Should you visit Palermo or Amalfi?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Palermo and Amalfi can help. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Palermo
Located on its north coast, Palermo is the capital city of Sicily. The city has a lot to offer visitors who decide to venture to this often overlooked part of Italy. There is an interesting history, some unique and delicious food, and a fascinating culture. Prices in Sicily are generally cheaper than elsewhere in Italy. There are a handful of budget accommodation options and plenty of mid range hotels that are spread throughout the city. The rooms are usually comfortable and clean but as always, read reviews before making your reservation.
Amalfi
The town of Amalfi is at the heart of the Amalfi Coast, a region of Italy known for dramatic coastline, ritzy hotels, delicious food, and warm weather. Amalfi was the capital of a small republic in the middle ages known as the Duchy of Amalfi, when it dominated the seas by trade and power. Later, in the early 20th century, the town and the region became known as a place where wealthy travelers would spend their vacations.
Which city is cheaper, Amalfi or Palermo?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Palermo is €74, while the average daily cost in Amalfi is €161. 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 Palermo and Amalfi in more detail.
Accommodation
The average price for accommodation for two people in Palermo is €90. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
The average price for accommodation for two people in Amalfi is €158. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
Food
While meal prices in Palermo can vary, the average travelers spends about €23 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Palermo should cost around €9.20 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Palermo is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
On average, meal and food prices in Amalfi cost around €50 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around €20.
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Food
Meals for one day
Palermo €23
Amalfi €50
Typical Food prices in Palermo
Some typical examples of dining costs in Palermo are as follows:
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Sitdown Dinner (for Two)
€32
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Fast Food Lunch
€5.32
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Palermo
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Palermo.
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Street Food Tour Palermo:
$38
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Walking Tour and street food Tour Palermo:
$44
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Night Street Food Tour of Palermo:
$62
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Palermo Street Food Tour - Do Eat Better Experience:
$65
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A real Sicilian private dinner in Palermo:
$69
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Authentic Sicilian dinner with a local chef in Palermo:
$73
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Private Palermo street food tour with Chef Fulvio:
$74
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Experience Cooking Sicilian:
$76
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Withlocals The 10 Tastings ™: Palermo PRIVATE Food Tour:
$76
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Palermo Traditional Food Tour - Do Eat Better Experience:
$77
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Sicilian Cooking Class : Street and More:
$81
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Sicilian Cuisine Cooking Class in Palermo:
$86
Typical Food prices in Amalfi
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Amalfi:
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Dinner
€35
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Snacks
€4.00
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Bread
€1.00
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Dinner
€41
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Amalfi
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Amalfi.
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Lunch or dinner with an Italian family with cooking demo and wines - Amalfi:
$106
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Private cooking class at a local's home with lunch or dinner in Amalfi:
$180
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Amalfi Coast Cooking Class in Organic Farm:
$193
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Market visit and cooking class with lunch or dinner at a local's home in Amalfi:
$235
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Cooking Class Plus Wine Tasting Experience:
$597
Local Transportation
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around €4.51 per day to get around in Palermo.
The average price of local transportation around Amalfi is €53 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.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Palermo
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Palermo:
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Bus to Monreale
€3.00
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Bus From Airport
€6.00
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90 Minute Bus Pass
€1.30
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Short Taxi Ride
€4.35
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palermo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Palermo:
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Arrival Private Transfer Palermo Airport PMO to Palermo City by Standar Car:
$49
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Arrival Private Transfer Palermo Airport to Palermo in Business Car:
$58
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Arrival Private Transfer: Palermo Airport PMO to Palermo by Minivan:
$61
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Departure Private Transfer Palermo City to Palermo Airport PMO in Standar Car:
$49
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Departure Private Transfer Palermo to Palermo Airport in Business Car:
$61
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Departure Private Transfer: Palermo City to Palermo Airport PMO by Minivan:
$61
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ERICE transfer by private car from Palermo:
$113
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Eurostars Centrale Palace - Palermo Airport or vice versa, Private Transfer:
$31
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From Airport Palermo to Cefalù by Private Transfer minivan:
$51
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Mondello Palace Hotel to Palermo airport or vice versa, Private Transfer:
$31
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Mountain bike tour of Madonie with transfer from Palermo:
$182
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Palermo Airport (PMO) Arrival Transfer (Airport to Palermo Hotels or Address):
$81
Typical Local Transportation prices in Amalfi
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Amalfi:
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Bus
€4.00
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Train to Naples
€14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Amalfi
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Amalfi:
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Private Transfer: From Amalfi to Naples:
$22
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Private Transfer: From Amalfi to Sorrento with hotel pick-up and drop-off:
$57
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Amalfi - Napoli Airport (NAP) / Private Departure Van Transfer:
$61
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Private Transfer from Amalfi to Naples:
$75
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Private Transfers Amalfi Coast or viceversa:
$75
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From Private transfer to Naples train station airport or city center:
$81
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Private Transfer from Amalfi to Sorrento: Door-to-Door, English-speaking driver:
$83
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Private Transfer: From Amalfi (hotel) to Naples (hotel-airport-train station):
$83
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Private Transfer from Amalfi to Naples: Door-to-Door, English-speaking driver:
$105
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Private transfer Amalfi to Naples:
$108
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Private transfer from Amalfi to Naples:
$112
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Amalfi - Napoli Airport (NAP) / Private Departure Car Transfer:
$112
Is it cheaper to fly into Palermo or Amalfi?
Prices for flights to both Amalfi and Palermo 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
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around €13 per person, per day in Palermo. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Amalfi'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.
Typical Entertainment prices in Palermo
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Palermo are as follows:
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Capuchin Catacombs (for 2)
€6.00
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Castello della Zisa Entrance (for Two)
€12
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Theater Tickets (for Two)
€49
Tours and Activities in Palermo
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Palermo are as follows:
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The Complete Street Food Walking Tour - History & Tasty Bites in Palermo:
$19
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Palermo Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour: 24-Hour Ticket:
$24
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Palermo City Hop-on Hop-off Tour:
$25
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Tour of Palermo's artisan shops:
$27
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Touring bike:
$30
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The Charms of Palermo at Night: Private Kickstart Tour with a Local:
$32
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Mercati storici e antichi monumenti: tour a piedi nel centro di Palermo:
$37
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Palermo Bike City Tour:
$37
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Private 90 Minutes Kickstart Tour of Palermo with a Local:
$37
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Palermo Like a Local: Customized Private Tour:
$38
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Palermo smart, photo tour of the historical center:
$40
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Wonders of the new walking tour of Palermo Wonders!:
$44
Tours and Activities in Amalfi
Here are a few actual costs in Amalfi for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Running tour:
$40
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Amalfi lemon tour:
$44
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Private Valley of the Mills Nature Reserve Tour:
$50
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Amalfi Lemon Tour Experience:
$59
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Swim and Explore Half-Day Tour:
$62
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Pompeii and Villa Dei Misteri Ruin Tour from Amalfi Coast Towns:
$66
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Amalfi Coast Kayak Tour along Arches, Beaches and Sea Caves:
$73
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Amalfi Drive: Private Tour of Amalfi Coast:
$84
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Day Cruise to Capri from the Amalfi Coast:
$91
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Amalfi Coast Boat and Snorkeling Tour in Small Group | Half-day:
$98
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Half-Day Private Bike Tour of Agerola from Amalfi:
$105
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Guided Private Bike Tour through Chiunzi Pass from Amalfi:
$105
Alcohol
The average person spends about €8.81 on alcoholic beverages in Palermo per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Amalfi may vary from person to person, on average a person spends €16 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Typical Alcohol prices in Palermo
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Palermo:
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Beer
€2.56
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Bottle of Quality Wine
€11
Sample the Local Flavors in Palermo
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Palermo:
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Palermo wine tour:
$93
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Sicilian Cheese and Wine Tasting in Palermo:
$128
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Sicilian Gems Private Day Trip: Erice, Trapani & Marsala Wine Tasting:
$267
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Half-day Private Sicilian Wine Tasting and Winery Tour from Palermo:
$330
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Olive Oil, Salt and Wine Tour from Palermo:
$378
Typical Alcohol prices in Amalfi
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Amalfi from other travelers:
Sample the Local Flavors in Amalfi
Also in Amalfi, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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From Amalfi Coast: Pompeii, Vesuvius and Wine Tour:
$157
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Mount Vesuvius & Wine Tasting with Lunch Private Tour:
$287
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Mount Vesuvius & Wine Tasting with Lunch Private Tour from Amalfi Coast:
$287
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Pompei Archeological site and Wine tasting Experience:
$303
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Wine Tour Experience for Family or friend's group:
$311
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6-Hour Private Pompeii & Wine Tasting Tour:
$653
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palermo and Amalfi, we can see that Amalfi is more expensive. And not only is Palermo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Palermo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Palermo 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 Amalfi would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Amalfi than you might in Palermo.
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