Should you visit Siena or Florence?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Siena and Florence can help you decide which place is right for you.
Siena
Located in Tuscany, Siena is a medieval city that is about 70 kilometers south of Florence. One of its most famous events is the horse race, Il Palio, which occurs twice a year during the summer. The race puts a lot of emphasis on neighborhood pride and competition. It is a local tradition that is of great importance to the residence, so it is not an event that is held specifically for tourists. It dates back to the Medieval times and is associated with the area's religion, pageantry and rivalry. In addition to the city's strong neighborhood pride, rich history, and impressive architecture, Siena was also the home of many famous artists including Duccio, Simone Martini, and Ambrogio and Pietro Lorenzetti.
Florence
Florence is the capital of Tuscany and one of the most well known cities in Italy for its art and cultural scenes. The city is rooted in history and you can see this in the architecture, statues, gardens, and art that are everywhere around town. This city truly is a living museum. You should allow yourself at least a couple of days to explore Florence and if you can afford more, it is well worth the time. In particular, if art history is your passion then you will need a week or more to satisfy your interest as the museums and architecturally impressive buildings throughout the city are endless.
Which city is cheaper, Florence or Siena?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Siena is €106, while the average daily cost in Florence is €120. 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 Siena and Florence in more detail.
Accommodation
Siena's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is €112. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is €56.
The prices for places to stay in Florence can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is €69, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around €138.
Food
While meal prices in Siena can vary, the average travelers spends about €41 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Siena should cost around €16 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Siena is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
In Florence travelers spend around €25 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.
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Food
Meals for one day
Siena €41
Florence €25
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Siena
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Siena.
-
Siena Food Tour:
$62
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Tuscan dinner amongst ancient olive trees for private groups:
$77
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Siena Food Tour:
$93
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Dinner in the Vineyards from Siena:
$93
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Dining experience at a local's home in Siena with show cooking:
$106
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Tuscan Cooking Class in Siena:
$111
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Small-group Street food tour in Siena:
$111
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Tuscan Cooking Class in Central Siena:
$127
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Siena Food tour:
$127
-
Small Group Market tour and Cooking class in Siena:
$162
-
Private Pizza & Tiramisu Class at a Cesarina's home with tasting in Siena:
$180
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Private cooking class at a local's home with tasting in Siena:
$180
Typical Food prices in Florence
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Florence:
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Panini Sandwich
€6.50
-
Casual Lunch (for Two)
€17
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Florence
For Florence, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Italian Fresh Pasta Private Online Cooking Class:
$27
-
Virtual Cooking Class: Bruschetta & Tiramisù:
$40
-
Illuminated Florence Tour for Kids with Gelato & Pizza:
$45
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Street Food Tour:
$48
-
Vegetarian pasta cooking class and dinner in Florence:
$54
-
Pizza & Gelato Preparation Class in Florence:
$60
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2-Hour Flavorful Food Tour:
$61
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Pizza and Gelato Making Class in Florence:
$62
-
Florence Private Food Tour:
$63
-
Pizza and Ice Cream Cooking Course in Florence:
$67
-
Cooking Lesson Traditional Italian Pasta:
$67
-
Chianti and Siena Day Tour with Tuscan Winery Dinner:
$72
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Siena is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent €16 per person, per day, on local transportation in Siena.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Florence than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €18 on transportation in Florence on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Siena
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Siena:
-
Private Transfer from Siena to Rimini (RMI) Airport:
$962
-
Siena to Roma: Orvieto and Civita Bagnoregio Transfer Tour:
$933
-
Private Transfer to and from Lake Como:
$907
-
Direct Transfer from Hotel in SIENA to Hotel in ROME:
$778
-
Private Siena to Florence Chianti and San Gimignano Transfer Tour:
$746
-
Siena to Milan Malpensa Airport: 1-Way Private Transfer:
$721
-
Private Transfer from Accommodation in SIENA to Accommodation in ROME:
$717
-
Private Transfer from Siena to Bologna (BLQ) Airport:
$694
-
Transfer Siena to/from Fiumicino FCO Airport optional Orvieto Stop:
$610
-
Private One-Way Transfer between Siena and Portofino:
$563
-
Siena to Cinque Terre 1-Way Private Transfer:
$563
-
Private Departure Transfer: Siena Hotel to Milano Malpensa airport:
$532
Typical Local Transportation prices in Florence
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Florence:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Florence
Also for Florence, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Florence Airport Transfer: Shared Round-Trip:
$11
-
Florence Hotel to Airport: Shared Departure Transfer (max 8 people):
$21
-
Shared Departure Transfer: Florence Hotels to Florence Airport:
$26
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Bus Transfer from Florence to Rome Fiumicino Airport:
$30
-
Private Arrival Transfer from Peretola Airport (FLR) to Florence City Center:
$30
-
Private Departure Transfer from Florence City Center to Peretola Airport (FLR):
$30
-
Florence 2-Hour Walking Tour with Transfers from Lucca:
$30
-
Private Departure Transfer: Florence Train Station:
$33
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Transfer in private vehicle from Florence City to Amerigo Vespucci Airport:
$35
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Private Arrival Transfer from Florence Peretola Airport FLR to Florence City:
$35
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Private Departure Transfer from Florence City to Florence Peretola Airport FLR:
$35
-
Private Business Transfer from Peretola Airport (FLR) to Florence City Center:
$36
Is it cheaper to fly into Siena or Florence?
Prices for flights to both Florence and Siena 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
Entertainment and activities in Siena typically cost an average of €3.00 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Sightseeing expenses in Florence, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €24 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Siena
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Siena are as follows:
-
2-Hour Walking Tour of Siena with a local:
$50
-
A private tour to discover San Galgano Abbey and Siena:
$373
-
Best of Siena Guided Walking Tour:
$24
-
Brunello di Montalcino wine experience with a sommelier from Siena:
$336
-
Ceramic Experience Visit:
$6.39
-
Chianti and Castle Tour from Siena:
$87
-
Classic Walking Tour of Siena:
$187
-
Family tour: treasure hunt, Guccio and the long lost chalice:
$100
-
Ferrari Tour and Eataly World from Siena:
$143
-
Firenze Uffizi Museum Ponte Vecchio Ferragamo and Leather Shop PRIVATE TOUR from Siena:
$256
-
First Time Siena Medieval Tuscany Private Half Day Tour:
$320
-
From Chianti and Castle Tour by Minivan:
$73
Typical Entertainment prices in Florence
For Florence, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
-
Admission to Uffizi
€11
-
Phone Booking Fee for Uffizi
€4.00
-
Firenze Card (for Two)
€100
-
Audioguides at Uffizi (for Two)
€20
-
Giotto's Tower Entrance Fee
€6.00
-
Boboli Gardens Entrance Fee
€7.00
Tours and Activities in Florence
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Florence.
-
Florentine Animal Tales Tour:
$5.71
-
Da Vinci Museum Skip-the-Line Ticket Entrance:
$7.99
-
Leonardo Da Vinci Museum Entrance Ticket:
$8.71
-
- Leonardo Interactive Museum® Entrance Ticket:
$8.71
-
Entrance Ticket to the Basilica of San Lorenzo:
$9.70
-
Florence Highlights Virtual Guided Tour (Times in EST):
$11
-
Florence Duomo Reserved Time Entrance Tickets:
$14
-
Florence Private Walking Tour:
$16
-
Florence Self-Guided Walking Audiopen Tour:
$17
-
Florence Animal Art Treasure Hunt Family Tour:
$17
-
Welcome to 90-Minute Guided Walking Tour:
$18
-
Guided Walking Tour:
$18
Alcohol
The average person spends about €1.75 on alcoholic beverages in Siena per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Florence, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €15.
Sample the Local Flavors in Siena
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Siena:
-
Chianti Wine Tasting and San Gimignano Day Trip from Siena:
$52
-
Tuscany Hiking Tour from Siena Including Wine Tasting:
$56
-
From Pienza and Montepulciano Wine Tour:
$68
-
Educational Wine Tour & Tasting:
$78
-
Half-Day Brunello di Montalcino Wine Tour from Siena:
$87
-
Wine Tour with Wine Tasting in Siena:
$89
-
Brunello di Montalcino Wine Tasting with Tuscan appetizer in ancient residence:
$92
-
From San Gimignano, Montalcino & Wine Tasting:
$119
-
Siena in 3 Wines: Exclusive Wine Tasting with an Expert & Food Pairing:
$136
-
Ramble Through The Rolling Hills Of Chianti (6 Hrs) + Lunch & Wine Tasting:
$174
-
Small Group E-Bike Tour from Siena with Wine Tasting and Lunch:
$187
-
Chianti & Vernaccia wine tour from Siena:
$187
Typical Alcohol prices in Florence
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Florence from other travelers:
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Glass of Chianti
€4.20
-
Bottle of Wine
€7.50
Sample the Local Flavors in Florence
Also in Florence, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Florence Highlights, Local Food & Chianti Wine Tour:
$40
-
60-Minute Wine Tasting Tour:
$46
-
Barricaia Wine Tasting at the Antinori Winery:
$49
-
2-Hour Tuscan Wine Tasting Workshop:
$55
-
Wine Tasting of Tuscan Wine in Florence:
$57
-
2-Hour Walking Tour and Wine Tasting:
$58
-
Chianti: Authentic Wine Tasting Experience from Florence:
$59
-
Florence Sunset Wine Tour:
$64
-
Sunset Sightseeing Tour and Wine Tasting:
$64
-
3-Hour Private Wine Tour:
$65
-
Chianti Wine Tour: Full-Day from Florence with Tastings:
$68
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Siena, San Gimignano and Wine Tasting in Chianti:
$72
When comparing the travel costs between Siena and Florence, we can see that Florence is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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