Home may be wherever you lay your head, but how expensive it is can vary wildly depending on where on the earth that happens to be...and what level of comfort you need.
We've travelled far and wide to bring you the average cost of accommodation around the world. All prices are in US dollars with the local currency in brackets afterwards.
Australia
Australia has accommodation for all budgets, but book ahead – especially through summer, over Easter and during Australian school holidays.
Hostel dorm bed: $27 (A$40)
Double room in a basic motel: $68-102 (A$100–150)
Double room in a B&B or hotel: $102-170 (A$150–250)
Double room in a top-end hotel: from $170 (A$250)
Belize
In the main tourist areas, Belize has a fair range of accommodations in most categories, Away from the coast, options become more limited. Book ahead in high season.
Camping or dorm bed: $5-20 (BZ$10–40)
Double room in a budget hotel: $24-59 (BZ$50–120)
Double room with private bathroom: $59-173 (BZ$120–350)
Luxury accommodations per double: from $173 (BZ$350)
Croatia
Croatia is extremely popular in summer and good places book out well in advance in July and August. It's also very busy in June and September.
Dorm bed: $15-42 (100–360KN)
Tent site for two people: $15-64 (100–430KN)
Double room in a hotel: $65-134 (450–900KN)
Double room in a luxury hotel: from $134 (900KN)
Dominican Republic
Online room rates are usually cheapest in Dominican Republic. If you're visiting during the high season, especially in tourist-heavy areas, book early.
Budget room: $35 (RD$1500)
Internet deal on all-inclusive accommodations: $55 (RD$2800)
Beachfront resort: $200 (RD$10,23)
England
Booking your accommodation in England in advance is recommended, especially in summer, at weekends and on islands (where options are often limited). Book at least two months ahead for July and August.
Dorm beds: $19-39 (£15–30)
Double room in a midrange hotel or B&B: $85-170, London $131-262 (£65–130, London £100–200)
Four-star hotel room: from $170, London from $262 (£130/£200)
France
Be it a fairy-tale château, a boutique hideaway or floating pod on a lake, France has accommodation to suit every taste and pocket. If you’re visiting in high season (especially August), reserve ahead – the best addresses on the coast fill up months in advance.
Dorm bed: $20-33 (€18–30)
Double room in a budget hotel: $99 (€90)
Double room in a midrange hotel: $99-210 (€90–190)
Double room in a top-end hotel: $210-388 (€190–350)
Greece
In high season it’s essential to make reservations in Greece, as hotels can be fully booked well in advance. Many hotels on islands are closed during winter.
Dorm bed and domatio (Greek B&B): less than $66 (€60)
Double room in midrange hotel: $66-166 (€60–150)
Double room in top hotel: from $166 (€150)
Hungary
Hungary has a wide range of accommodation. Book a couple of months in advance for Budapest, Lake Balaton and the Danube Bend in high season.
Dorm bed: $10-21 (3000–6500Ft)
Single/double private room: from $25-33 (7500/10,000Ft)
Double room in superior hotel: from $55 (16,500Ft)
Italy
Accommodation in Italy is incredibly varied, with everything from family-run pensioni and agriturismi (farm stays) to idiosyncratic B&Bs, designer hotels, serviced apartments and even rifugi (mountain huts) for weary mountain trekkers. Capturing the imagination even more are options spanning luxurious country villas and castles to tranquil convents and monasteries. Book ahead for the high season, especially in popular tourist areas or if visiting cities during major events.
Dorm bed: $22-38 (€20–35)
Double room in a budget hotel: $66-122 (€60–110)
Double room in a hotel: $122-220 (€110–200)
Double room in a four- or five-star hotel: $220 plus (€200)
Japan
Japan offers a wide range of accommodation, from cheap guesthouses to first-class hotels, and distinctive Japanese-style ryokan (traditional inns) and minshuku (guesthouses). Advance booking is highly recommended, especially in major tourist destinations.
Dorm bed: $27 (¥3000)
Double room at a business hotel: $92 (¥10,000)
Double room in a nice hotel: from $229 (¥25,000)
Kyrgyzstan
Homestays are the bedrock of accommodation in rural Kyrgyzstan, with bed and breakfast (B&B) rarely costing more than 700som. There's an approximate rating system of one, two or three stars, but even some of the best options are likely to have an outside toilet. The lowliest will have a long drop and bucket-water bathing.
Hostel dorm (Bishkek) or rural homestay: $5-10 (400–700som)
Midrange hotel: $30–50 (2,095-3,490som)
High-end or boutique hotel: $60–200 (4,190-13,970som)
Laos
It's worth booking in advance in popular destinations like Luang Prabang and Vientiane during peak-season months of November to February and around Lao New Year in April.
Cheap guesthouse room: $5–10 (44,253-88,503 lak)
Air-con hotel room: $12–50 (106,200-442,503 lak)
Boutique hotel or resort: $50–500 (442,503-4.4m lak)
Morocco
Bed down in everything from a stylish riad to a swanky resort or a beachfront hostel, a mud-brick kasbah turned boutique hotel to a nomad-style tent in Morocco.
Basic double room with shared bathroom: from $5 (Dh50)
Hotel room: $41-83 (Dh400–800)
Double in a city riad: from $104 (Dh1000)
New Zealand
Book beds well in advance in peak tourist seasons: November through March (particularly local summer holidays from Christmas to late January), at Easter, and during winter (June to September) in snowy resort towns like Queenstown and Wanaka.
Dorm beds or campsites: $13−30 per night (NZ$20−45
Double room in a midrange hotel/motel: $84-130 (NZ$130–200)
Double room in an upmarket hotel: from $130-228 (NZ$200-350)
Oman
Accommodation in Oman, which outside Muscat is limited and expensive, should be booked in advance from November to March (or June to August in Salalah). Note that some towns have no hotels at all although wild camping is often possible close by.
Shared room in budget guesthouse: $78 (OR30)
Double room in a midrange hotel: $182 (OR70)
Double room in five-star hotel or resort: $338 (OR130)
Portugal
Although you can usually show up in any town in Portugal and find a room on the spot, it's worthwhile booking ahead, especially for July and August.
Dorm bed: $16-24 (€15–22)
Basic hotel room for two: from $38 (€35)
Double room in a midrange hotel: $55-110 (€50–100)
Boutique hotel room: from $133 (€120)
Qatar
Qatar’s main sights are all within day-trip distance of the capital. Unless you plan on camping out overnight in the desert (something you'll need to arrange through a travel agency), your best bet is to stay in Doha or West Bay, where the choice of accommodation is exceptional. Boutique hotels are carved from traditional buildings in the souq, the five-stars are temples to luxury, and there's even an offshore resort.
Double room in a simple hotel: $82-109 (QR300–400)
Double room in a comfortable hotel: $165-220 (QR600–800)
Double room in a luxury hotel: more than $275 (QR1000)
Russia
For major cities and resorts it's a good idea to book a night or two in advance (especially during the busy summer season in St Petersburg). Elsewhere you can usually just turn up and find a room.
Dorm bed: $10-13 (R700–R800)
Double room in a midrange hotel: $31-47 (R2000–R3000)
Double room in a top-end hotel: $78-plus (R5000)
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has accommodation to suit all styles of travel, from family run guesthouses to ayurvedic spas.
Simple guesthouse: $11-20 (Rs 2000–3500)
Double room in a good place: $20-50 (Rs 3500–9000)
Top-end hotel: $50 and up (Rs 9000)
Thailand
Finding a place to stay in Thailand is easy. For peace of mind, book a room for your first few nights; after that, you can wing it unless you're heading to the most popular destinations. Bear in mind that vacancies can be scarce during certain holidays and peak travel periods.
Basic guesthouse room: $16-33 (500–1000B)
Flashpacker guesthouse or midrange hotel room: $33-132 (1000–4000B)
Boutique hotel room: from $132 (4000B)
USA
There's a wide variety of sleeping options in the USA, from roadside motels to beautifully designed boutique stays.
Campgrounds and hostel dorms: $10–50
Double room in midrange hotel: $75–200
Double room in a resort or top-end hotel: from $250
Vietnam
Accommodation is superb value for money in Vietnam. As tourism is booming it's usually best to book your accommodation a day or two in advance, or several weeks ahead in the high season (the Tet holiday in late January to mid-February, July to August, and around Christmas).
Cheap hotel: US$9–16 a night, dorms less
Comfortable double room: US$25–50
Luxury hotel room: from US$80
Wales
Wales has a wide range of accommodation available but you should consider booking well in advance in summer and around important events (especially rugby tests in Cardiff).
Dorm bed: $18-30 (£14–23)
Double room in a hotel/B&B: $85-170 (£65–130)
Luxury hotel or boutique B&B room: from $170 (£130)
Zambia
Zambia offers an excellent choice of accommodation options to cater for all budgets. The safari lodges in the national parks in particular provide a memorable stay, whether camping in the wilderness or taking a bubble bath looking out across the wildlife-rich plains. Prices drop during shoulder season, and offer some good deals.
Campsite, dorm bed: $8–20
Double room in a guesthouse: $25–50
Double hotel room: $80–200
Safari package with meals and activities: from $250
All-inclusive safari package: $250–1100
Hotel room: $250–400
You might also like:
Where to go when: the best places to visit through 2020
Working 9-5 but want to travel more? Here's how you can do it
Trips for travellers who want to learn something new
