Should you visit Ios or Venice?
Should I visit Ios or Venice? 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.
Venice
The canals of Venice are one of the most popular and emulated destinations in the world. In it's hay day, Venice was at the center of politics, exploration, arts and architecture. Today that history is still very much alive and well. The city is unlike any other in the world. The best way to immerse yourself in Venice is to get yourself lost in the alleyways. It's actually quite easy to do and you'll find yourself stumbling into the most interesting places, hidden away from the crowds of Piazzo San Marco.
Which city is cheaper, Venice 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 Venice is €181. 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 Venice 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.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around €186 in Venice For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
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.
The average traveler spends about €52 per day in Venice for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
Ios €26
Venice €52
Typical Food prices in Venice
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Venice:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Venice
For Venice, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Online Tiramisu Cooking Class With Italian Chef At Home:
$37
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1 Hour Online Live Carbonara Cooking Class With Italian Chef:
$37
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2.5-Hour Street Food Tour with a Local Guide:
$44
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3-Hour Cooking Class at your Airbnb:
$47
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Venice Food Tour of Typical Bacaros:
$48
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Authentic Chicchetti & Amusing Tales Food Tour:
$51
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Wine and Food Tour Near Venice's Jewish Quarter:
$56
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The Bacaro of Food Tour with Wine & Appetizers:
$57
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Private Family Food Tour:
$58
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Venetian Dinner:
$59
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Private Food Tour with 10 Tastings:
$65
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Original Venetian Bacaro Dinner:
$67
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.
Venice's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend €22 per person, per day on transportation in Venice.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Venice
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Venice:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Venice
Also for Venice, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Ultra - Venice Private Airport Transfer from Venice Airport VCE to City Hotels:
$10
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Ultra - Venice Private Airport Transfer from Venice Airport VCE to Cruise Port:
$10
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Ultra - Venice Private Airport Transfer from City Hotels to Venice Airport VCE:
$10
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Marco Polo Airport Transfer to Venice City Center:
$17
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Venice Water Taxi Transfers Piazzale Roma to Hotels:
$28
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Private Airport Transfer: Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) to Venice:
$31
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Harbor Shuttle Transfer:
$32
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Shuttle Transfer From/to Venice City and Airport:
$32
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Private Arrival Van Transfer: Venice Airport to Venice, piazzale Roma:
$34
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Private Transfer to/from Airport and Venice city center:
$36
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Water Taxi Transfer Lido Santa Maria Elisabetta:
$36
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Venice Transfer-Shared Water Taxi to Airport:
$36
Is it cheaper to fly into Ios or Venice?
Prices for flights to both Venice 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.
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, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Venice can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around €80 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
Tours and Activities in Ios
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Ios are as follows:
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From Ios to Sikinos Island & Winery Tour:
$96
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Half Day Sunset Sailboat tour (afternoon):
$210
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Ios Speed Boat Adventure:
$54
Typical Entertainment prices in Venice
For Venice, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Venice Boat Ride
€15
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Bell tower of St. Mark Entrance Fee
€8.00
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Gondola Ride (for Group)
€80
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Secret Itinerary Tour- Doge's Palace
€16
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The Jewish Museum Admission
€3.00
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The Glass Museum in Murano
€8.00
Tours and Activities in Venice
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Venice.
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Digital Smartphone Audioguide Tour:
$7.96
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Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo Entrance Ticket:
$7.96
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Leonardo Da Vinci Museum Skip-The-Line Ticket:
$9.10
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Once-in-a-lifetime virtual tour in Venice alone RoamFromHome:
$9.95
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Best Price: Book Doge's Palace skip the line ticket with audio-guide:
$9.95
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The Ancient Art of Glass Blowing Group Tour:
$10
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Venice Self-Guided Tour with Audio Guide:
$11
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Venice Highlights Virtual Tour with Expert Guide (Times in EST):
$11
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Vatican and Sistine Chapel Virtual Guided Tour (Times in EST):
$11
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Online Casanova Venice Great Escape Cinematic Experience:
$11
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Saint Mark and Rialto Self-Guided Tour:
$11
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Punta Sabbioni to Venice Round-Trip Boat Ticket:
$11
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.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Venice, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €19.
Typical Alcohol prices in Venice
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Venice:
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1/2 Liter Wine
€5.20
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Beer
€4.90
Sample the Local Flavors in Venice
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Venice:
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Venice Wine Tasting Tour:
$30
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Wine Tasting in Venice:
$34
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Online Live Wine Tasting from Venice:
$37
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Wine Tasting Tour in a Local Enoteca:
$54
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Wine Tasting and Cicchetti:
$57
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Venetian Style Carnival Pub Crawl:
$57
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Private Tour: Food and Wine Tour in Venice:
$65
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Venetian Style Carnival Pub Crawl:
$67
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Venice 2-Hour Wine Tasting Tour:
$70
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A Relaxing Evening at The Hot Springs (with wine tastings):
$75
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Natural wine tasting with a Bacaro owner in Venice:
$76
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Art and Wine Tour:
$79
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ios and Venice, we can see that Venice 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 Venice would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Venice than you might in Ios.
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