A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Santa Cruz de Tenerife vs. Messina for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Messina?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Messina, 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: Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Messina?

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.

Messina

Messina is a city in the northwest area of Sicily. There are only five kilometers across the Straits of Messina to the Calabria region of mainland Italy. You can reach Messina by boats which travel every hour from the town of Villa San Giovanni in mainland Italy. There are also a couple of hydrofoils that make the trip every day from Reggio di Calabria. During the summer season don't be surprised to see cruise ships arriving with crowds of tourists. They are usually docked right downtown and are therefore hard to miss. Messina is also connected to mainland Italy by train, which are transported across the Straits of Messina by ferry.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Madrid, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Barcelona, The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Italy, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Italy.


Which place is cheaper, Messina or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is €126, while the average daily cost in Messina is €118. 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 Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Messina in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Santa Cruz de Tenerife 48
    Messina 65
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Santa Cruz de Tenerife 96
    Messina 130
Compare Hotels in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Messina

Looking for a hotel in Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Messina? 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 Santa Cruz de Tenerife


Hotels in Messina


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: Santa Cruz de Tenerife Hotel Prices and Messina Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Santa Cruz de Tenerife 64
    Messina 22

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
  • Santa Cruz Tenerife Cruise Port: Transfer to Tenerife hotels: $252
  • Tenerife South Airport Departure Transfer (Costa Adeje Hotels to Airport): $98
  • Tenerife South Airport Departure Transfer (Playa de las américas to Airport): $59
  • Whale and Dolphin Watching Catamaran with Transfer and Buffet : $64

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Messina

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Messina:

  • From Private Air-Conditioned Transfer to Taormina: $99

Is it cheaper to fly into Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Messina?

Prices for flights to both Messina and Santa Cruz de Tenerife 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
    Santa Cruz de Tenerife 40
    Messina 37

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Messina

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

  • Private Home Cooking Demo with a Four-Course Meal: $112
  • Cesarine: Dining & Cooking Demo at Local's Home in Messina: $115
  • Market Tour & Lunch/Dinner at a Cesarina's Home: $149
  • Messina Private Home Cooking Class: $155
  • Home Cooking Class & Meal with a Local in Messina: $158
  • Market Tour, Private Home Cooking Class and Dinner: $202

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Santa Cruz de Tenerife 25
    Messina 21

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

Tours and Activities in Messina

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

  • Alfotour 2/3 hour tour with swimming stop: $32
  • 2,5-Hour Messina Walking Tour: $46
  • Guided City Highlights Walking Tour: $47
  • The Godfather Movie Tour from Messina: $84
  • Messina Taormina: cultural heritage experience: $85
  • Messina and Taormina City Tour from Messina - Private tour: $87
  • Taormina Shore Excursion from Messina - Shared tour: $87
  • Taormina and Castelmola Tour from Messina: $98
  • 3-Hour Messina Segway PT Authorized Tour: $118
  • Full Day Taormina and Castelmola Tour with Messina Shore Excursion: $120
  • Etna Alcantara tour: the majestic lava landscape : $126
  • Taormina and Castelmola: Private tour: $149

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Santa Cruz de Tenerife 7.50
    Messina 18


When comparing the travel costs between Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Messina, 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 Santa Cruz de Tenerife Expensive? and Is Messina Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Messina?

Messina has a larger population, and is about 13% larger than the population of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. When comparing the sizes of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Messina, 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.