The Price Of A (Half) Pint

Thinking that it might be cheaper to stay in the UK for the annual holiday this year? Thomas Cook would suggest otherwise. Reported on in the "Diario"  (13 May) is a cost comparison for various holiday destinations, based on various prices including those for a beer, a coffee and a three-course meal. The most expensive of the eleven destinations is the UK. Of others, Majorca is the second most expensive behind Cyprus. The island may not be cheap in the way that Goa is (slightly less than a third of the Majorcan daily cost), but it still comes out some six and a half euros less than the UK. Of the three items quoted, the prices in Majorca - on average it would seem - are 2.78 euros for a beer (and this is for a caña, i.e. more like a half), 1.67 for a coffee and 22.26 euros for the meal.

These findings are not especially surprising, though the fact that Majorca is nine euros per day per person more expensive than the Iberian peninsula does make one wonder as to relative costs between the island and the mainland. But of the Majorcan prices, all seem a bit on the steep side. It depends where you drink a beer or a coffee or eat a meal, but each can be purchased for less than the amounts mentioned. A coffee (café con leche) is typically 1.50, but you can pay less. A three-course menú del día can be as low as seven or eight euros, and there are places that are offering them for less. The problem with the menú del día is that all too often your average tourist will not avail him or herself of it as it tends to be confined to "Spanish" restaurants and therefore funny foreign food. The second problem is that the menú del día is not to be had in the evenings, which is when, typically, tourists might prefer to take their main meal of the day. The third is that you don't get a lot of choice.

Nevertheless, it is still quite feasible to have a good evening meal for a lower price. It also depends how hungry you are, but there are plenty of places which will serve up seriously good portions as a main meal that will set you back maybe 12 to 13 euros. The starters are often pretty substantial as well; a main course will usually suffice. As far as beer is concerned, the British brews will always tend to be more expensive than local ones. But if one's taste is for Tetley's rather than a Saint Mick or Cruzcampo then it will make more of a dent in the budget.

As a comparative exercise between different destinations, the Thomas Cook survey is probably, in general terms, fairly accurate, but the savvy holidaymaker can do it for a lower amount. It may require a bit of looking around and drawing your own comparisons, but the prices stated should not be taken as gospel.

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