Which place is cheaper, Santiago or Athens?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Athens or Santiago?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Athens and Santiago. 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, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Athens or Santiago?
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.
Santiago
Santiago is the capital city of Chile. It is centrally located in the long and narrow country, making it a good jumping off point to explore everywhere else. It's convenient location means that you can go skiing in the Andes one day, and hang out at the beach the next.
Santiago has a cool semi-arid climate that is similar to Mediterranean climates. The summers, which are between November and March, are warm and dry. The temperatures climb to around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The winters, between June and August, are humid with cold mornings. The daily highs are around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and the lows stay a few degrees above freezing. Rain is more common in the winter months and the dry season is between December and March.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Greece, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Greece, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Chile, and The Best Luxury Tours to Chile.
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Athens Prices
Greece PricesSantiago Prices
Chile Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAthens €154Santiago €128
The average daily cost (per person) in Athens is €154, while the average daily cost in Santiago is €128. 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Athens and Santiago in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAthens €63Santiago €93
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAthens €126Santiago €186
Compare Hotels in Athens and Santiago
Looking for a hotel in Athens or Santiago? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Athens Hotel Prices and Santiago Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Athens €27Santiago €4.60
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Athens
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Athens:
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Airport Bus for Two€6.40
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Metro€1.50
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Metro€2.00
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Metro from Airport to City Center€8.00
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Taxi from Airport€35
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Athens
Also for Athens, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Ferry Transfer from Athens to Aegina Island: $16
- Mykonos Super Paradise Beach Transfers: $18
- One way Private Transfer Athens City Center to / from Piraeus Port: $23
- Piraeus Port To Athens City Center Private Arrival Transfer: $24
- Santorini Airport Private Transfer: $25
- Athens Airport (ATH) Private Transfer to Athens Hotels/Piraeus: $26
- Santorini: Private Airport and Port Transfer Service: $27
- Athens city to Piraeus port Private transfer: $27
- Athens Airport Private Transfer to Piraeus Port with Meet & Greet: $28
- Private Transfer from Piraeus Port to Athens City Center: $29
- Piraeus port to Athens city Private transfer: $29
- Private Transfer from Athens City Center to Piraeus Port: $29
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Santiago
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santiago:
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Metro Ride€0.96
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago:
- Private Scenic Transfer to Mendoza.: $467
- Airport Transfer and Halfday City tour Santiago de Chile: $362
- Private Santiago Visit Haras de Pirque Winery & Transfer Hotel: $300
- Private Transfer San Antonio Cruise from Santiago to Valparaiso: $300
- Transfer Santiago to Cruise Port in Valparaiso or San Antonio: $290
- Transfer Private hotel to Cruise ship in Puerto San Antonio or Valparaiso: $270
- Santiago de Chile : private transfer in SUV to Viña del mar or Valparaíso: $270
- Private Transfer to Sewell UNESCO Andes Town Tour with Lunch: $269
- Maipo Valley Wine Tour, Concha y Toro, Private Transfer from Santiago: $262
- Private Transfer from Arturo Merino Benítez (SCL) Airport to Viña del Mar: $261
- Private Transfer From Santiago airport to San Antonio Pier or Valparaiso Pier : $251
- Santiago Airport (SCL) to Santo Domingo - Round-Trip Transfer: $240
Is it cheaper to fly into Athens or Santiago?
Prices for flights to both Santiago 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.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayAthens €64Santiago €19
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:
- Hard Rock Cafe Athens with Set Lunch or Dinner: $30
- Street Food Tour - Sample the Food the Locals Love: $71
- Koukaki Food Tour with a Local Friend: $78
- Athens's original vegan food tour: $78
- Small Group, Delicious Athens Food Tour: $81
- Traditional Greek Cooking Class and Organic Lunch on Poros: $81
- Get a Taste of Athens Food Tour: $82
- Athens, Greek food tour including market visit: $83
- Eat like an Athenian food tour of Athens: $83
- Athens Walking Food Tour with Visit to Varvakios Central Market: $83
- Athens Evening Food Tour: $88
- Greek Cooking Class by Poseidon’s Temple in Sounio with Antonia: $90
Typical Food Prices in Santiago
Some typical examples of dining costs in Santiago are as follows:
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Empanada€1.60
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Hamburger€2.13
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Dinner€22
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santiago
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santiago.
- Legacy Family Tour Lunch or Dinner Pairing 4 Strokes: $40
- Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $82
- 4-Hour Boozy Chilean Cooking Class in Santiago: $85
- Bali Hai Dinner & Show, Transport and Wine refill: $106
- Dinner Show in Bali Hai with Wine refill and transportation: $114
- Private Dinner & Chilean Folk Show with Transfers: $116
- Alyan Winery Sunset with Wine Tastings and Dinner: $117
- Private Market Tour and Traditional Chilean Cooking Class in a Local Home: $122
- San Cristobal Hill Night Tour with Dinner Show: $129
- Bali Hai Polynesian Dinner Show with Transfer: $130
- Private Night City Tour with San Cristobal Hill And Dinner Show: $181
- Santiago Chilean and Peruvian Cooking Class with a Local Carol: $184
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Athens €36Santiago €40
Tours and Activities in Athens
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Athens.
- Self Guided Walking Tour in Athens Hidden Gems: $3.59
- A Neoclassical Capital: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.50
- Athens Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $6.01
- Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Athens: $7.20
- Self-Guided Greece Grand Tour with Audio Guide: $7.69
- The Best of Piraeus: A Self-Guided Walking Tour: $7.99
- South Slope Acropolis Self-Guided 3D Audio Tour (No Ticket): $8.40
- Athens Interactive City Tour: $8.42
- Temple of Olympian Zeus: Self-Guided Audio Tour on your Phone (without ticket): $9.61
- Acropolis of Athens Self-Guided Tour with 3D & Audio (No Ticket): $9.61
- Private Self-Guided Audio City-Tour in Athens: $9.62
- Athens Olympic Museum ticket: $11
Tours and Activities in Santiago
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Santiago are as follows:
- Private Half-Day Guided Tour of the City of Santiago.: $280
- Private Sightseeing City Tour in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar: $240
- "Tour Tradicional" Viña Cousiño Macul Oficial español: $26
- 1 Day Tour of Viña Concha y Toro from Santiago: $120
- 4 Hour Santa Rita Winery All inclusive Tour for Wine Lover: $269
- 6 Hour Tour of Culture, History and Flavors from Santiago: $75
- A Fabulous Walking tour by the Old Santiago of Chile -small group: $25
- A full Private Tour of Valparaiso from Santiago : $240
- A historical tour of Santiago, Chile: $18
- An Architect's Tour of Downtown Santiago: $55
- Andean Adventure: Cajón del Maipo & Santuario del Río Spa: $132
- Andean Horse Ride Yerba Loca Sanctuary - Private tour from Santiago: $240
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAthens €23Santiago €7.15
Sample the Local Flavors in Athens
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Athens:
- The Original Athens Pub Crawl: $11
- Greek Honey Tasting Experience at our Old Distillery: $14
- Saturday Night Pub Crawl for Professionals in Athens, Greece: $25
- Experience Ouzo Tasting at Athens Oldest Distillery: $26
- Athens Ultimate Bar Crawl: $48
- 2 Hours Wine Tasting Odyssey in Athens: $59
- Best rated Acropolis Wine Tasting : $59
- Greek Wine Tasting with Acropolis view: $59
- Acropolis Private Wine Tasting @ Finewine store : $67
- Greek food and wine tasting: $71
- Noble Greeks Acropolis Wine Tasting with Private Sommelier: $72
- Athens by Night Walking and Wine Tasting Experience: $84
Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago
Also in Santiago, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Ludwig's Original Pub Crawl with VIP Club Entry: $34
- Viña del Mar, Valparaiso, with Wine Tasting: $60
- Undurraga Winery Tour with Entry and Wine Tasting: $63
- Undurraga Wine tour: $70
- Half Day Trip to Undurraga Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $70
- Valparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with Casablanca Wine Tasting: $79
- Valparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with wine tasting in Casablanca: $79
- Inca Lagoon and Vineyard Visit with Wine Tasting: $80
- Half Day Trip to Cousiño Macul Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $87
- Half Day Trip to Concha y Toro Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $87
- Maipo Valley Wine Tour with 4 vineyards from Santiago.: $89
- Kross Brewery Tour: A Craft Beer Tasting Experience: $93
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Athens and Santiago, we can see that Athens is more expensive. And not only is Santiago much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Athens is in Europe and Santiago is in South America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Santiago would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santiago 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 Athens would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Athens than you might in Santiago.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Athens Expensive? and Is Santiago Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Athens or Santiago?
Santiago has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Athens. When comparing the sizes of Athens and Santiago, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
When is the best time to visit Athens or Santiago?
Even though both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, they experience these seasons at different times of the year. Santiago is in the southern hemisphere and summer is in January and winter is in July, but Athens has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Athens or Santiago in the Summer?
Both Santiago and Athens during the summer are popular places to visit. The summer months attract visitors to Athens because of the city activities and the family-friendly experiences.
In July, Athens is generally a little warmer than Santiagoin January. Daily temperatures in Athens average around 27°C (81°F), and Santiago fluctuates around 21°C (70°F).
Athens usually gets less rain in July than Santiagoin January. Athens gets 6 mm (0.2 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures July and JanuaryAthens 27°C (81°F)Santiago 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Athens or Santiago in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Athens and Santiago. The city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area are the main draw to Athens this time of year.
Athens is a little warmer than Santiago in the autumn. The daily temperature in Athens averages around 19°C (67°F) in October, and Santiago fluctuates around 15°C (59°F)in April.
In October, Athens usually receives more rain than Santiagoin April. Athens gets 48 mm (1.9 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures October and AprilAthens 19°C (67°F)Santiago 15°C (59°F)
Should I visit Athens or Santiago in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Athens as well as Santiago. Many travelers come to Athens for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
In the winter, Athens is a little warmer than Santiago. Typically, the winter temperatures in Athens in January average around 10°C (51°F), and Santiago averages at about 9°C (48°F)in July.
Athens usually gets less rain in January than Santiagoin July. Athens gets 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 80 mm (3.1 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures January and JulyAthens 10°C (51°F)Santiago 9°C (48°F)
Should I visit Athens or Santiago in the Spring?
Both Santiago and Athens are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. Many visitors come to Athens in the spring for the activities around the city and the natural beauty.
In April, Athens is generally around the same temperature as Santiagoin October. Daily temperatures in Athens average around 16°C (60°F), and Santiago fluctuates around 15°C (59°F).
In April, Athens usually receives more rain than Santiagoin October. Athens gets 25 mm (1 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures April and OctoberAthens 16°C (60°F)Santiago 15°C (59°F)
Typical Weather for Santiago and Athens
| Athens | Santiago | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 10°C (51°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Feb | 11°C (51°F) | 48 mm (1.9 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Mar | 12°C (54°F) | 44 mm (1.7 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Apr | 16°C (60°F) | 25 mm (1 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| May | 20°C (68°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 50 mm (2 in) |
| Jun | 24°C (76°F) | 6 mm (0.2 in) | 9°C (48°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) |
| Jul | 27°C (81°F) | 6 mm (0.2 in) | 9°C (48°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) |
| Aug | 27°C (81°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) | 10°C (50°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) |
| Sep | 24°C (76°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 20 mm (0.8 in) |
| Oct | 19°C (67°F) | 48 mm (1.9 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Nov | 16°C (60°F) | 51 mm (2 in) | 17°C (63°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Dec | 12°C (54°F) | 66 mm (2.6 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.