Should you visit Kos or Barcelona?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Kos and Barcelona can help. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Kos
Kos is a Greek island and third largest island of the Dodecanese group, located near the Turkish coast in the southeast Aegean Sea. It is best known for its beautiful sandy beaches, which make it a popular tourist destination, as well as its ancient Greek and Roman landmarks.
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain with a population of over 1.5 million people. It's also the capital of Catalonia and is located on the northeastern part of the Mediterranean coast. Barcelona is one of the country's most popular travel destinations because of its rich history, interesting architecture, and vibrant culture. Barcelona hosted the 1992 Summer Olympic games and that had a strong influence over tourism in the area. Many different neighborhoods were renovated and rebuilt. Modern design became the norm in many parts of the city, although there is still an old city feel and many efforts at preservation.
Which city is cheaper, Barcelona or Kos?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Kos is €107, while the average daily cost in Barcelona is €122. 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 Kos and Barcelona in more detail.
Accommodation
Travelers usually pay around €98 for a double occupancy room in Kos If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
The average price for accommodation for two people in Barcelona is €148. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
Food
While meal prices in Kos can vary, the average travelers spends about €35 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Kos should cost around €14 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Kos is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
The price of a meal in Barcelona can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is €27 per person, and a typical meal will cost around €11 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
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Food
Meals for one day
Kos €35
Barcelona €27
Typical Food prices in Barcelona
Some typical examples of dining costs in Barcelona are as follows:
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Hot Cocoa & Churro
€4.15
-
Sandwich
€1.70
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Baguette & Horchata
€3.80
-
Tapas on the beach
€8.28
-
Gelatto
€2.50
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Barcelona
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Barcelona.
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Live from Barcelona to China: Potato Gnocchi Online Cooking Class:
$23
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Live from Potato Gnocchi Online Cooking Class:
$23
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Barcelona organic dinner in a beautiful rooftop garden:
$35
-
Interactive Spanish Cooking Experience in Barcelona:
$49
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Hands-on Brunch Cooking Class with Bottomless Mimosas!:
$50
-
Born district food tour and tasting in Barcelona:
$51
-
Barcelona Street Food Tour: Local Market & Gothic Quarter with Expert Guide:
$52
-
Street Food Tour & Gothic Quater Sightseeing with Local Expert:
$52
-
Bus and Walking Tour with Dinner:
$58
-
Tasty Barcelona Street Food Tour With Local Market Visit:
$59
-
Skip the Line: Flamenco Show and Dinner Ticket:
$62
-
Traveling Spoon Seafood Paella and Sangria Private Online Cooking Class:
$66
Local Transportation
To get around in Kos, the average visitor spends €29 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
The cost of a taxi ride in Barcelona is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent €15 per person, per day, on local transportation in Barcelona.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kos
Also for Kos, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Private Airport Transfer: from Kos Island to Kos Airport (KGS):
$41
-
Kos - Airport Private Transfer:
$62
-
Private departure Transfer from Kos island resorts to Kos airport:
$96
Typical Local Transportation prices in Barcelona
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Barcelona are as follows:
-
10 Trip Metro Ticket
€7.80
-
Airport Bus
€5.00
-
Metro
€2.10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Barcelona
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Barcelona:
-
Ultra - Barcelona Private Transfer from City Centre to Barcelona Cruise Port:
$9.41
-
Ultra - Barcelona Private Transfer from Barcelona Cruise Port to City Centre:
$9.41
-
Ultra - Barcelona Private Airport Transfer city centre to El Prat Airport BCN:
$9.41
-
Transfers From Cruise Port to Barcelona Main Train Station( Sants Train Station):
$30
-
Transfer to Montserrat Monastery from Barcelona:
$33
-
Transfer in private vehicle from Barcelona El Prat Airport to Barcelona City:
$39
-
Transfer in private vehicle from Barcelona City to Barcelona El Prat Airport:
$39
-
Transfer in private minivan from Barcelona City to Barcelona el Prat Airport:
$55
-
Transfer from Barcelona to Valencia or viceversa:
$498
-
Transfer from Barcelona to Port Aventura Park:
$435
-
Transfer from Barcelona Airport to Barcelona CITY - ROUND TRIP:
$124
-
Transfer from Barcelona (any hotel or address) to Barcelona Airport (BCN):
$61
Is it cheaper to fly into Kos or Barcelona?
Prices for flights to both Barcelona and Kos 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
In Kos, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average €26 per person, per day.
Entertainment and activities in Barcelona typically cost an average of €27 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Tours and Activities in Kos
For Kos, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
Kalymnos and Pserimos Day Cruise:
$55
-
Photo tour island of Kos:
$684
Typical Entertainment prices in Barcelona
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Barcelona are as follows:
Tours and Activities in Barcelona
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Barcelona are as follows:
-
#1dayBarcelona. 6-Hour Action Packed Private City Discovery Tour:
$549
-
"Gaudi’s Pedrera: The Origins" Night Show and Ticket:
$41
-
'Game Of Thrones' Small Group Tour in Girona from Barcelona:
$125
-
1 hour private sailing tour:
$158
-
1,5 hour Vermut & Sailing Experience Barcelona with drinks and snacks!:
$41
-
1-hour Private Speedboat Cruise from Barcelona:
$372
-
1.5-Hour Sights of Barcelona E-Bike Tour Led by a Local Guide:
$34
-
2 Hours Private Sailing Tour for Family and Friends:
$316
-
2 Hours Running Tour in Barcelona with Local Guide:
$35
-
2 hour Private Sunset Sailing Cruise Barcelona:
$372
-
2 hour Sailing Cruise Barcelona:
$47
-
2 hour Sunset Sailing Cruise Barcelona:
$47
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Kos spend on average €16 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
The average person spends about €14 on alcoholic beverages in Barcelona per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in Barcelona
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Barcelona:
-
Columbus Monument with Optional Wine Tasting:
$7.16
-
Estrella Damm Brewery Guided Tour with Tasting:
$9.54
-
Backpacker Pub Crawl:
$18
-
The Original Barcelona Pub Crawl:
$18
-
Barcelona Halloween Pub Crawl:
$18
-
Generation Pub Crawl in Barcelona:
$19
-
Barcelona Pub Crawl:
$20
-
Barcelona Wine Tasting: Catalan and Spanish Wines:
$21
-
Wine Tasting Experience in Barcelona:
$22
-
Opera Samfaina: Food and Wine Tasting Interactive Experience in Barcelona:
$26
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Wine tasting & tapas:
$39
-
Barcelona Guided Local Wine Tasting Tour:
$44
When comparing the travel costs between Kos and Barcelona, we can see that Barcelona 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.
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