Budget · Tenerife · Spain
Tenerife on a budget
What a trip to Tenerife really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Peng ( talk · contribs ), CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Tenerife is moderately priced for most international visitors. Budget roughly $60–$100 per person per day on a tight budget, $130–$230 mid-range and $350–$900 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in May.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $60–$100 a day
- Mid-range
- $130–$230 a day
- Luxury
- $350–$900 a day
- Local currency
- EUR
- Free sights
- 9
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $60–$100 | $180–$300 | $300–$500 | $420–$700 |
| Mid-range | $130–$230 | $390–$690 | $650–$1,150 | $910–$1,610 |
| Luxury | $350–$900 | $1,050–$2,700 | $1,750–$4,500 | $2,450–$6,300 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Tenerife, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Cortado coffee at a bar | about €1.20–€2 |
| Barraquito | about €2–€3.50 |
| Menú del día lunch | about €12–€18 |
| Papas arrugadas starter | about €4–€7 |
| Guachinche meal with house wine | about €12–€20 per person |
| Whale-watching boat trip | about €30–€70 |
| Teide cable car return | about €40–€50 |
| Water-park or zoo day ticket | about €40–€55 |
| Small hire car per day | about €25–€60 depending on season |
Money-saving tips
- The Canary Islands use their own lower sales tax (IGIC) instead of mainland Spain's VAT, so fuel, alcohol and many everyday goods cost less.
- Teide National Park, the beaches and almost all hiking trails are free; the main costs are transport and the cable car.
- Eat the menú del día at lunchtime in towns such as La Laguna and La Orotava rather than on resort seafronts.
- Book car hire early for Christmas, Carnival, Easter and August, when local fleets sell out and prices rise.
- The combined Loro Parque and Siam Park ticket costs less than buying both separately.
- May, June and October usually bring the lowest accommodation prices between the winter and summer peaks.
Free things to do
- Teide National Park — The national park surrounds Mount Teide, at 3,715 metres the highest point in Spain, with a vast caldera of lava flows, pumice fields and the twisted rock towers of the Roques de García.
- San Cristóbal de La Laguna old town — La Laguna's UNESCO-listed centre is a walkable grid of pastel mansions with carved wooden balconies, convent walls and shady courtyards.
- Anaga Rural Park — The jagged Anaga mountains at the island's northeast tip are covered in laurisilva, a humid laurel forest of the kind that once covered much of southern Europe, and form a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
- Masca village and gorge — Masca is a hamlet of stone houses on narrow ridges in the Teno massif, reached by a mountain road of hairpin bends with views into a deep ravine.
- La Orotava old town — Above Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava's steep streets hold some of the island's finest 17th-century mansions, including the Casa de los Balcones with its carved pine balconies and courtyard.
- Garachico and El Caletón — Garachico was Tenerife's main port until an eruption in 1706 sent lava into the harbour and buried much of the town.
Where to stay on a budget
$$ · Best for nightlife, budget, beach and solo travellers
Playa de las Américas
Package-holiday hub with surf breaks, the Veronicas bar strip and the Golden Mile
$$ · Best for families, budget and beach
Los Cristianos
Former fishing port with calm beaches and the ferry terminal for La Gomera
$$ · Best for couples and quiet stays
Los Gigantes and Puerto de Santiago
Quiet west-coast base below the sheer cliffs of Los Gigantes
Eating well for less
- Carne fiesta — Guachinches and traditional bars, especially in the north and at village fiestas.
- Arepas — Arepa bars in Santa Cruz, La Laguna and many smaller towns.
Getting around for less
Ten+ card
A rechargeable travel card valid on TITSA buses and the Santa Cruz–La Laguna tram, with lower fares than cash tickets.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Tenerife cost?
About $650–$1,150 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $300–$500 on a tight budget.
+Is Tenerife expensive?
It is moderately priced for international visitors. The Canary Islands use their own lower sales tax (IGIC) instead of mainland Spain's VAT, so fuel, alcohol and many everyday goods cost less.
+How much money do I need per day in Tenerife?
Roughly $60–$100 on a budget and $130–$230 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Tenerife?
Usually in May.