Which place is cheaper, Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Heraklion?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Heraklion or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Heraklion and Santa Cruz de Tenerife can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Heraklion or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Heraklion
The largest city on the island of Crete, Heraklion on first glance is almost completely modern - a frenzy of traffic, concrete, and dust. Do not expect pristine beaches and glittering waves (those can be found on other parts of Crete). Heraklion is first and foremost a city. Once you get past its grittiness, you will find that there are some attractive features beneath first impressions. The antiquity of the place lies embedded in the modern and is presented in one of the best museums in Greece, the food is excellent, and the people are friendly and welcoming. And though the sea is not great for swimming, its presence along the Venetian port will take you to another time if you need a break from Heraklion's bustling center.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Not everyone traveling to Spain is looking to collapse on a beach somewhere. If you're in search of a bustling, vibrant and colorful Spanish capital city without the crowds of Barcelona, you might want to book a few days in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Located on the eastern tip of the island of Tenerife on the Canary Island chain, Santa Cruz's bright buildings, charming shops and rich, green scenery are there to greet visitors from all over the world - including you.
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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Madrid, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Barcelona.
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Heraklion Prices
Greece PricesSanta Cruz de Tenerife Prices
Spain Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHeraklion €195Santa Cruz de Tenerife €155
The average daily cost (per person) in Heraklion is €195, while the average daily cost in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is €155. 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 Heraklion and Santa Cruz de Tenerife in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHeraklion €81Santa Cruz de Tenerife €48
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHeraklion €162Santa Cruz de Tenerife €96
Compare Hotels in Heraklion and Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Looking for a hotel in Heraklion or Santa Cruz de Tenerife? 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.
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: Heraklion Hotel Prices and Santa Cruz de Tenerife Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Heraklion €31Santa Cruz de Tenerife €64
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Heraklion
Also for Heraklion, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airports/ports Transfers from /to Rethymno (one way): $168
- Crete Private Taxi and Transfer from Heraklion to Elounda: $135
- Crete Private Taxi and Transfer from Heraklion to Panormo: $113
- Crete Private Transfer from Heraklion to Hersonissos: $56
- Crete Private Transfer to&from Heraklion Airport Port all Crete: $40
- From Airport to Elounda Private Transfer: $123
- From Private Helicopter Transfer to Greek Islands: $6,742
- From Voulisma Beach Day Trip with Hotel Transfer: $36
- Heraklion Airport & Port Transfer to / from Agios Nikolaos: $127
- Heraklion Airport & Port Transfer to / from Rethymno: $152
- Heraklion Airport & Port Transfer to Hersonissos, Piskopiano: $96
- Heraklion Airport (HER) to Heraklion - Arrival Private Transfer: $42
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santa Cruz de Tenerife:
- Whale and Dolphin Watching Catamaran with Transfer and Buffet : $71
- Santa Cruz Tenerife Cruise Port: Transfer to Tenerife hotels: $413
- Mount Teide Tour with Transfer and Optional Cable Car Ticket: $59
Is it cheaper to fly into Heraklion or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Prices for flights to both Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Heraklion 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
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Food Meals for one dayHeraklion €90Santa Cruz de Tenerife €68
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Heraklion
For Heraklion, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Crete: Traditional Dance Show and Buffet Dinner with Wine: $34
- Troy Dinner-Show: $36
- Crete : Cooking Lessons In Lasithi Plateau: $45
- Hersonissos: Spectacular Dinner Show Ticket: $47
- Cretan Village Feast, Live Music, Dancers & Local Dinner: $54
- Crete: Olive Oil Festival, Farm Dinner, Live Show & Pickup: $76
- Olive Oil Festival in Cretan Farm with Traditional Dinner: $78
- Dia Island Sunset Boat Tour with Dinner: $80
- Crete: Land Rover Safari with Sunset Viewing, Dinner, & Wine: $99
- Full-Day Jeep Safari Tour with Cooking Lesson: $105
- Jeep Tour Psiloritis the Mountain of Gods & Cooking Lesson: $114
- Food tour tasting walking tour: $135
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Heraklion €38Santa Cruz de Tenerife €25
Tours and Activities in Heraklion
For Heraklion, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- CRETAquarium Entrance Ticket in Crete: $9.58
- Mobile Self-Guided Audio Sightseeing Tour: $12
- Video Games Museum Entry Ticket: $12
- Heraklion Area: CRETAquarium Admission Ticket: $14
- Archaeological Museum Ticket with City Audio Tour: $19
- Crete: Day Tour to Heraklion City, Market & CRETAquarium: $21
- Heraklion City Tour - Aquarium: $22
- Heraklion Museum Ticket and City Audio Tour: $22
- Heraklion Market and CretAquarium Guided Tour: $23
- Αrchaeological Museum of Herakleion Entry Ticket: $24
- Minoan Day Experience: $24
- E-Ticket to Heraklion Archaeological Museum with Audio Guide: $26
Tours and Activities in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Here are a few actual costs in Santa Cruz de Tenerife for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- From Costa Adeje or Santa Cruz: Contrasts of Tenerife Tour: $65
- Private Paragliding Flight Experience in Tenerife: $120
- Private Tour Tenerife: Anaga, Taganana, Benijo & La laguna: $88
- Private VIP Tour Tenerife Magic Circle: $277
- Tapas Bike Tour: $35
- Taucho Flight Experience: $129
- Tenerife Buggy Tour The Golden Mile: $116
- Tenerife: Anaga and La Laguna VIP Tour: $323
- Tenerife: Guided Historical Bike Tour with E-Bike Option: $29
- Tenerife: Introductory Dive for Cruise Ship Passengers: $140
- Tenerife: Island Tour with Teide Volcano and Lunch: $119
- Tenerife: Santa Cruz Guided Bike Tour 1.5 hour: $18
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayHeraklion €26Santa Cruz de Tenerife €7.50
Sample the Local Flavors in Heraklion
Also in Heraklion, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Guided Organic Wine Tasting & Vineyard Tour: $40
- Cretan Wine Tasting Experience: $41
- Ecobike Tour with Wine Tasting: $100
- Walking city tour & Wine tasting: $100
- Wine Tasting E-Bike Tour: $104
- Half Day Small Group Wine Tour with Wine Tastings: $150
- Ecobike-Knossos Palace-Wine tasting-Olive oil tasting: $180
- The Gourmet Wine Tour of Heraklion area: $198
- Olive oil and Wine Tour with Lunch: $235
- Heraklion SUV Private Guided Wine Tour with Lunch : $237
- From Villages and Vines A Scenic Wine Tasting Journey: $289
- Guided Tour Palace of Knossos & Archanes Wine Tasting Tour: $416
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Heraklion and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, we can see that Heraklion is more expensive. And not only is Santa Cruz de Tenerife much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Santa Cruz de Tenerife would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santa Cruz de Tenerife 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 Heraklion would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Heraklion than you might in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Heraklion Expensive? and Is Santa Cruz de Tenerife Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Heraklion or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Santa Cruz de Tenerife has a larger population, and is about 62% larger than the population of Heraklion. When comparing the sizes of Heraklion and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 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.