Tenerife on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes, Tenerife is easy on a budget: allow about €90 per person per day, with about €40 for a shared room, €20 for food, €15 for activities and €15 for a share of a hire car and fuel. Free beaches, hikes and the national park make it good value.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | €40 | €85 | €250 |
| Food & drink | €20 | €40 | €80 |
| Sights & tickets | €15 | €45 | €100 |
| Local transport | €15 | €20 | €40 |
| Per person, per day | €90 | €190 | €470 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Tenerife day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Drive into Teide National Park and walk around the Roques de García (no entry fee).
- Walk the colonial streets of San Cristóbal de La Laguna.
- Walk the Sendero de los Sentidos in Anaga Rural Park.
- Swim in the natural rock pools of El Caletón in Garachico.
- Spend a day on Playa de las Teresitas near Santa Cruz.
- Watch sunset over La Gomera from the west coast.
Cheap eats
- Papas arrugadas with mojo sauce: about €4-6.
- Grilled fish of the day in Los Abrigos or Las Galletas: roughly €12-20.
- Guachinche meal with house wine: often €12-18 per person.
- Barraquito (layered coffee) and a pastry: about €3-4.
- Bocadillo from a bar: about €4-6.
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Cruz, which are cheaper and more local, at about €70-120 a double. Hostels exist in Santa Cruz, La Laguna and El Médano.
Getting around cheaply
A hire car is the easiest and, when shared, cheapest way to see the island. TITSA buses connect the main towns and both airports (Tenerife South near the resorts, Tenerife North near La Laguna).
A sample budget day
- Morning: drive to Teide National Park and walk the Roques de García (free).
- Lunch: picnic or bocadillo (about €6).
- Afternoon: La Orotava's balconies (free) and the Lago Martiánez area in Puerto de la Cruz.
- Evening: guachinche dinner in the north (about €15), with a shared budget room.
- Total: about €90 including a share of the hire car
More ways to save
- Book the free Teide summit permit online weeks or months ahead if you want to reach the top.
- Split your stay between the cheaper north and the sunnier south.
- Buy wine and picnic food in supermarkets; prices are lower than on the mainland.
- Travel in May, June or October for lower prices and good weather.
- Take the ferry to La Gomera for a cheap day trip.
- Skip paid parks and spend days at beaches and natural pools.
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Common questions
Can you do Tenerife on a budget?
Yes: stay in the north, hire a car, eat in guachinches and enjoy the free national park, beaches and pools.
Do I need a car?
It is the easiest way to see the island; TITSA buses work for the main towns.
What are guachinches?
Informal taverns in the north, often in farmhouses, serving house wine and simple Canarian dishes at low prices.