A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Lima vs. Crete for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Lima or Crete?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Lima and Crete. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Lima or Crete?

Lima

Lima, the capital city of Peru, is likely to be your point of entry for the country. Lima was founded in 1535 and was the seat of the Spanish rule for 300 years. It's a surprisingly modern city despite its rich history, but many beautiful churches and colonial architecture remain today. There are also large slum areas that highlight the poverty that exists in the city. The city and its surrounding metropolitan area have a population of about 8.5 million people, many of whom came from the Andes Mountains in search of work. Unfortunately the work opportunities are limited and the poverty is obvious as you arrive in Lima.

Crete

The largest and most populous island of Greece, Crete has become a frequent vacation destination for many visitors. The terrain of the place is quite varied - very mountainous stretching east to west, with lush valleys, fertile plateaus, gorges, and famous caves like Idaion, the birthplace of the Greek god Zeus. The surrounding smaller islands and beaches are key attractions as well.

For some great organized tour ideas, see Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Peru, The Best Adventure Tours to Peru, The Best Historical Tours in Greece, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Greece.


Which place is cheaper, Crete or Lima?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Lima is $95, while the average daily cost in Crete is $169. 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 Lima and Crete in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Lima $52
    Crete $64
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Lima $104
    Crete $128
Compare Hotels in Lima and Crete

Looking for a hotel in Lima or Crete? 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.

Hotels in Lima


Hotels in Crete


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: Lima Hotel Prices and Crete Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Lima $6.06
    Crete $56
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Lima

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Lima are as follows:


  • Taxi Ride
    $5.73
  • Taxi Ride
    $5.73
  • Short Taxi Ride
    $4.30

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lima

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lima:

  • Assistance - Transfer Cusco Airport to Hotel & Viceversa: $40
  • Deluxe Car Lima Transfer - Private Service: $29
  • Direct Private Transfer From Lima to Paracas, English Speaking Driver: $269
  • Jorge Chavez Airport (LIM) to Lima - Arrival Private Transfer : $22
  • Jorge Chavez Airport (LIM) to Lima - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $43
  • LIMA AIRPORT SHUTTLE - Shared Transfer: $13
  • Larco Museum Complete Guided Tour with Transfers (Small Group): $55
  • Lima Airport (LIM) to Miraflores - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $48
  • Lima Airport (LIM) to Miraflores city - Arrival Private Transfer: $24
  • Lima Airport Arrival Transfer: $25
  • Lima Airport Transfers by SUV/Van: $43
  • Lima Bus Station Arrival Transfer: $28

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Crete

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Crete:

  • One-Way Shared Transfer From or To Heraklion Air - Hersonissos: $18
  • Heraklion Airport: Shared Transfer To/From Rethymno: $19
  • One Way Shared Transfer From/To Heraklion Airport - Bali: $23
  • Acqua Plus Water Park Admission with Optional Transfer: $34
  • AcquaPlus WaterPark Entrance Ticket optional Transfer: $35
  • One way shared transfer from or to Chania Airport To Bali : $37
  • Crete Private Transfer to&from Heraklion Airport Port all Crete: $40
  • Private Transfer from Heraklion Airport (HER) to Heraklion Port: $41
  • Heraklion Airport (HER) to Heraklion - Arrival Private Transfer: $42
  • Transfer Heraklion Airport to Gouves area up to 7 customers: $49
  • Acqua Plus Water Park Entrance with Transfer & Lunch: $50
  • Day Trip to Elafonisi Beach with Hotel Transfers: $53

Is it cheaper to fly into Lima or Crete?

Prices for flights to both Crete and Lima 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Lima $32
    Crete $68
Typical Food Prices in Lima

Some typical examples of dining costs in Lima are as follows:


  • Lunch for Two
    $4.59
  • Ice cream
    $3.73
  • Coffee
    $3.15
  • Donut
    $1.00

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lima

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Lima.

  • Lima Food Tour with Ceviche, Pisco, and Grilled Chicken: $32
  • Food Tour and Market Experience: 12 Peruvian Snacks: $40
  • Lima Food Tour - Prepare your Anticuchos and Pisco Sour : $48
  • #1 Reviewed Lima Cooking Class: $49
  • Dinner at the Huaca Pucllana Restaurant: $55
  • Private Guided Walking Street Food Tour in Lima: $55
  • Peru’s Most Beloved Recipes Cooking Class: $58
  • Lima Market Tour & Ceviche Cooking Class with Pisco Sour: $59
  • Lima Night: Cooking Experience with locals: $65
  • Peruvian Cooking Class, Local Market Tour & Exotic Fruit Tasting: $65
  • Vegan Peruvian Food Cooking Class | Ceviche + Pisco Sour: $69
  • 4 iconic restaurants of Lima / 3-hour guided food tour: $69

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Crete

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Crete.

  • Traditional Cretan Night: Live Show and Dinner: $33
  • Traditional Dance Show and Buffet Dinner with Wine: $34
  • Troy Dinner-Show: $36
  • Olive Oil Factory Tour, Dinner & Traditional Dancing: $66
  • Olive Oil Festival in Cretan Farm with Traditional Dinner: $78
  • Heraklion: Finikia Horse Riding Tour with Lunch or Dinner: $81
  • The Delicious Chania Street Food Tour : $96
  • Half Day Sunset Tour in Rethymno with Dinner and Wine: $101
  • Chania Walking Food Tours Crete with a local!: $101
  • Sightseeing Day Trip with Cooking Lesson and Lunch: $102
  • Full-Day Jeep Safari Tour with Cooking Lesson: $105
  • Chania: Evening Feasts A Journey through Cretan Flavors Food Tour: $108

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Lima $9.15
    Crete $29
Typical Entertainment Prices in Lima

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Lima are as follows:


  • Entrance to Museo Larco (for 2)
    $17
  • Movie Tickets
    $2.44

Tours and Activities in Lima

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Lima are as follows:

  • Beach tour and surfboards for rent in Lima, Peru: $14
  • Lima City Tour with Baby Alpaca Class and Pisco Tasting: $16
  • Skip the Line: Larco Museum Admission Ticket: $18
  • Miraflores and Barranco Private Bike Tour: $19
  • Private Bike Tour in Lima: $19
  • Bike Tour Lima: $19
  • Water Magic Circuit Lima Night Tour by Panoramic Bus: $20
  • Tour in Lima with Visit to the Catacombs of San Francisco: $20
  • Bohemian and artistic ravine walking tour: $22
  • Lima Half-Day City Walking Tour (Small Groups): $24
  • Pisco Sour experience with mini causitas at República del Pisco: $25
  • Guided Walking Tour in Barranco: $25

Tours and Activities in Crete

Here are a few actual costs in Crete for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Chania Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $9.57
  • CRETAquarium Entrance Ticket in Crete: $9.58
  • Heraklion Archaeological Museum Ticket & Audio Guide: $19
  • Gramvousa Island & Balos Bay Full-Day Tour from Rethymno English & German guide: $20
  • Chersonissos: Mini-Train City Highlights Tour: $21
  • Heraklion Museum Ticket and City Audio Tour: $22
  • Heraklion City Tour - Aquarium: $22
  • Heraklion: Heraklion Market & CretAquarium *SKIP The Line: $22
  • Heraklion: Palace of Knossos 3D Virtual Audio Tour by Tablet: $22
  • Heraklion Market and CretAquarium Guided Tour: $23
  • Heraklion: Hop-on Hop-off Open Top Bus Sightseeing Tour: $23
  • Heraklion: Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour: $23

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Lima $5.95
    Crete $26
Typical Alcohol Prices in Lima

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Lima are as follows:


  • Bottle of Wine
    $7.71
  • Beer
    $4.30
  • Cocktail
    $3.44

Sample the Local Flavors in Lima

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Lima:

  • Lima Pub Crawl - Party tour: Friday Barranco/Saturday miraflores: $19
  • Bar Crawl Night Tour in Miraflores: $30
  • Local Wine Tour : $55
  • From Paracas & Huacachina & Wine Tasting: $135
  • Full Day Paracas, Huacachina and Wine Tasting from Lima : $138

Sample the Local Flavors in Crete

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Crete:

  • Local Wine Tasting & Visit to the Ancient Olive Tree: $143
  • Heraklion: Half Day Small Group Wine Tour with Wine Tastings: $150
  • Ecobike-Knossos Palace-Wine tasting-Olive oil tasting: $180
  • Cave and Cretan Brewery tour with lunch: $186
  • PRIVATE Walking Tour with Lunch and Wine Tasting by a Sommelier: $192
  • The Gourmet Wine Tour of Heraklion area: $198
  • Gastronomy tour and wine tasting in traditional villages : $216
  • Heraklion SUV Private Guided Wine Tour with Lunch : $237
  • From Elounda Private Heraklion Wine Tour with Tastings and Lunch: $251
  • Private Wine Tour: $270
  • From Heraklion: Villages and Vines A Scenic Wine Tasting Journey: $289
  • Private Knossos Skip The Line Tour inc. lunch & wine tasting: $337


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Lima and Crete, we can see that Crete is more expensive. And not only is Lima much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Lima is in South America and Crete is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Lima would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Lima 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 Crete would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Crete than you might in Lima.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Lima Expensive? and Is Crete Expensive?.


Which has a larger population, Lima or Crete?

Lima has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Crete. When comparing the sizes of Lima and Crete, 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.