The Greek islands on a budget
By the Agoroam team · Published 20 August 2026
Quick answer
- Naxos, Paros, Milos, and Crete cost roughly 40 percent less than Santorini and Mykonos for the same quality.
- A group can do a week for EUR 600 to EUR 900 per person excluding international flights, in June or September.
- Accommodation and drinks are where the money goes. Ferries and food are cheap.
- One apartment or villa for the group is the single biggest saving, often 40 percent versus separate rooms.
- Avoid Santorini and Mykonos entirely if budget matters. They are not slightly more expensive, they are double.
Where the money actually goes
People assume ferries are the expensive part of a Greek islands trip. They are not. Athens to Naxos to Santorini as a foot passenger costs EUR 70 to EUR 140 for the whole trip.
The two lines that matter are accommodation and drinks. Accommodation on Santorini in August can be four times what the same standard costs on Naxos. Drinks in a Mykonos beach club can be four times what they cost in a Naxos taverna.
Food is genuinely cheap everywhere if you eat where locals eat. A taverna meal with wine runs EUR 15 to EUR 25 per person on most islands.
The cheap islands
Naxos is the best value island in the Cyclades: excellent beaches, a real town, mountain villages, and prices roughly 40 percent below Santorini for equivalent accommodation.
Paros is slightly more expensive than Naxos and still far below the famous islands. Milos is mid-priced with extraordinary coastline. Crete is the cheapest per day of the major islands and has enough size to absorb crowds.
Further out, Ikaria, Lesvos, Samos, and the smaller Dodecanese islands are cheaper still and much less visited, at the cost of harder access.
The islands to avoid on a budget are Santorini and Mykonos. They are not marginally more expensive, they are roughly double across accommodation, food, and drinks.
- Naxos: best value overall, real town, best beaches
- Crete: cheapest per day of the big islands, huge variety
- Milos: mid-priced, extraordinary coastline
- Ikaria, Samos, Lesvos: cheaper and much quieter, harder to reach
- Avoid Santorini and Mykonos if the budget is the constraint
A realistic budget week
Per person, seven nights, group of six, June or September, excluding international flights:
- Accommodation, one apartment or small villa split six ways: EUR 220 to EUR 400
- Ferries, Athens to Naxos and back or onward: EUR 60 to EUR 120
- Food, taverna dinner plus a cheap lunch daily: EUR 160 to EUR 250
- Car hire, two days split between the group: EUR 25 to EUR 45
- Drinks: EUR 80 to EUR 150
- One boat trip: EUR 35 to EUR 60
- Total: EUR 600 to EUR 900
The savings that actually work
One place for everyone. A four bedroom apartment or small villa split six or eight ways is typically 40 percent cheaper per person than separate rooms, and it gives you a kitchen and a terrace, which cuts the food and drinks lines as well.
Eat lunch from a bakery or a souvlaki shop and dinner in a taverna. A gyros costs EUR 3.50 to EUR 5 and is a proper meal. A bakery spanakopita is EUR 2 to EUR 3.
Drink on the terrace before going out. Supermarket wine is EUR 4 to EUR 8 a bottle and perfectly good, and beach bar cocktails are EUR 10 to EUR 15.
Share a car for one or two days rather than renting for the week. A day of car hire is EUR 35 to EUR 60 for the vehicle, which is EUR 6 to EUR 10 per person in a group of six.
What not to cut
The boat trip. On Milos, Kleftiko is only reachable by sea. On Naxos and Paros, the small islands offshore are the best swimming. This is EUR 35 to EUR 60 and it is usually the best day of the trip.
The car day. The best beaches on almost every Greek island are not reachable by bus, and the bus that does go leaves twice a day.
Sun protection and water. Buying suncream on a small island in August costs three times what it does at home, and dehydration in 32C ruins days.
Timing for the budget version
Late May, June, and the second half of September are the sweet spots. Everything is open, the sea is warm enough, and accommodation runs 30 to 50 percent below August.
Early October is cheaper still, with the caveat that some businesses begin closing from mid-month and ferry frequency drops.
Book accommodation four to six months out for June and September. The good value apartments and villas that sleep six or eight are the scarce item, not the expensive hotels.
Frequently asked
How much does a week in the Greek islands cost on a budget?
EUR 600 to EUR 900 per person for seven nights excluding international flights, for a group of six sharing an apartment on a mid-priced island like Naxos in June or September. Accommodation and drinks are the biggest lines, ferries and food are cheap.
Which Greek island is cheapest?
Crete is cheapest per day among the large islands, and Naxos is the best value in the Cyclades at roughly 40 percent below Santorini for equivalent accommodation. Ikaria, Samos, and Lesvos are cheaper still but harder to reach.
Are Greek ferries expensive?
No. Athens to Naxos to Santorini as a foot passenger costs EUR 70 to EUR 140 for the whole trip. Ferries are the line people assume will be expensive and are not. Accommodation and drinks are where the money actually goes.
How do you save money on a Greek island trip?
One apartment or villa for the whole group, typically 40 percent cheaper than separate rooms and it gives you a kitchen. Bakery or souvlaki lunches at EUR 3 to EUR 5, taverna dinners rather than beachfront restaurants, drinks on the terrace before going out, and sharing a hire car for one or two days rather than the whole week.
Is Santorini worth the extra cost?
For two or three nights as part of a longer trip, yes, the caldera is genuinely unlike anywhere else. As a base for a week on a budget, no. Santorini and Mykonos cost roughly double the mid-priced islands across accommodation, food, and drinks, and have worse beaches.
Plan it with your crew.
Free for the first trip. Everyone votes. The AI does the boring half.