Prices in Canary Islands

A comprehensive article about prices in Canary Islands covering all categories of goods and services that might interest tourists. It will help you estimate your travel budget and determine how much money to bring along. You’ll discover many interesting and even unexpected facts. I’ll tell you about the prices of groceries in stores on the Canaries, transportation and gasoline costs, prices in restaurants and cafes, and more.

General information about prices in Canary Islands

For those who are unaware, the Canaries are part of Spain and thus part of Europe. The currency on the islands is the Euro. For everything about currency, including which banknotes not to bring, where cash is accepted, and where only cards are needed, read the article about currency on the Canaries.

And here’s the most pleasant news for those planning a vacation here – prices on the Canary Islands are among the lowest in the entire Eurozone.

It’s important to know:

The Canary Islands constitute a special economic zone of Spain. Here, there are numerous tax preferences and benefits. As a result, prices for basic consumer goods are among the lowest in all of Europe. It’s cheaper here than in mainland Spain.

This paradox surprises many who are unaware of the special economic zone. Since the islands, if you look at the map, are located more than 1000 km away from Europe, logistics to here are not cheap.

• Here’s one indicative example: gasoline in all of mainland Europe currently costs between 1.7 and 2.3 euros per liter. In islands like Greece or Croatia, it’s more expensive because it needs to be transported there, which is costly logistics-wise. Despite these islands being closer. But on the Canary Islands, which are 1000 km away from Spain, 1 liter of A-95 gasoline costs between 1.25 and 1.5 euros.

The same situation applies to prices for food, alcohol, and clothing. But not for services in the tourism sector, for example, accommodation, dishes in restaurants cost the same as in mainland Spain.

Important:

All prices in the article will be listed for the major islands: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote. On these islands, prices in stores are generally the same. However, on the smaller islands: La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro, prices are on average 10-15% higher. Here, the factor of complex and expensive logistics to the islands with small populations comes into play.

Groceries prices on the Canaries

All prices here and onwards will be indicated in euros.

• About shopping in the Canaries, stores and markets, read through the link in a separate article.

Prices for alcohol and cigarettes on the islands

For alcohol, there’s a separate comprehensive article available through the guide’s pages because there’s much to cover. The Canaries are known for their wines made from grapes grown on the slopes of volcanoes. Delicious beer is brewed here. And since this is Europe, you’ll find any beverage of any global brand in stores, from prosecco to whiskey.

Interesting to know:

Since the 15th century, tobacco has been cultivated in the Canaries. Today, there’s cigar production here following Cuban technology. Many locals smoke local cigars instead of cigarettes, which is at least cheaper. And for tourists, Canarian cigars are an excellent gift to take home to friends. What other souvenirs to bring home?

Prices in Canary Islands in restaurants and cafes

Broadly speaking, all catering establishments on the islands can be divided into two categories: restaurants for tourists and cafes for locals. Personally, I prefer cafes; they’re like pubs where you can eat delicious traditional Canarian dishes and tapas inexpensively, have a beer, and watch football (don’t forget, this is Spain, football here is a religion). On this topic, I can recommend a great article:

• Canarian Cuisine, or What a Tourist Should Try. There you’ll also learn about cafes and restaurants, prices, bills, tips, card payments, portion sizes, and much more.

Prices for gasoline, transportation, parking, and car rental

It’s important to know:

Car rental on the Canary Islands is a very simple and affordable process. In addition, there’s cheap gasoline, free roads, and parking. Therefore, the lion’s share of tourists (statistics say almost 90%) prefer car rental over public transportation.

For travelers who don’t want to stay on one island and want to explore different islands, maritime and air transport between the archipelago’s islands is well developed. Just keep in mind one thing: when searching for and booking tickets, always (absolutely always) pay attention to the Canary resident checkbox. Residents get a 75% discount on all tickets between the islands. Here are two super useful articles:

• Car Rental on the Canaries: about gasoline, parking, traffic rules, fines, car thieves, police, and much more.
• Public Transport on the Canaries: about buses and taxis on the islands, ferries and planes between the islands. Timetables, prices, where to buy tickets, and much more.

Below are approximate prices for transportation. Prices for ferries and planes are for tourists:

The Cost of Accommodation in Hotels or Apartments on the Canaries

Hotels and vacation apartments for tourists have become significantly more expensive in recent years all over Europe. The Canary Islands are no exception. This is the tourism sector, and there’s nothing cheap here.

• Standard apartments with a kitchen at the resort, not on the beachfront line: from 50 euros per day. And you’ll have to search for that price.
• Similar beachfront apartments: from 100-120 euros per day.
• 4-star hotels, rooms starting from 110 euros per day.
• Accommodation will be one of the most expensive parts of your trip.

About the peculiarities of Canarian accommodation, what awaits tourists, what drawbacks there are, what to be prepared for, what to pay attention to when booking and searching for vacation accommodation? All of this is in the article at the link.

Admission Tickets to Attractions on the Canary Islands

Natural attractions on the Canary Islands are mostly free. If there’s an entrance fee to any national park, it’s low, usually 3-5 euros per person.

But entertainment and architectural attractions on the islands are a completely different expense story. And sometimes the high price is fully justified, and sometimes it’s money down the drain. In this guide’s pages, in the top menu, there are reviews of all the archipelago’s islands, what to see there, how much tickets cost. And most importantly, there’s the author’s evaluation (subjective) of whether each attraction is worth its money.

If most of these attractions are visited by the whole family, plus lunch, plus transportation (regardless of whether it’s by car or bus), the total will reach a three-digit number.

What’s Free in the Canary Islands?

Personally, I really love the Canaries because most of the tourist infrastructure here is free. When they’re not trying to squeeze every euro out of tourists at every corner, it says a lot about the country. It’s comfortable to relax here, and people don’t see you just as a wallet. Here are some basic things that are free on the islands:

• No toll roads.
• 95% of all parking on the archipelago, even at most tourist attractions.
• There are many free public toilets in the city center and on the beaches, and they’re all very clean.
• Most national parks, lookout points (almost all of them).
• All beaches in the Canaries are municipal and free. Sun loungers and umbrellas might be chargeable.
• All hiking trails and routes in the mountains and national parks.
• There are even free buses (shuttles) from the ferry company connecting the main ports on Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

The Canaries are a wonderful and inexpensive country considering it’s Europe. You can vacation here all year round; the climate is excellent. As for serious drawbacks, there’s the cold ocean and Calima. Read all about the weather, seasons, and who should be cautious of Calima in a separate article.

In conclusion, prices in the Canary Islands are among the lowest in Europe. Yes, some expenses, especially in the tourism sector like accommodation and inter-island transportation, aren’t the cheapest, but that’s everywhere, not just in the Canaries. If you’re only looking for a beach holiday and don’t plan to explore attractions extensively, your vacation will be very budget-friendly.

I hope the prices in the Canaries have once again confirmed that you’ve made the right choice. An excellent vacation awaits you.

Useful links to help you plan your dream trip to Canary Islands:

• Car Rental: LocalRent or DiscoverCars – the most popular car rental platforms.
• Accommodation:
  • Trip.com – the largest accommodation booking platform.
  • or TripAdvisor – to compare prices among other platforms and choose the best one.
• Budget-friendly vacation packages to Spain and Canary Islands: CheapOair.
• Tours and activities: GetYourGuide or Viator – hundreds of offers, whales and dolphins, entrance tickets with discounts.
• eSIM and internet: Airalo.
• Flights: WayAway compares prices among dozens of companies.
• Travel Insurance: EKTA.