Should you visit Ios or Split?
Should I visit Ios or Split? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Ios
Ios is an island in the south of Greece, located in the Cyclades group of islands in the Mediterranean Sea. It is a peaceful beach getaway by day, and a lively party scene by night. While its main town is the hub for nightlife, it is also a charming place during the day, typical of a traditional Greek village with shops and cafes against a backdrop of whitewashed buildings and turquoise waters.
Split
Spit is a historic city in Central Dalmatia with many opportunities to glimpse its fascinating past in its historic city center. Centuries ago the city grew up around a Diocletian palace that was used as refuge by the locals.
Today, as you wander around the historic center, you can see the remains of the Roman walls, temples, and squares. Despite it's appeal to tourists, Split is much more than just a tourist destination. It is larger than you might initially realize and it spreads well beyond the historic center. There is a population of about 300,000 in the larger area and it is an economic center for the region.
Split is also a must-visit on a trip through the country. It can easily fit in to a one-week itinerary of Croatia, or many other routes, as it's centrally located and very accessible.
Split has a beautiful climate with mild winters, countless sunny days, and a generally pleasant temperature. As such, there are many opportunities to enjoy yourself outdoors, whether by participating in sports or walking around the city's quaint streets. Winters in Split are also quite mild, but there may be one snowy day, on average, every year. This rare snowfall can cause a significant disruption in the flow of traffic.
Which city is cheaper, Split or Ios?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Ios is €73, while the average daily cost in Split is €87. 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 Ios and Split in more detail.
Accommodation
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around €31. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Ios the cost is €62 on average.
For a normal double-occupancy room in Split, €118 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Split, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is €59, such as in a hostel.
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Ios is €13 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.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Split than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €12 on transportation in Split on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Split
Also for Split, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Shuttle Transfer between Airport and City Center:
$9.07
-
Shared Departure Transfer: Split, Trogir, Makarska,Tucepi and Baska Voda Hotels to Split Airport:
$19
-
Private Airport Transfer: from Split to Split Airport (SPU):
$26
-
Private Airport Transfer: from Split Airport (SPU) to Split:
$26
-
Private Departure Transfer: Split, Trogir, Makarska, Tucepi and Baska Voda Hotels to Split Airport:
$31
-
Krka Waterfalls National Park Shared Transfer from Split:
$34
-
Luxury private transfer: Split airport to Split:
$39
-
Luxury private transfer: Split to Split airport:
$39
-
Private transfer Split airport to Split (hotel, apartment, ferry...) up to 3 pax:
$46
-
Private transfer Split airport to Split (hotel, apartment, ferry...) up to 3 pax:
$47
-
Split Airport - Split Transfer:
$47
-
Airport Private Transfer from Split:
$49
Is it cheaper to fly into Ios or Split?
Prices for flights to both Split and Ios 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
While meal prices in Ios can vary, the average travelers spends about €26 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Ios should cost around €10 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Ios is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
Food in Split costs travelers about €19 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Ios €26
Split €19
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Split
For Split, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Krka Waterfalls with Dinner in Split included:Pizza or Burger with Fries & Drink:
$62
-
Private Dining: Traditional Dalmatian family dinner near Marjan Hills:
$102
-
Cooking Class in a Dalmatian Ethno Village Tour from Split:
$116
-
The Real Split Food Tour:
$118
-
Exclusive tour: NP Krka Bike Tour with traditional dinner:
$174
-
Hvar Wine Tour + Dalmatian Dinner:
$255
Entertainment
Ios's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around €21 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.
Sightseeing expenses in Split, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €2.96 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Ios
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Ios are as follows:
-
From Ios to Sikinos Island & Winery Tour:
$96
-
Half Day Sunset Sailboat tour (afternoon):
$210
-
Ios Speed Boat Adventure:
$54
Tours and Activities in Split
For Split, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
Emanuel Vidović Gallery Entrance Ticket:
$2.35
-
City Museum Entrance Ticket:
$3.13
-
Split Sightseeing: Explore the city's glorious Roman ruins on this audio tour:
$5.99
-
Museum of Illusions Split Admission Ticket:
$10
-
Museum of Illusions Entrance Ticket:
$11
-
Virtual Reality Movie Experience in Split:
$12
-
Best of Split Walking Tour:
$12
-
360 Virtual Tour of Ancient Split:
$14
-
Semisubmarine tour:
$16
-
Walking Tour Split:
$17
-
Grand Split Walking Tour with Diocletian's Palace:
$17
-
Split guided city tour for small groups:
$17
Alcohol
The average person spends about €26 on alcoholic beverages in Ios per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typically, people visiting Split spend on average €6.35 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Split
Also in Split, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Tower Pub Crawl in Split:
$37
-
Krka Waterfalls Tour & Wine Tasting from Split:
$37
-
Krka Waterfalls and Sibenik Day Trip Including Wine Tasting from Split:
$49
-
Wine Tasting With walking Small group Tour in Split:
$53
-
Blue Lagoon & Wine tasting - 3 islands tour:
$87
-
Split Wine Tasting Walking Tour:
$101
-
Hvar 3-Hour Wine Tasting Tour:
$113
-
Zinfandel Wine Tour:
$124
-
Full-Day Split Food and wine tour to Peljesac:
$133
-
Beer Tasting Split - visit to the local brewery:
$137
-
Diocletian's Palace Private Food and Wine Tour:
$147
-
Solta Island Wine Tasting Tour Including Lunch:
$152
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ios and Split, we can see that Split is more expensive. And not only is Ios much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Ios would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ios 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 Split would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Split than you might in Ios.
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