The price of a flight, hotel or package holiday shows only part of the cost of a trip. The real bill is created on the spot: in restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, transport and ATMs. An analysis of nearly 1.5 million card transactions made by ZEN.COM customers from Poland shows that holidays in Southern Europe and trips to the North of the continent differ not only in average cost, but above all in the structure of spending.
Two models of holiday budgets
In the full 2025 season, the average spend of a ZEN.COM customer during a trip to Southern European countries was EUR 586, compared with EUR 495 in Northern and Baltic countries. The difference was also visible on a daily basis: in the South, Poles spent an average of EUR 74 per day, while in the North the figure was EUR 63.
A similar pattern can be seen at the beginning of this year’s season. In May–June 2026, ZEN.COM customers spent an average of EUR 456 in Southern European countries and EUR 381 in Northern and Baltic countries. Daily spending amounted to EUR 78 and EUR 59, respectively.
However, the differences are mainly about the structure of spending. In Northern and Baltic countries, 32% of ZEN.COM customers’ holiday budget went on groceries, compared with 17% in Southern Europe. In Southern countries, gastronomy accounted for a larger share: restaurants, bars and taverns represented 27% of the budget, compared with 18% in the North. A similar pattern can be seen in hotel spending: it accounted for 12% of the budget in the South and 5% in the North. The remaining part of the holiday budget was spent, among other things, on fuel, transport, retail shopping and entertainment.
The data therefore points to two different models of holiday consumption. Southern Europe is more often a shorter, service-oriented trip, with a larger share of restaurants, hotels and local attractions. The North and the Baltic countries are more often associated with longer stays, greater independence in organising the trip and a larger share of everyday grocery shopping.
“These data are important not only for the tourism industry, but for the entire business ecosystem around travel. The same customer spends money differently depending on the type of trip, which means that the destination alone is not enough to understand them. The key factor is the consumption model on the ground,” says Łukasz Neska, Chief Growth Officer at ZEN.COM.
Longer in the North, more intensive in the South
In the Southern European countries included in the analysis, such as Italy, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Turkey, Cyprus, Portugal and Malta, the average stay of a ZEN.COM customer in 2025 lasted around 7 days. In Northern and Baltic countries, including Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, stays were longer, at over 9 days.
This difference explains why the average cost of a trip alone does not show the full picture. In the South, spending is higher per day and more concentrated over a shorter period. In the North, a lower daily bill is spread over a longer stay, and a larger part of the budget goes to everyday shopping and self-organised travel.
“The cost of a trip abroad does not end with booking a flight and hotel. It is made up of dozens of daily payments made on the spot: for restaurants, groceries, transport, local services or cash withdrawals. For customers, the ability to control spending across different currencies and payment channels is becoming increasingly important. A multi-currency card fits this travel model, where the final bill is shaped not only by major bookings, but also by everyday purchasing decisions made during the trip,” adds Łukasz Neska, Chief Growth Officer at ZEN.COM.
Cash still plays a bigger role in Southern Europe
ZEN.COM’s analysis also shows differences in how people pay during holidays. In Northern countries, ATM withdrawals account for a smaller share of holiday budgets than in many popular Southern European destinations.
The lowest share of cash withdrawals was recorded in Iceland, where they accounted for 2% of ZEN.COM customers’ holiday budget, and in Finland, where the figure was 3%. In Norway and Sweden, the share was around 6%. By comparison, in Greece, Croatia and Turkey, ATM withdrawals accounted for around 9% of holiday spending, while in Spain the figure was 12.5%.
This is consistent with the spending model: cash remains more common where tourists use local gastronomy, small services, transport or smaller retail points. Estonia is an exception among Northern countries, with cash withdrawals accounting for nearly 14% of spending. This may be linked to the specific nature of cross-border traffic or a different profile of trips compared with classic holidays.
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Methodology:
The data source consists of ZEN.COM transactions, including POS payments and ATM withdrawals abroad, made during the seasons May–September 2024, May–September 2025 and May–June 2026. The sample covers nearly 1.5 million transactions across 16 countries. Southern European countries included in the analysis: Greece, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Turkey, Cyprus, Portugal and Malta. Northern and Baltic countries included in the analysis: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
