Which place is cheaper, Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Istanbul?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Istanbul or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Istanbul or Santa Cruz de Tenerife, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Istanbul or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Istanbul
Istanbul is strategically located on the Bosphorus and is split between Europe and Asia. It truly is a city where east meets west. Istanbul is the cultural and financial hub of Turkey, and also the most populous city. The sites are countless and there's something for everybody, whether you're interested in art, music, food, or adventure. You can pass many days exploring both the residential and commercial pockets of this city. Much of the appeal is hidden away along back alleys or within corner shops.
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 2-Week Tours in Turkey, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Turkey, 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 dayIstanbul $126Santa Cruz de Tenerife $135
The average daily cost (per person) in Istanbul is $126, while the average daily cost in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is $135. 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 Istanbul and Santa Cruz de Tenerife in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personIstanbul $47Santa Cruz de Tenerife $51
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomIstanbul $94Santa Cruz de Tenerife $102
Compare Hotels in Istanbul and Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Looking for a hotel in Istanbul 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: Istanbul Hotel Prices and Santa Cruz de Tenerife Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Istanbul $55Santa Cruz de Tenerife $69
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Istanbul
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Istanbul are as follows:
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Ferry$0.09
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Local Bus$0.09
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Istanbul
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Istanbul:
- Istanbul Airport Transfer by Private Minivan + Meet & Greet Service: $85
- Istanbul Cruise Port(Galataport) Private Transfer Service: $35
- Saw Sabiha Gokcen Airport Transfers for Old City & Taksim Hotels: $55
- 1-Way Private Transfer to/from Sabiha Gokcen Airport: $75
- Airport - Otel Transfer and City Tours: $20
- Airport Istanbul Private Transfer IST or SAW Airport : $34
- Airport transfer Istanbul: $46
- Arrival & Departure Private Transfer in Istanbul: $43
- Arrival Private Transfer: New Airport IST to Istanbul in Luxury Van: $70
- Bursa Uludağ Mountain Tour From Istanbul w/Lunch & Hotel Transfer: $35
- CARPEDIEM : SABIHA GOKCEN AIRPORT LUXURY TRANSFER (Arrival/Departure): $45
- Daily Green Bursa Tour with Cable Car & Transfer from Istanbul: $73
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santa Cruz de Tenerife:
- Mount Teide Tour with Transfer and Optional Cable Car Ticket: $43
- Tenerife South Airport Departure Transfer (Playa de las américas to Airport): $59
- Whale and Dolphin Watching Catamaran with Transfer and Buffet : $64
- Tenerife South Airport Departure Transfer (Costa Adeje Hotels to Airport): $98
- Santa Cruz Tenerife Cruise Port: Transfer to Tenerife hotels: $252
Is it cheaper to fly into Istanbul or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Prices for flights to both Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Istanbul 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 dayIstanbul $31Santa Cruz de Tenerife $42
Typical Food Prices in Istanbul
Some typical examples of dining costs in Istanbul are as follows:
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Juice$0.06
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Turkish Delight$0.02
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Dessert$0.26
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Pastries$0.05
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Istanbul
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Istanbul.
- Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Turkish Night Show from Istanbul: $16
- Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Show with Private Table: $17
- Dinner Cruise and Entertainment with Private Table: $17
- Bosphorus Dinner Cruise , Unlimited Drinks, & Show: $21
- Bosphorus Luxury Catamaran Cruise with Dinner Show: $25
- Bosphorus Dinner Cruise and Turkish Night Show: $26
- Bosphorus Boat Cruise with Dinner & Entertainment: $27
- Istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Unlimited Drinks and Shows: $28
- Dinner Cruise Bosphorus with Hotel Transfer: $28
- Istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise and Turkish Night Show: $29
- Half Day Sunset Luxury Yacht Dinner Cruise Tour in Istanbul: $29
- 3 Hour Ottoman Dinner Cruise in Istanbul : $29
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Istanbul $79Santa Cruz de Tenerife $26
Typical Entertainment Prices in Istanbul
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Istanbul are as follows:
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Bosphurus Boat (for 2)$0.62
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Yerebatan Cistern for Two$0.62
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Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts for Two$0.31
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Hagia Sofia entrance$0.93
Tours and Activities in Istanbul
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Istanbul are as follows:
- App self-guided tours Istanbul with multilingual audioguide: $2.14
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.21
- City Tour with Audio Guide in your smartphone: $5.35
- Highlights Self Guided Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $5.35
- Hagia Sophia Exclusive Digital Audio Guided Tour: $5.35
- City Exploration Game and Tour: $6.42
- Istanbul Outdoor Escape Game: The Royal Adventure: $7.08
- Istanbul in a day: A Self-Guided Audio Tour in English: $7.87
- Daytime or Sunset Sightseeing Cruise & Audio Guide: $8.06
- Hippodrome and Blue Mosque Guided Tour: $8.73
- Bosphorus Sightseeing Cruise with Audio Guide: $9.62
- The Royal Adventure Highlights Exploration Game: $11
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:
- Tenerife: Forestal Park Tenerife Entry Ticket: $28
- Guided Tour to Teide National Park in Tenerife: $44
- Full Day Tour of Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal de La Laguna: $49
- Volcano Teide National Park Shared Tour from Costa Adeje Los Cristianos Tenerife: $64
- Full Day Guided Tour of Teide by Cabrio Bus : $75
- Private Paragliding Flight Experience in Tenerife: $109
- Taucho Flight Experience: $118
- Tenerife: Introductory Dive for Cruise Ship Passengers: $128
- Private VIP Tour Tenerife Magic Circle: $258
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayIstanbul $15Santa Cruz de Tenerife $8.04
Sample the Local Flavors in Istanbul
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Istanbul:
- Istanbul Pub Crawl Big Nightout . Rooftop parties,party Bus & Nightlife: $22
- Istanbul 7-Hour Pub Crawl: Big Night Out: $27
- Famous Istanbul Pub Crawl #1 Nightlife Experience: $27
- Party Pub Crawl with Party Bus: $29
- Wine Tasting Experience in Istanbul : $50
- Istanbul Wine Tasting at Home with Local Family: $80
- 2-Day Wine Tasting Tour along the Thracian Wine Route: $180
- Istanbul Private Wine Tasting Tour Through 3 City Wineries : $245
- Istanbul Private and Guided, Food and Wine Tasting Tour: $430
- Luxury Wine Tasting on a Private Yacht: $844
When comparing the travel costs between Istanbul and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, we can see that Santa Cruz de Tenerife is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Istanbul Expensive? and Is Santa Cruz de Tenerife Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Istanbul or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Istanbul has a larger population, and is about 50 times larger than the population of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. When comparing the sizes of Istanbul 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.