The Cost of a Holiday from Australia (2026)

Where you go sets the floor, how long sets the ceiling

The ING survey puts the average two-week overseas holiday at $7,310, and more than half of that is flights (27%) and accommodation (26%). That mix is why distance matters less than duration: a third week does not add a second airfare, but it adds a third of your hotel and food again.

Nearby and short is the cheap combination. Far and long is where the budget runs away.

The bucket-list trips

At the top sit the once-in-a-lifetime trips: a antarctica trip ($44,000) or a galapagos trip ($23,500), an africa safari ($21,500), or a gap year ($32,500) that is less a holiday than a sabbatical. These are priced like a car because, in time and money, they are one.

The ones that quietly cost the most

Some trips cost more than their destination suggests. A honeymoon ($15,500) carries an upgrade-everything premium, a maldives trip ($17,500) is pure accommodation cost, and a japan family trip ($23,500) multiplies every ticket, meal and room by the number of kids.

How to cut it

Fly in the shoulder season, book flights early (they are the biggest single line), and favour length over distance. A fortnight close to home beats a rushed week on the other side of the planet, for less.