Should you visit Cefalu or Catania?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Cefalu and Catania. 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.
Cefalu
Cefalu is a fishing village and beach resort that is located on the northern coast of Sicily, Italy. It sits on the Tyerrhenian Sea and is just 70 kilometers from Palermo and 185 kilometers from Messina. The town has a small population of under 14,000 residents but is a significant tourist destination on the island of Sicily. The city is flooded with millions of tourists every year from around Sicily, elsewhere in Italy, and abroad. During the summer months it is not uncommon for the city's population to triple, putting a lot of pressure on the main streets and roads around town. The city is popular as a beach resort with a youthful vibe and an active nightlife.
Catania
Located on the east coast of Sicily, Catania is at the base of Mount Etna, which is the largest volcano in Europe. It's also the island's second largest city and a major transportation center for the area. With almost one million residents in the metropolitan area, the city serves as an important economic base and university town for Sicily. It's a vibrant city with a young population, a lively downtown, and an excellent nightlife. The city has an abundance of Sicilian Baroque architecture and the downtown area, where much of it is this architecture is concentrated, has been declared a World Heritage Site.
Which city is cheaper, Catania or Cefalu?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Cefalu is €95, while the average daily cost in Catania is €96. 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 Cefalu and Catania in more detail.
Accommodation
For a normal double-occupancy room in Cefalu, €140 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Cefalu, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is €70, such as in a hostel.
Catania's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is €104. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is €52.
Food
The average traveler spends about €22 per day in Cefalu for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
While meal prices in Catania can vary, the average travelers spends about €32 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Catania should cost around €13 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Catania is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
Cefalu €22
Catania €32
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cefalu
For Cefalu, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Gastronomic Street Food Tour of Cefalù:
$61
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Dinner in the Madonie Mountains:
$68
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Lunch or dinner and cooking demo at a local home in Cefalù:
$106
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Small-group Street food tour in Cefalù:
$111
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Small Group Market tour and Cooking class in Cefalu:
$162
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Private Pizza & Tiramisu Class at a Cesarina's home with tasting in Cefalù:
$180
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Private cooking class with lunch or dinner in Cefalù:
$180
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Catania
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Catania.
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Homegrown Bronte pistachio dinner in Catania:
$46
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Dinner with the chefs on a Catania terrace:
$53
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Private Groups: Arancini cooking class and wine in a chef's home in Catania:
$54
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Traditional 3-course Sicilian dinner in Catania:
$55
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Gastronomic Street Food Tour of Catania:
$58
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Nonna Amalia’s home cooking:
$67
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Food tour of Catania by night:
$68
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Private Dining: 5-course Vegetarian Sicilian dinner on a terrace in Catania:
$74
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Fish market tour and cooking class in Catania:
$81
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Traditional Home Cooking Experience in Catania:
$86
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Dining experience at a local's home in Catania with show cooking:
$106
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3-course Sicilian cooking class and dinner in Catania:
$109
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Cefalu than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €3.43 on transportation in Cefalu on average per day.
The average price of local transportation around Catania is €16 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.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cefalu
Also for Cefalu, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Costa Verde HOTEL Cefalù, for Palermo airport, Private Transfer:
$78
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Le Calette, Cefalù to Palermo airport or vice versa, Private Transfer:
$93
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Club Med Cefalù to Palermo airport or vice versa, Private Transfer:
$93
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Hotel Kalura, Cefalù for Palermo airport or vice versa, Private Transfer:
$93
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Alberi del Paradiso, Cefalù for APT Palermo or vice versa, Private Transfer:
$93
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Departure Private Transfer Cefalù to Palermo Airport PMO by Business Car or Van:
$128
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Private Transfer from Cefalù to Palermo (PMO) Airport:
$226
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Private transfer from Cefalù to Taormina:
$249
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Transfer Cefalù to Taormina con visita di Piazza Armerina per gruppi individuali:
$274
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Private Transfer from Cefalù to Catania (CTA) Airport:
$593
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Catania
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Catania:
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Transfers from Catania to Noto:
$212
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Transfers from Catania airport to Noto:
$112
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Transfer from Catania to Piazza Armerina and Agrigento:
$274
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Transfer from Catania to Agrigento With van:
$156
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Transfer from Catania airport to Taormina:
$333
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Transfer from Catania airport to Ragusa:
$93
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Transfer Tour from Catania to Palermo passing by Villa Romana del Casale:
$599
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Transfer From Palermo to Catania with a Stop in Agrigento Valley of Temples:
$632
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Transfer From Catania Airport to Taormina and surrounding Villages:
$141
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Transfer Catania to Capo D'Orlando port for Aeolian islands:
$149
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TRANSFER from CATANIA AIRPORT to NOTO (and VICEVERSA):
$91
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TRANSFER from CATANIA AIRPORT to Catania Center (and VICEVERSA):
$25
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in Cefalu, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €4.57 per day, per person.
Catania's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around €16 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 Cefalu
For Cefalu, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Cefalù Segway Tour:
$123
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Small Group Market tour and Dining Experience at a Cesarina's home in Cefalù:
$136
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ETNA and Taormina departing from Cefalù, Private Tour:
$319
Tours and Activities in Catania
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Catania are as follows:
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5-Hour Mount Etna Mountain Biking Private Tour from Catania:
$111
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7-Day Highlights PRIVATE Sicily Tour - Only for you:
$4,292
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8-Day Authentic Gastronomic Sicilian Experience in Sicily:
$2,743
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8-Day Independent Mt Etna and Taormina Bike Tour:
$865
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Alcantara Food & Wine Experience:
$180
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Barefoot on Etna Slope: Sicilian Countryside Private Tour and Picnic at Rural Farmhouse from Catania:
$223
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Baroque shades of Sicily (Noto, Modica and Ragusa day tour):
$124
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Best Sicilian Offer: Private Tour of Etna - Alcantara - Godfather - Food and Wine from Catania:
$249
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Bio Sheep and Cheese Day Experience:
$180
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Bronte Gran Tour Pistachio & Olive Oil Farms:
$143
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Bronte pistachio estate tour and lunch:
$137
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Buscemi - Palazzolo Acreide - Marzamemi Tour:
$211
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Cefalu spend on average €8.57 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
The average person spends about €14 on alcoholic beverages in Catania per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in Catania
Also in Catania, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Etna & Wine Tour:
$86
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Etna Wine: discovering the volcano & enjoying a wine tasting:
$98
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Etna and Wine Tour from Catania:
$114
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Wine Tour & Etna:
$131
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Wine Tour & Picnic in Sicilian vineyards!:
$134
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Trekking Etna e wine tour:
$137
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Catania Private Walking Tour with Option of Food and Wine Tasting:
$167
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Volcanic Train and Wine Tour on Etna:
$190
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Taormina Etna visit and wine tasting and lunch in winery from 2 to 8 persons max:
$224
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Etna Tour and Lunch in a Winery with Wine Tasting:
$255
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Half-Day Private Mt Etna Wine Tasting Experience from Catania:
$420
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WINE TOUR OF ETNA - powered by ETNA WINE SCHOOL:
$671
When comparing the travel costs between Cefalu and Catania, we can see that Catania is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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