Which place is cheaper, Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Chania?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Chania or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Chania or Santa Cruz de Tenerife, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Chania or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Chania
Chania is a city on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. Chania is Crete's most evocative city, with its pretty Venetian quarter, crisscrossed by narrow lanes, culminating at a magnificent harbor. At the harbor entrance is a 16th-century lighthouse with Venetian, Egyptian, and Ottoman influences. On the other side, the Nautical Museum has model ships, naval objects and photographs. The former monastery of St. Francis houses the Archaeological Museum of Chania. Remnants of Venetian and Turkish architecture abound, with old townhouses now transformed into atmospheric restaurants and boutique hotels. Although all this beauty means the old town is packed with tourists in summer, it's still a great place to unwind. The Venetian Harbor is super for a stroll and a coffee or cocktail. Plus it’s got a university and a modern area to the city, which means that it retains its charm in winter. Indie boutiques and an entire lane dedicated to leather products provide good shopping and, with a multitude of creative restaurants, you’ll likely have some of your best meals on Crete here.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Not everyone traveling to Spain is looking to collapse on a beach somewhere. If you're in search of a bustling, vibrant and colorful Spanish capital city without the crowds of Barcelona, you might want to book a few days in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Located on the eastern tip of the island of Tenerife on the Canary Island chain, Santa Cruz's bright buildings, charming shops and rich, green scenery are there to greet visitors from all over the world - including you.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Greece, The Best Cruise Tours and Packages in Greece, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Madrid, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Barcelona.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayChania €93Santa Cruz de Tenerife €126
The average daily cost (per person) in Chania is €93, while the average daily cost in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is €126. 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 Chania and Santa Cruz de Tenerife in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personChania €46Santa Cruz de Tenerife €48
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomChania €92Santa Cruz de Tenerife €96
Compare Hotels in Chania and Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Looking for a hotel in Chania or Santa Cruz de Tenerife? 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: Chania Hotel Prices and Santa Cruz de Tenerife Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Chania €15Santa Cruz de Tenerife €64
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chania
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chania:
- Arrival Transfer Chania Airport to Chania, Rethimno or Heraklion: $25
- Bali: Shared Transfer from Chania/Heraklion Airport to Bali: $33
- Balos Beach Private Roundtrip Transfer with Free Time: $235
- Chania Int Airport (CHQ): Transfer to Heraklion Cruise Port: $351
- Chania to Elafonissi Beach/ Cretan Villages Private Transfer: $332
- Chania to Faistos Palace Private Transfer Full Day Tour: $529
- Chania to Imbros Gorge Private Full Day Transfer: $364
- Chania to Irini Gorge & Sougia Village: Private Transfer: $406
- Chania to Knossos Palace & Heraklion City Private Transfer: $529
- Cretan Folklore Night with Buffet and transfer: $31
- Elafonisi Beach Day Trip with Elos Stop and Transfer: $34
- Falassarna Beach Sunset Trip with Transfer: $36
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santa Cruz de Tenerife:
- Mount Teide Tour with Transfer and Optional Cable Car Ticket: $43
- Santa Cruz Tenerife Cruise Port: Transfer to Tenerife hotels: $252
- Tenerife South Airport Departure Transfer (Costa Adeje Hotels to Airport): $98
- Tenerife South Airport Departure Transfer (Playa de las américas to Airport): $59
- Whale and Dolphin Watching Catamaran with Transfer and Buffet : $64
Is it cheaper to fly into Chania or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Prices for flights to both Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Chania 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 dayChania €32Santa Cruz de Tenerife €40
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chania
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Chania.
- The Delicious Chania PRIVATE Street Food Tour : $87
- CHANIA WALKING FOOD TOURS – 3 HOUR WALKING TOUR: $107
- CHANIA CRETE COOKING CLASSES – 3 HOURS: $107
- Chania Cooking Class-The Authentic: $118
- Guided Walking Food Tour with Tasting: $123
- From The Ultimate Food Tour Of Chania Villages: $123
- Wine, Food, and Sunset Tour with 3-Course Dinner: $127
- From Agioi Theodoroi Catamaran Dinner Cruise: $127
- Sunset Craft Beer & Food Tour: $128
- Sunset Craft Beer & Food Tour - Chania: $131
- Horse riding,falasarna sunset,dinner in a tavern,drone video: $214
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Chania €21Santa Cruz de Tenerife €25
Tours and Activities in Chania
Here are a few actual costs in Chania for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.21
- City Exploration Game and Tour: $6.95
- Chania's Turbulent History: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $8.99
- Discover Chania's Echoes: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Archaeological Museum Entry Ticket and Audio Guide: $11
- Full-Day Tour Gramvousa Balos Bay from Rethymno with French Guide: $19
- Gramvousa Island & Balos Bay Full-Day Tour from Rethymno English & German guide: $19
- Shared Falassarna Beach Tour Visit from Rethymno: $25
- Skip the Line: Limnoupolis Water Admission Ticket: $27
- Full Day Guided Botanic Garden Tour in Spili, Preveli and Plakias: $27
- From Rethymno Areas: Full-Day Knossos and Heraklion Guided Tour: $27
- Chania Town: Glass-Bottom Boat Cruise to Thodorou & Lazareta: $29
Tours and Activities in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Here are a few actual costs in Santa Cruz de Tenerife for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Tenerife: Forestal Park Tenerife Entry Ticket: $28
- Guided Tour to Teide National Park in Tenerife: $44
- Full Day Tour of Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal de La Laguna: $49
- Volcano Teide National Park Shared Tour from Costa Adeje Los Cristianos Tenerife: $64
- Full Day Guided Tour of Teide by Cabrio Bus : $75
- Private Paragliding Flight Experience in Tenerife: $109
- Taucho Flight Experience: $118
- Tenerife: Introductory Dive for Cruise Ship Passengers: $128
- Private VIP Tour Tenerife Magic Circle: $258
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayChania €18Santa Cruz de Tenerife €7.50
Sample the Local Flavors in Chania
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Chania:
- Cretan wine tasting, hosted in French: $91
- Milia Mountain Tour w/Lunch Olive Oil/Wine Tastings: $144
- Wines, Olives, and History: A Private Wine Tour from Chania: $791
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Chania and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, we can see that Santa Cruz de Tenerife is more expensive. And not only is Chania much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Chania would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Chania 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 Santa Cruz de Tenerife would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santa Cruz de Tenerife than you might in Chania.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Chania Expensive? and Is Santa Cruz de Tenerife Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Chania or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Santa Cruz de Tenerife has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Chania. When comparing the sizes of Chania and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 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.