The island of Crete in Greece is the third most affordable European destination for a barometer of family summer holiday items that includes meals, drinks and beach items, according to the 2014 Family Holiday Report, by Post Office Travel Money.

According to the findings, for the fourth year in a row, Sunny Beach in Bulgaria is the most affordable destination for a family of four, as the total cost of products and services there, reaches some 83 euros. The Post Office surveyed the prices of 15 typical holiday-spend items, in 14 popular European resorts, as well as Orlando in Florida. Items included children’s beach items, sunscreen, sun loungers, soft drinks, bottle of beer, glass of wine, a family meal, etc.

Sunny Beach is followed by Costa del Sol in Spain, where the basket of the same products amounts to 100 euros. Crete is in the third place, with the products adding up to some 110 euros. Last year Crete came in eighth on the list.

Corfu is also one of the 14 destinations on the list and ranks seventh this year. The cost of products and services for a family of four holidaying on Corfu, would reach some 128 euros. “A 24% fall in meal prices will make it much cheaper for visitors to Crete. At £87.15 (110 euros), its barometer total has plunged by around 27% since last year, making Crete almost 15% cheaper than another Greek island, Corfu (£101.98 – 128 euros),” the Post Office said.

In the survey, it is noted that the beach “must haves” of children (a bucket and a spade) were found to cost least in Crete (two euros) – less than a third of the price in France (10 euros), where Nice proved the most expensive overall of the European destinations surveyed (products and services add up to some 186 euros).

1         Bulgaria/Sunny Beach      65,97 (83 euros)

2         Spain/Costa del Sol         79,69 (100 euros)

4         Turkey/Marmaris             92,85 (117 euros)

5         Portugal/Algarve              98,33 (124 euros)

6         Cyprus/Αγία Νάπα            98,55 (124 euros)

7         Greece/Corfu                 101,98 (128 euros)

8         Spain/Costa Blanca        104,47 (131 euros)

9         Croatia/Porec                 105,25 (132 euros)

10       Malta/Silema                  110,62 (139 euros)

11       USA/Orlando                  117,94 (148 euros)

12       Spain/Majorca                129,81 (163 euros)

13       Italy/Sorrento                142,54 (179 euros)

14       France/Nice                    147,63 (186 euros)