The Most Expensive Destinations of 2026

by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 3:20 PM ET, Thu June 18, 2026

With inflation driving up the cost of living and the Trump Administration’s attack on Iran leading to increased travel costs, its become difficult for many Americans to make ends meet.

US travelers however, have not given up on taking vacations. A new study from travel insurance marketplace Squaremouth shows that more than four in 10 (45.35%) US travelers say they’re increasing their travel budget this year, with almost one in four (23.28%) spending more to have a premium experience.

With all of these factors in mind, Squaremouth set out to identify the most expensive (read: least affordable) destinations globally to visit in 2026. To identify these locations, the travel insurer compared destinations across 5 key cost categories:

Average per-day trip cost (total cost / total days)
Average flight cost
Average accommodation cost
Average car rental cost
Average everyday food and drink prices

So, what did the data show? It turns out that the most expensive travel destination worldwide is Greenland with an overall expense index of 9.84 out of 10 and a daily trip costs of a whopping $1,171.

Not far behind, in second place, is the British Virgin Islands (9.72 overall expense index and $925 daily trip cost), followed by French Polynesia (9.43 overall expense index and $756 daily trip cost).

Rounding out the top five most expensive destinations globally is Antarctica (8.90 overall expense index and daily trip cost $1,511) and Maldives (8.72 overall expense index and daily trip cost $1072).

“Destinations catering to certain types of trips tend to top the list, including polar and expedition-based destinations, followed by island and beach destinations, and safari and wildlife destinations,” says the report.

Antarctica, Botswana, and Rwanda have the highest average trip costs, based on reported insured trip costs from Squaremouth customers. Namibia, Antarctica, and Zimbabwe, meanwhile, rank as the most expensive destinations for airfare for flights from the USA.

Anguilla, Turks and Caicos, and French Polynesia, meanwhile, are the most expensive for average weeknight hotel costs. For everyday drink and dining costs, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Switzerland were found to be the most expensive destinations, according to the report.

Here’s a closer look at the full ranking of the most expensive travel destinations for 2026.

View from Tortola in the British Virgin Islands

The 10 most expensive travel destinations for 2026

1.Greenland: $1,171 daily trip cost/$1,357 flight cost/$110 daily rental car cost/$227 weeknight hotel cost

2.British Virgin Islands: $925 daily trip cost/$891 flight cost/$76 daily rental car cost/$1,137 weeknight hotel cost

3.French Polynesia: $756 daily trip cost/ $1,118 average flight cost/ $71 average daily car rental cost/ $1,382 average weeknight hotel cost

4.Antarctica: $1,511 daily trip cost/ $1,899 average flight cost/ $56 average daily car rental cost/ $197 average weeknight hotel cost

5.Maldives: $1,072 average daily trip cost/$1,313 average flight cost/$55 average daily car rental cost/ $1,249 average weeknight hotel cost

6.Switzerland: $602 average daily trip cost/ $891 average flight cost/ $73 average daily car rental cost/$485 average weeknight hotel cost

7.Zimbabwe: $1,167 average daily trip cost/ $1839 average flight cost/ $109 average car rental cost/ $200 average weeknight hotel cost

8.Turks and Caicos Islands: $878 average daily trip cost; $479 average flight cost/$63 average daily car rental cost/ $1,413 average weeknight hotel cost.

9.Botwsana: $1,526 average daily trip cost/ $1,812 average flight cost/ $70 average daily car rental cost/ $157 average weeknight hotel cost.

10.Anguilla: $1,265 average daily trip cost/$432 average flight cost/ $45 average daily car rental cost/ $1,684 average weeknight hotel cost.