A Travel Price Comparison for Spain Santa Cruz de Tenerife vs. Santander for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Santander?

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 Santander, 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 Santander?

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.

Santander

Santander is the capital of the Cantabria Region which runs along the northern coast of Spain. Located right on the bay, it is a place of many historic churches and a handful of interesting museums that range from archaeological discoveries of the region, to maritime history, and cultural features like bullfighting. There is also a large selection of beaches for those looking for a more relaxing getaway in the sun and sand.

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 10-Day Tours from Madrid, and The Best 10-Day Tours from Barcelona.


Which place is cheaper, Santander 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 Santander is €108. 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 Santander in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Santa Cruz de Tenerife 48
    Santander 51
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Santa Cruz de Tenerife 96
    Santander 102
Compare Hotels in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Santander

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


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 Santander Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Santa Cruz de Tenerife 64
    Santander 24

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 Santander

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santander:

  • One-way Private Transfer From/To Santander Airport: $41
  • Private Transfer from Santander Port to Bilbao Airport: $251
  • Private Transfer from Santander city to Bilbao: $251
  • Private Transfer from Santander city to Bilbao Airport: $251
  • Santander Private Arrival Transfer: $35
  • Santander Private Departure Transfer: $35
  • Santander Private Transfer from Santander Airport to City centre: $43
  • Santander Private Transfer from the city centre to Santander Airport: $43

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

Prices for flights to both Santander 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
    Santander 41

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Santa Cruz de Tenerife 25
    Santander 18

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 Santander

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

  • 1-Hour City Cruise Around the Bay: $14
  • City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $22
  • City Sightseeing Santander Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $23
  • Obregón: Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno Entry Ticket: $26
  • From Potes, Santillana and Altamira Day Tour: $42
  • Full Day Tour Lakes of Covadonga and Santillana from Santander: $46
  • Guided Tour by Electric Bike: $53
  • Full Day Self Guided Tour in Santillana del Mar and Comillas: $54
  • From Santillana del Mar & Altamira Museum Tour: $64
  • Santoña: Anchovy Factory Tour and Boat Trip: $70
  • Tour to the Towns of the Western Coast of Cantabria: $78
  • Picos, Santo Toribio Monastery and Potes Day Tour: $82

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Santa Cruz de Tenerife 7.50
    Santander 14


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

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 Santander Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Santander?

Santa Cruz de Tenerife has a larger population, and is about 21% larger than the population of Santander. When comparing the sizes of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Santander, 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.