A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Athens vs. Dahab for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Athens or Dahab?

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

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Athens and Dahab. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Athens or Dahab?

Athens

Athens is the capital city of Greece and is home to a population of over 3.7 million people. It's most famous as the birthplace of Classical Greece and the history in the city is incomparable to that found anywhere. It became the national capital of the modern Greek State in the 1830s, before which it was just a small village with a very impressive history. The city was redesigned by architects and city planners and incorporated large public squares, lots of green space, and wide avenues. The city has had its ups and downs both economically and politically, but it remains a beautiful and impressive place to explore.

Dahab

Dahab is a small town on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. It is located about 85 kilometers north of Sharm el-Sheikh and sits on the Gulf of Aqaba. It's a popular destination with divers and backpackers alike, and offers some of the best snorkeling and diving that you'll find in the Red Sea. It's a great alternative to the resort driven Sharm el-Sheikh, and is popular with independent travelers who are looking for affordable accommodation. There are some upmarket options however, predominantly in the Laguna area, but budget facilities are not hard to find.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Greece, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Greece, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, and The Best Historical Tours in Egypt.


Which place is cheaper, Dahab or Athens?

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 Athens is €154, while the average daily cost in Dahab is €22. 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 Athens and Dahab in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Athens €63
    Dahab €7.93
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Athens €126
    Dahab €16
Compare Hotels in Athens and Dahab

Looking for a hotel in Athens or Dahab? 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 Athens


Hotels in Dahab


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: Athens Hotel Prices and Dahab Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Athens €27
    Dahab €2.64
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Athens

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Athens:


  • Airport Bus for Two
    €6.40
  • Metro
    €1.50
  • Metro
    €2.00
  • Metro from Airport to City Center
    €8.00
  • Taxi from Airport
    €35

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Athens

Also for Athens, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • VipTransfer From /To Athens Airport - Lavrio Port : $227
  • Vip Transfer From /To Athens Center - Athens Airport : $239
  • VIP VAN Athens Airport Transfer 1 - 8 persons: $155
  • VIP Transfer from Athens Airport to City Center Hotel: $179
  • VIP Ferry Ticket From Piraeus Port To Santorini & Private Transfer Included: $274
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Athens HTL-APT (ATH): $63
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Athens APT-HTL (ATH): $63
  • Transfers and Guided Tours in all over Greece, sightseeing and Private hire!!: $108
  • Transfer services everywhere in Mykonos with Jeep Renegade: $60
  • Transfer from/to Piraeus Port and Athens International Airport: $149
  • Transfer from Santorini Airport&Port all destination except OIA up to 4 customer: $105
  • Transfer from RAFINA PORT to ATHENS&PIRAEUS , up to 7 customers: $191

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dahab

Also for Dahab, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Pickup Transfers from Dahab to Taba: $120
  • Saint paul and saint anthony monastery​ private transfer: $69
  • Private Transfer To/From Nuweibaa City and Sharm El Sheikh Hotels: $68
  • Private Transfer Between Nuweibaa City and Sharm El Sheikh Hotels: $60
  • Sharm el-Sheikh: 1-Way or Round-Trip Transfer to Dahab: $42
  • Private Transfer Dahab Hotel to Sharm ElSheikh Airport : $32

Is it cheaper to fly into Athens or Dahab?

Prices for flights to both Dahab and Athens 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
    Athens €64
    Dahab €11
Typical Food Prices in Athens

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Athens:


  • Ice cream
    €3.00
  • Souvlaki
    €2.20

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Athens

For Athens, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Hard Rock Cafe Athens with Set Lunch or Dinner: $30
  • Athens Greek Wedding Party Dinner Show with Acropolis Views: $42
  • Foodies’ Favorite Food tour: $51
  • Cooking Class at Diamond Roof Garden: $66
  • The Bizarre Food Tour of Athens: $78
  • Koukaki Food Tour with a Local Friend: $78
  • Traditional Greek Cooking Class and Organic Lunch on Poros: $81
  • Athens Walking Food Tour with Visit to Varvakios Central Market: $82
  • Eat like an Athenian food tour of Athens: $82
  • Traditional Cooking Classes incl. Drinks: $82
  • Taste of Athens Small-Group Food Tour: $84
  • Athens Evening Food Tour: $87

Typical Food Prices in Dahab

For Dahab, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Seafood Dinner (for 2)
    €1.70
  • Juice
    €0.09
  • Breakfast for Two
    €0.54

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Dahab

For Dahab, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Bedouin Dinner in the Mountains In Dahab: $36
  • Bedouin Dinner in the Mountains In Dahab: $39
  • Dahab Desert Safari and Bedouin Dinner: $95

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Athens €36
    Dahab €5.58

Tours and Activities in Athens

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Athens.

  • Acropolis/Athens Highlights Private Evening Tour (5 hours) from Athens, Piraeus: $161
  • Apostle Paul's missionary journys in Athens Private Tour 4Hours: $157
  • Athens Gems & Charms for the First Time Cruise Passengers: $94
  • Island Swimming Day Cruise—DJ, Lunch & Drinks incl.: $154
  • Best Food Tasting Tour of Athens, taste 18+ iconic Greek foods! : $93
  • Mycenae Epidaurus Nafplio Isthmus Canal Private Luxury Tour : $239
  • Mycenae, Epidaurus & Nafplio Full-Day V.R audio guided Tour: $28
  • Olive Oil Tasting Farm Experience, Corinth Canal, Nafplio: $186
  • Private Full Day Tour in Delphi: $219
  • Private Luxury Tour: Athens Riviera & The Temple of Poseidon: $155
  • Traditional Villages Full day Tour in Santorini: $65
  • "Athens Highlights Tour : Acropolis, Acropolis Museum and more.": $179

Tours and Activities in Dahab

For Dahab, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Camel Trek Desert and Beach Experience Private Tour in Dahab: $140
  • 2 Day Hiking Canyoning Tour Colored and Wishwashi in Sinai: $72
  • 4x4 Jeep Adventure from Dahab: $43
  • Adventure Quad Biking Tour in Dahab: $50
  • Astronomy and Bedouin Culture group Tour in sharm with Pickup: $140
  • Blue Hole Snorkeling Adventure in Dahab: $195
  • Cairo pyramids tour from Hurghada Small group HurghadaToGo: $60
  • Camel Ride + Blue Hole Snorkeling + Quad Bike Tour With Lunch From Dahab: $49
  • Dahab Windsurfing Adventure in Red Sea Waves: $60
  • Dahab's Kept Secrets 5 Adventures in 1 Tour: $25
  • Royal seascope Semi-Submarine Cruise: $33
  • luxury Snorkeling cruise with buffet lunch: $41

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Athens €23
    Dahab €3.31

Sample the Local Flavors in Athens

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

  • Greek Honey Tasting Experience at our Old Distillery: $14
  • Polykala Distillery: 128 years of history & liqueur tasting.: $17
  • The NightCrawlers | Athens Bar Hopping | Pub Crawl: $19
  • Liquer tasting in Polykala's Distillery Show Room in Athens: $19
  • Saturday Night Pub Crawl for Professionals in Athens, Greece: $25
  • Experience Ouzo Tasting at Athens Oldest Distillery: $26
  • Athens Ultimate Bar Crawl: $48
  • 2 Hours Wine Tasting Odyssey in Athens: $59
  • Greek Wine Tasting with Acropolis view: $59
  • Best rated Acropolis Wine Tasting : $59
  • Acropolis Private Wine Tasting @ Finewine store : $67
  • Greek food and wine tasting: $71

How are these travel costs calculated?

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

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


Which is Bigger, Athens or Dahab?

Athens has a larger population, and is about 90 times larger than the population of Dahab. When comparing the sizes of Athens and Dahab, 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.

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.
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