Which place is cheaper, Ankara or Cappadocia?
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 Cappadocia or Ankara?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Cappadocia or Ankara? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Cappadocia or Ankara?
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is in Central Anatolia, between the mountains Erciyes, Melendiz and Hasan. It is famous for its underground cities, fairy chimneys, and caves. The landscape of the area is some of the most unique you'll ever see. The fairy chimneys are bizarrely shaped rock outcroppings that have evolved from the unique geography in the area. There are hiking trails through the series of valleys that make up the area. It's a great place to explore for outdoor enthusiasts and adventure seekers.
Ankara
Located at the heart of Turkey near Central Anatolia, Ankara is the capital city and second largest city in the country after Istanbul. Formerly known for its long-haired goats and textiles, the city has since developed into a metropolitan mix of modern cultures with historic landmarks.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours from Istanbul, The Best 2-Week Tours from Istanbul, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Antalya, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Turkey.
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Cappadocia Prices
Turkey PricesAnkara Prices
Turkey Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCappadocia $158Ankara $118
The average daily cost (per person) in Cappadocia is $158, while the average daily cost in Ankara is $118. 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 Cappadocia and Ankara in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCappadocia $44Ankara $48
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCappadocia $88Ankara $96
Compare Hotels in Cappadocia and Ankara
Looking for a hotel in Cappadocia or Ankara? 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: Cappadocia Hotel Prices and Ankara Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cappadocia $43Ankara $31
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cappadocia
Also for Cappadocia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 2 Hour Quad Bike Safari in Cappadocia ( Transfer Include ): $10
- Private Airport Transfer Service from/to Kayseri or Nevsehir : $40
- Private Transfer Airport to Cappadocia or Airport to Cappadocia: $45
- 2 way Transfer fr/to Nevsehir & Kayseri Airport / Cappadocia: $51
- Balloon Flight in Cappadocia / Goreme Flight ( Transfer Include ): $40
- Both Ways Airport Transfer (Nevsehir Kapadokya - Kayseri Erkilet): $33
- Cappadocia 2-Hours Sunset ATV Quad Tour w/Free Hotel Transfer: $37
- Cappadocia Airport Transfers Cappadocia shuttle: $29
- Cappadocia Balloon Ride with Breakfast, Champagne and Transfers: $150
- Cappadocia Green Tour (inc: Pro Guide, Transfers, Tickets, Lunch): $82
- Cappadocia Green Tour (pro guide, transfer incl): $47
- Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride Over Fairychimneys With Transfers: $136
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Ankara
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Ankara:
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Metro Ride$0.03
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Short Taxi Ride$0.13
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ankara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ankara:
- Private Transfers Ankara City or Esenboga Airport to/from Kizilcahamam Town: $185
- Private Transfers Ankara City or Esenboga Airport to/from Beypazari Town: $185
- Private Transfers Ankara City or Esenboga Airport to/from Gordion Ancient City: $185
- Ankara Esenboga Airport transfers to Ankara City Center (Cankaya,Kizilay) Hotels: $109
- Ankara City Center (Cankaya,Kizilay) Hotels to Ankara Esenboga Airport transfers: $109
- Private Transfers Between Ankara Esenboga Airport - Ankara City Centre: $75
- Ankara Esenboğa Airport From/To City Center Private Transfer: $54
- Private Airport Transfer From/To Ankara Airport to Cankaya Hotels: $52
- Ankara Airport & Hotel Transfers : $52
- Ankara Private Transfer from central Ankara hotels to Ankara Airport (ESB): $52
- Private Transfer from Ankara Esenboga Airport (ESB) to Central Ankara: $52
- Ankara Esenboga Airport to City Hotels Transfer: $42
Is it cheaper to fly into Cappadocia or Ankara?
Prices for flights to both Ankara and Cappadocia 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 dayCappadocia $72Ankara $47
Typical Food Prices in Cappadocia
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Cappadocia:
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Cookies$0.03
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cappadocia
For Cappadocia, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Cappadocia traditional cooking with Chef: $35
- Cappadocia Turkish Night Show: Dinner and Entertainment: $45
- Cappadocia Turkish Night Show with Dinner: $45
- Cappadocia Cave Restaurant for Dinner and Turkish Entertainments: $51
- Cappadocia Turkish Night wTransfer,Dinner &Unlimited Drinks: $57
- Cappadocia Turkish Night Show with Dinner in a Cave: $57
- Turkish night show with dinner and unlimited free alcohol: $58
- Cappadocia Turkish Night Show with dinner, unlimited alcohol: $62
- Cappadocia Turkish Night With Dinner + Drinks (Include Transfer): $62
- Turkish Night Unlimited Drinks & Dinner in Cappadocia: $66
- Turkish Night with Dinner and Unlimited Drinks İn the Rock Cave: $72
- Turkish Night Show: Unlimited Alcohol, Dinner and Transfer: $73
Typical Food Prices in Ankara
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Ankara:
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A Quick Lunch$0.30
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ankara
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Ankara.
- Turkish Cuisine Cooking Class at Local Home with Family: $49
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cappadocia $80Ankara $29
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cappadocia
For Cappadocia, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Underground City Entrance for Two$0.78
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Hot Air Balloon Ride for Two$15
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Horseback Riding for Two$2.98
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Cappadocia Driving Tour$3.18
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Goreme Museum Entrance Fee$0.39
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Whirling Dervishes Show$2.60
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Turkish Bath$1.82
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Hot air ballooning$11
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Goreme open air museum$0.52
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Bellydancing Show$3.38
Tours and Activities in Cappadocia
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Cappadocia.
- Skip the Line: Guray Museum Admission Ticket: $4.53
- Cappadocia Private RED GREEN Tour : $10
- Sunset or Daytime ATV Adventure Tour: $10
- Horseback Riding Experience Cappadocia: $10
- Atv Quad Tour: $11
- Sunrise Balloon Watching Tour: $12
- Cappadocia ATV Experience: $13
- Historical Pottery Experience Tour: $14
- Cappadocia Local Carpet Weaving Tour: $14
- Leather Fashion Show Skip the Line Ticket Cappadocia: $14
- Sunrise Balloon Watching Tour: $14
- Authentic Pottery Workshop Experience: $14
Typical Entertainment Prices in Ankara
Here are a few typical costs in Ankara for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Underground City$0.21
Tours and Activities in Ankara
Here are a few actual costs in Ankara for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 5 Days Hittite Monuments Tour with Specialist Guide: $1,995
- Ankara : Private Walking Tour With A Guide ( Private Tour ) : $34
- Ankara Highlights Walking Tour With A Guide: $33
- Ankara Private Walking Tour with a Professional Guide: $229
- Private Guided Walking Tour: $34
- Private Tour with a Local: $40
- Best of Private Walking Tour with a Local: $33
- Half Day Private Tour in Ankara: $215
- Istanbul: Golden Horn & Bosphorus Day Cruise: $165
- Istanbul: Half-Day Tour with Topkapi Palace: $145
- Private Ankara City Tours by an Archaeologist Tour Guide : $280
- Private Ankara Sightseeing Tour: $235
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCappadocia $16Ankara $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Cappadocia
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cappadocia:
- Signature Local Wine Tasting in Cappadocia: $9.52
- Wine Tasting in Cappadocia Turkey - Introduction of local wines: $26
- Guided Bar Crawl with Hotel Pickup and Snack: $34
- Wine tasting in Cappadocia: $67
- SKIP-THE-LINE: Cappadocia Tour w/wine tasting and clay shaping : $90
- Wine Tasting and Sunset in Cappadocia: $204
- Cappadocia Private Tour-Super Experience+Home-made Wine Tasting: $209
- Half-Day Private Cappadocia Wine Tour Experience: $267
- Ancient Cappadocia's Wine Tasting - Private Tour: $275
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cappadocia and Ankara, we can see that Cappadocia is more expensive. And not only is Ankara much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Ankara would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ankara 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 Cappadocia would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cappadocia than you might in Ankara.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cappadocia Expensive? and Is Ankara Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cappadocia or Ankara?
Ankara has a larger population, and is about 550 times larger than the population of Cappadocia. When comparing the sizes of Cappadocia and Ankara, 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.
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.