Should you visit Athens or Interlaken?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Athens and Interlaken. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Athens
Athens is the capital city of Greece and is home to a population of over 3.7 million people. It's most famous as the birthplace of Classical Greece and the history in the city is incomparable to that found anywhere. It became the national capital of the modern Greek State in the 1830s, before which it was just a small village with a very impressive history. The city was redesigned by architects and city planners and incorporated large public squares, lots of green space, and wide avenues. The city has had its ups and downs both economically and politically, but it remains a beautiful and impressive place to explore.
Interlaken
Interlaken is a small city that is located in the Bernese Highlands Region of central Switzerland. It sits pleasantly between two Alpine Lakes, Brienzersee and Thunersee. This scenic setting and its easy accessibility make it a popular base camp for travel into the Bernese Oberland Alps. It has become a top tourist destination in Switzerland and it is also a hub for outdoor sports enthusiasts, as there are plenty of things to do in Interlaken in the summer. Interlaken is a great hoping off point to explore many of the nearby mountains, lakes, and valleys. It offers easy transportation to most major Swiss cities by train or car.
Which city is cheaper, Interlaken or Athens?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Athens is €103, while the average daily cost in Interlaken is €156. 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 Athens and Interlaken in more detail.
Accommodation
For a normal double-occupancy room in Athens, €102 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Athens, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is €51, such as in a hostel.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around €180 in Interlaken For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
In Athens travelers spend around €30 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
The average traveler spends about €43 per day in Interlaken 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.
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Food
Meals for one day
Athens €30
Interlaken €43
Typical Food prices in Athens
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Athens:
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Ice cream
€3.00
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Souvlaki
€2.20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Athens
For Athens, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Online 1hr Cooking Class: Santorini Tomato Fritters:
$6.22
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Flavors and Memories Self-Guided Mobile Food Tour:
$9.21
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Hard Rock Cafe Dinner Menu with Priority Seating:
$23
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Greek Meatballs Private Online Cooking Class:
$27
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Withlocals the 10 Tastings: Athens Private Food Tour with a Local:
$42
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Online Cooking Class: Greek mini cheese pies:
$45
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Favorite Food Tour - 10 Tastings w/ a Local:
$47
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Athens Food Tour and Lunch:
$52
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3.5-Hour Traditional Greek Cooking Class:
$54
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1.5-Hour Greek Cooking Class in Downtown Athens:
$54
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3-Hour Private Food Tour with Tastings:
$55
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Taste of Athens 3-Hour Walking Food Tour:
$56
Typical Food prices in Interlaken
For Interlaken, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Local Transportation
Athens's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend €22 per person, per day on transportation in Athens.
To get around in Interlaken, the average visitor spends €8.77 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Athens
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Athens:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Athens
Also for Athens, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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iMove Transfers Services Athens:
$75
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VIP VAN Piraeus Port Transfer 1 - 8 persons or Alimos Kalamaki Marina to Athens:
$61
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VIP VAN Athens Airport Transfer 1 - 4 persons:
$101
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VIP VAN Airport Transfer 5 - 8 persons:
$105
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VIP Ferry Ticket from Piraeus Port To Mykonos & Private Transfer included:
$167
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VIP Ferry Ticket From Piraeus Port To Santorini & Private Transfer Included:
$174
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VAN Piraeus Port Transfer 1 - 8 persons or Alimos Kalamaki Marina to Athens:
$39
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Ultra - Private Transfer from Athens City Centre to Piraeus Cruise Port:
$9.41
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Ultra - Athens Private Airport Transfer from City Centre to Athens Airport ATH:
$9.41
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Transfers around Athens and city tours:
$373
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Transfers and Guided Tours in all over Greece, sightseeing and Private hire!!:
$106
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Transfer to Loutraki/Corinth from Athens:
$166
Typical Local Transportation prices in Interlaken
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Interlaken are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Interlaken
Also for Interlaken, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Transfer from Interlaken to Geneva Airport:
$670
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Private transfer from Interlaken to Zurich Airport:
$485
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Private Transfer from interlaken City to Lucerne City:
$174
Is it cheaper to fly into Athens or Interlaken?
Prices for flights to both Interlaken and Athens 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
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Athens can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around €28 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
In Interlaken, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average €70 per person, per day.
Tours and Activities in Athens
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Athens.
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"A Must-See" Anc. Epidaurus, Mycenae & Nafplion Premium Full Day Tour By Locals:
$411
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"Athens city tour":
$270
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"Private tour in Athens":
$243
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''Tour in Athens'':
$118
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1 Day Private Tour Corinth, Cave of Lakes at Kalavrita & Journey by Cog Railway:
$264
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1 Day Private tour to Meteora, visit the Monasteries are lying on the cliffs.:
$317
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1 Day Saronic Islands Cruise:
$168
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10 Day Greek Island Tour: Mykonos, Santorini-Volcano, Crete, Delos, Knossos,:
$2,457
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10 Day Ultimate Ancient Greece Tours Experience:
$2,411
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10 Day to Explore the Best Historical Gems in Greece and tour in Santorini:
$1,798
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10 Days Private Tour: North Greece:
$2,706
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10 Days Private Tour: Peloponnese:
$2,706
Tours and Activities in Interlaken
For Interlaken, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Aare River Gorge Walk Private Tour from Interlaken:
$238
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Aare River Gorge Walk Small-Group Tour from Interlaken:
$106
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Aare River Gorge Walk plus Lake Brienz Cruise - Private Tour from Interlaken:
$238
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Best of Bernese Oberland Tour from Interlaken:
$689
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Blue Lake & Öschinen lake - Private day tour from Interlaken:
$750
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Blue Lake and Winter wonderland - Private day tour from Interlaken:
$1,328
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GAILY TOUR in INTERLAKEN - Gay & Lesbian Tour:
$187
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High Ropes Adventure Park Admission in Interlaken:
$46
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Interlaken City Tour plus Harder Mountain (Top of Interlaken) Private Tour:
$247
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Interlaken Private Tour: Mountains Cows, Thun Lake, and Brienz Lake:
$421
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Interlaken Private Walking Tour with Professional Guide:
$415
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Funicular Ticket to Harder Kulm:
$19
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Athens, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €18.
Typically, people visiting Interlaken spend on average €11 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Athens
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Athens:
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Wine Tasting:
$35
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Athens Walking Tour with Food and Wine Tasting:
$37
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The Greek Wine Tasting Beginner's Class:
$46
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1-Hour Wine Tasting:
$46
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Athens Old City: Wine Tasting Experience:
$52
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Greek Wine Tasting Experience:
$56
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Greek Wine Tasting Experience:
$58
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Private Wine Tasting Experience in Athens:
$63
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Local Greek Wine Tasting and Meze:
$68
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Wine Tour and Tasting in a 19th-Century Tower:
$78
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Food and Wine Tasting Tour at Night:
$80
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From Wine Tasting Tour to a Greek Winery:
$83
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Athens and Interlaken, we can see that Interlaken is more expensive. And not only is Athens much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Athens would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Athens 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 Interlaken would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Interlaken than you might in Athens.
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