Greece Trip Cost Calculator
Estimate what a Greek holiday costs from Australia in 2026, including return airfares, island hopping ferries, daily budgets in euros and the EU ETIAS requirement.
Your base daily budget before style, season and islands adjust it.
Greece is an EU member and inside the Schengen area, so Australians currently travel visa free for up to 90 days in any 180 day period and will need an EU ETIAS authorisation once that scheme is operating. ETIAS timing has shifted more than once, so confirm with Smartraveller before booking.
Book ferries on the operator sites or a consolidated ferry portal as soon as the season timetable is released, usually in late winter. Peak season Cyclades routes sell out, and a walk up ticket in August is frequently unavailable at any price rather than merely expensive.
💰 Ways to save
- Choose your islands on price, not on Instagram. Santorini and Mykonos carry a premium of 60 to 120 per cent over comparable accommodation on Naxos, Paros, Milos or Syros in the same week, for the same swimming and better food. A traveller who swaps two Santorini nights for two Naxos nights in July commonly saves $300 to $500 while gaining beach quality, and can still take a day trip to see the caldera.
- Use conventional ferries rather than high speed catamarans where the timing allows. The Blue Star style vessels are typically 40 to 55 per cent cheaper on the same route, ride far better in the meltemi wind that blows through July and August, and are much less likely to be cancelled. The trade is two to four hours of extra travel, which is worth it on any leg you are not doing on a changeover morning.
- Eat where the taverna has no photographs on the menu and no host standing outside. In the same waterfront street the difference between a tourist facing taverna and a local one is routinely 12 euros a head on the same grilled fish and salad. Ordering the daily specials, house wine by the half litre at 6 to 8 euros, and sharing mezedes rather than ordering individual mains is how Greeks eat and it costs roughly half.
- Base yourself in one island for at least four nights rather than moving every second day. Every island change costs a ferry ticket, a paid transfer at each end, and effectively half a day of holiday, and short stays also lose you the weekly rate that many studios and family hotels quietly offer. Two islands over a fortnight almost always delivers more actual beach time than four.
or from $31/week over 5 years , indicative finance
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## What a Greek trip costs from Australia in 2026
Pricing reviewed: June 2026.
Pricing reviewed June 2026. Indicative Australian costs, not a quote.
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Understanding greece trip costs in Australia
What a Greek trip costs from Australia in 2026
A two week Greek holiday from Australia generally runs $5,200 to $8,000 per person at a mid range standard, and Greece is one of the better value western European destinations once you are on the ground. Return economy fares from Sydney or Melbourne to Athens usually sit around $1,800 to $2,300 in the November to March low season, $2,300 to $2,900 in the May to June and September shoulders, and $3,000 to $3,800 for July and August departures. There is no non stop service, and most itineraries connect through Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore or a European hub. Athens is also a common cheap add on from a wider European trip, so if you are already flying to Italy or Germany the marginal cost of adding Greece is often only $200 to $350.
Daily budgets in euros translated to dollars
At roughly A$1.65 to A$1.70 to the euro, Greece sits well below France or the Netherlands on daily cost. A backpacker in hostels at 25 to 40 euros, eating gyros at 4 to 5 euros and using conventional ferries can hold the day near $100 to $125. A mid range traveller in island studios or three star hotels at 90 to 140 euros in shoulder season, eating taverna dinners at 20 to 28 euros a head, lands around $200 to $250 a day. A comfortable trip in boutique caldera hotels and beach resorts sits between $380 and $600 a day, and Santorini and Mykonos in August can exceed that comfortably. Athens is noticeably cheaper than the islands in every category.
Entry requirements for Australian passport holders
Greece is a European Union member and part of the Schengen area, so Australian passport holders currently travel visa free for tourism of up to 90 days in any rolling 180 day period, with that allowance shared across all Schengen countries including Italy, France, Spain, Croatia and Switzerland. The EU ETIAS online travel authorisation for visa exempt visitors has had its launch date deferred several times, so plan on needing it, allow a small fee, and confirm the current requirement with Smartraveller and official EU sources before you book. This information is correct at time of writing only.
The ferry problem, which is the real Greek budget question
Island hopping is what makes Greece expensive, not the islands themselves. There are two ferry classes and the gap is large. Conventional ferries such as the Blue Star vessels are slower, far more stable in wind, and typically 40 to 55 per cent cheaper. High speed catamarans halve the journey time, cost roughly double, and are the first to be cancelled when the meltemi wind blows hard through July and August. As a rough guide, Athens to Naxos is about 40 euros conventional and 75 euros fast, and Santorini to Mykonos is about 45 euros conventional and 90 euros fast. Peak season seats sell out days in advance, so August is a booking problem more than a pricing problem. Domestic flights with Aegean or Sky Express are often only 20 to 40 euros above a fast ferry and save the best part of a day, though they carry a strict 20 kilogram checked baggage limit that catches travellers arriving on generous international allowances.
Best and worst times to go
Late May to mid June and the whole of September are the ideal windows: the sea is warm, the meltemi is milder, ferries run a full timetable, and accommodation costs roughly 35 to 45 per cent less than the same room in August. July and August are the worst value, with peak airfares, peak rooms, ferry scarcity and daytime temperatures often above 38 degrees. October still works for Crete and Rhodes. From November to April the island economy largely closes, with skeleton ferry timetables and most hotels, tavernas and hire desks shut, so an off season Greek trip realistically means Athens, Thessaloniki, Delphi and the Peloponnese, which are excellent and very cheap in winter.
Cost traps that catch Australian visitors
The most common is booking Santorini or Mykonos for the full island component, which can add $400 to $900 across a fortnight for no gain in swimming or food quality over Naxos, Paros or Milos. The second is the changeover tax: every island hop costs a ferry ticket, two transfers and half a usable day, so a four island fortnight can lose four days to boats. The third is ATV and quad hire, which is cheap at 25 to 40 euros a day but frequently sold with inadequate insurance, and Greek roads plus loose gravel produce a lot of tourist injuries and disputed damage claims. Fourth is the waterfront taverna premium, easily 12 euros a head over a back street kitchen serving the same fish. Finally, many smaller islands are cash reliant, and ATM withdrawal fees plus poor dynamic currency conversion at the machine can quietly cost three to five per cent.
Putting a realistic number together
Start with a real airfare for your month, then multiply your nights by the appropriate daily band, remembering that island nights in peak run well above Athens nights. Add ferry or domestic flight costs at roughly 260 euros per additional island for a couple travelling in shoulder season, travel insurance of $170 to $240, the ETIAS fee once it applies, and a contingency for the day cruise you will inevitably book. The calculator above gives you a working bracket; refine it by pricing two real ferry legs and two real island rooms for your exact dates, because Greek accommodation pricing moves more between June and August than almost anywhere else in Europe.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a two week trip to Greece cost from Australia?
Budget $5,200 to $8,000 per person for a mid range fortnight in 2026. That covers roughly $2,300 to $2,900 in shoulder season airfares from the eastern capitals, $200 to $250 a day on the ground, ferry costs of around 260 euros per additional island, travel insurance at $170 to $240 and the ETIAS fee. Backpacking two islands can come in near $4,300, while a Santorini and Mykonos itinerary in August pushes past $11,000.
Do Australians need a visa or ETIAS for Greece?
Greece is in the European Union and the Schengen area, so Australian passport holders currently travel visa free for up to 90 days in any 180 day period, shared across all Schengen countries. The EU ETIAS authorisation for visa exempt visitors has had its start date deferred more than once, so assume you will need it and budget a small fee. Confirm the current requirement with Smartraveller and the relevant embassy before booking.
How much do Greek island ferries cost?
Conventional ferries are roughly 40 to 55 per cent cheaper than high speed catamarans on the same route. Athens to Naxos is about 40 euros conventional against 75 euros fast, and Santorini to Mykonos about 45 euros against 90 euros. In July and August the issue is availability rather than price, because peak Cyclades sailings sell out days ahead, so book as soon as the season timetable is released.
Which Greek islands give the best value?
Naxos, Paros, Milos and Syros deliver comparable beaches and better food than Santorini or Mykonos at 60 to 120 per cent less for equivalent accommodation in the same week. Crete and Rhodes are large enough to hold their prices down and stay open longer into the shoulder season. If you want the Santorini caldera view, take a day trip rather than paying to sleep there.
When should Australians avoid travelling to Greece?
July and August are the worst value, combining peak airfares from Australia, peak accommodation, scarce ferry seats and temperatures often above 38 degrees. November to April is cheap but most island hotels, tavernas and ferries shut down, so an off season trip realistically means Athens, Thessaloniki and the mainland. Late May to mid June and September are the best windows.
How much spending money do I need per day in Greece?
About $100 to $125 a day for hostels, gyros and conventional ferries; $200 to $250 a day for island studios or three star hotels with taverna dinners; and $380 to $600 a day for boutique hotels and restaurant meals. Athens runs noticeably below those figures across every tier, while Santorini and Mykonos in August run well above them.
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