Is it really expensive to go to Santorini? Yes, as a matter of fact it is! It’s one of the most expensive places you can ever go to in Greece. The only way to cut back the cost of your trip to Santorini is to go there during the off-peak season but you risk of having most of the establishments closed as the business is slow during this period. I personally wouldn’t mind that and would love to visit this island during winter time, to have it to myself and be able to admire its beauty sans the crowd of tourists.
Going to Santorini: Flight or ferry?
The biggest setback as always would be the flights and hotels in Santorini and as you may all know, the prices for both depends highly on seasonality. For flights, I highly recommend for you to always book it in advance as you will have the chance to get the cheapest rate available. Santorini is well-connected to major airports around Greece and even outside of the country. Flight costs are between EUR30 to EUR175 depending on how early you book and when you travel.
You can also reach it via ferry from Piraeus in Athens which will take between 5-8 hours depending on which ferry you’re going to take. If you’re prone to seasickness, I suggest the longer ride as the short ferry rides are almost always bumpy. Ferry tickets cost around EUR60 per way per person on a high season.
Where to stay?
I’ve done a separate post about the villages that you can stay in Santorini where I’ve mentioned all the pros and cons of each areas (you can see it here). Both times that we went to Santorini, we stayed in Finikia which is still a part of Oia but not on the cliff itself. It will require you to walk for about 20 to 30 minutes to reach Oia which is fine for me as it’s far away from the crowd and yet, it’s still within walking distance.
During my latest visit in Santorini, we were a total of 5 adults so all of the costs I will mention below are the total cost for 5 people unless otherwise stated. You can somehow get a rough idea of how much each services will be per person.
Flights, Hotel and Car Rental Cost
- Flight cost per person EUR85
Flight from Thessaloniki to Santorini via Astra Airlines
- Hotel EUR170
Price of the room for 2 adults for 2 nights in Kiklamino Studios and Apartments in Finikia.
- Hotel EUR192
Price of the room for 3 adults for 2 nights in Kiklamino Studios and Apartments in Finikia.
- Car Rental EUR115
Price of an Economy car rental through Santorini Holiday Cars for 3 days.
Day 1 Expenses
- Parking EUR5
Private parking area in Oia which is valid for the whole day.
- Lunch EUR54
Lunch at Nocturna, a restaurant in Oia. We had spaghetti, pizza, omelette, fava, 1 coffee, 2 cans of coke, 1 beer and 1 water.
- Dinner EUR118
Dinner at Krinaki, a taverna in Finikia. We had assorted meat dishes like keftedakia and lamb.
Day 2 Expenses
- Pre-Lunch Drinks 🙂 EUR40
Drinks at Iriana Cafe, a cafe in Fira. EUR5 for a frappe, EUR13 for cocktails and EUR6 for beer.
- Lunch EUR9
Lunch at Pitogyros in Oia. EUR3 per gyros.
- Dinner EUR95
Dinner at Taverna Katina, a seafood taverna in Amoudi Bay. We had 2 orders of calamari, 1 plate of octopus, fava, 2 plates of mussels, salad, fried zucchini, shrimps, fries, 2 bottles of raki, 3 bottles beer, 2 bottles of water and 1 can of coke.
- After-dinner drinks EUR22
We bought Vinsanto wine and drank it at our hotel. It's a local wine which I highly recommend.
Day 3 Expenses
Total cost for 5 people for a 3-day stay in Santorini was EUR2,500 for us which isn’t that bad if you think about it. If you live in the Middle East like us, you’d think that it’s actually normal or cheaper even if you compare the cost in the Middle East. So yes, I think it also depends on where you’re coming from. I didn’t include any souvenir shopping since I didn’t really buy anything. 🙂
Santorini is a beautiful place and I think everyone should see it at least once. It’s absolutely and totally worth it.
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The details! Will use this as a reference once we plan our trip there.
I hope soon? 🙂
You have taken a lot of efforts to put in all the details . I am sure this will help to plan my trip when I visit santorini sometime.
Thanks Jish, let me know when you do! Would love to see the photos you will take from there. 🙂
Oh Goodness! Your Greece pics are killing me! I am going to come back here when am making my Greece Trip for sure just to make sure we dont miss out on anything!
Make it the next destination! 🙂
This trip is so budget friendly! The pictures are pretty as always. And the seaside view is amazing!
And to think that it’s one of the most expensive places in Greece. Imagine how cheap it is in other places. 🙂
That beautiful blue is a visual treat!! 🙂
This place is one of the place in Greece which I would like to visit…
Put it at the top of your bucket list! 🙂
I thought the accommodations are pretty affordable considering it’s peak season. Probably we can score a sweet deal considering we’re okay with just okay accommodations 🙂
Time to book that flight to Santorini! 🙂
It’s for 2 nights and take note, it’s actually expensive. So imagine how cheap it is to visit the other parts of Greece. Go to Greece now! 🙂