What budget to travel Cyclades? Money and currency

What budget for activities and outings Cyclades?

Beware, many tickets are going up from April 2025 to finance the upkeep and restoration of many sites. From 1ᵉʳ April 2025, ticket prices at the Acropolis, as at some 350 archaeological sites and museums around the country, could rise a lot. The Ministry of Culture announced in 2024, for example, that the Acropolis ticket price in Athens would thus rise to €30 all year round (for the Acropolis alone) compared with €20 currently in season and €10 during the winter months. Not only would the price remain the same all year round, but the combined ticket with the other archaeological sites would also disappear.

However, free admission will remain in force for European visitors aged 25 and over, and for all non-Europeans under 18.

Among the "good deals", look out for the free days on the sites: March 6 (Melina Mercouri Day), June 5 (Environment Day), April 18 (Historic Monuments Day), May 18 (Museums Day), the last weekend in September (European Heritage Day) and, above all, the first Sunday of each month, between November¹ and March 31.

Lounge chairs for hire. Be careful before you sit down: on the very touristy beaches of Antiparos, Milos or Kimolos, for example, prices can be prohibitive, reaching €25 per person (parasol included), or even more on Mykonos. In 2023, this price inflation provoked the "towel movement" on Paros. This protest against the sometimes illegal occupation of the coastline by beach bars and restaurants succeeded in getting the authorities to move. Checks and fines are on the increase. However, on some private beaches, prices remain excessive or prohibitive.

If free activities are rare and complicated in the big cities, the Cyclades, on the other hand, offer you a thousand possibilities on land and sea. The majority of outdoor activities will not cost you a cent, whether it is swimming or hiking. For diving, kiteboarding, canoeing or mountain biking, unless you come equipped, you will have to rent the equipment: many stores and associations offer quality equipment for rent, but often quite expensive in season.

You will find cheaper items in the markets or cooperatives where the locals go. Credit cards are generally accepted in all stores. Finally, without being smokers, we feel obliged to remind you that the price of a pack of cigarettes varies around 4 to 5 € only in Greece, that is to say twice cheaper than in France...

Going out doesn't have to be expensive. Many students (among others) take a drink to go and happily occupy the sidewalk of establishments that give concerts. For the summer cinemas, you will have to pay between 5 and 8 € per session, depending on the day. A reduced rate is usually applied during one or two days of the week.

What budget to eat Cyclades?

While restaurants(estiatório) are slightly more expensive than tavernas or ouzeries, eating out is still very affordable in mainland Greece. Unless you go to a trendy or very chic restaurant (in Mykonos, for example...), you should expect to pay around 15 euros per person for a full meal, including a carafe of local wine or raki/ouzo. There is one exception: fresh fish, sold by the kilo, is always expensive. To avoid unpleasant surprises at checkout time, choose your fish in the kitchen and ask the price before ordering, as the bill quickly rises. In taverns, dessert (slices of watermelon, plate of halva, cake...) is often offered. Despite the crisis, the Greeks have not abandoned this pleasant tradition. But you don't have to: in the most touristy places, like Santorini, you can always wait!

Drinking coffee is an institution in Greece: you can stay for hours with a freddo or a frappé for a few euros, without having to renew your order. Be careful though: the coffees are not cheap. At 4 € a frappe, sometimes it is understandable that some customers linger...

What is the budget for accommodation Cyclades?

The best plan, when you have the choice, is always to travel in June or September, when prices melt or before the summer inflation (which can, in some places, vary from simple to triple...). If you spend one or more nights in Athens before going to the Cyclades, on the other hand, prices do not change much and remain quite high, unless you negotiate beforehand at the time of booking (and if the period is low). Without being a Greek specificity, it is important to know that the Airbnb platform has developed enormously, including in the most touristic islands, to the great displeasure of the local population which struggles to find accommodation. The competition is tough for the traditional hotel business, because these are often apartments rented for tourist purposes, so they are cheap and quite well equipped. Finally, you should know that many hoteliers still offer discounts in exchange for cash payment. We try to avoid this, but it does exist.

Travel budget Cyclades and cost of living

The prices of accommodation can vary from simple to double between June or September and August. No need to bargain. But a discount is sometimes offered if you pay in cash..