Which place is cheaper, Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Heraklion?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Heraklion or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Heraklion and Santa Cruz de Tenerife can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Heraklion or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Heraklion
The largest city on the island of Crete, Heraklion on first glance is almost completely modern - a frenzy of traffic, concrete, and dust. Do not expect pristine beaches and glittering waves (those can be found on other parts of Crete). Heraklion is first and foremost a city. Once you get past its grittiness, you will find that there are some attractive features beneath first impressions. The antiquity of the place lies embedded in the modern and is presented in one of the best museums in Greece, the food is excellent, and the people are friendly and welcoming. And though the sea is not great for swimming, its presence along the Venetian port will take you to another time if you need a break from Heraklion's bustling center.
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 10-Day Tours in Greece, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours 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 dayHeraklion €158Santa Cruz de Tenerife €126
The average daily cost (per person) in Heraklion is €158, 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 Heraklion and Santa Cruz de Tenerife in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHeraklion €81Santa Cruz de Tenerife €48
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHeraklion €162Santa Cruz de Tenerife €96
Compare Hotels in Heraklion and Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Looking for a hotel in Heraklion 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: Heraklion Hotel Prices and Santa Cruz de Tenerife Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Heraklion €31Santa Cruz de Tenerife €64
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Heraklion
Also for Heraklion, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Acqua Plus Water Park Admission with Optional Transfer: $32
- Crete Private Taxi Transfer from Heraklion Airport to Bali: $95
- Crete Private Taxi and Transfer from Heraklion Airport to Malia: $81
- Crete Private Taxi and Transfer from Heraklion Airport to Panormo: $103
- Crete Private Taxi and Transfer from Heraklion to Agios Nikolaos: $122
- Crete Private Transfer from Heraklion to Hersonissos: $51
- Day Cruise from Heraklion with Catamaran & Transfer service: $123
- From Airport to Elounda Private Transfer: $107
- From Private Helicopter Transfer to Greek Islands: $4,021
- Heraklion Airport (HER): Private Transfer to Heraklion Port: $105
- Heraklion Cruise Port: Private Transfer to Heraklion city: $137
- Heraklion Int Airport (HER): Transfer to Heraklion hotels: $137
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santa Cruz de Tenerife:
- Whale and Dolphin Watching Catamaran with Transfer and Buffet : $64
- Tenerife South Airport Departure Transfer (Playa de las américas to Airport): $59
- Tenerife South Airport Departure Transfer (Costa Adeje Hotels to Airport): $98
- Santa Cruz Tenerife Cruise Port: Transfer to Tenerife hotels: $252
- Mount Teide Tour with Transfer and Optional Cable Car Ticket: $43
Is it cheaper to fly into Heraklion or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Prices for flights to both Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Heraklion 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 dayHeraklion €52Santa Cruz de Tenerife €40
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Heraklion
For Heraklion, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Troy Dinner-Show: $33
- Spectacular Dinner-Show: $44
- From Village Cretan Night, Live Dancers & dinner: $48
- Cretan Night with Dinner & Live Show: $49
- Crete: Olive Oil Festival, Farm Dinner, Live Show & Pickup: $59
- Cretan Farm with scenic view: Olive Mill Festival & dinner: $64
- Amazing Sunset Safari Route with Dinner: $84
- Cook with Locals | Cretan cooking Class at Archanes (transfer - lunch included): $86
- Crete: Land Rover Safari with Sunset Viewing, Dinner, & Wine: $90
- Full-Day Jeep Safari Tour with Cooking Lesson: $97
- Food tour tasting walking tour: $123
- E-bike Food Tour Tasting in Heraklion : $125
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Heraklion €38Santa Cruz de Tenerife €25
Tours and Activities in Heraklion
For Heraklion, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Heraklion Area: CRETAquarium Admission Ticket: $8.56
- CRETAquarium Entrance Ticket in Crete: $8.73
- Mobile Self-Guided Audio Sightseeing Tour: $11
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Crete: Palace of Knossos E-Ticket and Optional Audio Guide: $11
- Herakleion: City Self-Guided Game & Tour: $12
- Heraklion Market & CretAquarium *Skip the line: $16
- Heraklion City Tour - Aquarium: $17
- Knossos Palace: E-ticket with Audio and Heraklion City Tour: $18
- Party Bike 1 hour Experience in Malia : $19
- Knossos Self-Guided Treasure Hunt & Tour KIDS: $21
- Minoan Day Experience: $22
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:
- Full Day Guided Tour of Teide by Cabrio Bus : $75
- Full Day Tour of Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal de La Laguna: $49
- Guided Tour to Teide National Park in Tenerife: $44
- Private Paragliding Flight Experience in Tenerife: $109
- Private VIP Tour Tenerife Magic Circle: $258
- Taucho Flight Experience: $118
- Tenerife: Forestal Park Tenerife Entry Ticket: $28
- Tenerife: Introductory Dive for Cruise Ship Passengers: $128
- Volcano Teide National Park Shared Tour from Costa Adeje Los Cristianos Tenerife: $64
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayHeraklion €26Santa Cruz de Tenerife €7.50
Sample the Local Flavors in Heraklion
Also in Heraklion, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Wine Tasting E-Bike Tour: $95
- Ecobike Wine Tasting Tour in Heraklion: $115
- Ecobike Tour with Wine Tasting: $118
- Luxury Private Wine Tasting Experience in Haralabakis Winery: $119
- Half Day Small Group Wine Tour with wine Tastings: $125
- Half Day Semi Private Wine Tour with Tastings: $134
- Semi Private Heraklion Valley Wine Tour with Lunch: $159
- The Gourmet Wine Tour of Heraklion area: $180
- Private SUV Wine Tour with Lunch: $183
- Full Day Private Crete Wine Tour Experience from Heraklion : $190
- Full day Knossos Palace, Local Distillery, Lunch @ Archanes: $192
- Knossos, Olive Mill, Winery - Distillery with Tastings & Lunch : $196
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Heraklion and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, we can see that Heraklion is more expensive. And not only is Santa Cruz de Tenerife much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Santa Cruz de Tenerife would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santa Cruz de Tenerife 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 Heraklion would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Heraklion than you might in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Heraklion Expensive? and Is Santa Cruz de Tenerife Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Heraklion or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Santa Cruz de Tenerife has a larger population, and is about 62% larger than the population of Heraklion. When comparing the sizes of Heraklion 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.