City breaks are a brilliant way to spend a long weekend, and people are now travelling further afield to get their cultural fix. The Post Office has analysed the cost of visiting 10 popular cities (not including flights), based on the price of common holiday purchases, such as meals, airport transfers and four-star accommodation. Here's how they fared.

The most expensive city surveyed, the cost of taking a long-haul trip to Boston is hiked up by the price of accommodation. The average cost for three nights in a four-star hotel in Boston stands at £688. Tourist attractions aren't particularly cheap either – the average for the top tourist attractions stands at £21.74.

Excluding the cost of accommodation, New York is the priciest city for tourists. While tourism is expensive (£56 for tickets to the main attractions), transport is the one area more likely to break the bank; a return bus or train transfer from the airport to the city will set you back around £26.60.

The second most expensive city for eating out, a three-course meal for two with a bottle of wine will cost an average of £97.68 in Toronto. Accommodation is also among some of the most expensive, with the average price for three nights coming in at £438.

The cheapest of the four cities surveyed in North America, the US capital will set Brits back £504. Compared to other areas of the US, the city offers good value accommodation – £382 for three nights – and fantastic sightseeing options that don’t break the bank. Unlike in NYC, there are free museums, such as the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institute.

The most expensive city to dine out, one meal in Singapore costs the same as three in some other cities; three courses with a bottle of wine will set you back an average of £101.20 for two people. However, a return transfer from the airport costs just £2.86.

Cape Town isn’t necessarily the cheapest city to visit for accommodation, with a double room costing around £310 for two nights, but the money you'll save on eating out will make up for it. The average three-course meal for two costs just £40.11. It’s worth going for the food alone.

Dubbed one of the flashiest countries in the world, Dubai isn’t known as a cheap break. However, you’d be surprised at the cost of a long-haul weekend. One of the closest destinations surveyed, Dubai takes seven hours to fly to and boasts prices of up to half of those in Boston.

The Chinese capital is also excellent value for money. A weekend away for British travelers is expected to cost just £337. Accommodation will set you back just £209 for three nights in a four-star hotel.

Japan might be known as one of the pricier destinations for Brits, but the capital is growing increasingly affordable for UK travellers. In fact, the food in Tokyo was found to be the cheapest across all cities. A three-course evening meal will set you back an average £34 for two people. This means that the price of three meals in Japan will cost around the same as just one meal in Singapore.

In Thailand’s booming capital, the total cost for British holidaymakers is just £317. The result is largely because accommodation is among some of the cheapest in the world. While Tokyo is better value in all other areas, a three-night stay in a four-star hotel in Bangkok will set you back £100 less than in the Japanese capital.