Which place is cheaper, Tel Aviv or Santorini?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Santorini or Tel Aviv?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Santorini or Tel Aviv, 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 Tel Aviv?
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.
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv is the second largest city in Israel and is situated on the Mediterranean coast 60 kilometers north of Jerusalem. It's a rapidly growing city and is one of the most modern and cosmopolitan cities in Israel. The official name is Tel Aviv-Yafo because the city has grown to include the ancient port city of Yafo. If you're looking for an embassy, you are likely to find it in Tel Aviv, despite Jerusalem being the official capital of Israel.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Greece, The Best Budget Tours to Greece, The Best Luxury Tours to Israel, and The Best Budget Tours to Israel.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySantorini €175Tel Aviv €130
The average daily cost (per person) in Santorini is €175, while the average daily cost in Tel Aviv is €130. 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 Tel Aviv in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSantorini €93Tel Aviv €80
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSantorini €186Tel Aviv €160
Compare Hotels in Santorini and Tel Aviv
Looking for a hotel in Santorini or Tel Aviv? 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 Tel Aviv Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Santorini €28Tel Aviv €8.13
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santorini
Also for Santorini, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Skip Cable Car! Santorini Shore Excursion with Boat Transfers: $137
- 24h Luxury Santorini Transfer.Arrival/Departure one way: $76
- Arrival Private Transfer Santorini Airport JTR or Port to Santorini by Minibus: $46
- Arrival Private Transfer Santorini Airport JTR or Port to Santorini by Sprinter: $32
- Arrival Shared Transfer in Santorini Island: $22
- Blue Dome And Oia Sunset Small Group Transfer: $38
- Blue Dome and Oia Sunset Small Group Transfer: $38
- Departure Private Transfer Santorini to Santorini Airport JTR by Sedan Car: $23
- Departure Private Transfer Santorini to Santorini Airport JTR or Port by Van: $32
- Departure Private Transfer Santorni to Santorini Airport JTR or Port by Sprinter: $46
- Departure Shared Transfer in Santorini Island: $22
- Economy Transfers From & To Santorini Port: $24
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Tel Aviv
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Tel Aviv are as follows:
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Local Bus to Central Bus Station€1.47
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Taxi to Airport€37
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tel Aviv
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Tel Aviv:
- Tel Aviv Airport (TLV): Private Transfer to Tel Aviv: $455
- Private Transfers and Chauffeur Services: $300
- Private transfer service from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem: $298
- Tel Aviv Airport TLV to Haifa hotels - RoundTrip Private Transfer: $297
- Private Transfer from Tel Aviv Airport TLV to Cruise Port: $283
- Tel Aviv Airport TLV Private transfer to Tel Aviv in Luxury Van: $273
- Tel Aviv Private Transfer to Tel Aviv Airport TLV in Business Car: $273
- Private Transfer from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem: $247
- Private Transfer from Herzlia to Jerusalem: $247
- Private Haifa Transfer - from/to Tel Aviv City or (TLV) Airport : $239
- Tel Aviv Private Transfer To Dead Sea: $225
- transfer from bengurion airport to Jerusalem : $200
Is it cheaper to fly into Santorini or Tel Aviv?
Prices for flights to both Tel Aviv 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 €48Tel Aviv €26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santorini
For Santorini, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Traditional Greek Night live Music & Dinner Show in Santorini: $55
- Santorini Caldera: Sunset Cruise with Dinner: $70
- Romantic Sunset Caldera Cruise with Dinner: $70
- Volcanic Sunset Cruise with Dinner: $81
- Catamaran Tour with BBQ Dinner, Drinks, and Music: $85
- Santorini Caldera Sunset Sailing Cruise with Dinner and Wine: $87
- Volcano and Hot Springs Sunset Dinner Cruise: $97
- Santorini Cooking Class with Wine Tasting: $108
- Santorini Volcano Sunset Cruise Including Dinner on Board: $108
- The Aegean Cooking Class: $109
- Cooking Class in Traditional cave house in Santorini!: $120
- Fira: 4-Hour Walking Food Tour With Tastings: $124
Typical Food Prices in Tel Aviv
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Tel Aviv:
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Dinner for Two€21
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Dinner for 2 at Vatroshka€121
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Lunch at Segev Sarona€32
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Aroma Iced Coffee€3.49
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Lunch at the airport€29
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Tel Aviv
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Tel Aviv.
- Tel Aviv Food Tour of the Carmel Market: $49
- Carmel Market Food Tour: $49
- Tel Aviv Food Tour: The Magic of Carmel Market: $49
- Private Jaffa Flea Market Hapishpeshim Food Tour: $60
- 3 hours Levinsky Market Food Tour : $104
- The 10 Tastings of Tel Aviv With Locals: Private Food Tour : $230
- Private Food Tour to Carmel Market : $266
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Santorini €36Tel Aviv €21
Tours and Activities in Santorini
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santorini.
- Authentic A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Oia: $6.99
- Megalochori: Lost Atlantis 9D Experience Museum Entry Ticket: $15
- Skip the Line Lost Atlantis Experience Ticket: $15
- Akrotiri Archaeological Site Entry Ticket: $16
- E-Ticket to Akrotiri with Audio Tour on your Phone: $24
- Santorini Volcano and Hot Springs Cruise Tour from Fira Old Port: $27
- Volcanic Islands Cruise with Hot Springs Visit: $28
- Kayak Rental Adventure in Watersports Santorini: $33
- Santorini Caldera Cruise Tour (Volcano, Hot Springs, Thirassia): $33
- Santorini Volcano and Hot Springs Tour: $38
- Santorini Volcano & Hot Springs Tour : $40
- Santorini Volcano Half Day Tour: $44
Typical Entertainment Prices in Tel Aviv
Here are a few typical costs in Tel Aviv for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Masada tour from Tel Aviv€73
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Etzel museum€3.74
Tours and Activities in Tel Aviv
Here are a few actual costs in Tel Aviv for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Romantic Walking Tour In Tel Aviv for Couples: $240
- Self-guided Graffiti tour in Tel Aviv in your own time and your own pace: $24
- 1-Day Tour Jerusalem and the Dead Sea from Tel Aviv: $129
- All the Best of Tel Aviv Walking Tour: $28
- Best of Golan Heights Day Tour from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv: $190
- Best of Jerusalem and Bethlehem Day Tour from Tel Aviv or Jerusalem: $189
- Best of Tel Aviv and Jaffa Walking Tour - 1 Day: $89
- Bethlehem and Jericho Day Biblical Tour from Tel Aviv: $190
- Bethlehem and Jerusalem Day Biblical Tour from Tel Aviv: $183
- Bethlehem and Jerusalem Day Tour from Tel Aviv: $99
- Bethlehem, Jerusalem Desert and Monasteries Tour from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv: $200
- Caesarea, Haifa, and Akko: Full-Day Tour: $99
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySantorini €26Tel Aviv €20
Sample the Local Flavors in Santorini
Also in Santorini, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Top Sights Day Trip, Wine Tasting, & Oia Sunset: $63
- Fira Town Walking Tour with Wine Tasting: $75
- Visit to a Wine Museum and Wine Tasting in Santorini : $76
- 2 Hours Private Wine Tasting Tour in Santorini With Pick Up: $87
- Notos Day Tour through History & Wine Tasting: $98
- Wine Tour with Sunset in Oia: $107
- Santorini Highlights Small-Group Tour with Wine Tasting from Fira: $109
- 5 towns in 5 hours: Santorini Most Popular Tour with Wine tasting: $117
- 3-Hour Wine Tasting in Santorini : $126
- Santorini Wine Adventure with 12 Wine Tastings, Tapas and Sunset: $131
- Santorini wine tasting and Traditional Cave Settlement Tour: $142
- Intimate Santorini - Small Group Shore Excursion and Wine Tasting: $142
Sample the Local Flavors in Tel Aviv
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Tel Aviv:
- Pub Crawl and Nightlife Tour with Shots: $22
- Pub Crawl with Clubs, dance bars and free shots: $22
- Guided Pub Crawl Night Tour at Tel Aviv: $24
- Pub Crawl with 4 Stops and Free Shots: $30
- Tel Aviv Craft Beers Pub Crawl: $42
- Wine Tour North of Israel from Tel Aviv: $959
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Santorini and Tel Aviv, we can see that Santorini is more expensive. And not only is Tel Aviv much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Santorini is in Europe and Tel Aviv is in Middle East, 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 Tel Aviv would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Tel Aviv 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 Tel Aviv.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Santorini Expensive? and Is Tel Aviv Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Santorini or Tel Aviv?
Santorini has a larger population, and is about 59% larger than the population of Tel Aviv. When comparing the sizes of Santorini and Tel Aviv, 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.