A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Montpellier vs. Puerto del Carmen for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Montpellier or Puerto del Carmen?

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 Montpellier and Puerto del Carmen. 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: Montpellier or Puerto del Carmen?

Montpellier

Montpellier is the 8th largest city of France, and also has been the fastest growing city in the country over the past 25 years. Graceful and easy-going, Montpellier is a stylish metropolis with elegant buildings, grand hotels, private mansions, stately boulevards and shady backstreets, and gorgeous white-sand beaches on its doorstep. Unlike many southern towns, Montpellier has no Roman heritage. Instead it was founded in the 10th century by the counts of Toulouse and later became a prosperous trading port as well as a scholarly center - Europe's first medical school was established here in the 12th century. The population swelled in the 1960s when many French settlers left independent Algeria and relocated here, and it's now France's fastest-growing city and one of its most multicultural areas. Students make up over a third of the population, giving it a spirited vibe.

Puerto del Carmen

Located on the south-eastern coast of the Canary Island of Lanzarote, Puerto del Carmen is a popular resort area best known for its high concentration of bars, pubs, restaurants, and clubs. By day, visitors frequent the beaches for swimming, sunbathing, windsurfing, and other watersports - and by night, they flock to enjoy the live music and drinks of the area's thriving nightlife.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in France, The Best 2-Week Tours in France, The Best 3-Day Tours from Madrid, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Madrid.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto del Carmen or Montpellier?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Montpellier is €118, while the average daily cost in Puerto del Carmen is €173. 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 Montpellier and Puerto del Carmen in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Montpellier 69
    Puerto del Carmen 98
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Montpellier 138
    Puerto del Carmen 196
Compare Hotels in Montpellier and Puerto del Carmen

Looking for a hotel in Montpellier or Puerto del Carmen? 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 Montpellier


Hotels in Puerto del Carmen


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: Montpellier Hotel Prices and Puerto del Carmen Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Montpellier 26
    Puerto del Carmen 39

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Montpellier

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Montpellier:

  • Transfer from Sète Port to Marseille Provence Airport MRS: $131
  • Transfer Montpellier Airport and Beziers Airport: $49
  • Private Transfer from Sète Cruise Port to Marseille city hotels: $131
  • Montpellier–Méditerranée Airport Transfer: $64
  • Montpellier Private Transfer from Montpellier city centre to Montpellier Airport: $74

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto del Carmen

Also for Puerto del Carmen, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Lanzarote : Parasailing activity with hotel transfer: $102

Is it cheaper to fly into Montpellier or Puerto del Carmen?

Prices for flights to both Puerto del Carmen and Montpellier 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
    Montpellier 31
    Puerto del Carmen 51

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Montpellier

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

  • Guided Food Tour With Local Snacks and Wine: $91
  • Montpellier Food Tour: $93
  • From Pic Saint-Loup Wine and Food Tour: $102
  • Cooking workshop: $106
  • Private cooking class with specialized chefs Montpellier: $108
  • Fusion Food Cooking Class: $428

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Montpellier 12
    Puerto del Carmen 17

Tours and Activities in Montpellier

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

  • CityTour and Photo Portraits Souvenirs in Montpellier: $38
  • From Half-Day Vineyard & Pic Saint-Loup Tour: $80
  • From Wine and Olive Tour: $75
  • Highlights of Sète : history, food and wine experience: $174
  • Legendary Montpellier, flexible legends and storytelling tour: $16
  • Montpellier - Private Historic Walking tour: $428
  • Montpellier Private Guided Walking Tour: $307
  • Montpellier Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide: $270
  • Montpellier Wine and Oyster Tour: $86
  • Half-Day Hiking Tour of Pic Saint Loup & Picnic: $64
  • Personalized Day-Tour of the South of France: $1,059
  • Photoshoot Experience: $159

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Montpellier 15
    Puerto del Carmen 60

Sample the Local Flavors in Montpellier

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

  • The Châteaux of Grès de Montpellier & Wine Tasting: $80
  • Small-Group Half-Day Châteaux of Montpellier Wine Tour: $84
  • Small-Group Half-Day Languedoc Pic Saint-Loup Wine Tour from Montpellier: $84
  • Wine tour in Pic Saint-Loup area: $142
  • Half-Day Wine Tour with Lunch: $155
  • Montpellier : half day wine tour in Camargue: $159
  • Private Half-Day Languedoc Wine Tour from Sète: $240
  • Sète: Private Half–Day Wine Tour: $353


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Montpellier and Puerto del Carmen, we can see that Puerto del Carmen is more expensive. And not only is Montpellier much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Montpellier would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Montpellier 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 Puerto del Carmen would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Puerto del Carmen than you might in Montpellier.

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


Which is Bigger, Montpellier or Puerto del Carmen?

Montpellier has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Puerto del Carmen. When comparing the sizes of Montpellier and Puerto del Carmen, 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.