Which place is cheaper, Basque Country or Catalonia?
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 Catalonia or Basque Country?
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 Catalonia and Basque Country. 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: Catalonia or Basque Country?
Catalonia
Catalonia is a famous autonomous community in Spain. It is situated in the northeastern part of the country and consists of four provinces. The provinces consist of Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona. Barcelona is not only the capital of Catalonia, but is also the biggest city in the region. Because Barcelona is such a large city and Catalonia’s long history of international trade, the area is a very popular tourist destination. Another reason for Catalonia’s success is its temperate climate. Two other reasons that make Catalonia different from other areas in Spain are, people speak Catalan, Spanish and Aranese, and its climate has both beaches and mountain ranges.
Basque Country
Upon its lush green hills that tower over the deep blue waves of the Atlantic Ocean, you will find its perfected oceanic climate and breathtaking landscape to be only the beginning of Basque Country, Spain. Basque Country, or Euskadi, is an autonomous community located in northern Spain. This community was based off the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country, a legal document that enabled Basque people to develop on Spanish territory. Due to its strong traditional currents in Spanish heritage as well as magnificent architecture, Basque Country is a hotspot for tourists everywhere.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Spain, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Spain, The Best 2-Week Tours in Spain, and The Best Bicycle Tours in Spain.
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Catalonia Prices
Spain PricesBasque Country Prices
Spain Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCatalonia €195Basque Country €144
The average daily cost (per person) in Catalonia is €195, while the average daily cost in Basque Country is €144. 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 Catalonia and Basque Country in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCatalonia €88Basque Country €57
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCatalonia €176Basque Country €114
Compare Hotels in Catalonia and Basque Country
Looking for a hotel in Catalonia or Basque Country? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Catalonia €27Basque Country €25
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Catalonia
Also for Catalonia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Montserrat Half Day Private Guided Tour with Transfers: $292
- Barcelona Airport (BNC) to Palamós - Arrival Private Transfer: $286
- Palamós to Barcelona Airport (BNC) - Departure Private Transfer: $286
- Private Transfer from Barcelona to Tossa de Mar/ Lloret de Mar: $280
- Private Transfer from Barcelona Airport to Calella de Palafrugell: $274
- Private Transfer from Barcelona city to Girona airport: $263
- Private Transfer From Barcelona To Tarragona With a 2 Hour Stop: $254
- Private Transfer From Tarragona To Barcelona With a 2 Hour Stop: $254
- Private Transfer from Barcelona to La Roca Shopping Village: $252
- La Roca Village: private Round-Trip Transfer: $251
- Transfer with wheelchair Accessible from Bcn airport/ port/city: $233
- private Transfer from Reus Airport to Barcelona City: $233
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Basque Country
Also for Basque Country, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer San Sebastian to Bilbao or San Sebastian Airports by Van: $132
- Transfer S. Sebastian to Bilbao or S. Sebastian Airports by Sedan: $74
- Transfer Bilbao or San Sebastian Airport to San Sebastian by Car: $74
- San Sebastián: Transfer to Biarritz: $280
- Private Transfer in San Sebastian: $85
- Private Transfer from the Airport to Vitoria city: $97
- Private Transfer from Vitoria to Pamplona: $266
- Private Transfer from Vitoria to Logroño: $282
- Private Transfer from Vitoria to Laguardia town: $230
- Private Transfer from Vitoria to Elciego town: $230
- Private Transfer from Vitoria city to Bilbao Airport: $176
- Private Transfer from Vitoria Airport to Pamplona city: $265
Is it cheaper to fly into Catalonia or Basque Country?
Prices for flights to both Basque Country and Catalonia 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 dayCatalonia €74Basque Country €63
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Catalonia
For Catalonia, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Barcelona Guided Street Food Tour and Gothic Quarter Visit: $41
- Barcelona Street Food Tour with Local Market & City Center Visit: $53
- Top Awarded Flamenco Show Tablao Cordobes with dinner option: $56
- Barcelona Food Tour: Tapas, Drinks and Delights with a Local: $63
- Barcelona Morning Tapas Crawl by Food Tour: $69
- Tapas Paella and Wine Cooking Class in Barcelona: $75
- Evening Cruise with Dinner and Drinks in Barcelona: $75
- Barcelona: Gothic And El Born Food Tour with Tapas and Wine: $76
- Paella Cooking Class in Barcelona | Small Group, Cava & Wine: $81
- Barcelona Rooftop Paella Cooking Class with Sangria & Local Host: $88
- Barcelona Culinary Experience: Paella & Tapas Cooking Class: $88
- Barcelona Tapas Food Tour in El Born: $92
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Basque Country
For Basque Country, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Food Tour and Pintxos in Tolosa, 4 Food and Drink Tastings: $57
- Best Street Food Tour of San Sebastian with a Local Guide: $86
- San Sebastian Food Tour: Pintxos, Drinks, and Tapas with a Local: $88
- Bilbao Food Tour: Pintxos, Drinks, and Tapas with a Local: $88
- Bilbao Authentic Food Tour with 9 Pintxos and Local Drinks: $113
- Traditional Basque Pintxos Cooking Class in Bilbao: $117
- Pintxos and Tapas Cooking Class in Bilbao: $117
- The Award-Winning Bilbao Food Tour & Wine Pairing by Basque Local: $123
- Paella and Burnt Basque Cheesecake Cooking Class (in Bilbao): $146
- Basque cuisine cooking class: $152
- Authentic Basque Cooking Class in San Sebastian with Local Chef: $162
- Basque Cooking Experience: Market Tour & Hands-On Class English: $162
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Catalonia €31Basque Country €30
Tours and Activities in Catalonia
For Catalonia, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- (French)Barcelona Premium Pastry Tour: Over 100 Years of History: $116
- 1 Day Private Sailing Tour from Sitges: $111
- 1 hour Wakeboarding Adventure in Sitges for All Levels: $233
- 1,5 Hour sunset Tour on a Historical Boat with music DJ &, drinks: $57
- 2 Day Guided Private Tour Barcelona Experience Perfect Itinerary: $292
- 2 Wineries Small Group Tour with Free Hotel PickUp from Sitges: $128
- 20-min Barceloneta & The Beach Supercar City Tour: $114
- 3-Hour French Tour with Boqueria Point of Sale: $34
- 3-Hour Private Gaudi Bike Tour: $181
- 3-Hour Private Tour of the Beer Factory: $29
- 3h Private Food & Shopping Tour in Barcelona: $280
- 4 Hours Barcelona Highlights Tour by Car: $175
Tours and Activities in Basque Country
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Basque Country.
- "A la Vasca" - Top Notch Gastro Cultural Experience: $204
- "Basque Cider House" guided tour + meal from San Sebastian: $97
- 2 Hours Private Family Guided Walking Tour in Bilbao: $219
- 3-day Bilbao Bike Tour and Guggenheim Museum Ticket: $293
- Artist-Guided Tour of the Guggenheim Museum: $104
- BILBAO ALL IRON BILBAO TOUR: Athletic Club & Guggenheim: $298
- Basque Coast Private Tour from San Sebastian: $256
- Basque Coast Road Bike Tour: $146
- Best Private Pintxos tour in San Sebastian: $169
- Big Group Paddle Adventure: $233
- Bike Tour in San Sebastian: $50
- Bike tour with Pintxos & Drinks in Getxo (Scenic Bilbao Seaside): $70
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCatalonia €21Basque Country €20
Sample the Local Flavors in Catalonia
Also in Catalonia, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Visit winery and wine tasting: $16
- Barcelona Pub Crawl With Karaoke, Beach bars & VIP Club: $17
- Barcelona Pub Crawl by KING -The Best Party tour & VIP Club Entry: $17
- Estrella Damm Brewery in El Prat de Llobregat tour with Tasting: $18
- Barcelona Pub Crawl Experience with VIP Nightclub Entry: $18
- Barcelona Pub Crawl and VIP Club Experience: $18
- Largest Pub Crawl in Barcelona: $18
- Pub Crawl Barcelona: 4 nightclubs + skip-the-line entry: $18
- Estrella Damm Old Brewery Barcelona Guided Tour with Beer Tasting: $23
- Barcelona: Bar Crawl at Gaixample: $29
- Vineyard walk and wine tasting in l’Empordà: $30
- Go out like a local, pub Crawl / Tour in Raval - Barcelona: $32
Sample the Local Flavors in Basque Country
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Basque Country:
- Rioja & Txakoli Wine Tasting in Bilbao with a Local Sommelier: $58
- Bilbao Small Group Tour with Tapas and Wine Tasting: $112
- San Sebastian Centro Neighborhood Pintxos & Wine Tour: $116
- The Authentic Bilbao Pintxos, Food & Wine Tour with a Local: $116
- Basque Best Bites - #1 Food & Wine tour of Bilbao: $117
- San Sebastian Old Town Pintxos & Wine Tour Small Group Tour: $120
- Guided tour of Txakoli wine tasting and tasting of wine and typical products: $158
- Getaria Txakoli wine tour from San Sebastian: $169
- Small Group Basque Food, Pintxos and Wine Tour in San Sebastian: $191
- Txakoli wine tour from Bilbao: $192
- Private Basque Vineyard Visit: Txakoli Wine Tasting from Bilbao: $204
- Best quality food & wine tasting tour in San Sebastian.: $210
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Catalonia and Basque Country, we can see that Catalonia is more expensive. And not only is Basque Country much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Basque Country would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Basque Country 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 Catalonia would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Catalonia than you might in Basque Country.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Catalonia Expensive? and Is Basque Country Expensive?.
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.