Should you visit Albufeira or Split?
Should I visit Albufeira or Split? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Albufeira
Located in the Algarve region in the south of Portugal, Albufeira was once a small fishing village which has since evolved into a popular destination for tourists attracted by the area's beaches, pleasant climate, and fresh seafood.
Split
Spit is a historic city in Central Dalmatia with many opportunities to glimpse its fascinating past in its historic city center. Centuries ago the city grew up around a Diocletian palace that was used as refuge by the locals.
Today, as you wander around the historic center, you can see the remains of the Roman walls, temples, and squares. Despite it's appeal to tourists, Split is much more than just a tourist destination. It is larger than you might initially realize and it spreads well beyond the historic center. There is a population of about 300,000 in the larger area and it is an economic center for the region.
Split is also a must-visit on a trip through the country. It can easily fit in to a one-week itinerary of Croatia, or many other routes, as it's centrally located and very accessible.
Split has a beautiful climate with mild winters, countless sunny days, and a generally pleasant temperature. As such, there are many opportunities to enjoy yourself outdoors, whether by participating in sports or walking around the city's quaint streets. Winters in Split are also quite mild, but there may be one snowy day, on average, every year. This rare snowfall can cause a significant disruption in the flow of traffic.
Which city is cheaper, Split or Albufeira?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Albufeira is €118, while the average daily cost in Split is €88. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Albufeira and Split in more detail.
Accommodation
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around €59. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Albufeira the cost is €118 on average.
For a normal double-occupancy room in Split, €118 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Split, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is €59, such as in a hostel.
Food
The average traveler spends about €38 per day in Albufeira for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
Food in Split costs travelers about €19 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
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Food
Meals for one day
Albufeira €38
Split €19
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Split
For Split, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Krka Waterfalls with Dinner in Split included:Pizza or Burger with Fries & Drink:
$62
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Private Dining: Traditional Dalmatian family dinner near Marjan Hills:
$102
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Cooking Class in a Dalmatian Ethno Village Tour from Split:
$116
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The Real Split Food Tour:
$118
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Exclusive tour: NP Krka Bike Tour with traditional dinner:
$174
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Albufeira is €27 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Split than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €12 on transportation in Split on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Albufeira
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Albufeira:
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Transfer Galé - Boavista Golf (Lagos):
$77
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Transfer Galé - Benamor Golf (Conceição):
$100
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Transfer Galé - Balaia Golf (Albufeira):
$36
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Transfer Galé - Alto Golf Pestana (Alvor):
$62
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Transfer Galé - Alamos Golf (Portimão):
$62
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Transfer From Albufeira Algarve To Lisboa:
$235
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Transfer Algarve - Up to 7 People:
$871
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Transfer Algarve - Up to 3 People:
$746
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Transfer Albufeira to Faro Airport:
$36
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Transfer Albufeira - Boavista Golf (Lagos):
$77
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Transfer Albufeira - Benamor Golf (Conceição):
$100
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Transfer Albufeira - Balaia Golf (Albufeira):
$19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Split
Also for Split, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Airport Split speedboat transfer to Hvar town (Water taxi transfer):
$569
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Airport Private Transfer from Split:
$49
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Airport and Hotel Transfers in Split area:
$100
-
Arrival Private Transfer Split Airport SPU to Dubrovnik City by Minivan:
$295
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Boat Transfer - Split to Hvar:
$498
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Dubrovnik Private Day Trip from Split (round trip transfer):
$467
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From Split or Trogir to Zagreb: Private Transfer with Plitvice Lakes:
$467
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From Split or Trogir: Zagreb Transfer & Plitvice Lakes Tour:
$152
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From Split to Zagreb with Plitvice Lakes private one way transfer:
$796
-
Krka Waterfalls National Park Shared Transfer from Split:
$34
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Luxury Private Transfer from Split to Ljubljana:
$1,045
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Luxury private transfer Split - Dubrovnik with lunch in Ston:
$236
Is it cheaper to fly into Albufeira or Split?
Prices for flights to both Split and Albufeira change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
Albufeira's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around €31 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Sightseeing expenses in Split, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €2.98 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Albufeira
Here are a few actual costs in Albufeira for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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'Leaozinho' Pirate Ship Cruise from Albufeira:
$30
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1.5 Hour Quad Off-Road Tour from Albufeira:
$31
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Abulferia: 3-Hour Yacht Cruise to Benagil:
$34
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Albufeira 1.5 hour Off-Road Tour Buggy Adventure Tour:
$40
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Albufeira 1.5-Hour Off-road Quad Tour:
$75
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Albufeira 3-Hour Off-Road Quad Tour:
$137
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Albufeira Beach Tour:
$25
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Albufeira Coast and Countryside Mountain Bike Tour:
$73
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Albufeira Jeep Safari Tour (Full Day):
$65
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Albufeira to Algibre Trails Bike Tour:
$73
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2-Hour Caves and Cliffs Kayaking Experience:
$40
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2.5-Hour Dolphin Watching and Caves Cruise:
$31
Tours and Activities in Split
For Split, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Split Sightseeing: Explore the city's glorious Roman ruins on this audio tour:
$5.99
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Museum of Illusions Split Admission Ticket:
$10
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Best of Split Walking Tour:
$12
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Virtual Reality Movie Experience in Split:
$12
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360 Virtual Tour of Ancient Split:
$14
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Semisubmarine tour:
$16
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Grand Split Walking Tour with Diocletian's Palace:
$17
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Walking Tour Split:
$17
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Split guided city tour for small groups:
$17
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Olive Oil Experience:
$19
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1.5-Hour Split Evening Walking Tour:
$22
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Walk with Yelena - 100% local and authentic walking tour!!:
$22
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Albufeira may vary from person to person, on average a person spends €21 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Typically, people visiting Split spend on average €6.39 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Albufeira
Also in Albufeira, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Small group Wine Tasting Tour from Albufeira:
$61
-
sunset wine tasting from Albufeira:
$87
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Half Day Small Group Premium Wine Tour from Albufeira:
$93
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Wine Tour & Walking 7 Hanging Valleys - Coast Algarve:
$156
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From Algarve: Medieval Évora with Lunch and Wine Tasting:
$319
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Algarve Art and Wine Tour from Albufeira:
$653
Sample the Local Flavors in Split
Also in Split, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Day Tour from Krka Waterfalls Tour & Wine Tasting:
$36
-
Tower Pub Crawl in Split:
$37
-
Krka Waterfalls Tour & Wine Tasting from Split:
$37
-
Krka Waterfalls and Sibenik Day Trip Including Wine Tasting from Split:
$49
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Wine Tasting With walking Small group Tour in Split:
$53
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Blue Lagoon & Wine tasting - 3 islands tour:
$87
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Split Wine Tasting Walking Tour:
$101
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Zinfandel Wine Tour:
$124
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Full-Day Split Food and wine tour to Peljesac:
$133
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Beer Tasting Split - visit to the local brewery:
$137
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Solta Island Wine Tasting Tour Including Lunch:
$152
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Imotski Wine Tasting Tour from Split:
$152
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Albufeira and Split, we can see that Albufeira is more expensive. And not only is Split much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Split would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Split and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Albufeira would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Albufeira than you might in Split.
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