The Countries With the Best (and Worst) Airfare Deals in the World

Complain as we might about our airlines, they make domestic flights surprisingly cheap. In fact, only two countries in the world are cheaper to fly within. And unless you have any big plans to move to India or Malaysia, the US of A is still your best option.

So says Kiwi.com, which has developed the Aviation Price Index, calculating the cheapest and most expensive countries in the world to fly both domestically and internationally. The index crunched more than a million flights originating from the capital cities of 75 countries, then calculated the average cost per 100km (that's about 64 miles) for domestic and international flights.

While the United States was the third-cheapest country for domestic flights, at $3.54 per 100km, the States ranked just 54th for international flights, at $12.84. No wonder only about a third of Americans have a valid passport. Flying from coast to coast is not only gorgeous, it's still cheaper than going abroad.

The cheapest international destination on low-cost carriers was China ($1.22 per 100km), followed by Romania ($1.69), Malaysia ($2.11), Tunisia ($2.78), and Portugal ($2.80). The most expensive international destination? Canada, at $43.70 per 100km. Maybe that Montreal bachelor party actually would be cheaper in Lisbon.

For domestic trips, India was No. 1 at $2.27 per 100km on low-cost airlines. Malaysia ($2.32), the US ($3.54), the UK ($3.78), and Portugal rounded out the top five. The most expensive was the UAE at a staggering $181.38 per 100km for domestic flights, an enticement to walk in 120-degree heat. The API also calculates costs for legacy carriers, a department in which the US climbed to No. 2, at $4.82.

If you want to see how all 75 countries ranked for international, domestic, and average airfares, and comparisons between low-cost and legacy carriers, the full study is available here. It has handy sorting buttons that'll do the comparing for you, so you can figure out where your airfare dollar will go the furthest. The answer, however, may very well be that is goes the furthest at home.

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Matt Meltzer is a staff writer for Thrillist. Follow him on Instagram @meltrez1.