Home vs Abroad Index
As of Oct 20, 2026, 6:00 PM PT, the cheapest week abroad costs less than the cheapest week in the US from all 8 departure cities we cover. In our head-to-head matchups, the overseas trip comes out cheaper 57% of the time (140 of 247 city-by-matchup comparisons).
Data as of . Recalculated every time fares update. All figures are sample estimates, not live prices.
Key findings
- The gap is widest from Dallas: Mexico (Oaxaca) is about $1,140 less than Atlanta, the cheapest US week.
- It's narrowest from Denver, at about $660.
- Atlanta is the cheapest US week from every departure city.
- The cheapest week abroad is Mexico (Oaxaca), Mexico City or Colombia (Medellín), depending on the city.
- Abroad wins most often from New York (18 of 27 matchups) and least often from Denver and Dallas (16 of 32 matchups each).
Cheapest US week vs. cheapest week abroad, by departure city
| Flying from | Cheapest US week | Cheapest week abroad | Abroad saves | Abroad wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles (LAX) | Atlanta$3,530 · fare data from Oct 20, 2026 | Mexico (Oaxaca)$2,510 · fare data from Oct 20, 2026 | $1,020 | 19 of 31 61% |
| Las Vegas (LAS) | Atlanta$3,470 · fare data from Oct 20, 2026 | Mexico City$2,710 · fare data from Oct 20, 2026 | $760 | 18 of 32 56% |
| Phoenix (PHX) | Atlanta$3,520 · fare data from Oct 20, 2026 | Mexico City$2,670 · fare data from Oct 20, 2026 | $850 | 17 of 32 53% |
| Denver (DEN) | Atlanta$3,410 · fare data from Oct 20, 2026 | Colombia (Medellín)$2,750 · fare data from Oct 20, 2026 | $660 | 16 of 32 50% |
| Dallas (DFW) | Atlanta$3,300 · fare data from Oct 20, 2026 | Mexico (Oaxaca)$2,160 · fare data from Oct 20, 2026 | $1,140 | 16 of 32 50% |
| Seattle (SEA) | Atlanta$3,670 · fare data from Oct 20, 2026 | Mexico (Oaxaca)$2,960 · fare data from Oct 20, 2026 | $700 | 19 of 32 59% |
| Chicago (CHI) | Atlanta$3,360 · fare data from Oct 20, 2026 | Mexico (Oaxaca)$2,500 · fare data from Oct 20, 2026 | $870 | 17 of 29 59% |
| New York (NYC) | Atlanta$3,550 · fare data from Oct 20, 2026 | Colombia (Medellín)$2,520 · fare data from Oct 19, 2026 | $1,030 | 18 of 27 67% |
"Abroad wins" counts our 32 head-to-head matchups where the overseas trip's all-in midpoint is more than 8% below the US trip's. Click a destination for its full breakdown from that city.
Typical weeks, not just the cheapest
| Flying from | Median US week | Median week abroad | US wins | Too close to call |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $4,340 17 US destinations | $4,240 20 destinations abroad | 4 | 8 |
| Las Vegas | $4,420 18 US destinations | $4,270 20 destinations abroad | 5 | 9 |
| Phoenix | $4,490 18 US destinations | $4,200 20 destinations abroad | 7 | 8 |
| Denver | $4,380 18 US destinations | $4,240 20 destinations abroad | 6 | 10 |
| Dallas | $4,350 18 US destinations | $4,140 20 destinations abroad | 6 | 10 |
| Seattle | $4,560 18 US destinations | $4,180 20 destinations abroad | 3 | 10 |
| Chicago | $4,300 17 US destinations | $4,110 20 destinations abroad | 5 | 7 |
| New York | $4,600 17 US destinations | $3,900 20 destinations abroad | 3 | 6 |
The three cheapest weeks on each side
From Los Angeles
- US: Atlanta $3,530 · Austin $3,680 · New Orleans $3,700
- Abroad: Mexico (Oaxaca) $2,510 · Colombia (Medellín) $2,900 · Colombia (Cartagena) $2,970
From Las Vegas
- US: Atlanta $3,470 · New Orleans $3,600 · Austin $3,620
- Abroad: Mexico City $2,710 · Colombia (Medellín) $2,860 · Mexico (Oaxaca) $2,860
From Phoenix
- US: Atlanta $3,520 · Austin $3,620 · New Orleans $3,720
- Abroad: Mexico City $2,670 · Mexico (Oaxaca) $2,760 · Colombia (Medellín) $3,150
From Denver
- US: Atlanta $3,410 · Austin $3,570 · New Orleans $3,620
- Abroad: Colombia (Medellín) $2,750 · Mexico City $2,830 · Mexico (Oaxaca) $2,960
From Dallas
- US: Atlanta $3,300 · New Orleans $3,380 · Austin $3,660
- Abroad: Mexico (Oaxaca) $2,160 · Mexico City $2,760 · Colombia (Medellín) $2,790
From Seattle
- US: Atlanta $3,670 · New Orleans $3,680 · Austin $3,760
- Abroad: Mexico (Oaxaca) $2,960 · Colombia (Medellín) $3,100 · Mexico City $3,310
From Chicago
- US: Atlanta $3,360 · Austin $3,680 · New Orleans $3,840
- Abroad: Mexico (Oaxaca) $2,500 · Colombia (Medellín) $2,790 · Mexico City $3,000
From New York
- US: Atlanta $3,550 · New Orleans $3,810 · Austin $3,930
- Abroad: Colombia (Medellín) $2,520 · Mexico (Oaxaca) $2,600 · Colombia (Cartagena) $2,780
Methodology
- The trip. 7 nights for 2 adults: round-trip economy flights for both from the departure city, one mid-range room, and daily food, local transport and activities, plus lift tickets for ski trips. It's the same cost model every comparison on HomeOrAbroad uses.
- Midpoints. Each cost is a low-to-high range. We add the lows and the highs, then rank destinations by the midpoint of the total.
- Flights. Where we have recent fare data for a route (updated within 60 days), the range runs from the cheapest fare found to about the 75th percentile, for departures roughly 1 to 4 months out. Other routes use published typical-fare ranges checked in October 2026. Each cheapest pick in the table says which kind it is.
- Hotels and daily costs. US hotel ranges are set around published city averages and overseas ranges around traveler-reported averages. Daily costs are our own estimates. Sources are listed on each comparison page.
- Wins and ties. A matchup counts as a win for one side when its midpoint is more than 8% lower. Anything closer is "too close to call". Destinations in the departure city itself are left out, since there's no flight to price (that removes matchups from Los Angeles (1), Chicago (3), New York (5)).
- What this isn't. These are planning estimates, not quotes. Prices change daily, so check live prices before you book. With fares refreshed for the coming months, the index describes the near term and makes no claim about which season is cheapest.
More on our sources: how we estimate prices.
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<p>Source: <a href="https://homeorabroad.com/home-vs-abroad-index">HomeOrAbroad Home vs Abroad Index</a>, Oct 20, 2026.</p>The figures are also available as JSON, updated with each refresh. Questions or corrections: hello@homeorabroad.com.