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Santorini is one of the world’s dreamiest destinations, but can you afford the cost of a trip to this famous Greek island? To be honest, I was intimidated by this same question, and waited seven years to finally book my trip. However, you can believe me when I tell you that Santorini was totally worth the wait.
Is Santorini cheap? I wouldn’t quite say that; it’s certainly a place where one could spend a lot of money. That said, there are ways to save in this luxurious destination.
Personally, I couldn’t picture going to Santorini after a seven year delay and not having the sapphire blue panorama of the Aegean in sight. Therefore, we splurged a little on our room, without going too crazy. Of course, where you stay is just part of the equation, albeit a potentially large part.
Below, I am providing a complete picture of exactly what my husband, Aaron, and I spent over three days in Santorini. I’ll be sure to specify the areas where you can save money, as well as all the worthy splurges. Let’s get into it!
Here is my actual Santorini Trip Cost (in USD):
The above shows our actual expenses paid for three days in Santorini. Our budget was not on a shoestring, but was not luxurious either.
There are many factors that could 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 Santorini, it’s okay to treat yo’self a little.
Travel Savvy Tip
Don’t look at this budget as a lump sum! That’s the quickest way to get intimidated and assume Santorini is unattainable. The truth is, you won’t pay the full amount at once. You’ll buy your flight and lodging right away, and then likely pay nothing for a few months.
Once the trip gets closer, you’ll start looking at tours you may want to do, as well as make restaurant reservations. When you get back home from your trip, you’ll pay off any remaining vacay expenses you’ve incurred.
Breaking it into chunks like this is a much more approachable way to afford the cost of a trip to Santorini!
Santorini Trip Cost Breakdown:
Flight
$1,851.53
The Cycladic island of Santorini has its own airport and can be reached via plane. However, you’ll most likely need to board a connecting flight in Athens first. This extra connection will unfortunately make your Santorini trip cost a little higher.
Here is what the $1,851.53 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. These flights were one-way because we ferried to Naxos next. However, depending on your travel date, time, and airline, it’s possible to find round trip flights to Santorini at similar prices.
To find the best flight deals, I recommend comparing prices for different days on Google Flights or Skyscanner.
Additionally, if you don’t mind a slower mode of travel, it could be cheaper to ferry between Athens and Santorini. Just keep in mind that the ferry could take up to seven or eight hours vs a forty-five minute flight.
Solo travelers should budget around $1,200 total for airfare; everyone should read the below tips to avoid overpaying for flights:
- Be flexible with your travel days, as weekend flights can be crazy expensive. Play around with searching different departure and arrival days, and you’ll be amazed what a difference that can make.
- Travel during the low season (November through March), when there is an overall drop in prices.
- Last but not least, the tip that has helped me the most: Sign up for a credit card with travel rewards points. We’ve gotten countless free flights thanks to our cards, simply due to points earned on every day purchases. We’ve had great experiences using both the Capital One Venture and the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Transportation
$423.19
Getting around Santorini isn’t difficult. The villages are very walkable; I loved that Fira was just a scenic thirty-minute stroll from Imerovigli.
Public Transportation
Visitors can reach places too far to walk via taxi or an inexpensive bus ride. The villages along the caldera, including Oia, Imerovigli, Firostefani, and Fira are particularly well-connected by bus. My husband and I only took the bus once, paying $3.78 (cash only) to get back to our hotel after hiking three hours from Imerovigli to Oia.
Additionally, after dropping off our rental car at the end of the trip, we still needed a ride to the port to catch our ferry to Naxos. Therefore, we paid $41.30 to let a taxi take us down the winding switchback road to the port.
Rental Car
While not necessary, we decided to rent a car for our trip at $352.07. We did love the flexibility that it gave us, but mostly, we were apprehensive about using public transportation in the general environment of fall 2021. That said, the car proved very useful for visiting hard to reach wineries, like Art Space, which does not take large bus tours.
Generally, parking was free everywhere we went, save for the $8.26 we paid to park at Kamari Beach. We also spent $17.78 on gas, and should have spent $20 on an international driving permit, but forgot. You legally must have an international driving permit, so make sure you get one at your local AAA before your trip.
Solo travelers renting a vehicle will spend roughly the same as the above total.
Lodging
$990.71
You could easily spend a lot of money on a hotel on Santorini, especially if you want to stay in romantic Oia. For me, a room with a caldera and sunset view was nonnegotiable; Santorini had been on my bucket list for far too long to settle for anything less.
That’s why we chose to stay at the Afroessa Hotel in tiny Imerovigli, where we could more easily afford a room with a balcony. Our space was small, so we were mostly paying for the location, but for me it was totally worth it. I spent all my mornings and evenings on the balcony, either sipping coffee or Greek wine.
Visiting Santorini on a tighter budget? Here are my tips for finding lower-priced stays:
- Avoid Oia. Famous for its incredible sunset views, Oia tends to run a bit more high-end.
- Consider booking a room without a view. If you are still within walking distance of great sea views, maybe you won’t mind not seeing them directly from your room.
- Stay outside of town. It might mean a fifteen to twenty-minute walk into Fira, but you’ll find chic stays, like Emerald Collection Suites, at more affordable prices.
- Consider staying on the eastern-facing beach side of the island. Away from the famous white-washed towns that spill out towards the Aegean, you can often find more budget-friendly lodging options. Only in Santorini could staying near a beach be considered a sacrifice.
Solo travelers would spend roughly the same as the above amount for a similar hotel room during shoulder season.
Groceries
$54.64
If you are staying in a hotel on Santorini, you won’t need too many groceries, but I can guarantee you’ll at least buy bottled water. This is because the island has no fresh water supply, and many villages are not even connected to a public water system. Cheap bottled water makes up for the limited tap water availability, although it’s obviously not ideal for the environment.
If you choose to stay in an Airbnb or similar, it might make sense to purchase additional breakfast, lunch or snack foods. While I always recommend eating the local cuisine as often as possible, preparing your own food can definitely save money. Just keep in mind that groceries on an island – especially produce – will often cost more than what you may be used to.
Aaron and I also purchased some sunscreen and other personal products from the tiny mini market near the Afroessa Hotel. That summer sun is strong in Santorini, so be sure to protect yourself!
Solo travelers should budget around $25 for groceries, assuming you don’t plan to dine in much.
Food & Drink
$406.40
During our three days in Santorini, Aaron and I did not shy away from eating all the local food we could. All the seafood, olives, bread, and cheese we ate tasted so fresh, and I think I actually lost weight. That “Mediterranean diet” is no joke!
The $406.40 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; especially during our strolls along the caldera.
Unsurprisingly, it’s easy to overpay for food and drink in glamorous Santorini. Our money went the furthest when we ordered from small, local establishments, like dinner at MamaLena and gyros from Let’s Eat in Imerovigli. Our most expensive dining experiences were at tourist heavy places: dinner with a caldera view, brunch in Oia, and lunch at Perissa Beach.
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 even less than that, since I hardly drink when traveling alone.
Activities
$476.97
There are two experiences on Santorini that are worth the splurge: a sunset caldera cruise and a winery tour. The dreamy caldera cruise might not surprise you, but maybe you didn’t know that Santorini has some excellent wineries? The tastings feature local dry white wines, which have unique flavor profiles thanks to grapes grown in the island’s volcanic soil.
Since Aaron and I rented a car, we opted to check out a few wineries ourselves rather than pay for the tour. Art Space had our favorite wine, while Argyros and Santo offered lovely scenery. Santo during sunset is a must!
One more activity you might want to add is a tour of ancient Akrotiri. Aaron and I ran out of time for this, but a visit to these extensive ruins is something I would prioritize on a return trip.
Finally, take advantage of these epic free things to do in Santorini:
- Watch the sunset over the caldera
- Hike along the caldera to Fira or Oia
- Hike to Skaros Rock
- Go to the beach (but be prepared to at least pay for drinks if you want a beach chair)
- People watch: from “influencers in the wild” to weddings and proposals, there is plenty of action to witness.
Santorini Trip Cost: Miscellaneous Expenses
- Shopping: $164.39 You’ll probably see many things you want to buy in Santorini, be it wine, jewelry, or whatever. Just be careful that you don’t blow your budget! Our purchase consisted of sunglasses and beach towels.
- Cell Phone: $40 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: $160 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 Santorini 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. Our caldera cruise and taxi ride to the ferry are two instances where we chose to tip.
• • •
We’ve reached the end of my Santorini trip cost deep dive, and it’s time to book your trip! It took us seven years, but I’m so glad my husband and I finally made the effort to visit Greece.
There are many ways to make a Santorini vacation more affordable, from using credit card points to staying outside the main tourist areas. Regardless, it is money well spent on amazing memories exploring this legendary Cycladic island.
Are you currently planning a trip to Santorini?
