A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Granada vs. Santiago for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Granada or Santiago?

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

Should I visit Granada or Santiago? 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: Granada or Santiago?

Granada

Granada is a city of southern Spain located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the autonomous community of Andalucia. Perhaps the most notable feature of the city is its medieval architecture that dates to the Moorish occupation of Spain. Each example stands from another time and place, strong fortresses and castles against the backdrop of lumbering mountains. Yet they are surrounded by a city thriving with modern day quirks. From castles and fortresses to bars, restaurants, and cafes, Granada is a unique setting for an otherworldly getaway.

Santiago

Santiago is the capital city of Chile. It is centrally located in the long and narrow country, making it a good jumping off point to explore everywhere else. It's convenient location means that you can go skiing in the Andes one day, and hang out at the beach the next.

Santiago has a cool semi-arid climate that is similar to Mediterranean climates. The summers, which are between November and March, are warm and dry. The temperatures climb to around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The winters, between June and August, are humid with cold mornings. The daily highs are around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and the lows stay a few degrees above freezing. Rain is more common in the winter months and the dry season is between December and March.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours from Barcelona, The Best 2-Week Tours from Madrid, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Chile, and The Best Luxury Tours to Chile.


Which place is cheaper, Santiago or Granada?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

  • Granada Prices
    Spain Prices
    Santiago Prices
    Chile Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Granada 150
    Santiago 128

The average daily cost (per person) in Granada is €150, while the average daily cost in Santiago is €128. 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 Granada and Santiago in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Granada 59
    Santiago 93
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Granada 118
    Santiago 186
Compare Hotels in Granada and Santiago

Looking for a hotel in Granada or Santiago? 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 Granada


Hotels in Santiago


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: Granada Hotel Prices and Santiago Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Granada 22
    Santiago 4.60
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Granada

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Granada are as follows:


  • 7 Trip Bus Pass
    5.00

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Granada

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

  • Transfer from Granada City Center to Granada Airport(GRX): $33
  • Granada Airport Private Departure Transfer: $49
  • Granada Airport to Granada City Private Arrival Transfer: $49
  • Private Luxury Airport Transfer: $53
  • Private Transfers in Granada and Andalusia: $57
  • Private Transfer Granada City to Granada Airport GRX by Sedan: $60
  • Private Transfer Granada to Granada Train Station by Luxury van: $71
  • Via Ferrata Moclín with Transfers: $94
  • Granada City to Malaga Airport (AGP) - Departure Private Transfer: $135
  • Granada airport private arrival transfer, Mercedes Sedan: $155
  • From Granada; Private transfer to Sierra Nevada (all hotels): $188
  • Granada Private Intercity Transfer to Malaga: $191

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Santiago

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santiago:


  • Metro Ride
    0.96

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago:

  • from Santiago airport private arrival transfer to the Valparaiso pier: $251
  • Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Santiago APT-HTL (SCL): $30
  • Transfer to Valparaiso Cruise Terminal with Winery & Town Tour: $98
  • Transfer from Santiago Airport to Santiago Centro Commune: $52
  • Transfer Santiago-Viña del Mar / Viña del Mar-Santiago: $220
  • Transfer Santiago to Cruise Port in Valparaiso or San Antonio: $290
  • Transfer Santiago de Chile airport: $40
  • Transfer Santiago Airport to the commune of Providencia: $56
  • Transfer Private hotel to Cruise ship in Puerto San Antonio or Valparaiso: $270
  • TRANSFER TRANSFER AIRPORT-VIÑA DEL MAR VALPARAISO: $143
  • Valle Nevado Ski Day Trip with Hotel Transfers: $45
  • Transfer Airport/Hotel or Hotel/Airport: $65

Is it cheaper to fly into Granada or Santiago?

Prices for flights to both Santiago and Granada 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
    Granada 64
    Santiago 19
Typical Food Prices in Granada

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


  • Sangria
    2.50
  • Sandwich to go
    3.00
  • Bocadillo & Drink
    6.25

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Granada

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

  • Flamenco Show with Dinner at Jardines de Zoraya: $63
  • Dinner with Paella on a Terrace in the Albayzín and Live Flamenco: $68
  • Sacromonte Caves Flamenco Show with Dinner: $68
  • The Granada Morning Food Tour: $76
  • Walking Food Tour: $82
  • Spanish Cooking Class in Granada: $90
  • Food Tour in Granada: $116

Typical Food Prices in Santiago

Some typical examples of dining costs in Santiago are as follows:


  • Empanada
    1.60
  • Hamburger
    2.13
  • Dinner
    22

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santiago

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santiago.

  • Legacy Family Tour Lunch or Dinner Pairing 4 Strokes: $40
  • Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $82
  • 4-Hour Boozy Chilean Cooking Class in Santiago: $85
  • 4-hour Boozy Chilean Cooking class in Santiago: $85
  • Bali Hai Dinner & Show, Transport and Wine refill: $106
  • Traditional Dinner Show in Santiago: $107
  • Dinner Show in Bali Hai with Wine refill and transportation: $114
  • Small-Group Tour: Night City Tour with Santa Lucia Hill and Dinner Show: $116
  • Private Dinner & Chilean Folk Show with Transfers: $116
  • Alyan Winery Sunset with Wine Tastings and Dinner: $117
  • San Cristobal Hill Night Tour with Dinner Show: $129
  • Bali Hai Polynesian Dinner Show with Transfer: $130

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Granada 28
    Santiago 40

Tours and Activities in Granada

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

  • Granada Walking Tour - The Ideal Way to Discover the City: $1.78
  • Sacromonte Caves Museum Admission Ticket: $5.87
  • Church of San Nicolas and Tower Access Ticket: $5.87
  • Granada City Train 1 or 2-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Ticket: $8.46
  • Monastery of San Jerónimo Entry Ticket: $12
  • Royal Chapel of Granada Entry Ticket: $12
  • Cathedral of Granada Entry Ticket: $12
  • Basilica of San Juan de Dios Ticket & Audio Guide: $12
  • Monastery of La Cartuja Entry Ticket: $12
  • Moorish Monuments Entrance Tickets: $15
  • Historic Center and Lower Albaicin Walking Tour: $15
  • Alhambra Night Visit Entry Ticket: $16

Tours and Activities in Santiago

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Santiago are as follows:

  • Private Adventure at 4200 meters above sea level in the Chilean Andes Cerro Pintor: $300
  • Private Half-Day Guided Tour of the City of Santiago.: $280
  • Private Sightseeing City Tour in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar: $240
  • "Tour Tradicional" Viña Cousiño Macul Oficial español: $26
  • 1 Day Tour of Isla Negra Algarrobo and Viña Undurraga from Santiago: $112
  • 1 Day Undurraga Vineyard Tour from Santiago : $85
  • 6 Hour Tour of Culture, History and Flavors from Santiago: $75
  • A Private Tour of Santiago with an Experienced Local Guide: $180
  • A full Private Tour of Valparaiso from Santiago : $240
  • A historical tour of Santiago, Chile: $18
  • An Architect's Tour of Downtown Santiago: $55
  • Andean Adventure: Cajón del Maipo & Santuario del Río Spa: $132

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Granada 24
    Santiago 7.15

Sample the Local Flavors in Granada

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Granada:

  • Winefulness wine tasting, mindfulness, and senses that awaken: $47
  • Traditional Tapas and Wine Tour: $81
  • Granada Tapas and wine tour!: $81

Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago

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

  • Ludwig's Original Pub Crawl with VIP Club Entry: $34
  • Viña del Mar, Valparaiso, with Wine Tasting: $60
  • Undurraga Winery Tour with Entry and Wine Tasting: $63
  • Santiago by Night: Funicular, Wine Tasting & Cueca Show: $69
  • Undurraga Wine tour: $70
  • Half Day Trip to Undurraga Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $70
  • Valparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with Casablanca Wine Tasting: $79
  • Inca Lagoon and Vineyard Visit with Wine Tasting: $80
  • Half Day Trip to Concha y Toro Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $87
  • Half Day Trip to Cousiño Macul Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $87
  • Maipo Valley Wine Tour with 4 vineyards from Santiago.: $89
  • Kross Brewery Tour: A Craft Beer Tasting Experience: $93


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Granada and Santiago, we can see that Granada is more expensive. And not only is Santiago much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Granada is in Europe and Santiago is in South America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Santiago would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santiago 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 Granada would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Granada than you might in Santiago.

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


Which is Bigger, Granada or Santiago?

Santiago has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Granada. When comparing the sizes of Granada and Santiago, 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.


When is the best time to visit Granada or Santiago?

Even though both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, they experience these seasons at different times of the year. Santiago is in the southern hemisphere and summer is in January and winter is in July, but Granada has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].

Should I visit Granada or Santiago in the Summer?

The summer brings many poeple to Granada as well as Santiago. Most visitors come to Granada for the hiking and the family-friendly experiences during these months.

In the summer, Granada is a little warmer than Santiago. Typically, the summer temperatures in Granada in July average around 25°C (77°F), and Santiago averages at about 21°C (70°F)in January.

Granada usually gets less rain in July than Santiagoin January. Granada gets 2 mm (0.1 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Summer Average Temperatures July and January
    Granada 25°C (77°F) 
    Santiago 21°C (70°F)

Should I visit Granada or Santiago in the Autumn?

Both Santiago and Granada are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The autumn months attract visitors to Granada because of the hiking trails, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area.

In October, Granada is generally a little warmer than Santiagoin April. Daily temperatures in Granada average around 19°C (67°F), and Santiago fluctuates around 15°C (59°F).

In October, Granada usually receives more rain than Santiagoin April. Granada gets 54 mm (2.1 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain each month for the autumn.


  • Autumn Average Temperatures October and April
    Granada 19°C (67°F) 
    Santiago 15°C (59°F)

Should I visit Granada or Santiago in the Winter?

Both Santiago and Granada during the winter are popular places to visit. The museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine are the main draw to Granada this time of year.

Granada is a little warmer than Santiago in the winter. The daily temperature in Granada averages around 12°C (54°F) in January, and Santiago fluctuates around 9°C (48°F)in July.

Granada usually gets around the same amount of rain in January as Santiagoin July. Granada gets 83 mm (3.3 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 80 mm (3.1 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Winter Average Temperatures January and July
    Granada 12°C (54°F) 
    Santiago 9°C (48°F)

Should I visit Granada or Santiago in the Spring?

The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Granada and Santiago. Many travelers come to Granada for the natural beauty.

In the spring, Granada is around the same temperature as Santiago. Typically, the spring temperatures in Granada in April average around 16°C (60°F), and Santiago averages at about 15°C (59°F)in October.

In April, Granada usually receives more rain than Santiagoin October. Granada gets 40 mm (1.6 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain each month for the spring.


  • Spring Average Temperatures April and October
    Granada 16°C (60°F) 
    Santiago 15°C (59°F)

Typical Weather for Santiago and Granada

Granada Santiago
Temp (°C) Rain (mm) Temp (°C) Rain (mm)
Jan 12°C (54°F) 83 mm (3.3 in) 21°C (70°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
Feb 13°C (55°F) 75 mm (3 in) 20°C (68°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
Mar 14°C (57°F) 59 mm (2.3 in) 18°C (64°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
Apr 16°C (60°F) 40 mm (1.6 in) 15°C (59°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
May 19°C (66°F) 24 mm (0.9 in) 12°C (54°F) 50 mm (2 in)
Jun 22°C (72°F) 13 mm (0.5 in) 9°C (48°F) 40 mm (1.6 in)
Jul 25°C (77°F) 2 mm (0.1 in) 9°C (48°F) 80 mm (3.1 in)
Aug 25°C (78°F) 5 mm (0.2 in) 10°C (50°F) 40 mm (1.6 in)
Sep 23°C (74°F) 15 mm (0.6 in) 12°C (54°F) 20 mm (0.8 in)
Oct 19°C (67°F) 54 mm (2.1 in) 15°C (59°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
Nov 15°C (60°F) 115 mm (4.5 in) 17°C (63°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
Dec 13°C (55°F) 102 mm (4 in) 20°C (68°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)