The average price of a 7-day trip to Santa Cruz is $1,388 for a solo traveler, $2,493 for a couple, and $4,673 for a family of 4. Santa Cruz hotels range from $41 to $141 per night with an average of $75, while most vacation rentals will cost $120 to $360 per night for the entire home. Average worldwide flight costs to Madeira Airport (FNC) are between $754 and $1,475 per person for economy flights and $2,366 to $4,629 for first class. Depending on activities, we recommend budgeting $30 to $61 per person per day for transportation and enjoying local restaurants.
See below for average, budget, and luxury trip costs. You can also look up flight costs from your airport for more tailored flight pricing.
The Cheapest Times to Visit Santa Cruz, PT
On average, these will be the cheapest dates to fly to FNC and stay in a Santa Cruz hotel:
- January 8th to April 1st
- April 16th to June 17th (except the weeks of April 30th, May 21st and June 4th)
- October 1st to December 9th (except the weeks of October 22nd and November 19th)
The absolute cheapest time to take a vacation in Santa Cruz is usually late February and early March.
Average Santa Cruz Trip Costs
Average Solo Traveler
The average cost for one person to visit Santa Cruz for a week is $977-$2,089($140-$298 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $30 to $61 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $455 to $1,224 for economy
Lodging: $52 to $63 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room
or $59 to $73 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Average Couple’s Trip
The average cost for a couple to visit Santa Cruz for a week is $2,240-$4,242($320-$606 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $60 to $122 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $910 to $2,448 for economy
Lodging: $52 to $63 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room
or $59 to $73 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Average Family Vacation
The average cost for 4 people to visit Santa Cruz for a week is $3,224-$7,360($461-$1,051 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $120 to $244 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,820 to $4,896 for economy
Lodging: $104 to $126 per night for two 2 or 3-star hotel rooms
or $94 to $102 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental
Traveling Cheap to Santa Cruz
How cheap can you make a vacation to Santa Cruz? The cheapest trip to Santa Cruz is about $98 per person per day for travelers willing to take standby flights, deal with inconvenience, and otherwise limit travel expenses. About 2% of rentals are available in the $0 to $100 range for an entire place, and vacation rentals can be booked for as low as $20 per night. These inexpensive rentals must be booked as early as possible and may not be in the most desirable areas. 1-star hotels are more likely to be available, with rooms starting at around $35.
Even cheaper trips are possible depending on where you live and whether you can drive. Check the cheapest times to fly for more saving ideas.
Budget Solo Traveler
The lowest cost for one person to visit Santa Cruz for a week is $687-$1,741($98-$249 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $16 to $31 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $455 to $1,224 for economy
Lodging: $35 to $41 per night for one 1-star hotel room
or $20 to $50 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Budget Couple’s Trip
The lowest cost for a couple to visit Santa Cruz for a week is $1,254-$3,182($179-$455 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $32 to $62 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $910 to $2,448 for economy
Lodging: $35 to $41 per night for one 1-star hotel room
or $20 to $50 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Budget Family Vacation
The lowest cost for 4 people to visit Santa Cruz for a week is $2,460-$6,256($351-$894 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $64 to $124 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,820 to $4,896 for economy
Lodging: $70 to $82 per night for two 1-star hotel rooms
or $32 to $80 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental
Overall it is easy to travel to Santa Cruz cheaply.
The Cost of a Luxury Santa Cruz Trip
There is no true ceiling on the cost of a luxury trip, so our estimates are based on what most people do in Santa Cruz.
Luxury Solo Traveler
The high-end price for one person to visit Santa Cruz for a week is $2,026-$8,069($289-$1,153 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $54 to $134 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,210 to $2,595 for first class
Lodging: $73 to $141 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room
or $360 to $756 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Luxury Couple’s Trip
The high-end price for a couple to visit Santa Cruz for a week is $3,614-$11,602($516-$1,657 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $108 to $268 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $2,420 to $5,190 for first class
Lodging: $73 to $141 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room
or $360 to $756 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Luxury Family Vacation
The high-end price for 4 people to visit Santa Cruz for a week is $7,228-$20,936($1,033-$2,991 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $216 to $536 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $4,840 to $10,380 for first class
Lodging: $146 to $282 per night for two 4 or 5-star hotel rooms
or $504 to $1,134 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Santa Cruz Hotel Prices
The cost of staying in Santa Cruz is lower than the average city. On average hotels are less expensive than vacation rentals. Luxury vacation rentals are more expensive in Santa Cruz due to very high property costs. The graphs below show how much cost can vary depending on the type of experience you’re looking for.
Santa Cruz Lodging Cost by Star Status
The average price for the class of hotel is on the (y) axis. The hotel class (out of 5 stars) is on the (x) axis.
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Prices are based on Santa Cruz hotel averages and may not reflect current prices. In some cases, we extrapolate prices to estimate costs, and hotels with your desired star rating may not be available.
Vacation Rental Prices
The percent of vacation rentals in the price range is on the left (y) axis. Price range is on the bottom (x) axis.
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There are a healthy amount of vacation rentals serving all budgets in Santa Cruz.
Flight Costs to Santa Cruz
Averaging flights around the world, prices go from a high of $1,475 average in late December to a low of $754 in late February and early March. Median flight price is $760. These prices are based on millions of flights. For Santa Cruz our data includes 95 originating airports, and 63 airlines. The area has more variance in price compared with other locations. Flying to Santa Cruz from an airport like Waisha (SWA) in Shantou (China) for an average $4,990 trip fare will obviously cost a lot more than from an airport like Porto (OPO) in Porto (Portugal) at an average of just $155.
Average Flight Cost by Season
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Average Flight Cost by Day of Week
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The cheapest day to fly in is typically Wednesday, and the cheapest day to fly back is usually Wednesday. Click here to see data for the cost of flights from your airport. In Santa Cruz, the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive week is about $721, so you can easily save about 96% simply by using our free flight guides and booking in advance.
Daily Expenses Budget
Daily vacation expenses vary more based on what you’re interested in doing. A fine dining restaurant with drinks around Santa Cruz can easily cost $230 per person or more, while a standard nice meal might be about $16 per person. Private tours can cost $466 per day, but self-guided tours to see the outdoor sights can be free. Costs vary wildly, so recommendations are made based on the cost of living and averages we see for this type of vacation.