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

Should you visit Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Taormina?

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 Taormina, 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 Taormina?

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.

Taormina

A quaint hillside town on the eastern side of Sicily, Taormina is arguably one of the most popular tourist resorts on the island. It's peak season is the months of July and August when Italian and European tourists alike flock to the beaches. During this time it can be crowded and hot, but if you visit during the spring or fall months you might find the crowds slightly less and the weather more comfortable. The town is popular with package tours, which stay at the beach resorts around Giardini Naxos to the south or Letojanni to the north.

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 Romantic Tours for Couples in Italy, and The Best Walking Tours in Italy.


Which place is cheaper, Taormina 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 Taormina 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 Taormina in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Santa Cruz de Tenerife 48
    Taormina 70
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Santa Cruz de Tenerife 96
    Taormina 140
Compare Hotels in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Taormina

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


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 Taormina Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Santa Cruz de Tenerife 64
    Taormina 4.29

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santa Cruz de Tenerife:

  • Santa Cruz Tenerife Cruise Port: Transfer to Tenerife hotels: $252
  • Tenerife South Airport Departure Transfer (Costa Adeje Hotels to Airport): $98
  • Whale and Dolphin Watching Catamaran with Transfer and Buffet : $64
  • Tenerife South Airport Departure Transfer (Playa de las américas to Airport): $59
  • Mount Teide Tour with Transfer and Optional Cable Car Ticket: $43

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Taormina

Also for Taormina, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Sicily Catania Airport: Bus Transfer to and from Taormina: $7.49
  • Roundtrip Transfer from Messina: $41

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

Prices for flights to both Taormina 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
    Taormina 33

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Santa Cruz de Tenerife 25
    Taormina 11

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:

  • Full Day Guided Tour of Teide by Cabrio Bus : $75
  • Full Day Tour of Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal de La Laguna: $49
  • Guided Tour to Teide National Park in Tenerife: $44
  • Private Paragliding Flight Experience in Tenerife: $109
  • Private VIP Tour Tenerife Magic Circle: $258
  • Taucho Flight Experience: $118
  • Tenerife: Forestal Park Tenerife Entry Ticket: $28
  • Tenerife: Introductory Dive for Cruise Ship Passengers: $128
  • Volcano Teide National Park Shared Tour from Costa Adeje Los Cristianos Tenerife: $64

Tours and Activities in Taormina

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Taormina.

  • From Catania: Guided Tour of Mount Etna and Taormina: $57
  • From Catania: Guided Tour of Taormina and Castelmola: $106
  • Tour di Taormina, Savoca e Forza D' Agro': $139
  • Tour Messina Taormina Castelmola: $150
  • Taormina private tour: $160
  • Sicily: Best of Taormina and Castelmola Private Tour: $213
  • Taormina. Highlights Tour with Isolabella and Castelmola: $267
  • Taormina & Castelmola: Shore tour from Messina cruise port: $428
  • Taormina Walking Tour & Ancient theather Private or shared: $588
  • 5 Hours Private Tour of Taormina from Messina: $606
  • Tour da Messina a Taormina, Castelmola, Isola Bella: $695
  • From Catania or Agrigento and Piazza Armerina Tour: $743

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Santa Cruz de Tenerife 7.50
    Taormina 8.57

Sample the Local Flavors in Taormina

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

  • Mt Etna Private guided walking Tour with Wine Tasting: $181
  • Catania: Mt. Etna Private Tour with Food and Wine Tasting: $299


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Taormina, we can see that Santa Cruz de Tenerife is more expensive. And not only is Taormina much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Taormina would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Taormina 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 Taormina.

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 Taormina Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Taormina?

Santa Cruz de Tenerife has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Taormina. When comparing the sizes of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Taormina, 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.