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TruePrice Index · October 2026

TruePrice Index 2026: the cheapest and most expensive countries to visit

One number per country for what a visitor pays at fair local prices. I compare 29 everyday buys, from a coffee to a taxi ride, with the median of the 60 countries I track: 100 is the median, 50 means half the median price. Next to it sits the tourist markup: how much more tourists typically get charged for the same things.

Key findings

The numbers worth quoting, computed from all 1,740 prices in the October 2026 update.

  • 9.5×

    Fair prices in Switzerland, the most expensive of the 60 countries, are about 9.5× as high as in Ethiopia, the cheapest.

  • $7.50 to $87

    A tourist day at fair prices (two meals, a coffee, water, a beer, two transit rides and a short taxi ride) costs about $7.50 in Ethiopia and $87 in Switzerland. Accommodation not included.

  • 2.9× / 2.5×

    Cheaper countries tend to have bigger tourist markups: the typical markup is 2.9× in the 20 cheapest countries and 2.5× in the 20 most expensive.

All 60 countries, ranked

Sort by any column, filter by region or search for a country. Each name opens that country's full price page. The day columns show one tourist day of food, drinks and local transport, converted to US dollars at the rate of October 3, 2026.

Next to each country: its index and tourist markup (×). Under it: the price level and one tourist day, at the fair and at the tourist-trap price.

TruePrice Index for 60 countries: price level, tourist markup and one tourist day at fair and at tourist-trap prices.
Index rank Country Index Price level Tourist markup Fair day Tourist-trap day
1 Ethiopia 33 Very cheap Tourist prices are about 3.1× the fair price Fair $7.50 Trap $29
2 Laos 36 Very cheap Tourist prices are about 3.1× the fair price Fair $12 Trap $34
3 India 38 Very cheap Tourist prices are about 3.3× the fair price Fair $10 Trap $30
4 Bolivia 40 Very cheap Tourist prices are about 2.4× the fair price Fair $12 Trap $24
5 Nepal 42 Very cheap Tourist prices are about 2.8× the fair price Fair $14 Trap $31
6 Vietnam 47 Very cheap Tourist prices are about 3.1× the fair price Fair $13 Trap $39
7 Philippines 47 Very cheap Tourist prices are about 3.2× the fair price Fair $16 Trap $43
8 Egypt 50 Very cheap Tourist prices are about 3.0× the fair price Fair $13 Trap $42
9 Tanzania 52 Very cheap Tourist prices are about 2.9× the fair price Fair $15 Trap $37
10 Indonesia 53 Very cheap Tourist prices are about 3.6× the fair price Fair $13 Trap $54
11 Myanmar 55 Very cheap Tourist prices are about 2.9× the fair price Fair $12 Trap $34
12 Sri Lanka 55 Very cheap Tourist prices are about 2.9× the fair price Fair $20 Trap $49
13 Tunisia 56 Very cheap Tourist prices are about 2.9× the fair price Fair $13 Trap $41
14 Cambodia 61 Cheap Tourist prices are about 2.8× the fair price Fair $15 Trap $57
15 Cuba 63 Cheap Tourist prices are about 3.2× the fair price Fair $15 Trap $55
16 Thailand 70 Cheap Tourist prices are about 3.0× the fair price Fair $19 Trap $76
17 Senegal 79 Cheap Tourist prices are about 3.1× the fair price Fair $19 Trap $85
18 Malaysia 82 Cheap Tourist prices are about 2.7× the fair price Fair $19 Trap $50
19 Bosnia & Herzegovina 84 Cheap Tourist prices are about 2.3× the fair price Fair $17 Trap $39
20 Kenya 84 Cheap Tourist prices are about 2.8× the fair price Fair $17 Trap $55
21 North Macedonia 86 Average Tourist prices are about 2.4× the fair price Fair $21 Trap $51
22 Brazil 86 Average Tourist prices are about 2.8× the fair price Fair $28 Trap $76
23 Ecuador 87 Average Tourist prices are about 3.1× the fair price Fair $27 Trap $73
24 Peru 90 Average Tourist prices are about 2.6× the fair price Fair $27 Trap $71
25 Dominican Republic 93 Average Tourist prices are about 2.9× the fair price Fair $25 Trap $85
26 China 95 Average Tourist prices are about 3.1× the fair price Fair $22 Trap $71
27 Guatemala 98 Average Tourist prices are about 2.5× the fair price Fair $23 Trap $61
28 Bulgaria 98 Average Tourist prices are about 2.4× the fair price Fair $24 Trap $48
29 Colombia 100 Average Tourist prices are about 2.6× the fair price Fair $31 Trap $73
30 Morocco 101 Average Tourist prices are about 3.2× the fair price Fair $23 Trap $88
31 Chile 103 Average Tourist prices are about 2.7× the fair price Fair $32 Trap $94
32 Romania 103 Average Tourist prices are about 2.6× the fair price Fair $36 Trap $81
33 South Africa 106 Average Tourist prices are about 2.7× the fair price Fair $29 Trap $110
34 Serbia 110 Average Tourist prices are about 2.5× the fair price Fair $21 Trap $79
35 Turkey 112 Average Tourist prices are about 2.3× the fair price Fair $30 Trap $59
36 Albania 112 Average Tourist prices are about 3.0× the fair price Fair $32 Trap $105
37 Argentina 113 Average Tourist prices are about 2.4× the fair price Fair $39 Trap $82
38 Jordan 116 Pricey Tourist prices are about 2.7× the fair price Fair $25 Trap $69
39 Mexico 117 Pricey Tourist prices are about 2.8× the fair price Fair $36 Trap $82
40 Poland 121 Pricey Tourist prices are about 2.3× the fair price Fair $31 Trap $66
41 South Korea 131 Pricey Tourist prices are about 2.5× the fair price Fair $28 Trap $71
42 Montenegro 134 Pricey Tourist prices are about 2.5× the fair price Fair $32 Trap $81
43 Oman 134 Pricey Tourist prices are about 2.8× the fair price Fair $44 Trap $120
44 Japan 135 Pricey Tourist prices are about 2.5× the fair price Fair $32 Trap $75
45 Maldives 140 Pricey Tourist prices are about 3.2× the fair price Fair $40 Trap $150
46 Hungary 141 Pricey Tourist prices are about 2.7× the fair price Fair $35 Trap $110
47 Greece 145 Pricey Tourist prices are about 2.5× the fair price Fair $36 Trap $84
48 Spain 148 Pricey Tourist prices are about 2.5× the fair price Fair $51 Trap $120
49 Portugal 148 Pricey Tourist prices are about 2.5× the fair price Fair $39 Trap $105
50 Singapore 149 Pricey Tourist prices are about 2.4× the fair price Fair $37 Trap $95
51 Croatia 154 Pricey Tourist prices are about 2.4× the fair price Fair $38 Trap $105
52 Czech Republic 157 Pricey Tourist prices are about 2.5× the fair price Fair $39 Trap $97
53 UAE 161 Expensive Tourist prices are about 2.8× the fair price Fair $46 Trap $110
54 Costa Rica 175 Expensive Tourist prices are about 2.8× the fair price Fair $42 Trap $145
55 Germany 179 Expensive Tourist prices are about 2.2× the fair price Fair $44 Trap $90
56 Italy 183 Expensive Tourist prices are about 2.6× the fair price Fair $43 Trap $115
57 France 193 Expensive Tourist prices are about 2.4× the fair price Fair $50 Trap $125
58 United Kingdom 222 Expensive Tourist prices are about 2.2× the fair price Fair $67 Trap $145
59 United States 222 Expensive Tourist prices are about 2.1× the fair price Fair $55 Trap $108
60 Switzerland 315 Expensive Tourist prices are about 2.0× the fair price Fair $87 Trap $180

Bars share one scale starting at zero. The line marks the median, 100.

Browse all 60 country pages

The cheapest countries in Europe

In Bosnia & Herzegovina, fair prices are the lowest of the 19 European countries I track, 16% below the 60-country median. Europe as a whole is the priciest of the four regions: its median country scores 145.

  1. 1 Bosnia & Herzegovina 84 Cheap Fair day $17 Tourist prices are about 2.3× the fair price Tourist-trap day $39
  2. 2 North Macedonia 86 Average Fair day $21 Tourist prices are about 2.4× the fair price Tourist-trap day $51
  3. 3 Bulgaria 98 Average Fair day $24 Tourist prices are about 2.4× the fair price Tourist-trap day $48
  4. 4 Romania 103 Average Fair day $36 Tourist prices are about 2.6× the fair price Tourist-trap day $81
  5. 5 Serbia 110 Average Fair day $21 Tourist prices are about 2.5× the fair price Tourist-trap day $79
  6. 6 Albania 112 Average Fair day $32 Tourist prices are about 3.0× the fair price Tourist-trap day $105
Show all 19 European countries in the ranking

How the TruePrice Index works

Short version: fair local prices for the same 29 things in every country, compared item by item. The longer version is below, with every date.

Countries
60
Prices
1,740 (29 per country)
Checked
to
Exchange rates
Page updated

What is in the basket

29 everyday purchases a visitor actually makes, the same list in every country:

Food & drinks

  • Water 0.5 L
  • Coffee (espresso)
  • Local beer
  • Restaurant meal
  • Street food meal
  • Cocktail at bar
  • Bottle of wine (restaurant)
  • Fresh juice

Transport

  • Airport taxi to center
  • City taxi 1 km
  • Public transit ticket
  • Private transfer (app)

Souvenirs

  • Fridge magnet
  • Printed T-shirt
  • Local handcraft

Daily essentials

  • Tourist SIM card
  • Sunscreen SPF50
  • Water 1.5 L
  • Cigarettes
  • Painkillers (paracetamol)
  • Mosquito repellent

Services

  • Men's haircut
  • Laundry (per kg)
  • Massage (1 hour)
  • Women's haircut

Attractions

  • Top museum / attraction
  • Half-day group tour
  • Full-day group tour
  • Cooking class

Fair price and tourist-trap price

The fair price is what locals typically pay. The tourist-trap price is what tourists are commonly charged in tourist areas for the same thing. Both are ranges, and every calculation uses the middle of the range.

How the index is computed

For each item I take the middle of the fair range in US dollars and divide it by that item's median across all 60 countries. The index is the geometric mean of those 29 ratios, times 100. The geometric mean keeps one unusual item, such as a pricey museum ticket, from moving a whole country. 100 is the median, 50 means half the median price and 200 twice it. An item that is free (public transport in Belgrade) is left out of that country's average instead of counting as zero.

How the tourist markup is computed

For each item, the middle of the tourist-trap range divided by the middle of the fair range, then the geometric mean across all items. 3.0× means tourist prices are typically three times the fair price.

Ranks and the top-5 lists use the unrounded numbers, so two countries that show the same figure can still hold different places.

Exchange rates

Every price is converted to US dollars at the exchange rates of October 3, 2026, so every country is converted on the same day. Cuba is converted at the informal rate tourists actually get, 638 pesos per US dollar, not the official one.

What the tourist day is

One day of eating, drinking and getting around, priced at the middle of each range:

  • Street food meal
  • Restaurant meal
  • Coffee (espresso)
  • Water 1.5 L
  • Local beer
  • Public transit ticket 2 rides
  • City taxi 1 km

Accommodation is left out on purpose: it swings too much with the season and the night of the week for one honest number. Sightseeing and flights are left out too.

How sure I am

Every price carries a label. Verified means checked against recent local sources. An estimate is based on related prices and not yet confirmed. A rough estimate rests on thin data, so treat it as a ballpark.

What the index is not

  • Not what residents spend: rent, wages and household bills are not in it.
  • Not accommodation: hotel prices are left out on purpose.
  • Not city by city: prices are typical for each country's main tourist cities, which every country page lists.
  • Not flights or the cost of getting there.

How to cite

Quoting a number? Please name the index and the month and link to this page, so readers can check the same figures.

TruePrice Index, October 2026, truepriceapp.com/en/trueprice-index/

To point at one country, add its two-letter code to the link: truepriceapp.com/en/trueprice-index/#TH

Spotted a number that looks off? Email me at contact@truepriceapp.com and I will check it.

Every price behind the index, in your pocket.

The free TruePrice app has the fair and the tourist-trap price for all 29 items in each of the 60 countries, plus a trip budget that checks every expense. It works offline, on iPhone and Android.

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