28th October 2025
STERLING HORROR SHOW MAKES GLOBAL HALLOWEEN HOTSPOTS SCARILY EXPENSIVE
- The falling value of the Pound has made many of the world’s spookiest Halloween destinations more expensive for British holidaymakers
- Prices in Mexico - home of the Day of Dead celebrations - have jumped 4.4% since last year, while the gothic Czech capital Prague is a scary 7.8% pricier
- But the fright is right in Seoul - home of the KPop Demon Hunters - after the Pound surged 7.6% against the South Korean Won
- Analysis by No1 Currency shows British travellers’ spending money buys more in two thirds of the most popular foreign currencies compared to last Halloween
Monday 27th October 2025 - British families heading abroad for Halloween could get the wrong sort of fright after a fall in the Pound sent the cost of many of the world’s spookiest destinations surging.
Sterling has lost value against a third (18 out of 54) of the most popular holiday currencies since this time last year, meaning that many Brits making a half-term getaway will get less boo for their buck.
Analysis by the travel money specialists No1 Currency has revealed that the Pound has plunged 7.8% against the Czech Koruna, making the Czech Republic’s gothic capital Prague - which is pretty spooky at any time of year - more expensive than last Halloween.
Fortunately Prague’s famously good beer still costs just £1.86 a pint, making it the best value place to buy a round in the top 10 Halloween destinations revealed in No1 Currency’s global ranking.
Meanwhile prices in the Polish capital Warsaw have risen 6.7% since last year. Poles go big on Halloween; November 1st is a Bank Holiday in Poland and celebrations there fuse Christian traditions with an ancient festival called Dziady. Prices in Mexico, where the legendary Day of the Dead street parties run over two days, have notched up 4.4% since last Halloween.
At the other end of the scale, some destinations have become cheaper after the Pound rose in value compared to the local currency. Leading the way is Seoul, inspiration for KPop Demon Hunters - Netflix’s most popular film ever - thanks to the Pound’s 7.6% jump against the South Korean Won. Sterling’s surge means a two-night stay in a mid-range hotel in the South Korean capital costs £185 on average, with a beer costing a modest £2.80.
Prices are scarily high in second-placed New York, home to the US’s biggest Halloween parade. Even though the Pound has risen 3.3% against the US Dollar compared to this time last year, a two-night hotel stay in the Big Apple comes in at an average of £525, while a beer costs a shriek-inducing £7.28.
Finally, special mention goes to Ireland, seen by many as the birthplace of Halloween. The ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain is thought to have inspired the current pumpkin and ghost-fest, and Dublin - home of Dracula author Bram Stoker - parties hard at Halloween. But the Pound’s 4.3% slump against the Euro over the past year has made the Irish capital more expensive for visitors from the UK, with a beer in Dublin now costing £5.92 on average.
Fright right: The 10 best Halloween hotspots around the world
|
Rank |
City |
Vibe |
Beer price1 |
Two-night hotel stay2 |
Currency |
Sterling change since last year |
|
1 |
Seoul |
KPop Demon Hunters |
£2.80 |
£185 |
South Korean Won |
+7.6% |
|
2 |
New York |
The city that never shrieks |
£7.28 |
£525 |
US Dollar |
+3.3% |
|
3 |
Hong Kong |
Harbour horror |
£5.79 |
£193 |
Hong Kong Dollar |
+3.2% |
|
4 |
Tokyo |
Cosplaying with fire |
£2.98 |
£265 |
Japanese Yen |
+3.1% |
|
5 |
Derry |
Europe’s largest Halloween festival |
£4.25 |
£175 |
UK Pound |
0 |
|
6 |
Bucharest |
Dracula’s home turf |
£2.19 |
£111 |
Romanian Leu |
-2.2% |
|
7 |
Dublin |
Carnival craic |
£5.92 |
£302 |
Euro |
-4.3% |
|
8 |
Mexico City |
Next-level Day of the Dead |
£2.28 |
£121 |
Mexican Peso |
-4.4% |
|
9 |
Warsaw |
The Dziady of Halloweens |
£3.64 |
£131 |
Polish Zloty |
-6.7% |
|
10 |
Prague |
Gothic OG |
£1.86 |
£145 |
Czech Koruna |
-7.8% |
Simon Phillips, Managing Director of No1 Currency, commented:
“Halloween is a half-term highlight for millions of British families, but for some of those making an autumn getaway this week it won’t just be the ghosts making them jump.
“Our research shows that the Pound’s mixed fortunes over the past year have made some popular destinations significantly more expensive for travellers from the UK. Fortunately, others have become better value after sterling rose against two thirds of the 54 foreign currencies we keep in stock.
“Exchange rates matter whenever you go abroad, as they determine how far your spending money will stretch. Rates can differ a lot between different travel money providers, so always shop around for the best deal and never leave it to the airport to get your holiday cash.
“Remember that wherever you’re travelling, taking some local currency will help you keep track of your spending more easily and avoid unexpected charges for using your UK card abroad. At this time of year you want shrieks of fun on Halloween, not of horror when you get home and check your bank balance.”