Is Rhodes expensive? After a week in which I stayed at several different hotels, drove around the island and also went on a day trip to Chalki, I have a pretty clear answer.

In my opinion, Rhodes is still one of the cheapest Greek islands. The biggest chunk of your budget will go on accommodation, car hire and, more recently, the relatively high admission fees for the main attractions.

Food, buses and everyday shopping, on the other hand, are still reasonably priced.

Flights tend to be cheaper too, given the fierce competition and the many routes serving the local airport.

It’s not the cheapest holiday you can have. I’ve stayed in private apartments as well as standard hotels.

What was my week in Rhodes like?

I didn’t stay in one resort for the whole week. I spent the first two nights in Rhodes Town, then I hired a car and stayed in Faliraki, Lindos, the mountain village of Embonas and, finally, the resort of Ixia.

This meant I travelled around practically the whole island, visited Prasonisi, the Valley of the Butterflies, ancient Kamiros and went on a day trip to the island of Chalki.

I describe the entire route, including specific hotels, in the article ‘Rhodes in 7 days: my tip for the ideal itinerary’.

Check car hire prices in Rhodes

Hotel prices in Rhodes

Accommodation was the biggest expense of the whole trip. At the same time, hotel prices vary most significantly depending on the season and when you book.

During my trip, I stayed at the following hotels and apartments. None of the hotels were particularly expensive luxury establishments, nor were any of them extremely cheap.

They were all more or less mid-range 2* to 3* hotels.

I travelled at the end of June and beginning of July, so it was already peak season.

Accommodation	Number of nights	How much did I pay?
Nafsika Hotel, Rhodes Town	2	220 eur
Ladiko Inn Hotel, Faliraki	1	145 eur
Lindian Pearl, Lindos	1	120 eur
Ataviros Hotel, Embonas	2	120 eur
Dionysos Hotel, Ixia	1	190 eur

In total, you should expect to pay approximately 795 eur for 7 nights for 2 people.

Accommodation is cheaper in Rhodes Town or in the inland villages. Lindos and the large seaside resorts tend to be the most expensive.

When choosing a hotel, I recommend thinking through your itinerary first. The cheapest room may not be the best value if you’re going to spend an hour every day travelling to the other side of the island.

I compare the individual areas in detail in the article ‘Where to stay in Rhodes’.

Compare hotel prices in Rhodes

Be aware of the accommodation fee

A Greek climate resilience charge is added to the hotel price. This is charged per room, not per person, and is often not included in the price shown at the time of booking.

From 1 April to 31 October, you will pay:

• 1* and 2* hotels: 2 eur per room per night
• 3* hotels: 5 eur per room per night
• 4* hotel: 10 eur per room per night
• 5* hotel: 15 eur per room per night
• Short-term holiday let: 8 eur per night

For a combination of accommodation similar to mine, a local tax of approximately 25 eur per week will be added to the total price.

Prices for food and drink

I was very pleasantly surprised by the food in Rhodes.

You can still get a meal for a reasonable price in ordinary tavernas and gyros shops. Restaurants in the most touristy streets of Lindos and Rhodes Town are significantly more expensive.

But even there, I still found it quite reasonable, at least compared to Spain, France or the extremely overpriced Croatia.

Typical prices are roughly as follows:

Food or drink	Typical price
Gyros in pita bread	5 eur
Souvlaki in pita bread	5 eur
Large portion of gyros with chips	12 eur
Greek salad	9 eur
Main course in a typical taverna	15 eur
Fish or seafood	25 eur
Dinner for two with drinks	50 eur
Cappuccino	3 eur
Beer in a restaurant	4 eur
Cocktail	10 eur
Water from the supermarket	1 eur

I didn’t give food a second thought and usually went about it like this:

• Breakfast was usually included in the price of my accommodation
• I bought snacks at the supermarket; I found the prices there to be similar to those elsewhere in Europe
• For lunch, I usually bought something quick, typically a gyros in a pita bread
• For dinner, I went to a taverna every day

So, for the whole week, food and drink for one person came to roughly 250 eur

The cheapest places to eat were in Embonas and the ordinary neighbourhoods of Rhodes town. As expected, Lindos was the most expensive, where you’re also paying for the restaurant’s location and the view of the acropolis.

Car hire and petrol

If you only plan to stay in Rhodes Town, Faliraki or Lindos, you won’t need a car.

However, for travelling along the west coast, into the mountains and to more remote beaches, hiring a car is practically essential.

A small car costs around 45 eur per day if booked in advance during the peak summer season. So for 5 days, you’ll pay approximately 220 eur.

I added around 75 eur for reasonable insurance cover. In total, I paid295 eur for 5 days’ hire from RecordGo.

I explain the differences between insurance from the hire company, a broker and your own insurance provider in the article ‘Car hire insurance: what’s really worth it’.

Compare car hire prices in Rhodes

Petrol and parking

You’ll cover approximately 400 km on a week-long tour. Petrol currently cost 2 eur per litre, and I spent around 50 eur in a small car.

There are no toll motorways on Rhodes, and during the whole trip I only paid for parking once, at 7 eur in Lindos.

Bus and taxi fares

I spent the first part of my stay without a car. Buses are cheap and run well for travelling between the airport, Rhodes Town, Kallithea Springs, Faliraki and Lindos.

Examples of prices:

• Rhodes Airport to the city centre: 3,50 eur
• Rhodes Town to Kallithea Springs: 2,50 eur
• Rhodes Town to Faliraki: 2,50 eur
• Rhodes Town to Lindos: 5,50 eur
• Rhodes Town to Prasonisi: 10 eur
• Taxi from the airport to Rhodes Town: approx. 37 eur

For buses during the first two days and the hire car, I paid a total of around 10 eur per person.

On some buses you can pay by card, whilst on others I found that only cash was accepted. To be on the safe side, I’d always have at least €30 in cash to hand.

I describe all the transport operators, timetables and practical tips in the chapter on Transport in Rhodes.

Admission fees and excursion prices

Many of the most beautiful places on Rhodes are free to visit. For example, there is no charge for access to the beaches, Prasonisi, or the castles of Monolithos, Kritinia or Feraklos.

However, admission to the main attractions has become considerably more expensive in recent years.

Location	Admission fee for an adult
The Palace of the Grand Masters in Rhodes Town	20 eur
Kallithea Springs	5 eur
The Acropolis at Lindos	20 eur
Ancient Kamiros	10 eur
Butterfly Valley	6 eur
Filerimos	10 eur
Return ferry to Chalki	30 eur

If you visit all these places, you’ll pay around 100 eurper person.

The most expensive trip was to the island of Chalki, but it was also one of the best days of the whole trip.

Most people get around Chalki on foot. You can find further prices and transport options in the separate guide to transport on Chalki.

How much do the beaches cost?

Entry to all beaches is free. You only pay for sun loungers, refreshments and any water sports.

For a set of two sun loungers and a parasol, you can usually expect to pay around 20 eur s a day. On the most popular beaches and in the front rows by the sea, the price can be significantly higher.

In most places, you can easily bring your own towel and spend nothing. That’s what I did, so the sun loungers had only a minimal impact on my overall budget.

Other optional beach activities have prices such as the following:

• Parasailing – 60 eur
• Banana boat ride – 40 eur
• Pedal boat hire per hour – from 20 eur
• Water skiing – 60 eur

How much do flights to Rhodes cost?

I’m not including the cost of flights in the overall budget. It’s difficult to say exactly how much each person will pay for their ticket.

Generally speaking, flights tend to be cheapest in March, April and October.

Seasonal flights to Rhodes usually operate from the end of March to the end of October, and thanks to the high level of competition, prices can be very low.

In winter, the situation is the opposite. There are virtually no direct international flights, and connections are mainly provided by Aegean Airlines and Sky Express with a stopover in Athens. Winter flights can therefore be surprisingly expensive.

You can find the current airlines and connection options in the section ‘How to get to Rhodes’.

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Is Rhodes expensive?

Rhodes isn’t the cheapest Greek island, but I still find it more reasonably priced than, say, Santorini or Zakynthos.

For an active week similar to mine – that is, with 7 nights’ accommodation, a hire car, visits to the main sights, meals in restaurants and a trip to Chalki – I’d estimate a budget of around 950 eur per person, excluding flights.

If you opt for cheaper accommodation, travel by bus and skip the more expensive attractions, you can get by on around 700 eur per person.

Conversely, a week in a high-quality resort, with a car for the whole trip and more frequent visits to pricier restaurants, will cost around 1 300 eur per person.

How much did you spend on your holiday in Rhodes? Please write the dates of your trip and your approximate budget in the comments. This will help other travellers too.