A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Cappadocia vs. Santillana for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Cappadocia or Santillana?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Cappadocia or Santillana? 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 Santillana?

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.

Santillana

A quaint town outside of Santander in northern Spain, Santillana de Mar is renowned for its medieval architecture. One of Spain's prettiest villages, Santillana del Mar and its cobbled streets are lined with palaces, churches, and balconies full of flowers. There are plenty of traditional shops selling local specialties, and it is nearby the UNESCO world heritage site of the Altamira Caves for something a little different.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours from Istanbul, The Best 2-Week Tours from Istanbul, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Spain, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Spain.


Which place is cheaper, Santillana or Cappadocia?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Cappadocia is $151, while the average daily cost in Santillana is $112. 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 Santillana in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Cappadocia $53
    Santillana $64
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Cappadocia $106
    Santillana $128
Compare Hotels in Cappadocia and Santillana

Looking for a hotel in Cappadocia or Santillana? 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.

Hotels in Cappadocia


Hotels in Santillana


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 Santillana Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Cappadocia $51
    Santillana $18

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cappadocia

Also for Cappadocia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • 2 Days 1 Night Cappadocia Tour (Airport Transfer, Hotel, Daily Tour And Atv): $235
  • 2 way Transfer fr/to Nevsehir & Kayseri Airport / Cappadocia: $33
  • Airport Shuttle Transfer(Kayseri ASR - Nevsehir NAV Airport to Hotel): $13
  • Airport Transfer From and To Kayseri and Nevsehir : $16
  • Both Ways Airport Transfer (Nevsehir Kapadokya - Kayseri Erkilet): $38
  • Cappadocia Airport Private Transfer: $109
  • Cappadocia Airport Transfer Safe and Comfortable : $39
  • Cappadocia Balloon Ride with Breakfast, Champagne and Transfers: $250
  • Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride over Cat Valley with Transfers: $262
  • Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride over Cat Valley with Transfers: $131
  • Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride with Transfers: $196
  • Cappadocia Private Airport Transfer : $82

Is it cheaper to fly into Cappadocia or Santillana?

Prices for flights to both Santillana 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Cappadocia $50
    Santillana $33
Typical Food Prices in Cappadocia

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Cappadocia:


  • 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:

  • Turkish Night Show in Cave Restaurant with Dinner and Transfer: $44
  • Cappadocia Turkish Night in Avanos Dinner Included: $48
  • Cappadocia Traditional Turkish Night with Dinner (in Authentic Cave Restaurant): $53
  • Cappadocia Night: Turkish Dance & Dinner : $60
  • Cappadocia Turkish Night Show with Dinner and Entertainments: $62
  • Cappadocian cooking - hands-on class with pickup: $64
  • Romantic Cappadocia Sunset Dinner and Wine : $65
  • Turkish Night Show With Dinner in a Cave Restaurant: $65
  • Turkish night show with dinner and unlimited free alcohol: $69
  • Cappadocia Cave Restaurant for Dinner and Turkish Entertainments: $71
  • Half-Day Private Food Tour in Kayseri: $75
  • Romantic Cappadocia Private Sunset Dinner With Wild Food : $78

Typical Food Prices in Santillana

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Santillana:


  • Breakfast
    $7.50

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Cappadocia $95
    Santillana $24
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cappadocia

For Cappadocia, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • Underground City Entrance for Two
    $0.93
  • Hot Air Balloon Ride for Two
    $18
  • Horseback Riding for Two
    $3.55
  • Cappadocia Driving Tour
    $3.78
  • Goreme Museum Entrance Fee
    $0.46
  • Whirling Dervishes Show
    $3.09
  • Turkish Bath
    $2.16
  • Hot air ballooning
    $13
  • Goreme open air museum
    $0.62
  • Bellydancing Show
    $4.02

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: $4.36
  • Cappadocia Private Tour (Car & Guide): $5.00
  • Best Of Private Cappadocia Tour ( Car & Guide ): $5.45
  • Cappadocia Private Tour with Car & Guide : $5.99
  • Explore Cappadocia North and Red Underground City Private Tour : $12
  • Cappadocia Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Watching Experience: $16
  • Private Underground City tour in Cappadocia Derinkuyu , Kaymakli: $19
  • 2 Hour Sunset Quad Bike(Atv) Tour: $19
  • Sunrise Balloon Watching Tour with Photographer: $20
  • Guided ATV Tour with Sunrise Option: $21
  • Red Tour in Cappadocia with Lunch: $22
  • 2 Hour Sunset Quad Bike (ATV) Tour in Cappadocia: $22

Tours and Activities in Santillana

Here are a few actual costs in Santillana for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Memorable Family Walking Tour in Ancient Santillana del Mar: $428

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Cappadocia $18
    Santillana $4.59

Sample the Local Flavors in Cappadocia

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cappadocia:

  • Cappadocia Nightlife Experience: Bar and Pub Crawl Tour: $32
  • Wine tasting in Cappadocia: $64
  • Cappadocia Wine Cellar and Wine Yard with Wine Tasting: $79
  • Full-day Cappadocia Tour with wine tasting and clay shaping : $90
  • Wine Tasting and Sunset in Cappadocia: $196

Sample the Local Flavors in Santillana

Also in Santillana, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Santillana Uncorked: A Wine Tasting Adventure: $1,022


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cappadocia and Santillana, we can see that Cappadocia is more expensive. And not only is Santillana much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Santillana would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santillana 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 Santillana.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cappadocia Expensive? and Is Santillana Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Cappadocia or Santillana?

Cappadocia has a larger population, and is about 57% larger than the population of Santillana. When comparing the sizes of Cappadocia and Santillana, 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.