Serifos on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes, Serifos is one of the easier Cyclades to do on a budget, especially outside August. A realistic minimum in high season is about €70 a day per person sharing a room — around €35 for a bed, €25 for food, €5 for sights and €6 for the bus.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | €35 | €65 | €150 |
| Food & drink | €25 | €45 | €80 |
| Sights & tickets | €5 | €15 | €40 |
| Local transport | €6 | €25 | €40 |
| Per person, per day | €71 | €150 | €310 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Serifos day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Swimming at Livadakia, a sheltered sandy beach 10–15 minutes' walk from the port
- Walking the old stepped path from Livadi up to Chora
- Sunset from the Kastro rock at the top of Chora
- Seeing the mining remains, loading bridges and rail tracks at Megalo Livadi
- The beaches at Psili Ammos and Agios Sostis
- Wandering the lanes and the main square, Ano Piatsa, in Chora in the evening
Cheap eats
- Gyros pitta in Livadi — about €4
- Freddo espresso and a pastry at a seafront café — about €5–7
- Revithada (chickpeas baked in a clay pot) at a taverna — usually one of the cheaper mains
- Sfougato, the local cheese-and-courgette omelette or fritter, as a shared starter
- A picnic of local soft cheese, bread, tomatoes and honey from shops in Chora or Livadi
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in rooms to let in Livadi, near the port and the bus stop, where simple doubles run about €50–90 a night in summer. The island has no big hostel scene, so the best value is sharing a double. Book early for August.
Getting around cheaply
Walk around Livadi and use the island bus (about €2) up to Chora. The summer beach bus reaches some south-coast beaches. If you want to see the mining coast and the north, share a car between several people for one or two days. Arrive on a conventional ferry from Piraeus if you are not in a hurry, as it is usually cheaper than the fast boats.
A sample budget day
- Morning: swim at Livadakia, free, and a freddo espresso in Livadi (about €3–4)
- Lunch: gyros pitta or a picnic from a local shop (about €5)
- Afternoon: bus up to Chora (about €2) and the walk up to the Kastro, free
- Evening: sunset from the Kastro, a simple taverna dinner (about €15–20) and the bus or path back down
- Total: about €70 including a shared room (about €35)
More ways to save
- Pick rooms with a small kitchen and cook some meals; groceries cost far less than taverna meals.
- Walk the old path between Livadi and Chora instead of taking taxis.
- Order house wine by the carafe rather than bottled wine.
- Choose beaches you can reach on foot or by bus, and save car hire for one or two days.
- Bring your own snorkel, umbrella or beach mat, since sunbeds cost about €15–25 for two in high season.
- Avoid the first half of August, when rooms and cars are most expensive and hardest to find.
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Common questions
Can you visit Serifos on a budget?
Yes. Stay in rooms to let in Livadi, use the bus and picnic on free beaches. Plan on about €70 a day in summer.
How much is the bus on Serifos?
About €2 between Livadi and Chora. Services are fewer to outlying villages and beaches.
When is Serifos cheapest?
May, June, late September and October. June and September are often 20–30% cheaper than July–August.