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The US may be suffering from a weak dollar at the moment but new research shows that not everything in the country is falling in price.

Although the latest gadgets, such as an iPod or Playstation 3, may be cheaper to buy in the US than most countries, the Post Office in the UK has found that many items commonly bought by tourists are very expensive there.

Essentials such as mineral water, sunscreen, insect repellent and beer cost up to four times more in the states as they do in emerging holiday destinations such as Bulgaria.

In fact, Bulgaria was found to be the cheapest country of the 15 studied as part of Post Office's Holiday Costs Barometer.

It beat the likes of Thailand and Egypt to take the crown with the cost of ten typical holiday commodities reaching a combined total of just £16.86.

The chosen items include a bottle of beer, which was cheapest in Egypt at 39 pence, a three-course evening meal for two (Bulgaria - £9.66) and a packet of cigarettes (Egypt - 59 pence).

'You have to be careful when comparing costs in different countries,' said Kevin McAdam, head of travel services at Post Office.

'It all depends on their relative cost of living and it pays to be aware that favourable currency rates like those currently available for the US dollar - do not necessarily mean a destination will be cheap.'

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