantee costs below the average among all destinations, especially for rentals, transportation and eating out.
Also, the Costa Blanca, Costa Calida and Costa de Almeria offer good value for money. The prices for rentals on the Costa Calida and the Costa de Almeria are especially attractive, while the Costa Blanca offers very reasonable prices for car rentals, activities and eating out (and is still well below the average when it comes to holiday rentals).
The Costa de Almeria stands out as the cheapest destination overall for holiday rentals for summer 2020. This hidden gem along the Spanish coastline often overlooked in favour of the Costa del Sol and the Costa Blanca offers average holiday accommodation prices for as low as €472 (£401).
Throughout the summer the Costa de Almeria offers the lowest prices for holiday rentals among all the destinations studied. A week's stay in mid-August costs just €531 (£451) for 4 adults meaning a saving of €1928 (£1639), 72% less compared to the average price for the same period in one of the 3 most expensive destinations. Furthermore, this represents a saving of €323 (38%) compared to 2019 (£275).
Holiday Rental Prices
This section highlights the most expensive and the cheapest Spanish destinations to rent holiday accommodation as well as the best periods in terms of price for summer 2020. The findings below are based on one week's stay for four guests.
Overall averages
Among all the destinations chosen, the average price for a holiday rental in Spain for summer 2020 is €976 (£829).
For the peak season (from the second week of July to the end of August), the average price for all destinations is €1074 (£913), while for the shoulder season is €888 (£755).
Travelling to Spain in the shoulder season results in an average saving of 17% for a holiday rental compared to the peak season.
Cheapest vs most expensive
The most expensive destinations for holiday rentals this summer are Ibiza, Mallorca and the Costa Verde. Even though there are significant differences among the three; the average cost for a week's stay in Ibiza is €4021 (£3418), in Mallorca €1632 (£1387) and on the Costa Verde €1189 (£1011). These prices are respectively 312%, 67% and 22% higher than the average among all the destinations studied.
The cheapest destinations for holiday rentals are the Costa de Almeria, the Costa Calida and Tenerife. The average prices for a holiday home throughout the summer are respectively 51%, 48% and 45% cheaper than the average. In the Costa de Almeria the average price is €472 (£402), while on the Costa Calida is €508 (£432) and in Tenerife is €533 (£453).
Peak season vs shoulder-season
Tenerife has the smallest variation in holiday rental prices between the cheapest and the most expensive weeks in the summer, with a mere 7% fluctuation.
On the other hand, travelling to the Costa Dorada can result in a considerable change in accommodation prices depending on the period: the most expensive week of the summer on the Costa Dorada will cost 136% more than the cheapest, €1107 vs €468 (£941 vs £398).
Also, those wanting to travel to the Costa Brava, Fuerteventura and the Costa de la Luz should pay attention to which holiday period they choose; the prices for holiday rentals in the most expensive week of the summer are respectively 86%, 81% and 62% higher than the cheapest week.
If we consider only the peak season (roughly, from the second week of July to the fourth week of August), the average price for holiday rentals among all the destinations studied is €1074 (£913). In this respect, the least expensive rates can be found on the Costa de Almeria €520 (£442), Tenerife €537 (£457) and the Costa Calida €553 (£470). The most expensive on average during the same period are Ibiza €4176 (£3550), Mallorca €1840 (£1564) and the Costa Verde €1260 (£1071).
In the shoulder season, the best rates are on the Costa de Almeria, Costa Calida and Tenerife, with average prices respectively €430 (£365), €469 (£399) and €528 (£449). In the same period, the most expensive destinations are again Ibiza, Mallorca and the Costa Verde, with average prices respectively €3883 (£3301), €1446 (£1229) and €1126 (£957).
Summer Holiday Expenses
Of course, a holiday comes with more expenses than the price of renting accommodation alone. Below we reveal the most expensive and the cheapest destinations of the 17 studied in relation to transportation, activities, eating out and a basic food shop.
Transport
Transfers by bus or taxi from the main international airport to the most popular towns and resorts on the Costa Tropical, Costa de Almeria and the Costa Dorada are the most expensive among the destinations studied. On the other hand, the lowest prices can be found in Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and the Costa Brava.
As for car rentals, Lanzarote offers the best price for a compact car with a full tank for one week for just €70 (£60), followed by the Costa Brava for €106 (£90) and the Costa Blanca for €128 (£109). The most expensive destination for car rentals is Ibiza with a price of €280 (£238), followed by Mallorca, the Costa de Valencia and the Costa del Azahar, all at €267 (£227). The average price for all destinations is €184 (£156).
Lanzarote offers the cheapest price for bus transfers, with the ticket costing just €2.63 on average (£2.24) followed by Ibiza for €3.90 (£3.32) and Gran Canaria for €4.05 (£3.44). The most expensive fares can be found on the Costa de la Luz for €18 (£15.3), on the Costa Dorada for €16.2 (£13.8), and on the Costa de Almeria for €11.3 (£9.6).
For taxi fares on the same route, the best prices can be found on the Costa de la Luz, for an average of just €7 (£6), in Lanzarote for €8 (£7) and on the Costa Brava for €12 (£10). The Costa de Almeria, with a price of €54 (£46) is the most expensive, followed by the Costa Tropical, for €41 (£35), and Costa del Azahar, for €35 (£30). The average for all destinations is €22 (£19).
Activities
According to our research, the most popular activities on offer in all destinations have an average price of €43 (£37). The most expensive destinations in this respect are Ibiza with an average cost of €75 (£64), followed by the Costa Brava for €67 (£57) and Fuerteventura for €53 (£45). The cheapest are Gran Canaria, costing an average of €24 (£20), the Costa Tropical with an average of €25 (£21) and Lanzarote with €29 (£25). The data is related to the best-rated activities available in the area according to Tripadvisor.
Eating out
Eating out is relatively cheap in Spain in the Summer. The average price among all destinations for a meal in a mid-priced restaurant for one person (starter, main meal, 2 glasses of wine and a dessert) is €38 (£32).
The cheapest prices can be found in Lanzarote, €27.33 (£23), the Costa de la Luz and Tenerife, both at €32 (£27). The most expensive are in Mallorca for €45 (£39), the Costa Tropical and the Costa del Azahar, both at €43.
Food shopping
Buying everyday items will cost the most on average in Ibiza €37 (£31), Fuerteventura €35 (£30) and Gran Canaria €30 (£25). Everyday shopping is cheaper on the Costa Calida, the Costa de la Luz and the Costa de Almeria, all with prices around €21 (£18). The average spend for all destinations is €26 (£22). This is based on buying 1-litre milk, coffee, sugar, eggs, meat, 1-litre water, local cheese, a kilo of tomatoes and a litre of olive oil.
Methodology
The exchange rate EUR to GBP used for this report is 0.85 (official as of the 29th of January 2020). Sources for this report.
Destinations:
Destinations were selected based on Spain-Holiday's data regarding bookings and web searches related to the summer season for 2020. The research was conducted in December 2019. The destinations included are Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Mallorca, Ibiza, the Costa de la Luz, the Costa del Sol, the Costa Tropical, the Costa de Almeria, the Costa Calida, the Costa Blanca, the Costa de Valencia, the Costa del Azahar, the Costa Dorada, the Costa Brava and the Costa Verde.
The average price for a whole holiday to Spain:
Prices in this category are obtained summing the average cost of a holiday rental for one week for 4 guests, the average cost of one activity for 4 people, the price of eating out for 7 days for 2 people and the cost of basic shopping for 7 days in each of the chosen destinations.
Rental prices:
Rental average rates were collected by analysing the prices of 20-holiday homes per destination, as they were available on Spain-Holiday.com in December 2019. Prices were based on a one-week stay for 4 guests, arriving/departing on a Monday. The study compares weekly rates, from the 1st June to the 28th of September.
Holiday expenses:
The data on transport, activities, restaurants and everyday shopping in the top destinations in Spain were compiled in December 2019.
• Bus prices are based on the average cost of a single adult fare, from the nearest international airport to five of the most popular towns or beach resorts on the corresponding area.
• Taxi fares are based on a maximum of 4 passengers, taken to the same destination as the bus route, including airport pickup surcharges.
• Car rental prices are based on a one week's rental, in July 2020, for a compact car with air conditioning, collected directly from the airport, with a full tank of petrol.
• Activities average costs are based on current prices for one person, as available in December 2019, for the most popular guided tours, water parks, theme parks, monuments fees, museums entrances as well as adventure, leisure and cultural activities available in the vicinity according to TripAdvisor.
• Eating out data focuses on the average price for a meal for one person in the chosen destinations. Meals include a starter, main meal, 2 glasses of wine and a dessert. Restaurants have been selected as the most popular among travellers within the mid-price range in each given destination according to TripAdvisor.
• The shopping section reports prices of everyday items purchased from local supermarkets, including 1-litre of milk, coffee, sugar, eggs, meat, 1-litre of water, local cheese, a kilo of tomatoes and a litre of olive oil.
Terminology
Peak season - from the second week of July to the fourth week of August. Usually, the most expensive weeks of the summer.
Shoulder season - from the 1st of June to the second week of July and from the 31st of August to the 28th of September. This is the time when the weather is still good, the crowds have thinned out, tourist attractions and amenities are still open, but travel and accommodation prices are usually lower.
Spain-Holiday.com Summer Holiday Prices Report - Summer 2020
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