Should you visit Santorini or Thessaloniki?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Santorini or Thessaloniki, 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.
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece and serves as the capital city of the Central Macedonia region. It also has a rich history dating back more than 3,000 years. As a visitor, you'll find that the city has been touched by the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires, all of which left their mark. In particular, the many Byzantine churches are quite impressive, with some of them listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Which city is cheaper, Thessaloniki 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 Thessaloniki is €107. 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 Thessaloniki 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.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about €126 in Thessaloniki For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
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.
The average traveler spends about €33 per day in Thessaloniki for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
Santorini €38
Thessaloniki €33
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Thessaloniki
For Thessaloniki, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Thessaloniki City Morning Walking Food Tour:
$58
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Dinner with a view in the historic center of Thessaloniki:
$79
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Thessaloniki Food Tour - Gastronomy Experience - 4 hrs:
$137
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.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Thessaloniki than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €11 on transportation in Thessaloniki on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santorini
Also for Santorini, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Transfer from Santorini Airport&Port all destination except OIA up to 4 customer:
$37
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Tour of Caldera on Sailing Boat & Bus Transfer:Volcano-Hot springs-Thirassia-Oia:
$75
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Transfer Service:
$12
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Private Deluxe Transfer:
$86
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Airport, Port, and Hotels Minibus Transfer:
$8.07
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Santorini transfer service:
$17
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Santorini Taxi Service & Airport, Hotel and Port Transfers:
$65
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Santorini Private Ride Transfer Services:
$65
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Santorini Airport and Ferry Ports Shared Transfer:
$10
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Santorini Airport Transfer to Fira or Imerovigli:
$56
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Santorini Airport Hotels Transfer Shuttle Bus Service:
$28
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Premium Santorini Private Day Tour Lagoon 450, BBQ, drinks, transfer:
$933
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Thessaloniki
Also for Thessaloniki, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Transfer from Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) to Ksamil:
$1,555
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Private Transfer from Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) to Saranda:
$1,555
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Private Transfer from Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) to Parga:
$1,306
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Private Transfer from Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) to Syvota:
$1,223
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Private Transfer from Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) to Igoumenitsa Port:
$1,141
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Private Transfer from Thessaloniki City to Igoumenitsa Port:
$1,141
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Private Transfer from Thessaloniki City to Parga:
$868
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Private Transfer from Thessaloniki City to Syvota:
$809
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Thessaloniki to Corfu Luxury Private Transfer:
$723
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Transfer up to 8 People from Thessaloniki to Parga - Sivota - Igoumenitsa:
$664
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Private Transfer From Thessaloniki/SKG Airport to Athens-ATH Airport-Pireaus:
$627
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Transfer service from Thessaloniki to Corfu, Ioannina, Parga, Syvota:
$616
Is it cheaper to fly into Santorini or Thessaloniki?
Prices for flights to both Thessaloniki 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.
Sightseeing expenses in Thessaloniki, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €21 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Santorini
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santorini.
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2-Hour Private Guided Tour in Akrotiri Prehistoric City:
$179
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3 Hour Santorini Walking Tour with Hotel Pickup:
$50
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5-Hour Private Tour of Southern Santorini:
$346
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5-Hour Santorini Photography Day Tour:
$606
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Archaeological Bus Tour To Akrotiri Excavations & Red Beach:
$40
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Best of Santorini Experience: 6-Hour Private Tour:
$58
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Best of Santorini Full-Day Private Guided Tour:
$649
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Cruise Traveller's Shore Excursion:
$59
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Discover Prehistoric Akrotiri & Winery Tour:
$171
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DreamCatcher Sunset Sailing Cruise in the Caldera:
$121
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Explore Akrotiri GroupTour:
$583
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Explore Akrotiri: Private Guided Tour with Hotel Pick-Up:
$272
Tours and Activities in Thessaloniki
For Thessaloniki, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Athos Peninsula Day Cruise from Thessaloniki:
$73
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Authentic Balkan experience:
$523
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City Sightseeing Thessaloniki Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour:
$16
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City Sightseeing Thessaloniki Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour:
$24
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Day Tour of Philippi, Amphipolis, and Kavala:
$137
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Dion and Mount Olympus Full Day Tour from Thessaloniki:
$112
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Ecobike tour in Thessaloniki:
$4,479
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From Ancient Pella & Vergina Small Group Tour:
$156
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From Dion and Mount Olympus Day Tour:
$248
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Full Day Meteora Tour by Train from Thessaloniki:
$116
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Full Day Tour to Edessa - Loutra Pozar from Thessaloniki:
$93
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Full Day Tour to Meteora from Thessaloniki:
$93
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.
Typically, people visiting Thessaloniki spend on average €12 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
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
Sample the Local Flavors in Thessaloniki
Also in Thessaloniki, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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From Full-Day Private Group Wine Tour:
$478
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Private tour: Full day Wine tasting Naousa & Ag. Nikolaos:
$535
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Santorini and Thessaloniki, we can see that Santorini is more expensive. And not only is Thessaloniki much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Thessaloniki would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Thessaloniki 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 Thessaloniki.
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