Trying to plan your Venice budget? This post has you covered! Containing average prices for everything from accommodation, food, transport and museum entries - and even that afternoon Spritz!

Despite issues with over tourism, Venice is one of those destinations that the vast majority of us have dreamed of visiting. A sinking treasure chest of a city, it epitomises Italian design, history and elegance and seeks to make romantics out of us all.

If you’re in the process of planning your trip here (which, if you’re reading this post, we’re pretty sure you are), in addition to knowing what you want to do, what you want to eat and where you want to stay, it’s important to get a general idea of what it’s all going to cost - especially if you’re looking to make your money go just that little bit further.

Within this article you’ll find the average cost of common tourist expenses such as hotels, meals out and museum entries, as well as the price of a gondola ride, daily transport ticket and even how much the local tipple will set you back (spoiler alert: it’s very cheap and we encourage you to drink several!).

Here is our guide what things cost and how to plan your Venice budget for the perfect holiday, Venetian style.

The costs below are the average we encountered in our time in the country (August 2020), and the individual items have been chosen for their popularity amongst travellers to Sicily. Note that prices may vary according to seasonality. Currencies are €EUR / £GBP / $USD, with conversion rate as at time of publication.

Budget Hotel

Right, first things first. Budget is a slightly generous term to apply to some of Venice’s cheapest hotels. That is, they’re often not terribly cheap - which is why we ended up in an Airbnb.

A quick peruse at the time of publication shows that the pretty basic hotel rooms in the historical centre begin at around €75 per night for a double room (that’s rare though), with prices increasing the closer you get to the arrival date.

It’s important to be aware that given the popularity of Venice as a holiday destination, the cheaper accommodation does tend to get booked up quite far in advance so it’s important that you get your reservation in as soon as you know your dates.

Keep reading | You can learn more about accommodation options and best areas to stay in our post ‘Where to Stay in Venice’ (published soon!)

€75 / £67 / $89

Mid-Range Airbnb for a Couple

Within Venice, Airbnb is a controversial topic.

Contributing toward the thinning out of the local population, it has undeniably led to increased rental prices and less availability of residential property.

Unfortunately, given that there are only 2,000 hotels and guest houses in Venice, and the quality at the cheaper end is not fantastic, Airbnb remains a preferable option for many visiting the city.

Prices vary quite significantly for Airbnbs dependent upon location, amenities and availability, with budget options starting at around £60 per night.

When we visited (in August 2020), the global situation meant that we secured an absolute bargain with our Airbnb - paying just £65 instead of the standard £125 a night for this place.

Expect to pay around £100 for two people in a good, mid-range Airbnb.

Keep reading | To make planning your trip to Venice that little bit easier, we’ve put together our pick of the ‘Best Airbnbs in Venice’ (published soon)

€112 / £100 / $133

Luxury Hotel

Given Venice’s architecture, its history and its popularity across all swathes of society, it should come as little surprise that there are some outstandingly beautiful hotels in Venice - and if you can afford to indulge whilst here (or visiting for for an extra special occasion), then this city can more than cater to the most luxurious travel experience.

Keep reading | Where to Stay in Venice (published soon)

The Sky’s The Limit!

Airport Transfer

Bus, train, water taxi, water bus, regular taxi - there are a surprisingly large number of ways to reach the islands of Venice from Marco Polo Airport on the Italian mainland.

We opted for a simple bus & vaporetto combo, costing us each €15.50, but the Alilaguna Water Bus is a popular alternative.

Of course, if you really want a James Bond-like introduction to the floating city, be sure to check out the private water taxi!

Keep reading | We’ve created a comprehensive guide on ‘How to Get from Marco Polo Airport to Venice’ with all options and prices covered.

€15.50 / £14 / $18.50

Vaporetto Daily Ticket

Venice is an incredibly walkable city, and providing you have a reasonable level of fitness, you should be able to navigate the vast majority of the islands with two feet. The exception to this will be on day trips to Murano or Burano, to access a couple of popular sites and to get between your accommodation and the airport.

In these cases, you’ll find yourself needing to hop on a vaporetto, the local water bus. Tickets cost €7.50 for a single trip, or €20 for a full 24 hour period.

There is also the option to buy tickets lasting multiple days.

Keep reading | You can find out everything you need to know about negotiating Venice with a vaporetto in our post, ‘An Essential Guide to Venice’s Public Transport’ (published soon).

€20 / £18 / $24

Gondola Ride

There is certainly no experience which captures a trip to Venice as much as a gondola ride through its canals.

Gliding along the blue, expertly shepherded by a gondolier in smart trousers and a candy-stripe shirt, ducking under ancient stone bridges and looking upward to the pastel facades of this masterpiece of a city.

There's a reason why it's high up on so many traveller's bucket-lists.

Unfortunately however, at €80 for 30 minutes, it doesn’t come cheap.

Keep reading | You can find out all you need to know about taking a gondola ride in our post ‘A Complete Guide to a Gondola Ride in Venice’ which also includes a number of budget friendly options for exploring the canals.

€80 / £71.50 / $95

Entry to the Doge’s Palace

There are over 100 museums in Venice, and whilst most of us would struggle to tick off more than a handful in a singular trip, there is one that should form part of every itinerary - The Doge’s Palace.

The seat of power from around 810 AD, this building adorned in pastel pink and white diamond tiles and perfect porticoes overlooking the water, was - for hundreds of years - home to the Doge and various organs of government and justice.

With stunning architecture, rich symbolic decoration, historical significance, and sheer number of masterpieces painted on canvas and ceilings inside, we think this place is unmissable for any first-time visitor in Venice.

Entry costs €25 per person which also includes entry to Museo Correr and a number of others in the city.

Keep reading | You can read more about the Doge’s Palace (and see some photos) in our ‘13 Wonderful Things to Do in Venice’ post.

€25 / £22.50 / $29.50

Viewpoint Entry

Given the narrow streets, winding canals and criss-crossing bridges that make up the vast majority of Venice, it can be difficult to truly appreciate the geography of the city from the ground - that’s why you need to head up high to at least one of the famous viewpoints.

Whilst Campanile di San Marco is most people’s go to choice, we much preferred the views back on the city from Campanile di San Giorgio.

Keep reading | We’ve put together a guide to The Best Views in Venice. Head over there for all the details.

€10 / £9 / $12

Breakfast for two

We genuinely couldn’t believe it when on our first morning in Venice, for two cappuccinos (admittedly one with soya milk) and a couple of pastries, the bill came to €11!

And that was in a smallish square, a good few minutes walk from the Grand Canal. Elsewhere on our two month Italy trip, the cost was usually €6-ish.

Now, we’re not suggesting you abandon breakfast out in Venice. Coffee and cornetti in the morning are one of the small joys of time spent well in Italy, but do note that you may want to confirm prices before ordering - especially if you’re in St Mark’s Square!

Keep reading | Find out more important travel tips for visiting Venice in our ‘23 Things to Know Before You Visit Venice’.

€10 / £9 / $12

Coffee

Every morning we spend in Italy begins with a coffee. There’s usually another one after lunch (for that carb-heavy slump) and irrespective of the time, we’ve grown to love our night time espresso after a long, leisurely dinner.

It’s fair to say that if you enjoy coffee, you’ll likely drink a fair amount of it in Venice.

As with most things on the list, expect to pay slightly more than elsewhere in Italy (a sit-down espresso usually came in at around €2), with the price increasing exponentially the closer you get to St Mark’s Square.

Top tip | No matter how tempting, never order a milky coffee after 12 pm - no matter how much you’re craving a latte! A big no-no in Italian culture, if you need an afternoon pick me up, you should opt for an espresso instead.

€2 / £1.80 / $2.40

Pizza or pasta in a restaurant

Given that Venice caters to literally every type of traveller and every type of budget, the average meal out can vary wildly. Thankfully, the prices in most places weren’t massively out of line with the rest of Italy (usually just a few euro more).

Venetian restaurants serve a lot of fish-based dishes, and because we’re mostly vegetarians we tended to stick to simple bowls of pasta (except when eating cicchetti).

Half-decent takeaway pizza can still be found for around €8, but in restaurants we usually paid between €10 and €12.

For pasta, expect to find dishes beginning at €8 but ranging to €20+ dependent upon ingredients and restaurant type.

€10 / £9 / $12

Aperol Spritz

We do appreciate how much of this article has suggested that Venice is a little on the expensive side, so at this point we thought it was important provide some good news - Aperol Spritz are super cheap!

Whilst it’s only in the last few years that Aperol Spritz has made a comeback internationally, it has always been popular in Italy, and especially in Venice, from where it hails.

And boy do they make them well - definitely no skimping on the prosecco here! Expect to pay around €3.50 for a glass.

Top tip | Not all places do, but some will charge you an additional cover charge known as a coperto (around €1 or €2 per person), even if you’re only having a drink - this will always be listed in the menu and it’s definitely worth checking for this before you order.

You can read more about coperto in our short guide.

€3.50 / £3.10 / $4.15

Supermarket Groceries

It may take you a little while, but at some point during your trip to Venice, you’ll realise that this relatively large city is missing a few things - one of which is supermarkets.

Due to the mass movement of residents out of many areas of Venice, with them too went many of the common amenities that you’d usually find in residential areas. Overtourism hasn’t helped. As such, supermarkets are few and far between. Not likely to cause you too much bother if you plan to eat out, but if you’re getting yourself an apartment so you can cook and save a little cash you’ll likely find that common ingredients are more expensive than elsewhere in Italy.

Top tip | If you are cooking for yourself, be sure to head down to Rialto Market for your produce and fresh fish - an experience in itself!

More expensive than your average shop

Cicchetti

In between explorations on foot or by boat, or when the late morning sun became a little too strong, we took great pleasure in seeking out some of Venice's finest cicchetti (pronounced 'chi-KET-tee').

The city's form of pinchos, you'll struggle to find something more typically Venetian to eat. Served in bacaros, as well as cafes, osterias, wine bars, and dedicated cicchetterias, these freshly made bite-sized savoury snacks are displayed in glass cabinets for you to choose your pick-and-mix.

Given its aquatic disposition, it isn't a surprise that many traditional toppings are seafood-based: sweet and sour sardines, salted cod, octopus, or shrimp. However, vegetarians and those who aren't disposed to anything fishy will always be catered for too, with the toppings changing according to the season and the establishment.

Prices for an individual cicchetto range from €1.50 for something simple, to €3.50 for a more artisanal interpretation.

Visiting Venice on a budget? Instead of going to sit-down restaurants, cicchetti are an excellent way to eat out for cheap!

Read more | Find out where to find the best cicchetti in our guide, ‘13 Wonderful Things to Do in Venice’.

€2.50 / £2.25 / $3