A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Santander vs. Split for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Santander or Split?

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

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Santander and Split can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Santander or Split?

Santander

Santander is the capital of the Cantabria Region which runs along the northern coast of Spain. Located right on the bay, it is a place of many historic churches and a handful of interesting museums that range from archaeological discoveries of the region, to maritime history, and cultural features like bullfighting. There is also a large selection of beaches for those looking for a more relaxing getaway in the sun and sand.

Split

Spit is a historic city in Central Dalmatia with many opportunities to glimpse its fascinating past in its historic city center. Centuries ago the city grew up around a Diocletian palace that was used as refuge by the locals.

Today, as you wander around the historic center, you can see the remains of the Roman walls, temples, and squares. Despite it's appeal to tourists, Split is much more than just a tourist destination. It is larger than you might initially realize and it spreads well beyond the historic center. There is a population of about 300,000 in the larger area and it is an economic center for the region.

Split has a beautiful climate with mild winters, countless sunny days, and a generally pleasant temperature. As such, there are many opportunities to enjoy yourself outdoors, whether by participating in sports or walking around the city's quaint streets. Winters in Split are also quite mild, but there may be one snowy day, on average, every year. This rare snowfall can cause a significant disruption in the flow of traffic.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Madrid, The Best 2-Week Tours from Barcelona, The Best Walking Tours in Croatia, and The Best Luxury Tours to Croatia.


Which place is cheaper, Split or Santander?

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 Santander is €138, while the average daily cost in Split is €127. 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 Santander and Split in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Santander 51
    Split 74
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Santander 102
    Split 148
Compare Hotels in Santander and Split

Looking for a hotel in Santander or Split? 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 Santander


Hotels in Split


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: Santander Hotel Prices and Split Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Santander 24
    Split 14

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santander

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santander:

  • Santander Private Transfer from the city centre to Santander Airport: $67
  • Santander Private Departure Transfer: $39
  • Santander Private Arrival Transfer: $39
  • Private Transfer from Santander city to Bilbao Airport: $290
  • Private Transfer from Santander city to Bilbao: $290
  • One-way Private Transfer From/To Santander Airport: $48

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Split

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

  • Split Airport (SPU) to Cruise Port of Split - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $84
  • **Private Door to Door Airport Split Transfer up to 15 People** : $60
  • Airport Private Transfer from Split: $40
  • Airport Private Transfer to Split : $40
  • Airport Transfer from Split: $46
  • Airport Transfer to Split: $46
  • Airport transfers - round trip: $160
  • Airport(Resnik) to or from Split transfer: $71
  • CO2-Offset Arrival Transfer Split Airport to Split City : $60
  • CO2-Offset Departure Transfer Split City to Split Airport SPU : $60
  • Ferry Transfers Between Split and Hvar: $40
  • From Split Airport to Sibenik, Private Transfer, max 8: $118

Is it cheaper to fly into Santander or Split?

Prices for flights to both Split and Santander 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
    Santander 70
    Split 41

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Split

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

  • Small Group Food Tour with Private Option: $53
  • Split Food Tour: Discover Split One Bite at a Time: $140
  • Split Food Tour: Discover Split One Bite At A Time: $143
  • A Vineyard Feast: A Group Dinner and Wine Tasting: $199
  • Split Cooking Class: $209
  • Cooking class on island Brac: $251

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Santander 18
    Split 3.72

Tours and Activities in Santander

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

  • Barcena Mayor and Carmona Tour from Santander Small Groups: $72
  • Bilbao and Castro Urdiales Day Tour from Santander: $80
  • City Sightseeing Santander Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $31
  • Comillas, Modernism & Gaudi with entrance tickets -small groups: $81
  • El Soplao Cave Visit with entrance ticket- small groups: $102
  • Exclusive Private tour of the peninsula and the Magdalena Palace.: $266
  • Exclusive Tour of Santander with Cathedral and Booty Centre: $239
  • From Cantabria Private Tour: $543
  • From Gastronomic Tour: $142
  • From Santillana del Mar & Altamira Museum Tour: $80
  • Gastronomy tour with tastings - small groups: $131
  • Guided kayak tour of Santander Bay with a tour guide.: $41

Tours and Activities in Split

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

  • Diocletian's Palace & Old Town Guided Walking Tour: $9.36
  • Split Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $9.55
  • Quest Experience in Marjan Hill Witch Hunt: $12
  • Split's Old Town and Marjan Hill: A Self Guided Audio Tour: $12
  • Trogir Open Top Bus Trip + Free Split Walking Tour: $13
  • Klis Fortress GOT and Olive Museum Entry Tickets: $14
  • Museum of Illusions Entrance Ticket: $14
  • Sightseeing Split's Roman Ruins: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
  • Adriatic Blues and Roman Clues Split Audio Tour: $15
  • Diocletian's Palace Virtual Reality Experience: $15
  • Split's Past and Future GPS App Walking Tour Mobile Game: $16
  • Virtual Reality Experience in Split: $16

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Santander 14
    Split 7.97

Sample the Local Flavors in Santander

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

  • Wine Tourism and Cheese in Cantabria: $209

Sample the Local Flavors in Split

Also in Split, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • From Krka Waterfalls, Food & Wine Tasting Tour: $44
  • From Krka Waterfalls, Food & Wine Tasting Tour: $45
  • Split/Trogir: Krka National Park Day Trip with Wine Tasting: $49
  • From Krka Waterfalls day tour & wine tasting: $49
  • Dalmatian wine tasting by Bottiglia wine & deli: $54
  • Wine Tasting at Seafront Tasting Room in Kastela: $54
  • Split&Sip: Educational wine tasting: $56
  • Wine Tasting in the Diocletian's Palace: $59
  • Blue Lagoon & Wine tasting - 3 islands tour: $108
  • Private History and Wine Tour in Trogir and Klis: $173
  • From Vineyard Tour with Wine Tasting: $176
  • Zinfandel Wine Tasting & Storytelling with Dalmatian Food: $178


When comparing the travel costs between Santander and Split, we can see that Santander is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

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


Which is Bigger, Santander or Split?

Santander has a larger population, and is about 4% larger than the population of Split. When comparing the sizes of Santander and Split, 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.


When is the best time to visit Santander or Split?

Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.

Should I visit Santander or Split in the Summer?

The summer brings many poeple to Santander as well as Split. Additionally, most visitors come to Split for the beaches, snorkeling, the city activities, and the family-friendly experiences during these months.

In July, Santander is generally cooler than Split. Daily temperatures in Santander average around 19°C (66°F), and Split fluctuates around 26°C (80°F).

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Split. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Santander this time of the year. In the summer, Santander often gets less sunshine than Split. Santander gets 213 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Split receives 345 hours of full sun.

Santander usually gets more rain in July than Split. Santander gets 50 mm (2 in) of rain, while Split receives 28 mm (1.1 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Summer Average Temperatures July
    Santander 19°C (66°F) 
    Split 26°C (80°F)

Should I visit Santander or Split in the Autumn?

Both Split and Santander are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. Also, the autumn months attract visitors to Split because of the city's sights and attractions and the shopping scene.

Santander is cooler than Split in the autumn. The daily temperature in Santander averages around 16°C (60°F) in October, and Split fluctuates around 18°C (64°F).

It's quite sunny in Split. Santander usually receives less sunshine than Split during autumn. Santander gets 133 hours of sunny skies, while Split receives 200 hours of full sun in the autumn.

It's quite rainy in Santander. In October, Santander usually receives more rain than Split. Santander gets 138 mm (5.4 in) of rain, while Split receives 79 mm (3.1 in) of rain each month for the autumn.


  • Autumn Average Temperatures October
    Santander 16°C (60°F) 
    Split 18°C (64°F)

Should I visit Santander or Split in the Winter?

Both Split and Santander during the winter are popular places to visit. Also, the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine are the main draw to Split this time of year.

In the winter, Santander is around the same temperature as Split. Typically, the winter temperatures in Santander in January average around 9°C (49°F), and Split averages at about 8°C (47°F).

In the winter, Santander often gets less sunshine than Split. Santander gets 91 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Split receives 128 hours of full sun.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Santander. Santander usually gets more rain in January than Split. Santander gets 149 mm (5.9 in) of rain, while Split receives 83 mm (3.3 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Winter Average Temperatures January
    Santander 9°C (49°F) 
    Split 8°C (47°F)

Should I visit Santander or Split in the Spring?

The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Santander and Split. Also, many travelers come to Split for the beaches and the activities around the city.

In April, Santander is generally cooler than Split. Daily temperatures in Santander average around 12°C (53°F), and Split fluctuates around 15°C (59°F).

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Split this time of the year. Santander usually receives less sunshine than Split during spring. Santander gets 148 hours of sunny skies, while Split receives 212 hours of full sun in the spring.

Santander gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In April, Santander usually receives more rain than Split. Santander gets 135 mm (5.3 in) of rain, while Split receives 66 mm (2.6 in) of rain each month for the spring.


  • Spring Average Temperatures April
    Santander 12°C (53°F) 
    Split 15°C (59°F)

Typical Weather for Split and Santander

Santander Split
Temp (°C) Rain (mm) Temp (°C) Rain (mm)
Jan 9°C (49°F) 149 mm (5.9 in) 8°C (47°F) 83 mm (3.3 in)
Feb 10°C (50°F) 116 mm (4.6 in) 9°C (48°F) 68 mm (2.7 in)
Mar 10°C (51°F) 119 mm (4.7 in) 11°C (52°F) 75 mm (3 in)
Apr 12°C (53°F) 135 mm (5.3 in) 15°C (59°F) 66 mm (2.6 in)
May 14°C (58°F) 94 mm (3.7 in) 20°C (67°F) 56 mm (2.2 in)
Jun 17°C (62°F) 63 mm (2.5 in) 23°C (74°F) 51 mm (2 in)
Jul 19°C (66°F) 50 mm (2 in) 26°C (80°F) 28 mm (1.1 in)
Aug 19°C (67°F) 89 mm (3.5 in) 26°C (79°F) 50 mm (2 in)
Sep 18°C (64°F) 88 mm (3.4 in) 22°C (72°F) 61 mm (2.4 in)
Oct 16°C (60°F) 138 mm (5.4 in) 18°C (64°F) 79 mm (3.1 in)
Nov 12°C (53°F) 181 mm (7.1 in) 13°C (56°F) 108 mm (4.3 in)
Dec 10°C (50°F) 157 mm (6.2 in) 10°C (49°F) 100 mm (3.9 in)