Should you visit Athens or Rhodes?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Athens and Rhodes. 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.
Rhodes
Rhodes Island is one of the largest and most visited islands in Greece both because of its diversity of sights and its wonderful climate. On the island are some beautiful beaches, well preserved historic sights, and lovely towns. Rhodes City is the capital city on the island of Rhodes and is famous as the former site of the Colossus. Colossus is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and the oldest inhabited medieval town in Europe. Today Rhodes City has an interesting old town that is surrounded by the medieval wall. Inside you'll find countless souvenir shops and restaurants that cater to tourists. Cruise ships also frequent the island, so it's best visited during the off season when the crowds may be slightly less. You will also find that prices drop when the crowds are thinner and the cruise ships are scarce.
Which city is cheaper, Rhodes or Athens?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Athens is €72, while the average daily cost in Rhodes is €108. 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 Rhodes in more detail.
Accommodation
For a normal double-occupancy room in Athens, €78 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Athens, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is €39, such as in a hostel.
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about €92 for a double occupancy room in Rhodes.
Food
In Athens travelers spend around €20 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.
While meal prices in Rhodes can vary, the average travelers spends about €38 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Rhodes should cost around €15 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Rhodes is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
Athens €20
Rhodes €38
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
-
Hard Rock Cafe Dinner Menu with Priority Seating:
$23
-
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
-
Taste of Athens 3-Hour Walking Food Tour:
$56
Typical Food prices in Rhodes
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rhodes:
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Coffee
€1.95
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Dinner for Two
€23
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 €13 per person, per day on transportation in Athens.
The average price of local transportation around Rhodes is €39 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.
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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ATHENS AIRPORT to ATHENS or vice versa PRIVATE LUXURY TRANSFERS:
$62
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Airport Transfer:
$77
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Airport Transfer/ Athens Greece:
$59
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Airport pick up taxi and minivans transfers ,tours and trips:
$60
-
Airport transfer:
$156
-
Ancient Olympia Taxi Transfer from Athens:
$539
-
Arrival Private Transfer Luxury Van Athens Rafina Port to Athens City:
$100
-
Athens & Sounio Taxi Multiple Destination Transfer:
$311
-
Athens 6-Hour Guided Tour with Transfers:
$184
-
Athens Airport Departure Private Transfer. Depart in Style!:
$62
-
Athens Airport Departure Transfer (Athens Hotels to Athens Airport):
$66
-
Athens Airport Departure Transfer: Athens Hotels to Athens Airport Shuttle Bus:
$34
Typical Local Transportation prices in Rhodes
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Rhodes:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rhodes
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rhodes:
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Rhodes Private Departure Transfer:
$28
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Diagoras Airport Private Hotel Transfer:
$25
-
Rhodes Private Departure Transfer to Rhodes Airport:
$22
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Private Airport Transfer: from Rhodes to Rhodes Airport (RHO):
$19
Entertainment
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Athens can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around €12 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
Rhodes's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around €15 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.
Tours and Activities in Athens
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Athens.
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Athens virtual History, Philosophy and Democracy Tour:
$6.22
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Skip the Line: Frissiras Museum Entrance Ticket:
$7.46
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Skip the Line: War Museum of Athens Entrance Ticket:
$7.46
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Private Tour with a Local Guide:
$8.07
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Skip the Line: Temple of Olympian Zeus Entrance Ticket:
$8.09
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The Acropolis Museum Ticket & Access to Ancient Excavation:
$8.24
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Skip the Line: Roman Agora of Athens Entrance Ticket:
$8.71
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Athens Museum of Cycladic Art Admission Ticket:
$8.71
-
Cats of Self-Guided Mobile Tour in Plaka:
$9.21
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Hellenic Motor Museum Entrance Ticket:
$9.22
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Temple of Olympian Zeus Skip-the-Line and Audio Tour:
$9.22
-
Skip the Line: Admission Ticket for Acropolis Museum:
$9.33
Tours and Activities in Rhodes
Here are a few actual costs in Rhodes for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Hike around Rhodes in a 8 day tour! (Walking holidays):
$1,369
-
Private Tour: Lindos Acropolis and Village:
$683
-
Private Tour: Lindos and Rhodes Old Town Day Trip:
$1,131
-
Rhodes Family Adventure Week:
$1,630
-
Rhodes Private Tours:
$995
-
Rhodes Shore Excursion: Private Lindos Tour:
$683
-
Rhodes Shore Excursion: Private Lindos and Rhodes Old Town Tour:
$1,131
-
Rhodes Shore Excursion: Rhodes City Tour:
$572
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 €8.98.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Rhodes may vary from person to person, on average a person spends €9.71 per day on alcoholic beverages.
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
-
Athens Walking Tour with Food and Wine Tasting:
$37
-
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
-
Local Greek Wine Tasting and Meze:
$68
-
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 Rhodes, we can see that Rhodes 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 Rhodes would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Rhodes than you might in Athens.
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