Why every family overspends in Benidorm, and by how much
Families budget about £766 for spending money and go over by £323, or 42%. Post Office, 2025 Most go over without a single big treat: it is the ice creams, the drinks by the pool and the taxi back from the water park.
A family day out, priced
| Item | Costa Blanca | Costa del Sol | Tenerife |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee | £2.18 | £1.75 | £1.75 |
| Beer or lager in a bar | £3.49 | £2.97 | £2.62 |
| Cola | £3.06 | £2.40 | £2.18 |
| Glass of wine | £3.06 | £3.23 | £3.06 |
| 1.5 litres of water from a shop | £0.44 | £1.05 | £1.05 |
| Suncream | £13.11 | £11.80 | £10.48 |
| Insect repellent | £6.55 | £7.16 | £5.24 |
| Two children's pizza or pasta | £17.47 | £16.60 | £15.73 |
| Two-course lunch for two adults | £31.45 | £34.95 | £27.96 |
| Three-course family meal with drinks | £92.60 | £81.26 | £88.24 |
| Total | £173.41 | £163.17 | £158.31 |
Prices collected with TUI and tourist offices. Post Office, 2026
Where families go over
- Drinks and ice creams. Small and constant: a cola is £3.06 in a Costa Blanca bar, and terraces can add €0.50–€3.60 just to sit down. Post Office, 2026; what holidaymakers told us, 2026
- Eating out with children. Two children's pizzas or pastas cost £17.47; a family meal with drinks £92.60. Post Office, 2026
- Water and theme park extras. Sunbeds, rubber rings and lockers at €8 each, and €9 parking, on top of the ticket. what holidaymakers told us, 2026; Aqualandia, Oct 2026
- Getting around. Taxis to the parks and back; a 5th seat costs €3 extra. Radio Taxi Benidorm, 2026
- Apartment extras. Air-con at €7.50–€10 a day and a €150–€200 deposit at many apartments. what holidaymakers told us, 2026
Plan for it
See how a family saves over £200, or work out your own week with the honest overspend check.
Dear Brenda
We listen. Each letter is built from many real comments on the same subject, combined so that nothing identifies anyone.
Dear Brenda, the water park tickets weren't too bad, but inside it was €8 for a sunbed, €8 for a rubber ring and €8 for a locker, and nobody mentioned the €9 parking. What should I really budget for a family day out at the parks?
A parent, on the water parks
Dear Brenda, we bought ice creams for the children and sat on the terrace to eat them, and they charged an extra €1.50 just to sit down. The sign said 'from €2', but the scoop was €3 and the cone another €1. Is this allowed?
A parent, on ice creams
More on what Benidorm really costs
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A Benidorm holiday then and now: 1976 to 2026
A Benidorm week still costs a week's wages, as in 1976.
Sources
- Post Office Family Holiday Report 2026, Oct 2026
- Post Office Holiday Spending Report 2025, Aug 2025
- Aqualandia prices, 20 Oct 2026
- Radio Taxi Benidorm, 2026 fares, 18 Aug 2026
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