Croatia Most Expensive in the Mediterranean: Vacation €249 Pricier
An analysis of 670,000 package deals revealed that in August, Croatia was the most expensive destination for Dutch tourists. Shifting your holiday to September can save up to €330.
An analysis of 670,000 package deals revealed that in August, Croatia was the most expensive destination for Dutch tourists. Shifting your holiday to September can save up to €330.
Dutch tourists planning a summer holiday on the Croatian coast this year will have to dig deep into their pockets, especially if they travel in August. According to a comprehensive analysis by the portal Vind Vakantie Deals, which examined more than 670,000 package deals, Croatia emerged as the most expensive among the five most popular Mediterranean destinations in August 2026.
The study included offers with return flights and accommodation for seven to nine nights, departing from the Netherlands. To ensure the results were as credible as possible, offers below 150 euros and those above 4,000 euros were excluded from the analysis. The average price of a package deal for Croatia in August reached 1,077 euros.
When compared to other favorite summer destinations, the difference is stark. Tourists paid on average 99 euros more for a holiday in Croatia than for Greece, 142 euros more than for Italy, 164 euros more than for Turkey, and a whopping 249 euros more than for Spain.
Interestingly, Spain was the cheapest among these five countries, with an average of 828 euros for August, while Greece cost 978 euros, Italy 935, and Turkey 913 euros.
The analysis also showed how much can be saved by shifting a holiday from August to September. For Croatia, the average package price in September is 747 euros, meaning that an August holiday was 44 percent more expensive. Those who choose to go in September instead of August can save an average of 330 euros.
Of the 13 destinations included in the broader analysis, only Bulgaria had a larger seasonal difference than Croatia, with August packages about 46 percent more expensive than September ones. For comparison, in Greece the difference between August and September was about 13 percent, in Italy 25 percent, in Turkey 36 percent, and in Spain 41 percent.
The published data quickly sparked heated reactions on Reddit. One user sharply commented that Croatia "robs the entire EU" during the summer. Others pointed out that such a difference does not surprise them because most European families have to use their school holidays in July and August, creating huge demand and driving up prices.
The author of the analysis emphasized that the data should be viewed in the context of the methodology. Namely, the comparison was based on service package deals from Dutch agencies that include airfare and accommodation. Individual travel, such as arriving by car, booking private accommodation independently, or staying at campsites, was not covered by this research.
