Talk about a place you visited where everything was expensive

In this IELTS Speaking practice Part 2 question, we answer the cue card "Talk about a place you visited where everything was expensive"

Talk about a place you visited where everything was expensive.

You should say:
  • Where this place was
  • When you visited it
  • What made it so expensive
And explain how this experience affected you.

You have one minute to prepare, and you should talk for 1-2 minutes.

Sample Answer

Wow, well, the first place that comes to mind is definitely Tokyo, Japan. I visited the city about two years ago during a work conference, and honestly, I was completely shocked by how eye-wateringly expensive everything was. I mean, I'd heard stories about Tokyo being costly, but experiencing it firsthand was something else entirely.

Just to give you an example, a simple cup of coffee would set you back around 600 yen, which is about $4 – and that's for a basic café latte! I remember one evening, I went out for dinner with some colleagues, and we ordered what seemed like a pretty standard meal – some sushi, a few side dishes, and a couple of drinks. When the bill arrived, I nearly fell off my chair. It was close to 6,000 yen per person, which is around $40, and this wasn't even a high-end restaurant.

Accommodation was another budget-killer. My hotel room was tiny – we're talking seriously compact, like maybe 15 square meters – and it was costing me about 20,000 yen per night. That's roughly $130, and trust me, it was nothing fancy. Just a basic business hotel room with barely enough space to swing a cat.

What really struck me was how normalized these prices seemed to locals. They didn't bat an eyelid at spending what would be considered a small fortune in other cities. It was a real eye-opener about the cost of living and economic differences between countries.

The experience definitely made me more financially aware and appreciate the value of money. It taught me to be more conscious about spending and to budget more carefully when traveling. Plus, it gave me a whole new perspective on urban living in one of the world's most expensive cities.

IELTS Examiner Analysis

Fluency and Coherence

(Band 8)
  • Smooth, natural flow of speech
  • Clear logical progression of ideas
  • Uses cohesive devices like "I mean", "Just to give you an example"
  • No significant hesitations or self-corrections
  • Maintains topic coherence throughout

Lexical Resource

(Band 8)
  • Rich, varied vocabulary
  • Idiomatic expressions like "eye-wateringly", "didn't bat an eyelid"
  • Precise vocabulary describing cost and experience
  • Demonstrates ability to paraphrase and explain complex ideas

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

(Band 7-8)
  • Complex sentence structures
  • Mix of simple and compound sentences
  • Mostly accurate grammar with occasional informal constructions
  • No significant grammatical errors

Pronunciation

(Band 7-8)
  • The response suggests clear, natural speech rhythm
  • Conversational tone indicates good pronunciation
  • Varied intonation implied through writing style

Estimated Overall Band Score: 8.0

The response effectively covers all aspects of the cue card, provides specific details, shows personal reflection, and demonstrates high-level English communication skills typical of a young professional.

How would you respond to this recent IELTS cue card question: Describe a cultural place you would like to visit.