Which place is cheaper, Olympos or Varanasi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Varanasi or Olympos?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Varanasi and Olympos can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Varanasi or Olympos?
Varanasi
Known to be one of India's holiest cities, many come to Varanasi on a spiritual pilgrimage looking to bathe in the sacred waters of the Ganges River. Dating back to the 11th Century BC, it is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Centuries old temples make up the backdrop, as many come and come again to perform their holy rights at the edge of the historic river.
Olympos
Olympos was an ancient city in Lycia, situated in a river valley near the coast. Its ruins are located south of the modern town Cirali in the Kumluca district of Antalya Province, Turkey. An important Lycian city in the 2nd century BC, Olympos is more famous these days for being the beach resort of choice for backpackers. Staying in an Olympos 'tree house' at one of the dozen-or-so camps that line the path to the ruins and beach has long been the stuff of travel legend. The former hippy-trail hot-spot has been considerably renovated in past years and during summer can be pretty overcrowded. Olympos offers good value and an up-for-it party atmosphere in a lovely setting.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Bicycle Tours in India, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in India, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Turkey, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Turkey.
-
Varanasi Prices
India PricesOlympos Prices
Turkey Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayVaranasi $31Olympos $76
The average daily cost (per person) in Varanasi is $31, while the average daily cost in Olympos is $76. 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 Varanasi and Olympos in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personVaranasi $14Olympos $28
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomVaranasi $28Olympos $56
Compare Hotels in Varanasi and Olympos
Looking for a hotel in Varanasi or Olympos? 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: Varanasi Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Varanasi $4.35Olympos $20
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Varanasi
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Varanasi:
-
Tuk Tuk Through Town$0.84
-
Rickshaw Ride$0.53
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Varanasi
Also for Varanasi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Sunrise Boat Tour and Heritage Walk with transfers: $79
- Sarnath Tour with Guide & Car Including transfers: $77
- Sunrise Boat Tour and Heritage Walk with transfers: $72
- Sarnath Tour with Guide & Car Including Hotel transfers: $70
- Private transfer from Varanasi to Allahabad: $67
- Smooth transfer from Varanasi Airport to Hotel: $60
- Airport Pickup/Drop Transfer Service: $53
- 3-hours Temple hopping with transfers: $35
- Varanasi Airport : Transfer To Hotel / To Airport: $21
- Varanasi Airport : Transfer to Hotel / To Airport: $13
- Varanasi Hotels to Varanasi Airport drop: Private Transfers: $11
- Varanasi Airport to Varanasi Hotels drop: Private Transfers: $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Olympos
Also for Olympos, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Turkish Bath & Spa with Thai Massage & Transfer in Kemer: $40
- Suluada Island Boat Trip incl. Lunch and Transfer f/Kemer: $51
- Suluada Boat Tour with Lunch & Roundtrip Transfer from Kemer: $43
- Scuba Diving Experience with Lunch & Transfer in Kemer: $59
- Private Transfers Between Antalya Airport - Beldibi & Göynük & Kemer Resorts: $240
- Private Transfers Between Antalya Airport - Çıralı & Olympos & Adrasan Resorts: $299
- Olympos Cable Car Ride With Transfer from Kemer 2365m: $81
- Kemer Scuba Diving Tour Incl. Lunch with Opt. Hotel Transfer: $40
- Kemer Scenic Forest Horse Riding Experience with Hotel Transfer: $28
- Kemer Pirate Boat Trip with transfer from Belek: $17
- Kemer Mega Star Boat Trip with Lunch Round Transfer: $20
- Kemer Luxury Turkish Bath and Spa Experience With Hotel Transfer: $22
Is it cheaper to fly into Varanasi or Olympos?
Prices for flights to both Olympos and Varanasi 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
-
Food Meals for one dayVaranasi $11Olympos $33
Typical Food Prices in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
Dinner In Town$3.63
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Food Tour: Highlights Tour with Tasting &Sunset in Varanasi: $14
- Cooking Class with Sona: $29
- Night Boat Ride, Aarti Ceremony and Dinner: $29
- Ganga Aarti with Street Food Tour of Varanasi: $40
- Half-Day Varanasi Village Tour with Cooking Class & Local Dining: $40
- Varanasi Cooking Classes with Shobha: $40
- Traditional Indian Cooking Class with Dinner: $42
- Private Street Food Tour with 8+ Tastings & Pickup: $44
- Private Food Tour with Ganga Aarti Ceremony: $44
- Varanasi Cooking Classes with Indu and Shobha: $50
- Dashashwamedh Ganga Arati from balcony with Street Food Tour: $50
- Indian Cooking Class with Hotel Pickup: $52
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Olympos
For Olympos, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Olympos, Cirali, Chimera Night Tour with Dinner at Ulupinar: $51
- Kemer Traditional Turkish Brunch Cooking with Locals: $55
- Traditional Turkish Cooking Class with a Local Couple in Kemer: $80
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Varanasi $9.24Olympos $19
Typical Entertainment Prices in Varanasi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Varanasi's activities, tours, and tickets:
-
Boat Ride$0.74
Tours and Activities in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 03 Day Spiritual Tour: Kashi Vishwanath,Ganga Aarti Sarnath”: $271
- 08 Hours : Private - Full Day City Tour Of Delhi: $53
- 08 Hours : Private Full Day City Tour of Jaipur: $90
- 2 Day Private Bodhgaya Tour From Varanasi: $189
- 2 Day Private Mystical Varanasi Tour: $43
- 2 Days Enlightening Bodhgaya Tour from Varanasi: $180
- 2 Days Varanasi City Tour with Evening Aarti and Boat Ride: $100
- 2 Days Varanasi tour package for first timers: $135
- 2 Night 3 Days Spiritual Varanasi with Cruise Ride: $233
- 2-Day Varanasi Experience – Temples, Ghats & Ganga Aarti: $140
- 2-Day Varanasi Heritage & Tradition Guided Tour: $156
- 2-Day Experience Sunrise Boat Ride & Evening Aarti: $317
Tours and Activities in Olympos
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Olympos.
- 2 Hour Olympos Cable Car Tour to Tahtali Mountains from Kemer: $80
- 2-Day Guided Cappadocia Tour with Cave Hotel Option From Kemer: $60
- Antalya All-Inclusive City Tour from Kemer:Boat Trip & Waterfalls: $38
- Antalya FullDay Suluada Island Boat Tour: $28
- Canyoning and Rafting Adventure: $51
- From Antalya: Perge Ancient City & Temple of Apollo Tour: $45
- Full Day Rafting Experience From Kemer: $20
- Full-day Boat Tour from Kemer with Lunch and Foam Party: $51
- Green Canyon Boat Tour Scenic Cruise with Lunch Included: $62
- Green Canyon Boat and Green Lake Tour with Lunch and Soft Drinks: $54
- Kemer Bay Blue Cruise from Kemer: $59
- Kemer Jeep Safari Tour with Lunch at Riverside: $40
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayVaranasi $6.91Olympos $11
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Varanasi and Olympos, we can see that Olympos is more expensive. And not only is Varanasi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Varanasi is in Asia and Olympos is in Europe, 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 Varanasi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Varanasi 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 Olympos would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Olympos than you might in Varanasi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Varanasi Expensive? and Is Olympos Expensive?.
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.