Which place is cheaper, Dahab or Santorini?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Santorini or Dahab?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Santorini or Dahab, 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: Santorini or Dahab?
Santorini
Santorini is a volcanic island that is part of the Cyclades group of the Greek Islands. It has some spectacular views, beautiful sunsets, and excellent beaches. As one of the most popular of the Greek Islands to visit, Santorini sees many tourists every year. However, it's for a good reason, as the famous white-washed buildings that spill down the hill, some with blue domes that match the gorgeous color of the water, are set against the beautiful mountainous backdrop of one of the most scenic areas of the Mediterranean. Home to several of these small and scenic towns such as Oia, Kamari, Perissa, and Fira, visitors can explore the large island, enjoy delicious food, swim at the beaches, hike the hills, and sail the blue waters.
Dahab
Dahab is a small town on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. It is located about 85 kilometers north of Sharm el-Sheikh and sits on the Gulf of Aqaba. It's a popular destination with divers and backpackers alike, and offers some of the best snorkeling and diving that you'll find in the Red Sea. It's a great alternative to the resort driven Sharm el-Sheikh, and is popular with independent travelers who are looking for affordable accommodation. There are some upmarket options however, predominantly in the Laguna area, but budget facilities are not hard to find.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Greece, The Best Budget Tours to Greece, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, and The Best Historical Tours in Egypt.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySantorini €175Dahab €13
The average daily cost (per person) in Santorini is €175, while the average daily cost in Dahab is €13. 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 Santorini and Dahab in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSantorini €93Dahab €5.70
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSantorini €186Dahab €11
Compare Hotels in Santorini and Dahab
Looking for a hotel in Santorini or Dahab? 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.
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: Santorini Hotel Prices and Dahab Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Santorini €28Dahab €1.80
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santorini
Also for Santorini, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- VIP Limo Transfers From & To Santorini Port: $82
- VIP Limo Transfers From & To Santorini Airport: $33
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Santorini HTL-APT(JTR): $32
- Transfer to Akrotiri : $43
- Transfer Perissa To Oia : $46
- TRANSFERS Santorini PRIVATE Transfer: $31
- Shuttle Transfers From or To Santorini Port: $21
- Shared transfer to/from the airport/port : $74
- Shared Transfer From Airport and Port to Santorini: $17
- Shared Transfer : $33
- Shared Departure Transfers to Airport or Port Santorini : $33
- Shared Arrival Transfer: Santorini Airport to Hotel or Cruise Port: $27
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dahab
Also for Dahab, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Pickup Transfers From Dahab To Cairo: $260
- Private Transfer From Dahab To Taba border group from 1 to 12: $220
- Private Pickup Transfers from Dahab to Taba: $120
- Private Transfer from Dahab to Sharm El Sheikh (SSH) Airport: $109
- Private Sharm El Sheikh Airport (SSH) Transfer: $71
- Private Transfer from Hotel in Dahab To Sharm el Sheikh Airport: $55
- Sharm el-Sheikh: 1-Way or Round-Trip Transfer to Dahab: $38
- Dahab Private Transfer To/From Sharm el sheikh ( One Way Transfer ): $30
Is it cheaper to fly into Santorini or Dahab?
Prices for flights to both Dahab and Santorini 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
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Food Meals for one daySantorini €48Dahab €4.52
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santorini
For Santorini, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Romantic Sunset Caldera Cruise with Dinner: $70
- Santorini Caldera: Sunset Cruise with Dinner: $70
- Volcanic Sunset Cruise with Dinner: $80
- Catamaran Tour with BBQ Dinner, Drinks, and Music: $91
- Volcano and Hot Springs Sunset Dinner Cruise: $96
- Cooking Class in Traditional cave house in Santorini!: $120
- Sunset Cruise with Swim Stops, Dinner, and Drinks: $120
- Fira: 4-Hour Walking Food Tour With Tastings: $123
- Half-Day Sunset Wine Tasting Tour in Santorini with dinner: $123
- Luxury Sunset Cruise with Dinner & Open Bar: $128
- Sunset Sea Kayak with Light Dinner: $128
- Hands on Cooking Class with a Chef: $134
Typical Food Prices in Dahab
For Dahab, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Seafood Dinner (for 2)€1.88
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Juice€0.10
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Breakfast for Two€0.59
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Dahab
For Dahab, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Bedouin Dinner in the Mountains In Dahab: $30
- Bedouin Dinner in the Mountains In Dahab: $36
- Dahab Desert Safari and Bedouin Dinner: $40
- Stargazer + Camel riding + Bedouin dinner from Dahab : $90
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Santorini €36Dahab €4.31
Tours and Activities in Santorini
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santorini.
- Santorini Panoramic Blue Shade Tour-Firostefani, Imerovigli, Oia: $62
- Santorini Private Half Day Tour : $218
- Santorini Secrets & Gems for Cruise Passengers: $96
- 3 Hour Sightseeing Tour in the Magical Santorini: $74
- 3 Hour Tour in Oia: $120
- 3 Hours Private Santorini Tour: $136
- 3-Hour Santorini Highlights Tour: $71
- 4 Hour Eat and Drink Private Tour in Santorini: $296
- 4 Hours Private Tour in Santorini with Pick up: $87
- 4 hrs island tour and photoshooting, Oia Blue domes, Red beach : $196
- 4-Hour Private Custom Santorini Tour: $161
- 5 Hour Santorini Shore Excursion for Cruise Passengers: $71
Tours and Activities in Dahab
For Dahab, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2- Day Tour Exploring the Hidden Gems of Serabit el Khadim: $200
- 4x4 Jeep Adventure from Dahab: $39
- Adventure Quad Biking Tour in Dahab: $50
- Adventure Safari By Horse In Dahab At Laguna Beach: $65
- Blue Hole Snorkeling Tour with lunch from Dahab: $28
- Camel Ride + Blue Hole Snorkeling + Quad Bike Tour With Lunch From Dahab: $45
- Dahab Windsurfing Adventure in Red Sea Waves: $30
- Royal Seascope Submarine Guided Boat Tour : $38
- Royal seascope Semi-Submarine Cruise: $33
- luxury Snorkeling cruise with buffet lunch: $41
- From Three Pools Guided Snorkeling Tour with Lunch: $28
- Full Day Climbing and Hiking Tour in Canyon with Pickup: $40
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySantorini €26Dahab €2.46
Sample the Local Flavors in Santorini
Also in Santorini, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Half Day Simply Santorini Tour with Wine Tasting: $60
- Top Sights Day Trip, Wine Tasting, & Oia Sunset: $63
- Fira Town Walking Tour with Wine Tasting: $75
- Top Sights of Santorini with Wine Tasting and Sunset in Oia: $75
- Notos Day Tour through History & Wine Tasting: $98
- Santorini 4 Hour Private Oia Tour & Wine Tasting : $105
- Wine Tour with Sunset in Oia: $106
- Santorini Highlights Small-Group Tour with Wine Tasting from Fira: $109
- 5 towns in 5 hours: Santorini Most Popular Tour with Wine tasting: $117
- Wine Tour Santorini: $118
- Wine tasting and Carving lesson in Santorini: $131
- Santorini 4-Hour Private Tour including Wine Tasting, Shore Excursion: $136
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Santorini and Dahab, we can see that Santorini is more expensive. And not only is Dahab much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Santorini is in Europe and Dahab is in Africa, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Dahab would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Dahab 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 Santorini would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santorini than you might in Dahab.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Santorini Expensive? and Is Dahab Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Santorini or Dahab?
Santorini has a larger population, and is about 80 times larger than the population of Dahab. When comparing the sizes of Santorini and Dahab, 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.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.