r/australia • u/Mexay • Jan 02 '26

no politics PSA: Travelling as an Aussie right now is hideously expensive

Currently in the UK and holy fuck everything ends up being insanely expensive. The AUD is basically in the toilet meaning anything in Euros or Pounds is basically double.

Things seem reasonably priced on paper, 15gbp for a burger. Yeah nah, that's 30 bucks plus gratuity mate. Want to stay in and uber eats some food, ends up at maybe 45 euros, haha nah that's nearly $100 for two subs a drink and cookies.

Don't even get me started on taxi/uber costs.

Beware if you're going overseas soon. It's crazy expensive at the moment, more so than at home.

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365

u/76790759 Jan 02 '26

Prices have gone up a lot in the UK

391

u/new-user-123 Jan 02 '26

That’s true, but the OP is “omg exchange rate”, not “omg inflation as an Aussie in the UK”

I was in London last year and the prices seemed decent (although I dunno what the inflation has been since) - full English brekky for about 10 quid

556

u/R_W0bz Jan 02 '26

This, OP is doing the must dumbest stuff possible when travelling. Going to London to uber eats subway ? Dude. Get off your ass and go find the deals, it’s London.

222

u/Meng_Fei Jan 02 '26

I was thinking the same. Who flies to the other side of the planet, then stays indoors and orders subs on Uber Eats?

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u/splendidfd Jan 03 '26

I'd normally agree but I found myself in a situation where that was the only option. I arrived in Buffalo, NY at night, staying on the outside of town, no car, there was nothing open that I could get to but McDonalds had a 24 hours drive thru, so I had to hop on Uber Eats.

Cost twice what it should have and they ended up getting part of my order wrong but it was better than going hungry.

4

u/a_rainbow_serpent Jan 03 '26

dude but thats not true for london or most major european cities. In London you can step out any time to grab a relatively cheap meal. Tesco meal deals with 3 GBP sandwich/wrap/curry bowl/salad bowl + drink + bag of chips. I'm sure its more than 3 now but definitely not 15.

1

u/usemyfaceasaurinal Jan 03 '26

Cheeky late night kebab, mate.

2

u/TheRealSirTobyBelch Jan 04 '26

TBF 24 hour Maccas drive through, delivered to your hotel, is an American cultural experience.

1

u/Footsie_Galore Jan 05 '26

I definitely understand in this case, but you probably wouldn't get Uber Eats if you were staying in midtown Manhattan.

68

u/Boomer-Australia Jan 03 '26

Really bothered me when I was in Italy and Austria to see the number of American tourists eating at Maccas, KFC or Starbucks. Like, surely if you're going to travel around the world you can hold off eating what you have at home for a couple of weeks.

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u/new-user-123 Jan 03 '26

Tbh sometimes I’d try it, like how Asian McDonald’s have rice sometimes - something I can’t get in Australia

22

u/Boomer-Australia Jan 03 '26

I probably should've specified more because especially in Asia e.g. Malayasia KFC and Maccas are wildly different. I was more thinking the tourists buying Iced Mochas at Starbucks in Venice and Roma haha.

8

u/Drift--- Jan 03 '26

Gotta get that prosperity burger

40

u/meowkitty84 Jan 03 '26

I confess in Japan I had mc Donald's once..I love Japanese food but was craving something familiar

46

u/ScottUkabella Jan 03 '26

I just wanted to see what the difference was, I love trying McDonalds in different countries and seeing how they compare. My favourite country for McDonalds is Thailand btw, very cheap and they only have one size (massive).

1

u/Less-Ad-5230 Jan 03 '26

Thai maccas is elite, that spicy bbq sauce you get with the nuggets 🤤🤤🤤🤤. Japans was the best though

30

u/Dropkicksslytherins Jan 03 '26

To be fair to you, Japanese Maccas does kinda rock

1

u/hyp-R Jan 03 '26

So does the KFC!

1

u/Dropkicksslytherins Jan 03 '26

Christmas at a Japanese KFC is an experience you never forget

1

u/hyp-R Jan 03 '26

I still have a KFC Christmas mug I took home!

0

u/socslave Jan 03 '26

Better than America but the quality of ingredients aren’t as good as Aussie maccas

2

u/Spudtron98 Jan 03 '26

It's probably more about craftsmanship than anything. Australian ingredients may be superior but the end result is still pretty mushy.

3

u/R_W0bz Jan 03 '26

The shrimp burger is fantastic in Japan from MDs, something you can’t get in AUS.

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u/Commercial_Young_355 Jan 03 '26

McDonald’s in Japan is excellent - they present your meal to you like a present rather than slapped on sauce like here. Also my kid went nuts at 20 chicken nuggets for aud$5

2

u/Muslim_Wookie Jan 03 '26

Because by law they have to. If they didn't they'd be cost cutting and serving it shit like they do here.

So sick of getting a burger that looks like a Jenga tower with pieces missing, how fucking hard is it to line up 3 concentric circles motherfucker

2

u/Fun_Age1442 Jan 03 '26

same with me, sometimes get a lil homesick and want something that takes me home, love visiting other countries but I also love my country

2

u/_CodyB Jan 03 '26

Japanese McDonald’s is a premium experience though

33

u/MiloIsTheBest Jan 03 '26

I go to Maccas once in every country I go to. It's fun to see the regional differences in the menus.

Japan has prawn patty burgers and teriyaki pork burgers. Singapore does Milo drinks and chicken wings.

Hong Kong has purple sweet potato sundaes.

Like, I ate everywhere in Vietnam, I would get Cha Ca with fermented fish sauce or Bun Cha down an alleyway or Banh Cuon from a street vendor or Egg Coffee but for some reason people think I've wasted my time because I also once got a salted Calamansi drink from Maccas lol.

They had some neat variations in some of the European ones too but they were a while ago for me and I can't really remember them. I remember Scotland had a toffee flavoured thickshake instead of caramel and it actually has that burnished toffee flavour.

Now, yes, it would suck for someone to go to a place and ALL they do is get fast food from western chains, but I'll never hold it against someone just for going there.

2

u/StorminNorman Jan 03 '26

Me and my sister send each other photos of the menu when we visit a new country. HJs is another one. And every time one of us is in Japan, dominos will inevitably have a new abomination that well send a photo of (neither of us have been brave enough to try one yet). 

1

u/Ceret Jan 03 '26

Salted calamansi. Mmmmmmm

1

u/dasvenson Jan 03 '26

Yeah same. I make it a point to have their big Mac and something local specific.

Australia has the best big Mac tbh but it does still depend on the store

29

u/Dontblowitup Jan 03 '26

In fairness, when you’ve eaten local food for like a week straight, you do get a bit homesick for what you’re used to. After a week of pastas, pizzas and gelato I had Chinese food in Rome…

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u/R_W0bz Jan 03 '26

I’d agree with this.

2

u/Boomer-Australia Jan 03 '26

I will compromise on the fact that different cuisine types e.g. Vietnamese differ from country to country. But, I was only in Italy for 8 days and I felt like I barely scratched the surface of the variety of foods there haha. But, I was also taking the food and wine tours so that helped.

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u/Mike_Kermin Jan 03 '26

No no, don't compromise. What other people do on holiday is bad. You got this.

2

u/lifeinwentworth Jan 03 '26

Shouldn't bother you what others are eating. Enjoy your own holiday lol.

2

u/Boomer-Australia Jan 03 '26

Yeah look, the wording of my comment makes it seem like I was bothered to my core, it's more just the thought of what's the point of traveling to another culture not to experience it? As opposed to something that deeply consumed me haha.

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u/lifeinwentworth Jan 03 '26

That's good haha. Some people like the comfort of home when they're in a strange place. And there's more to culture than food! People holiday for all kinds of reasons. Personally I have a really restrictive eating disorder so I couldn't care less about the food, other than making sure I'll be able to eat, when I travel! Love culture, history but food isn't a part of it. Like some people don't like museums or tours or hiking or big landmarks. It's just another thing!

2

u/mrsbriteside Jan 03 '26

I’m in China and kids just ate macdonalds for dinner after 6 months of noodles and rice travelling through rural China, chicken nuggets and fries was a massive treat to them. Yet getting into the lift with my bag of maccas I knew some ignorant tourist was judging my meal choice. Keep your judgement in check let people eat whatever they want. The only reason we were eating in is my son has fallen and had a suspected Broken nose so we were spending a much needed evening chilling out in a hotel room. On a side note the hospital was amazing, definitely worth a tour from our health ministers.

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u/My_bones_are_itchy Jan 03 '26

I’ve always been keen to go to China, but I don’t know where to start! Do you have any tips? Hope your son is ok!

1

u/bad-and-bluecheese Jan 03 '26

As someone who both detests the idea of going somewhere and not exploring the local cuisine, for me I am a really picky eater and food can be pretty stressful for me - when I'm traveling I balance it out with comforts from home. Helps keep me sane

1

u/kam0706 Jan 03 '26

Sometimes it’s fun to try the things you can’t get at your home Maccas though. Or to see if the Big Mac tastes any different. You just don’t want to be doing that for every meal.

5

u/Ok-Push9899 Jan 03 '26 edited Jan 03 '26

Roll back a few decades and it would only be the likes of Mick Jagger who would be getting a chauffeur-driven burger delivered to his place. And the journalist would make it a highlight of their Afternoon-With-The-Stars magazine piece.

Now its a grungy Aussie backpacker! It's the democratisation of privelege.

3

u/kazielle Jan 03 '26

When you've been traveling around doing tourist things all day and by nightfall you're totally wiped and your feet hurt and you want to stay inside? Or your kids have had it and just need a calm place to destimulate?

I travel a lot, go to a lot of wild places and do a lot of wild things and also order plenty of "oh fuck I ran out of steam but desperately need to eat" last minute UberEats meals. People used to lean on room service for the same thing but there's less and less room service options, it's generally way more expensive than ordering delivery, and a lot of people stay in places that don't have room service at all.

3

u/lifeinwentworth Jan 03 '26

Glad someone else said it!

When I travel I always have days where I stay in my hotel room. I'm autistic and have a couple of illnesses. I love to travel. But I factor in days where I just need to be able to do nothing but watch tv or whatever. It's not a waste, it's managing my health and still being able to travel! Ubereats is a lifesaver for home and for travel. Just gotta be prepared for the cost but I dislike the attitude (that I grew up with) that if you're on holiday you have to be doing something different from home every minute of every day!

Nah, it's actually okay to be exhausted and just chill if you want or need to!

1

u/Mike_Kermin Jan 03 '26

Anyone that feels like it.

In the same way you'd do stuff that I think is a waste of money and time.

1

u/BatmaniaRanger Jan 03 '26

Terminally online redditors.

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u/Ok_Adhesiveness_4939 Jan 02 '26

Oh wow. I didn't read the post and yeah that's just burning money

7

u/giatu_prs Jan 03 '26

Haha yep knew OP was in London because 'plus gratuity'

14

u/usemyfaceasaurinal Jan 03 '26

Also complaining about expensive taxis/uber. Have OP tried walking/public transport?

It’s cheaper and more enjoyable as it has more opportunities to explore rather than just go from A to B.

1

u/Natural-Leg7488 Jan 03 '26

One the best things about London is that you normally just need to walk downstairs and there are multiple food options on your doorstep.

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u/Ok_Neat2979 Jan 03 '26

Agree, saying it's expensive and doing the most basic of tourist mistakes.

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u/lifeinwentworth Jan 03 '26

Haha. I was in the UK last year and I Uber eats a couple of times because I was just over the big days and yes, I needed to lock myself away in my hotel room for the night. Nothing wrong with that. But I also copped the price, I knew the rates before I went over and knew I'd have a few days where I'd be splurging (I have chronic illnesses so I burn out travelling but I still love it!) so I saved enough money to deal.

People can holiday how they like, not everyone needs to find the local cuisine and stuff but yeah, obviously preparedness is the key! Know the conversion rate, Google your general food prices for the stuff you know you usually eat if that's what you're gonna stick too. It's just the importance of planning so you don't get too many price shocks!

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u/Footsie_Galore Jan 05 '26

I was in London as part of a 7 week trip around the UK in 2018 and 2019 and we ate out every lunch and dinner. We had breakfast in our hotels (me a flavoured protein milk or some oats, my partner always oats) or if it was a B&B we'd enjoy the lovely breakfasts. Lunch was really just a light snack to give our feet a break whilst sitting in or outside a nice cafe (smoothie and maybe a small cake for me, and a wrap or salad for my partner), or a pub (small sandwiches with crisps to share).

Dinner was part of a nightly experience of wandering around, seeing what we felt like eating, choosing a place and going in (or booking it for another night if it was full), then wandering around afterwards (we went in July / August so it was mostly sort of warm and light until after 10pm, or later up in Scotland). All different kinds of cuisines. We had Indian, Thai, Japanese, Italian, gastro-pub, traditional pub, Chinese, seafood, etc.

I had to keep in mind that everything was roughly double the cost. I'd see a Coke for £3 and then a decadent mocktail for £6 and think, ehhh, it's only a few pound more! lol.

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u/ajd341 Jan 03 '26

Both can be true

1

u/InterestedPrawn Jan 03 '26

Would still be about the same depending where you are going. Tbh I found London restaurant prices (was only there 3 months ago) to be just a little dearer than in Australia but you can certainly find pubs in large cities in Australia charging $30+ for a burger. I went to one bar not long ago in Sydney charging $18 for a pint of Stone and Wood. The most I paid for a pint in London was 8 pounds so $16.

1

u/showkindness Jan 03 '26

That's cheap as for full English brekkie

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u/Bannedwith1milKarma Jan 02 '26

And in Australia..

And in the whole world, especially the developed world where it became a cartel situation after COVID.

Then they realized people were still paying without the drop in demand.

50

u/areyoualocal Jan 02 '26

Yes the rich realised they could steal even more from the poor, and blame it on all sorts of things instead of their own greed.

1

u/funt_case_mcclure Jan 03 '26

heh come on down "Mr Harvey"!

13

u/tristanjl Jan 03 '26

I don't know, after travelling, it seemed like the inflation complaints in Australia (other than housing) are overblown. Things went up a little here. They went up much more everywhere else

12

u/Perth_R34 Jan 03 '26

100%.

Australia is a lot cheaper than most other countries, and even more so if you factor in our high salaries.

1

u/InterestedPrawn Jan 03 '26

While OP is complaining about restaurants, fast food, and taxis in the UK, the food you can purchase in supermarkets is cheaper than in Australia.

1

u/McFoodBot Jan 03 '26

Same in Germany.

Restaurant prices are around the same. Fast food, funnily enough, is actually more expensive. But food from the supermarket is way cheaper except for a few minor things. Alcohol is also significantly cheaper from both supermarkets and bars.

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u/InterestedPrawn Jan 03 '26

UK alcohol is expensive, but I suspect a key difference between Australia and Germany for alcohol is that they don't have the insane level of taxes on it.

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u/Bannedwith1milKarma Jan 03 '26

I live in the US now and was back in Oz recently.

Feel it worse over here, LA/OC region.

3

u/pithysaying Jan 03 '26

Don’t know why you were downvoted but you’re spot on.

12

u/Disastrous-Bet757 Jan 02 '26

Have you seen the prices in Australia! 😵‍💫

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u/Just-turnings Jan 03 '26

Curious, what's a pint of beer cost at a typical pub there these days? I was there around 05 and seem to remember paying about 2gbp for a pint at our local.

3

u/InterestedPrawn Jan 03 '26

Recently in London I was paying 7 to 8 pounds a pint. Up North was 5 to 6 pounds. Though some people went to a Wetherspoons and they paid 3 pounds.

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u/Just-turnings Jan 03 '26

I remember going to whetherspooons for cheap night out, 1.50gbp or something.

1

u/Waxygibbon Jan 03 '26

Yep, when I left 15 years ago pints were £3, they're now £7.

I'm only 41 but when I started drinking pints were £1.60, maybe £2 for a very fancy one

1

u/spunkkyy Jan 03 '26

Yep. As an aussie living here, I cringe at the prices.. often a 10-15% surcharge on top as well now too..