Bulgaria offers Austrian tourists best value in Europe

Bulgaria is among the European countries where Austrian tourists get the highest value for their money, with EUR 1 buying around 70% more goods and services than at home, according to Bank Austria’s annual analysis of the so-called holiday euro, quoted by APA.

In some tourist destinations, EUR 1 can buy significantly more than in Austria. This applies particularly to Bulgaria, Romania and Czechia, as well as to a number of popular tourist destinations in Southern Europe, the analysis shows, CE Report quotes BTA.

According to the study, Austrian tourists in Bulgaria get around 70% more for their money than at home. In Romania and Czechia, the purchasing power of the holiday euro is around 40% higher. In Cyprus, Poland and Slovakia, it is worth around 20% more.

Among the most popular summer holiday destinations in 2026, Portugal offers Austrians the best value for money. There, EUR 1 can buy around a third more goods and services than in Austria.

UniCredit Bank Austria Chief Economist Stefan Bruckbauer said that in Spain, Hungary and Turkiye, the value of the holiday euro is significantly higher than in Austria, at around a quarter. In Greece and Slovenia, holidaymakers get around 20% more for the same amount, he added.

By contrast, holidays are more expensive in some developed economies. In the United States, the same amount of money buys around 10% fewer goods and services than in Austria, despite the appreciation of the euro. Switzerland remains the most expensive destination, with EUR 100 buying goods and services worth only EUR 69 compared with Austrian prices.

Prices in France, Germany, Canada and the United Kingdom are almost on a par with those in Austria.

According to Bruckbauer, compared with the summer of 2025, the relative value of the holiday euro has changed only slightly. It has fallen by around 2% due to higher inflation in some countries, which was only partially offset by exchange-rate movements.

Bank Austria noted that the figures are average values and that there may be significant differences between individual regions within the respective countries. The bank also pointed out that lower prices in a number of tourist destinations are linked to lower income levels compared with Austria.

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