- August 16, 2026
- 11
- Travel Tips , Holiday Prices
Think Greece and Turkey Are Cheaper? See the Real 2026 Holiday Prices
Everyone seems to say the same thing: “Turkey is cheaper,” or “You get more for your money in Greece.”
But is that actually true in 2026?
We compared the everyday things holidaymakers really pay for—beer, coffee, pizza, ice cream, cocktails, restaurant meals, sunbeds and umbrellas—in Sunny Beach, Halkidiki, Marmaris and the Costa del Sol.
The results may surprise you.
The real 2026 price comparison
| Holiday purchase | 🇧🇬 Sunny Beach | 🇬🇷 Halkidiki | 🇹🇷 Marmaris | 🇪🇸 Costa del Sol |
| Coffee | €1.50–3 | €1.50–4 | €1–4 | €1.20–2 |
| Soft drink | €1.50–3 | €3–5 | €2–4 | €2–3.50 |
| Local beer | €2–3 for 500 ml | €4–6 for 500 ml | €4.70–7 for 500 ml | €1.80–3.50 for a smaller caña |
| Cocktail | €4–7 | €8–12 | €9–14 | €5–15 |
| Pizza | €8–14 | €8–14 | €12–29 with a drink | €8–15 |
| Casual main course | €7–15 | €8–15 | €18–29 | €12–22 |
| Seafood dish | €8–16 | €12–25 | €21–35 | €18–40 |
| Ice cream | €2–3 per scoop | €2.50–4 | €2.50–4.50 | €2.50–4 |
| Dinner for two with drinks | €30–45 | €40–70 | €60–100 | €45–90 |
| Two sunbeds and an umbrella | €13.80–15.34 | Usually €20–40 | Around €12–24 for two beds; umbrella may be extra | Usually €15–25 |
Prices vary between venues, locations and seasons. Premium beach clubs and front-row loungers can cost considerably more.
The pizza-and-beer test
Let’s begin with one of the simplest holiday meals: pizza and a cold beer.
In Sunny Beach, a pizza generally costs around €8–14, while a full-sized local beer is approximately €2–3. That puts the total at roughly €10–17 per person.
Here is what a comparable meal could cost elsewhere:
- Sunny Beach: €10–17
- Halkidiki: €12–20
- Marmaris: €17–36
- Costa del Sol: €10–19
Spain can come close, especially at a local restaurant away from the beachfront. But in the busiest tourist areas of Greece and Turkey, the same casual meal can cost noticeably more.
Even the ice creams add up
An ice cream does not appear expensive until you start buying four of them every afternoon.
In Sunny Beach, a scoop typically costs around €2–3. A family of four can therefore expect to spend approximately €8–12.
The same family treat could cost:
| Destination | Four ice creams |
| 🇧🇬 Sunny Beach | €8–12 |
| 🇬🇷 Halkidiki | €10–16 |
| 🇹🇷 Marmaris | €10–18 |
| 🇪🇸 Costa del Sol | €10–16 |
That is only a small daily difference, but repeat it over a seven-night holiday and add coffees, drinks and snacks, and the total begins to matter.
Cocktails reveal an even bigger difference
The price gap becomes clearer after sunset.
A cocktail in Sunny Beach can commonly be found for around €4–7, although premium venues charge more. In Halkidiki, cocktails at beach bars are frequently €8–12, while Marmaris tourist bars can charge approximately €9–14. On the Costa del Sol, prices range from affordable local-bar deals to €15 or considerably more at luxury beach clubs.
For two people having three cocktails each, the approximate bill could be:
- Sunny Beach: €24–42
- Halkidiki: €48–72
- Marmaris: €54–84
- Costa del Sol: €30–90
This is where Sunny Beach’s huge selection works in the visitor’s favour. With so many bars competing for customers, it is usually possible to find happy hours, drink promotions and venues for different budgets.
What does a complete beach day cost?
Now let’s put everything together.
Imagine a couple buying two coffees, two casual meals, two beers, two ice creams and a set containing two sunbeds and an umbrella.
| Resort | Estimated beach-day total for two |
| 🇧🇬 Sunny Beach | €39–63 |
| 🇪🇸 Costa del Sol | €50–88 |
| 🇬🇷 Halkidiki | €52–98 |
| 🇹🇷 Marmaris | €64–113+ |
Depending on where they eat and drink, a couple in Sunny Beach could keep an additional €20–50 in their pocket in a single day.
Over a week, that difference could pay for a water park, boat trip, family excursion, shopping—or several extra evenings out.
Is every single thing cheaper in Sunny Beach?
No—and it is important to be honest about that.
You can find an inexpensive small beer in a traditional Spanish bar. Some Greek beach bars include loungers when customers agree to a minimum spend. Turkey still has affordable local cafés and street food away from the marina and main tourist areas.
However, visitors do not live on one cheap coffee or one discounted meal.
The real holiday cost comes from buying food, drinks, snacks, ice creams, beach facilities and entertainment every day. That is where Sunny Beach remains extremely competitive.
More than low prices
Sunny Beach does not win only because of the bill.
Visitors also get:
- A long and wide sandy beach
- Free beach zones alongside paid loungers
- Hundreds of restaurants, bars and cafés
- Affordable Bulgarian and international food
- Water parks and family attractions
- Boat trips, watersports and excursions
- One of the liveliest nightlife scenes on the Black Sea
- Accommodation for almost every budget
- Historic Nessebar just minutes away
Greece may offer dramatic coves, Spain has wonderful local cuisine and Turkey combines beaches with colourful markets and boat trips. But Sunny Beach delivers an unusually strong combination of beach, entertainment, choice and affordability in one destination.
Independent research supports the comparison
The Post Office Family Holiday Report 2026 compared the same basket of meals, drinks and common holiday purchases across 22 European destinations.
Sunny Beach ranked as the second-best-value family destination in Europe, with a total basket cost of £142.16.
| Destination | Comparable 2026 basket | Difference from Sunny Beach |
| 🇧🇬 Sunny Beach | £142.16 | — |
| 🇹🇷 Marmaris | £158.33 | 11% more |
| 🇪🇸 Costa del Sol | £163.17 | 15% more |
| 🇬🇷 Rhodes | £186.10 | 31% more |
| 🇬🇷 Corfu | £204.34 | 44% more |
| 🇬🇷 Crete | £221.57 | 56% more |
Unlike viral posts based on a single receipt, this research compared a complete basket of typical holiday spending.
The verdict
Turkey and Greece can still offer excellent holidays. Spain can be surprisingly affordable if you know where to eat.
But the claim that they are automatically cheaper than Sunny Beach no longer stands up without a proper comparison.
When beer, pizza, ice cream, cocktails, restaurant meals and beach facilities are added together, Sunny Beach remains one of Europe’s strongest holiday bargains in 2026.
Same summer sun. A huge sandy beach. More entertainment—and potentially a much smaller bill.
Would you choose Sunny Beach, Greece, Turkey or Spain? Share this comparison with your holiday partner and let us know!
Sources
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