Headlines about exorbitant bills or allegedly abusive prices are a summer staple in Ibiza. Many visitors are outraged by how much money they can spend in just a few days. However, some come on a more limited budget, intending not to spend excessively, although this is often difficult.
Despite these intentions, it is difficult for the average cost per person on the island to be less than €250. This is greatly influenced by the type of leisure activities carried out: tourists say that nightlife is undoubtedly the most expensive aspect, with entrance fees rarely going below 60 euros and drink prices inside establishments rarely going below 15 euros.
In Sant Antoni, an area popular with tourists due to its lower prices compared to other tourist areas on the island, opinions are varied, but average spending levels are similar to those in other areas.
Sophie and her friend Julia have travelled to Europe from New Zealand. Ibiza is just another stop on their trip; they came from Barcelona. They will only be on the island for three days, staying in a hotel for two nights at a total cost of 250 euros. They plan to spend a maximum of 600 euros in total for this short stay, including all expenses.
Sophie, who is from Australia, is travelling from Madrid to visit the island with her friend Lucy, who has flown from England. The tickets cost €200 for Sophie and €150 for Lucy. They will spend four days on the island and have paid 300 euros for their hotel stay. They spent more money on entertainment: the total bill for entrance fees alone came to 400 euros. However, they haven’t deprived themselves of anything, having visited Ushuaïa, Hï and UNVRS in just three days.
Lucas and John are two young friends from Glasgow. They paid €600 for a package including return flights and accommodation. They say that they are paying an average of €300 a day during their stay on the island. However, this doesn’t seem to bother them too much, as Lucas explains: ‘It’s expensive, but it’s a few days to enjoy, disconnect, feel free and drink a lot.’
Hellen and Karen are two young women from Bristol who have booked a 400 euro package including flights and accommodation for their four-night stay on the island. They have spent more on partying than anything else, spending around 200 euros per day on disco tickets alone. They find this expensive, but not the rest of their spending on things like food, drink and accommodation.
Álvaro and Miriam, a couple from Madrid, have come to stay at a friend’s house. They opted for a more budget-friendly way of travelling so that they can spend more on their five days on the island. In addition, Álvaro’s job at an airline company means that the flights are free. With all these savings, they plan for the total bill for the trip to be no more than 500–600 euros between them. They believe that, although some places are expensive, ‘if you get away from the beaches or the seafront, you can find good places’, as they conclude.
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