A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Diyarbakir vs. Thessaloniki for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Diyarbakir or Thessaloniki?

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 Diyarbakir and Thessaloniki. 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: Diyarbakir or Thessaloniki?

Diyarbakir

Diyarbakır is the largest city in Southeastern Turkey, located on the banks of Tigris River, which is one of two great rivers of the Middle East. The city is known especially for its old city, housed within ancient fortress walls that have been designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Within this fortress is a glimpse into the city's ancient history and traditional customs that remain alive today.

Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece and serves as the capital city of the Central Macedonia region. It also has a rich history dating back more than 3,000 years. As a visitor, you'll find that the city has been touched by the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires, all of which left their mark. In particular, the many Byzantine churches are quite impressive, with some of them listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Turkey, The Best Tours for Seniors to Turkey, The Best Tours for Seniors to Greece, and The Best Contiki Tours to Greece.


Which place is cheaper, Thessaloniki or Diyarbakir?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Diyarbakir is $117, while the average daily cost in Thessaloniki 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 Diyarbakir and Thessaloniki in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Diyarbakir $76
    Thessaloniki $85
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Diyarbakir $152
    Thessaloniki $170
Compare Hotels in Diyarbakir and Thessaloniki

Looking for a hotel in Diyarbakir or Thessaloniki? 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 Diyarbakir


Hotels in Thessaloniki


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: Diyarbakir Hotel Prices and Thessaloniki Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Diyarbakir $30
    Thessaloniki $14

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Thessaloniki

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

  • Transfer from Thessaloniki to Ikos Oceania: $153
  • Bus Transfer to/from Kavala: $18
  • Thessaloniki to Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) - Departure Transfer: $21
  • Thessaloniki Cruise Port: Transfer to Thessaloniki city: $142
  • Thessaloniki Airport to TUI Blue Lagoon Hotels Private Transfer: $93
  • Thessaloniki Airport to Sani Hotels Private Transfer: $98
  • Thessaloniki Airport to Portes Lithos Luxury Resort Private Transfer: $82
  • Thessaloniki Airport to Ikos Olivia Hotel Private Transfer: $98
  • Thessaloniki Airport to Ikos Oceania Hotel Private Transfer: $87
  • Thessaloniki Airport to Alia Palace Hotel Private Transfer: $131
  • Thessaloniki Airport to Afitis Boutique Hotel Private Transfer: $109
  • Thessaloniki Airport or Cruise Port Private Departure Transfer: $44

Is it cheaper to fly into Diyarbakir or Thessaloniki?

Prices for flights to both Thessaloniki and Diyarbakir 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
    Diyarbakir $20
    Thessaloniki $45
Typical Food Prices in Diyarbakir

For Diyarbakir, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Dessert
    $0.19
  • Lunch for Two
    $0.59

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Thessaloniki

For Thessaloniki, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Open Market Food Tour with Tasting: $48
  • Walking Open Market Food Tour and Tasting: $49
  • Cooking & Dining Experience with Greek Family: $63
  • Guided Food Tour: $70
  • Food Tour in Thessaloniki: $71
  • Private Walking Tour Gastronomic Food Tour in Thessaloniki: $87
  • Traditional Greek Food Tour With A Local: $95
  • Greek Ouzo and Meze Food Tour: $95
  • Greek Cooking Class, Market Visit and Lunch: $95
  • Traditional Greek Food Tour With A Local: $97
  • Greek Ouzo and Meze Food Tour: $97
  • Greek Cooking Class, Market visit and Lunch: $97

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Diyarbakir $21
    Thessaloniki $28

Tours and Activities in Diyarbakir

For Diyarbakir, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • All-inclusive Private Guided Tour of Diyarbakir City: $200

Tours and Activities in Thessaloniki

For Thessaloniki, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 4-Hour Thessaloniki Jewish Heritage Private Guided Tour: $207
  • Archery Odyssey Traditional Archery Experience: $65
  • Best of Private Guided Tour: $218
  • Best of Private Guided Tour: $192
  • Charming pearls of Thessaloniki – Romantic Tour: $153
  • City Sightseeing Thessaloniki Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $17
  • Daily Cruise:Discover Thessaloniki in a different way: $1,069
  • Daily Sailing Cruise Olympus Riviera Highlights: $122
  • Day Tour at Royal Tombs of Aigai and Museum of Pella with pickup: $93
  • Dion and Palaios Panteleimon Myth and History Tour: $153
  • Dion-Olympus Private Tour from Thessaloniki: $96
  • Discover Olympus from Paralia in Jeep Safari Shared Tour: $76

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Diyarbakir $18
    Thessaloniki $16

Sample the Local Flavors in Thessaloniki

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

  • Friday Night Bar Crawl in Thessaloniki: $25
  • From Pella-Edessa wine tasting: $64
  • Small-Group Wine Tasting Tour with Appetizers: $81
  • Thessaloniki Small-Group Wine Tasting Tour with Appetizers: $83
  • Winery Visit with Wine Tasting Experience: $91
  • Wine Tasting Experience from Thessaloniki: $93
  • Thessaloniki to Naoussa, Wine Tasting Tour – Private Day Trip: $207


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Diyarbakir and Thessaloniki, we can see that Thessaloniki is more expensive. And not only is Diyarbakir much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Diyarbakir would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Diyarbakir 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 Thessaloniki would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Thessaloniki than you might in Diyarbakir.

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


Which is Bigger, Diyarbakir or Thessaloniki?

Diyarbakir has a larger population, and is about 82% larger than the population of Thessaloniki. When comparing the sizes of Diyarbakir and Thessaloniki, 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.