Rhodes on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Rhodes is good on a budget, with cheap buses, public beaches and good tavernas. A realistic daily minimum is about €73 per person sharing a room.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | €35 | €75 | €180 |
| Food & drink | €20 | €40 | €80 |
| Sights & tickets | €10 | €30 | €60 |
| Local transport | €8 | €25 | €50 |
| Per person, per day | €73 | €170 | €370 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Rhodes day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Walking the Street of the Knights and the Old Town lanes
- The moat path between the medieval walls
- Mandraki harbour with its bronze deer columns
- Elli beach in Rhodes Town
- St Paul's Bay and the lanes of Lindos village
- Tsambika and Anthony Quinn Bay beaches (sunbeds extra)
Cheap eats
- Pita gyros, a few euros
- Pitaroudia (chickpea fritters), roughly €6-9
- Dolmadakia (stuffed vine leaves), roughly €7-10
- Matsi pasta, roughly €9-14
- Melekouni sesame-honey bars, roughly €1-2 each
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in the New Town, where hotels cost about €60-100 for a double, close to the buses, the Old Town and Elli beach.
Getting around cheaply
KTEL buses leave from near the Old Town for Lindos, the east coast and the airport, a few euros a ride. The airport is 14 km from town (20-25 minutes). A rental car is cheapest for a one-day loop to Prasonisi and the south.
A sample budget day
- Morning: KTEL bus to Lindos (a few euros) and the acropolis at opening (about €12-15)
- Lunch: pita gyros in Lindos, about €5
- Afternoon: swim at St Paul's Bay (free without sunbeds)
- Evening: back to Rhodes Town, taverna dinner with house wine, about €20
- Total: about €73 including a shared room
More ways to save
- Bring your own towel and umbrella to avoid paying for sunbeds.
- Order house wine by the half kilo, cheaper than bottles.
- Visit in May, June or late September for warm sea at lower prices.
- Book the Symi boat directly at Mandraki harbour and compare operators.
- Picnic from bakeries and supermarkets on beach days.
- Eat in villages such as Lachania in the south, where tavernas are cheaper.
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Common questions
Can you visit Rhodes on a budget?
Yes. New Town hotels, buses and tavernas keep costs to about €73 per person a day.
What is free in Rhodes?
The Old Town streets, the moat walk, Mandraki harbour and public beaches like Elli and St Paul's Bay.
Do I need a car in Rhodes?
Not for the town and Lindos, which buses cover; a car helps for Prasonisi and the west coast.