Should you visit Santorini or Ios?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Santorini or Ios, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
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.
Ios
Ios is an island in the south of Greece, located in the Cyclades group of islands in the Mediterranean Sea. It is a peaceful beach getaway by day, and a lively party scene by night. While its main town is the hub for nightlife, it is also a charming place during the day, typical of a traditional Greek village with shops and cafes against a backdrop of whitewashed buildings and turquoise waters.
Which city is cheaper, Ios or Santorini?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Santorini is €131, while the average daily cost in Ios is €73. 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 Santorini and Ios in more detail.
Accommodation
The prices for places to stay in Santorini can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is €66, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around €132.
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around €31. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Ios the cost is €62 on average.
Food
In Santorini travelers spend around €38 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
While meal prices in Ios can vary, the average travelers spends about €26 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Ios should cost around €10 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Ios is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
Santorini €38
Ios €26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santorini
For Santorini, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Santorini Caldera: Sunset Cruise with Dinner:
$56
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Wine & Food Tour:
$69
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A taste of Mediterranean Cuisine Dinner:
$86
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Santorini Volcano and Thirassia Sunset Dinner Cruise:
$92
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Fira: 4-Hour Walking Food Tour With Tastings:
$100
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Akrotiri Easy Hike, Beach Visit and Cooking Class:
$106
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Santorini : Sunset Sea Kayak & Snorkel with Dinner:
$118
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Santorini : Cooking Class, Easy Hike, and Snorkeling:
$131
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Santorini Sunset Fishing Trip with Dinner and Drinks:
$154
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Santorini Cooking Class with Wine Tasting & Lunch:
$177
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Santorini Cooking Class and Wine-Tasting Tour:
$177
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5-Hour Food Tour w/ Minibus:
$194
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Santorini than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €23 on transportation in Santorini on average per day.
The average price of local transportation around Ios is €13 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.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santorini
Also for Santorini, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Airport, Port, and Hotels Minibus Transfer:
$8.07
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Santorini Airport and Ferry Ports Shared Transfer:
$10
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Transfer Service:
$12
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Oia Sunset: Evening Shuttle Transfer and Free Time:
$16
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Santorini transfer service:
$17
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Santorini Airport Hotels Transfer Shuttle Bus Service:
$28
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Transfer from Santorini Airport&Port all destination except OIA up to 4 customer:
$37
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Santorini Airport Transfer to Fira or Imerovigli:
$56
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Santorini Private Ride Transfer Services:
$65
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Santorini Taxi Service & Airport, Hotel and Port Transfers:
$65
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Tour of Caldera on Sailing Boat & Bus Transfer:Volcano-Hot springs-Thirassia-Oia:
$75
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Private Deluxe Transfer:
$86
Is it cheaper to fly into Santorini or Ios?
Prices for flights to both Ios 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.
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in Santorini, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €29 per day, per person.
Ios'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.
Tours and Activities in Santorini
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santorini.
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Firostefani & Oia Village Minibus Panoramic Tour:
$22
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Minibus Panoramic Sightseeing Tour:
$23
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Unique Oia's Sunset Tour in Santorini:
$30
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Santorini-Unique Oia’s Sunset Tour:
$31
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Royalty Unique Oia’s Sunset Tour in Santorini:
$31
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Mesa Gonia, Pyrgos and Oia Tour:
$33
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From Nea Kameni and Hot Springs 4-Hour Tour:
$38
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Archaeological Bus Tour To Akrotiri Excavations & Red Beach:
$40
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Island Bus Tour: The Majestic Spots Of Santorini:
$44
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3 Hour Santorini Walking Tour with Hotel Pickup:
$50
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Santorini Volcano and Thirassia Islands Tour:
$51
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Volcanic Sunset Cruise:
$54
Tours and Activities in Ios
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Ios are as follows:
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From Ios to Sikinos Island & Winery Tour:
$96
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Half Day Sunset Sailboat tour (afternoon):
$210
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Ios Speed Boat Adventure:
$54
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Santorini, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €21.
The average person spends about €26 on alcoholic beverages in Ios per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in Santorini
Also in Santorini, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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5-Hour Santorini Tour with Wine Tasting:
$59
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Private Wine Tasting in a Winery With Caldera View:
$65
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Santorini Highlights Tour with Wine Tasting:
$69
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4-Hours Santorini Vothonas Village Tour with Wine Tasting:
$89
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Half-Day Santorini Tour Vothonas Village with Wine Tasting:
$93
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Authentic Santorinian Tour at Vothonas Village with Wine Tasting:
$93
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Santorini Small-Group Wine Tour:
$98
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Sunset and Wine Tasting Tour by Electric Bike:
$100
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Santorini-Wine Tour Αround Megalochori Village:
$111
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Santorini Small Group Tour with Wine Tasting:
$115
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Santorini-Wine Tour Around Megalochori Village:
$117
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Santorini-Wine Tour Around Megalochori Village:
$124
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Santorini and Ios, we can see that Santorini is more expensive. And not only is Ios much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Ios would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ios 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 Ios.
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