Which place is cheaper, Santander or Tenerife?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Tenerife or Santander?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Tenerife or Santander, 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: Tenerife or Santander?
Tenerife
European tourists have long known Tenerife as a top vacation destination. Amazing beaches and a booming nightlife bring in visitors to the largest of the Canary Islands all the way from England, Germany and Spain - particularly during the Easter holiday. Now the rest of the world is catching up. It's not just a spot for spring breakers looking for a party - it is full of mountains, volcanoes and forests ready for exploring.
Santander
Santander is the capital of the Cantabria Region which runs along the northern coast of Spain. Located right on the bay, it is a place of many historic churches and a handful of interesting museums that range from archaeological discoveries of the region, to maritime history, and cultural features like bullfighting. There is also a large selection of beaches for those looking for a more relaxing getaway in the sun and sand.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Spain, The Best 10-Day Tours in Spain, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Spain, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Spain.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayTenerife €128Santander €108
The average daily cost (per person) in Tenerife is €128, while the average daily cost in Santander is €108. 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 Tenerife and Santander in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTenerife €53Santander €51
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTenerife €106Santander €102
Compare Hotels in Tenerife and Santander
Looking for a hotel in Tenerife or Santander? 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: Tenerife Hotel Prices and Santander Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Tenerife €60Santander €24
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tenerife
Also for Tenerife, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Adeje: Guided Bike Tour to Masca with Transfers and Drinks: $99
- Canary Islands : Gran Canaria - Tenerife ferry transfer: $59
- Discover Scuba Diving with two dives in the Ocean in Tenerife with Transfers: $262
- From South Loro Park Zoo Ticket & Hotel Transfers: $65
- Private South Tenerife Airport Transfer to South Hotels: $126
- Private Transfer South Tenerife Airport to Guia de Isora Area: $131
- Private Transfer from Santa Cruz Tenerife Cruise Port to Tenerife: $44
- Private Transfer from Tenerife to Santa Cruz Tenerife Cruise Port: $44
- Private arrival OR departure transfer in Tenerife (hotel OR airport pick-up): $66
- Puerto de la Cruz City Tour with Transfers: $21
- Roundtrip Transfer Caldera de Taburiente and Guaguas Station: $22
- Santa Cruz Tenerife Cruise Port to Tenerife hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $44
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santander
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santander:
- Santander Private Transfer from the city centre to Santander Airport: $43
- Santander Private Transfer from Santander Airport to City centre: $43
- Santander Private Departure Transfer: $35
- Santander Private Arrival Transfer: $35
- Private Transfer from Santander city to Bilbao Airport: $251
- Private Transfer from Santander city to Bilbao: $251
- Private Transfer from Santander Port to Bilbao Airport: $251
- One-way Private Transfer From/To Santander Airport: $41
Is it cheaper to fly into Tenerife or Santander?
Prices for flights to both Santander and Tenerife 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 dayTenerife €39Santander €41
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Tenerife
For Tenerife, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Hard Rock Cafe Set Menu Lunch or Dinner & Drink: $33
- Tenerife : Horse Show Entry ticket with optional dinner: $48
- Castillo San Miguel Medieval Show with Dinner: $51
- Medieval San Miguel castle with dinner-Show in South Tenerife : $52
- Music Hall Tavern Comedy Drag Show Ticket & Dinner: $52
- Teide Sunset Night Tour with Dinner and Stargazing: $58
- Teide National Park Night Sky Star Safari & Dinner: $59
- Medieval Show and Dinner at Castillo San Miguel with Transfer: $67
- Self Driving Sunset Tour with Dinner and Stargazing in Tenerife: $71
- Teide Night Experience with Dinner and Stargazing: $75
- Teide National Park Sunset & Stargazing with Dinner (Star Safari): $82
- Tenerife Sky At Night: Sunset, Stargazing and Dinner: $83
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Tenerife €27Santander €18
Tours and Activities in Tenerife
For Tenerife, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Teide Legends Exhibition Entry Ticket: $3.21
- Icod de los Vinos: Dragon Tree & Botanical Garden Ticket: $5.35
- Icod de los Vinos: Casa del Plátano Entry Ticket: $5.35
- Santa Cruz: Parque Maritimo Cesar Manrique Entry ticket: $5.35
- Santa Cruz de Palmetum Entry Ticket: $6.42
- La Casa de Los Balcones Entrance Ticket: $6.42
- La Caleta Self-Guided Walking Tour: $7.38
- San Cristobal de La Laguna : Cathedral ticket w/ audioguide: $7.49
- Icod de los Vinos: ARTlandya Doll World Entry Ticket & Tour: $11
- Finca Las Margaritas Banana Plantation Experience: $11
- Guïmar: Pyramids of Güímar Ethnographic Park Entry Ticket: $13
- Los Cristianos: Eco-Yacht Whale Watching Cruise with Swim: $16
Tours and Activities in Santander
Here are a few actual costs in Santander for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- City Sightseeing Santander Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $23
- From Cantabria Private Tour: $492
- From Gastronomic Tour: $128
- From Potes, Santillana and Altamira Day Tour: $42
- From Santillana del Mar & Altamira Museum Tour: $64
- Full Day Self Guided Tour in Santillana del Mar and Comillas: $54
- Full Day Tour Lakes of Covadonga and Santillana from Santander: $46
- Gastronomy tour: $119
- Obregón: Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno Entry Ticket: $26
- Picos de Europa and Potes Guided Tour from Santander : $84
- Private Puente Viesgo Caves Full-Day Tour from Santander: $212
- 1-Hour City Cruise Around the Bay: $14
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayTenerife €6.43Santander €14
Sample the Local Flavors in Tenerife
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Tenerife:
- Wine tasting and Canarian products in La Orotava: $19
- Wine Tour & Taste surrounded by Anaga Forest: $25
- Half Day Southern Rural Tenerife Tour with Wine Tasting: $63
- Tour of the senses through the South of Tenerife with Wine Tasting: $64
- Wine Tasting Experience in Tenerife: $66
- Full-Day Gastronomy and Wine Tour: $81
- Taste of Tenerife Tour With Wine Tasting: $93
- Wine tasting with tapas, Teide at sunset (shared): $102
- Volcano Teide Buggy Tour with Wine Tasting & Tapas: $225
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Tenerife and Santander, we can see that Tenerife is more expensive. And not only is Santander much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Santander would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santander 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 Tenerife would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Tenerife than you might in Santander.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Tenerife Expensive? and Is Santander Expensive?.
When is the best time to visit Tenerife or Santander?
Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.
Should I visit Tenerife or Santander in the Summer?
Both Santander and Tenerife during the summer are popular places to visit. Most visitors come to Tenerife for the beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, and the family-friendly experiences during these months.
In July, Tenerife is generally a little warmer than Santander. Daily temperatures in Tenerife average around 23°C (73°F), and Santander fluctuates around 19°C (66°F).
In Santander, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Tenerife. In the summer, Tenerife often gets more sunshine than Santander. Tenerife gets 268 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Santander receives 213 hours of full sun.
Tenerife usually gets less rain in July than Santander. Tenerife gets 2 mm (0.1 in) of rain, while Santander receives 50 mm (2 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyTenerife 23°C (73°F)Santander 19°C (66°F)
Should I visit Tenerife or Santander in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Tenerife and Santander. The autumn months attract visitors to Tenerife because of the hiking trails, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area.
Tenerife is a little warmer than Santander in the autumn. The daily temperature in Tenerife averages around 22°C (72°F) in October, and Santander fluctuates around 16°C (60°F).
In Tenerife, it's very sunny this time of the year. Tenerife usually receives more sunshine than Santander during autumn. Tenerife gets 200 hours of sunny skies, while Santander receives 133 hours of full sun in the autumn.
Santander receives a lot of rain in the autumn. In October, Tenerife usually receives less rain than Santander. Tenerife gets 26 mm (1 in) of rain, while Santander receives 138 mm (5.4 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberTenerife 22°C (72°F)Santander 16°C (60°F)
Should I visit Tenerife or Santander in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Tenerife as well as Santander. The shopping scene and the cuisine are the main draw to Tenerife this time of year.
In the winter, Tenerife is much warmer than Santander. Typically, the winter temperatures in Tenerife in January average around 17°C (63°F), and Santander averages at about 9°C (49°F).
In the winter, Tenerife often gets more sunshine than Santander. Tenerife gets 191 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Santander receives 91 hours of full sun.
It's quite rainy in Santander. Tenerife usually gets less rain in January than Santander. Tenerife gets 43 mm (1.7 in) of rain, while Santander receives 149 mm (5.9 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryTenerife 17°C (63°F)Santander 9°C (49°F)
Should I visit Tenerife or Santander in the Spring?
Both Santander and Tenerife are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. Many travelers come to Tenerife for the beaches and the natural beauty.
In April, Tenerife is generally much warmer than Santander. Daily temperatures in Tenerife average around 18°C (64°F), and Santander fluctuates around 12°C (53°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Tenerife. Tenerife usually receives more sunshine than Santander during spring. Tenerife gets 205 hours of sunny skies, while Santander receives 148 hours of full sun in the spring.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Santander. In April, Tenerife usually receives less rain than Santander. Tenerife gets 19 mm (0.7 in) of rain, while Santander receives 135 mm (5.3 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilTenerife 18°C (64°F)Santander 12°C (53°F)
Typical Weather for Santander and Tenerife
| Tenerife | Santander | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 17°C (63°F) | 43 mm (1.7 in) | 9°C (49°F) | 149 mm (5.9 in) |
| Feb | 17°C (63°F) | 42 mm (1.7 in) | 10°C (50°F) | 116 mm (4.6 in) |
| Mar | 18°C (64°F) | 38 mm (1.5 in) | 10°C (51°F) | 119 mm (4.7 in) |
| Apr | 18°C (64°F) | 19 mm (0.7 in) | 12°C (53°F) | 135 mm (5.3 in) |
| May | 19°C (66°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 94 mm (3.7 in) |
| Jun | 21°C (70°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) | 17°C (62°F) | 63 mm (2.5 in) |
| Jul | 23°C (73°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) | 19°C (66°F) | 50 mm (2 in) |
| Aug | 24°C (75°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) | 19°C (67°F) | 89 mm (3.5 in) |
| Sep | 23°C (73°F) | 9 mm (0.4 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 88 mm (3.4 in) |
| Oct | 22°C (72°F) | 26 mm (1 in) | 16°C (60°F) | 138 mm (5.4 in) |
| Nov | 20°C (68°F) | 47 mm (1.9 in) | 12°C (53°F) | 181 mm (7.1 in) |
| Dec | 17°C (63°F) | 56 mm (2.2 in) | 10°C (50°F) | 157 mm (6.2 in) |
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.