DALLAS ?May 13, 2014 ? Geneva has retained the top spot as the most expensive city in the world to order a Club Sandwich, at an average of $32.60 USD, according to research released today by Hotels.com?. Using the classic hotel staple of a chicken, bacon, egg, lettuce and mayonnaise sandwich as a barometer of affordability, the Hotels.com Club Sandwich Index (CSI) offers travelers an indication of the costs associated with their destination of choice.
Now in its third year, the Index reflects not only changes in the actual price of a Club Sandwich across the globe but also the effect of currency fluctuations between cities. The CSI average price is calculated from the real prices paid by guests for a Club Sandwich in 30 hotels in either the capital or an important tourist city in the 28 countries surveyed, across five, four and three-star categories. In total, 840 hotels were canvassed globally.
New York came in at number 13 of the global cities studied for the second year in a row; however, the city was the most expensive amongst additional U.S. cities surveyed at an average of $17.99. The least expensive city in the U.S. was Orlando at $10.68, comparable to 26th globally-ranked Buenos Aires ($10.37). Club sandwich averages in other major U.S. cities include: San Francisco at $15.44; Washington, DC at $15.18; Los Angeles at $14.88; New Orleans at $13.54; Chicago at $13.38; Houston at $13.17; San Diego at $13; Las Vegas at $12.91; and Dallas at $12.06. Of note, the locally-relevant Po?boy sandwich was used to obtain average prices for New Orleans.
Gastronomic hub, Paris, held on to the number two spot globally with a new average of $29.36, followed by Helsinki (previously number 11) which knocked Oslo out of the top three with $24.35 following an increase on the 2013 average cost in the Finnish capital.
India?s New Delhi remained the cheapest destination for a Club Sandwich, with an average of just $8.78, although several other holiday favorites also appeared within the $10 threshold, including Mexico City ($9.78) and Buenos Aires ($10.37). Meanwhile, Sydney experienced the greatest decrease in its Club Sandwich price, falling from $20.53 in 2013 to $16.93 in 2014.