A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Arequipa vs. Crete for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Arequipa or Crete?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Arequipa or Crete? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Arequipa or Crete?

Arequipa

Sitting in the middle of the Misti, Chachani and PichuPichu volcanoes of Peru is the enchanting city of Arequipa. With 468 years of history, the city is full of Spanish colonial architecture. Known to locals as the "white city," the city center, Plaza de Armas, is quite the sight with buildings of sillar white stone made from the rocks of the surrounding volcanoes.

Crete

The largest and most populous island of Greece, Crete has become a frequent vacation destination for many visitors. The terrain of the place is quite varied - very mountainous stretching east to west, with lush valleys, fertile plateaus, gorges, and famous caves like Idaion, the birthplace of the Greek god Zeus. The surrounding smaller islands and beaches are key attractions as well.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Sightseeing Tours in Peru, The Best Cultural Tours in Peru, The Best Contiki Tours to Greece, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Greece.


Which place is cheaper, Crete or Arequipa?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Arequipa is $60, while the average daily cost in Crete is $169. 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 Arequipa and Crete in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Arequipa $24
    Crete $64
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Arequipa $48
    Crete $128
Compare Hotels in Arequipa and Crete

Looking for a hotel in Arequipa or Crete? 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.

Hotels in Arequipa


Hotels in Crete


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: Arequipa Hotel Prices and Crete Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Arequipa $6.36
    Crete $56
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Arequipa

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Arequipa are as follows:


  • Taxi Ride
    $1.43
  • Bus Ride
    $0.46
  • Taxi Ride
    $1.00

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Arequipa

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Arequipa:

  • 2 Day Trek Including Transfer to Puno / Colca Canyon: $179
  • 2-Day Colca Canyon Tour with optional transfer to Puno: $132
  • Arequipa Airport (AQP) Private Transfer to Arequipa City: $23
  • Arequipa Airport Arrival Transfer: $13
  • Arequipa Bus Station Arrival Transfer : $25
  • Colca Canyon + Transfer To Puno: $103
  • Colca Canyon 2-Day Tour with Lodge Stay and Transfer to Puno: $283
  • Colca Canyon Day Trip with Transfer to Puno: $65
  • Colca Canyon Sightseeing Tour 2D1N and Transfer to Puno: $147
  • Full Day Tour Including Transfer to Puno / Colca Canyon: $112
  • Full Day Tour to Colca including Transfer to Puno: $60
  • Koh Lanta any hotel to Krabi airport Private transfer: $81

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Crete

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Crete:

  • Acqua Plus Water Park Admission with Optional Transfer: $34
  • Airports/ports Transfers from /to Rethymno (one way): $168
  • Balos Lagoon with Transfer from Rethymnon: $81
  • Chania Airport Transfer to or from Platanias Agia Marina and more: $90
  • Chania Magic City Tour and Kournas Lake with Transfers and Snack: $78
  • Crete : Samaria Easy way Gorge from Sfakia with Private Transfer: $249
  • Crete Private Taxi and Transfer from Chania to Sfakia: $144
  • Crete Private Taxi and Transfer from Heraklion to Elounda: $135
  • Crete Private Taxi and Transfer from Heraklion to Panormo: $113
  • Crete Private Taxi and Transfer from Kalyves to Heraklion: $236
  • Crete Private Transfer from Heraklion to Hersonissos: $56
  • Crete Private Transfer to or from Ports Airports Hotels Villas: $150

Is it cheaper to fly into Arequipa or Crete?

Prices for flights to both Crete and Arequipa 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 day
    Arequipa $25
    Crete $68
Typical Food Prices in Arequipa

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Arequipa:


  • Coke
    $0.43
  • Lunch
    $3.01
  • Ice Cream
    $1.15
  • Fruit
    $0.86
  • Ice Cream
    $1.00

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Arequipa

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Arequipa.

  • Cooking Class at La Plantation: $35
  • Peruvian Cooking Experience in Arequipa: $35
  • Peruvian Cooking Class in arequipa: $50
  • Peruvian Cooking Class: $53
  • Private Cooking Class in Arequipa: $57
  • Food Tour Gastronomic Guided : $113

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Crete

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Crete.

  • Traditional Cretan Night: Live Show and Dinner: $33
  • Traditional Dance Show and Buffet Dinner with Wine: $34
  • Troy Dinner-Show: $36
  • Olive Oil Factory Tour, Dinner & Traditional Dancing: $66
  • Olive Oil Festival in Cretan Farm with Traditional Dinner: $78
  • Heraklion: Finikia Horse Riding Tour with Lunch or Dinner: $81
  • The Delicious Chania Street Food Tour : $96
  • Half Day Sunset Tour in Rethymno with Dinner and Wine: $101
  • Chania Walking Food Tours Crete with a local!: $101
  • Sightseeing Day Trip with Cooking Lesson and Lunch: $102
  • Full-Day Jeep Safari Tour with Cooking Lesson: $105
  • Chania: Evening Feasts A Journey through Cretan Flavors Food Tour: $108

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Arequipa $19
    Crete $29
Typical Entertainment Prices in Arequipa

Here are a few typical costs in Arequipa for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Monastery Entry
    $2.87
  • Salsa Class
    $2.87
  • Movie Ticket
    $3.13
  • Hot Springs
    $2.87

Tours and Activities in Arequipa

Here are a few actual costs in Arequipa for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Countryside Tour Arequipa: $18
  • 8-Hours Tour in Arequipa Laguna de Salinas with Pick-up: $20
  • Chili River White Water Rafting Adventure with Pickup: $20
  • From Salinas Lagoon Half Day Tour: $21
  • Tour Colca Full Day Promotional Price: $22
  • Full Day Tour Sillar Route and Culebrillas Canyon Arequipa: $23
  • Arequipa City Tour and food and drinks experience: $25
  • Half day Sillar Stone Tour from Arequipa: $25
  • Ticket for Planetarium and Star Observatory: $27
  • Pillones Waterfall Tour | Stone Forest | Arequipa: $27
  • Full Day Tour to Colca Canyon from Arequipa: $28
  • Walking tour history, legends & mysteries : $28

Tours and Activities in Crete

Here are a few actual costs in Crete for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Chania Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $9.57
  • CRETAquarium Entrance Ticket in Crete: $9.58
  • Heraklion Archaeological Museum Ticket & Audio Guide: $19
  • Gramvousa Island & Balos Bay Full-Day Tour from Rethymno English & German guide: $20
  • Chersonissos: Mini-Train City Highlights Tour: $21
  • Heraklion Museum Ticket and City Audio Tour: $22
  • Heraklion City Tour - Aquarium: $22
  • Heraklion: Heraklion Market & CretAquarium *SKIP The Line: $22
  • Heraklion: Palace of Knossos 3D Virtual Audio Tour by Tablet: $22
  • Heraklion Market and CretAquarium Guided Tour: $23
  • Heraklion: Hop-on Hop-off Open Top Bus Sightseeing Tour: $23
  • Heraklion: Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour: $23

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Arequipa $17
    Crete $26
Typical Alcohol Prices in Arequipa

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Arequipa are as follows:


  • Beer
    $2.58

Sample the Local Flavors in Crete

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Crete:

  • Local Wine Tasting & Visit to the Ancient Olive Tree: $143
  • Heraklion: Half Day Small Group Wine Tour with Wine Tastings: $150
  • Ecobike-Knossos Palace-Wine tasting-Olive oil tasting: $180
  • Cave and Cretan Brewery tour with lunch: $186
  • PRIVATE Walking Tour with Lunch and Wine Tasting by a Sommelier: $192
  • The Gourmet Wine Tour of Heraklion area: $198
  • Gastronomy tour and wine tasting in traditional villages : $216
  • Heraklion SUV Private Guided Wine Tour with Lunch : $237
  • From Elounda Private Heraklion Wine Tour with Tastings and Lunch: $251
  • Private Wine Tour: $270
  • From Heraklion: Villages and Vines A Scenic Wine Tasting Journey: $289
  • Private Knossos Skip The Line Tour inc. lunch & wine tasting: $337


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Arequipa and Crete, we can see that Crete is more expensive. And not only is Arequipa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Arequipa is in South America and Crete 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 Arequipa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Arequipa 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 Crete would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Crete than you might in Arequipa.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Arequipa Expensive? and Is Crete Expensive?.


Which has a larger population, Arequipa or Crete?

Arequipa has a larger population, and is about 40% larger than the population of Crete. When comparing the sizes of Arequipa and Crete, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.