What Does a Greece Trip Cost? A Full Rundown

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Are you thinking of planning a Greece trip, but wondering what it will cost you? My husband, Aaron, and I finally traveled to Greece in September 2021, and structured our trip as follows:

• Fly from Cleveland to Athens
• Fly from Athens to Santorini; spend 3 days in Santorini
• Ferry from Santorini to Naxos; spend 3 days in Naxos
• Fly from Naxos to Athens; spend 2 days in Athens
• Fly from Athens to Cleveland

As usual, we tracked all of our expenses, give or take a few taxis paid in cash, which I’ve estimated. One thing I won’t do is lie to you and say this trip was cheap. Actually, depending on what you do in Greece, your trip can be surprisingly affordable or Paris Hilton level expensive.

Aaron and I certainly had our share of splurges, but we tried to save the bulk of them for worthy experiences. If this trip is going to be the bucket list trip for you that it was for me, then I definitely recommend building a few splurge areas into your budget. That way you won’t come home to surprises on your credit card (or be like me, where you’re too afraid to look at it).

The purpose of this post is to help your money go the furthest it can so you have an unforgettable trip. Below, I’m diving into the details of what Aaron and I spent during ten days in Greece. I’ll be sure to specify all the areas where you can save money, as well as which of our splurges were totally worth it. Let’s do it!

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Here is my actual Greece Trip Cost (in USD):

The above shows our actual expenses paid for ten days in Greece. Our budget was not on a shoestring, but could have been much more luxurious than this (believe it or not).

There are many factors that will make our actual expenses higher or lower than yours will be, which I am discussing below. For each category, I will suggest ways to cut costs, as well as recommend a few splurges. After all, when exploring a place as epic as Greece, it’s imperative to treat yo’self a little.

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Greece Trip Cost Breakdown:

Flight

$2,072.62

During a trip such as this one, where there are multiple stops, transportation costs can add up fast. In the case of the Greek islands, this will usually mean paying for additional flights after arriving into Athens. While it’s possible to save money by ferrying between Athens and the islands instead, a lot of travelers prefer flying to save time.

Here is what the $2,072.62 that my husband and I spent includes:

• $1139.18 for my flight from Cleveland, OH to Athens; credit card points covered my husband’s entire flight. Fares to Athens from the US vary greatly, but are typically a lot cheaper when taking a direct flight from hubs like Newark or DC.
• $494 in extra fees to upgrade our red eye flights to United Premium Economy. This splurge made our nine-hour flight a lot more comfortable.
• $218.35 to fly from Athens to Santorini.
• $221.09 to fly from Naxos to Athens.

To find the best flight deals, I recommend comparing prices for different days on Google Flights or Skyscanner.

Solo travelers should budget around $1,200 total for airfare; everyone should read the below tips to avoid overpaying for flights:

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Transportation

$867.02

Public transportation is available in Athens and the Cyclades, but sometimes you may want a rental car. Let’s discuss.

Public Transportation

Athens is completely walkable, although the metro and bus are an option if your legs get tired. I don’t recommend the hassle of renting a car in Athens, unless you are leaving the city center.

Both islands we visited, Santorini and Naxos, have inexpensive buses that will get you to most places. We spent a total of $3.78 taking the bus one time in Santorini: to return to Imerovigli after hiking to Oia.

Additionally, taxis can be found all over Athens and the Cyclades. I’m estimating here, but we probably spent around $100 on taxis overall: once in Santorini to reach the ferry and three times in Athens.

Finally, to travel in between the islands, it will be necessary to take the ferry. We spent $106.78 for a two-hour ferry ride between Santorini and Naxos. If you have extra time, you can save a lot of money by opting for a slower ferry ride.

Rental Car

If you like the freedom of exploring wherever you want at your own pace, then renting a car is the way to go. For example, Santorini is full of wineries, but many smaller ones, like Art Space, are hard to reach without a car. Additionally, the largest Cycladic island of Naxos is great for road tripping, and a car helps to reach more remote beaches and hiking paths.

We paid about $352.07 for our Santorini rental car and about $245.34 for our Naxos rental car. Don’t forget you will also be responsible for occasional gas and parking expenses; we paid $50.79 and $8.26, respectively. Finally, be sure to get your international driving permit for $20 before your trip at your local AAA (we forgot, but it’s legally required).

Solo travelers renting a vehicle will spend roughly the same total as ours. However, relying on public transport like buses will drastically reduce this expense category.

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Lodging

$1,734.18

Usually, Aaron and I don’t like to spend a big portion of our travel budget on where we’re staying. We’d rather save our money for food and experiences.

However, on our Greece trip we made an exception for Santorini. I personally needed to stay somewhere with a caldera view in order to watch the legendary sunsets over the Aegean each night. By staying in a tiny room in Imerovigli, rather than the popular villages of Fira or Oia, we had the perfect balcony view while staying within our means.

For our stays in Naxos and Athens, we were much more budget conscious, but still found nice places in great locations. Here is a summary of what we booked:

• Afroessa Hotel– Imerovigli, Santorini: 4 nights at $990.71
• Emery Hotel – Naxos Chora: 4 nights at $346.15
• Hellenic Hospitality House – Athens – 3 nights at $397.32

Solo travelers would spend roughly the same amount as above for similar stays during shoulder season. However, hostels are available to book on Santorini and Naxos, as well as within Athens for individuals traveling on the cheap.

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Groceries

$113.86

Eating in during a trip can often help save money on food expenses. While Aaron and I mostly dined out during our stay in Greece, we did at times purchase some snacks and bottles of wine to have in our room. The total of $113.86 above represents what we spent on items like sunscreen, makeup remover, cheese, prosciutto, and wine over ten days.

I should also mention, if you are visiting the Greek islands, then you will definitely spend money on bottled water. This is because, more often than not, tap water is not drinkable. Although not very green, bottles are inexpensive to purchase.

Solo travelers should budget around $50 or less for groceries, unless you plan to dine in much more than we did.

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Food & Drink

$1,237.98

Over the course of our Greece trip, Aaron and I did not shy away from eating all the local food we could. The plates of seafood, olives, bread, and cheese we ate tasted so fresh, and I think I actually lost weight. Mediterranean diet, indeed.

The $1,237.98 we spent has more to do with our frequency of dining out, rather than eating anywhere extravagant. For example, we often bought coffee several times a day while we explored. I’ll also confess that we had Greek wine with just about every meal, which certainly adds up.

This goes to show that if you aren’t careful, meals can easily drive up your Greece trip cost. Our money went the furthest when we ordered from small, local establishments, like MamaLena and Let’s Eat in Santorini. Our most expensive dining experiences were at tourist heavy places with Caldera views in Santorini and at Kuzina, with its Michelin nod and Acropolis view, in Athens.

Basically, the more local and away from the tourist scene you go, the better dining prices you are likely to find.

Solo travelers can expect to spend at least half of the above total. I personally would spend considerably less than that, being that I hardly drink when traveling alone.

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Activities

$906.36

It’s definitely important to plan epic adventures during your time in Greece, such as this caldera sunset cruise in Santorini. While it’s not necessary to spend a lot of money to have memorable experiences, there are definitely some activities that are worth the splurge. Below is what we spent on activities during our Greece trip:

I would recommend any of the above things we did for your own Greece itinerary. While you could simply buy the Acropolis Combo Ticket and explore on your own, this mythology tour totally brought the essence of the Acropolis to life for us. Also, if you like eating your way through a city like my husband and I do, then this food tour is a must.

Be sure to also take advantage of these ten free things to do in Greece:

• Santorini: Watch the sunset over the caldera
• Santorini: Hike along the caldera to Fira or Oia
• Santorini: Hike to Skaros Rock
• Naxos: Stroll the harborfront in Naxos Chora to the Temple of Apollo at sunset
• Naxos: Walk to Agios Georgios Beach from Naxos Chora
• Naxos: Drive to see one of several Kouroi throughout the island
• Naxos: Wander through the olive groves and traditional villages of Naxos Hiking Trail 4
• Athens: Take a gentle climb up Philopappos Hill for romantic golden hour views of the Acropolis.
• Athens: Watch the changing of the guard in front of the Hellenic Parliament.
• Athens: Explore the colorful Plaka neighborhood

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Greece Trip Cost: Miscellaneous Expenses

• Shopping: $390.49 You’ll probably see many things you want to buy in Greece, be it wine, jewelry, or whatever. Just be careful that you don’t go too wild! Admittedly, we went a bit wilder than is normal for us, purchasing sunglasses, beach towels, pottery, jewelry, and lemon liquor.
• Cell Phone: $110 You may have to pay for an international plan to make sure your phone works during your trip. Under my plan with Verizon, I pay $10 for every day I use cellular data abroad. It’s a bit pricey, but worth it for how often I rely on my phone for Google Maps and last minute restaurant searches. When I travel with Aaron, he keeps his phone on airplane mode so that we only pay this price for one person.
• Pet Boarding: $480 While it’s ideal to have a friend or family member watch your pet for free, that isn’t always possible. When Aaron and I travel together, we always pay to board our dog in a cozy little “suite” at his vet office.
• Tips: $33.04 Tipping in Greece is not required, and 10% is usually the max. Often times, it’s common to simply round to the nearest euro, and some restaurants may automatically do this. The $33.04 includes tips after our caldera cruise and taxi ride to the ferry in Santorini.

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That concludes this deep dive into our Greece trip cost. By now, you should have a pretty good idea of what you’ll spend exploring Athens and the Cyclades. As a rule of thumb, the more moving around to new locations during a trip, the more expensive it will be.

That said, I totally understand the urge to experience as much of Greece as possible. If you find the right balance based on your own goals and interests, your Greece trip is sure to be a banger!

Are you currently planning a trip to Greece?