5/31/19 Albuquerque named top 5 affordable travel location by SmartAsset - Albuquerque Business First
It ranked fifth for its average cost of $2,771 for a family of four and $1,011 for an individual for a three-day, three-night vacation. This cost includes the average price of airfare and hotel expenses.
Nearly 50 major cities were compared nationwide on cost of hotels, rental cars, air transportation and meals for a family of four and individuals, according to the study. At $95 per night, Albuquerque has the lowest hotel prices in the study. Albuquerque's average meal cost is $25, the sixth lowest meal price in the study, according to AJ Smith, vice president of financial education for SmartAsset. Smith also said the cost for a roundtrip to Albuquerque is about $342. The car rental cost per day averaged $78. Smith said this cost is the second most expensive out of the top 10 list and 14th most expensive in the study.
"[The study] shows that if a family is wanting to travel this summer, they can typically find it relatively affordable to travel, stay and eat at Albuquerque," Smith said in an interview with ABF.
SmartAsset created this study in 2015, and this is Albuquerque's fifth consecutive year of placing in the top 10. The car rental cost is the main factor that prevents Albuquerque from rising to a higher position, Smith said. She also said if the cost decreases, Albuquerque will probably be able to rise in the ranks.
In 2016, Albuquerque was named the No. 1 place for solo women travelers, due to its tourist attractions, Native American history and landscape, according to a list published by Redbook Magazine.