Italy, with its ancient cities, Renaissance masterpieces, star-studded seaside towns, and refined culture don’t have the reputation of being a budget destination. You can still find untrodden parts of the country and cheap southern regions to snap up a deal, but the Amalfi Coast is not one of these places.
Sprawling along the eastern coast of the Sorrentine Peninsula, Amalfi is known for a lot of things from its pastel-colored fishing villages and pebbly beaches to its jagged dolomite limestone cliffs, grand mansions, and lemon-tree terraces. Still, being cheap is one thing that Amalfi Coast is not known for.
The sun-soaked shores of the Amalfi Coast have served as a stomping ground for the rich and famous for decades, so it’s no surprise that the sea-view restaurants and Positano parasols all come at a premium. So just how expensive is the Amalfi Coast? Find out everything you need to know about the real cost of visiting Amalfi in 2023 in this guide.
The Average Cost of a Holiday to the Amalfi Coast
Located in the Salerno province of Campania, the Amalfi Coast is a 50-kilometer stretch of shoreline along the southeast edge of the Sorrentine Peninsula. Dramatic cliffs, pebbly beaches, colorful towns, and centuries-old sites are all synonymous with Amalfi’s allure, but so is its celebrity appeal. Amalfi has many admirers all over the world, and the rich and famous have been flocking to its shores in their superyachts for decades, with some even buying their own grand villas overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea.
The Amalfi Coast is rightfully deemed one of the most beautiful places in the world, but its popularity hasn’t made it the most easy-going seaside destination. You can still find quiet villages and good deals if you head further inland, but the Amalfi Coast and its flagship resorts like Positano and Amalfi are all notoriously expensive.
Still, the Amalfi Coast is worth the hype. You might not be able to visit on a budget, but there are ways to save money as you go and our guide is here to help you avoid some of the main tourist traps. The average solo traveler spends around €1,700 across seven days on the Amalfi Coast, while couples spend closer to €3,000 and families near to €6,000, including flights and travel. That said, you can do it a lot cheaper if you’re careful.
You’ll need to budget around €55 per person per day for food, depending on your eating habits, and have a good amount of your budget reserved for travel, especially if you want to see more of the region since Amalfi isn’t the best-connected part of Campania.
Before we get into more detail, let’s take a look at some of the daily expenses that you can expect on a holiday to the Amalfi Coast:
| Price (EUR) | Price (USD) | |
| Inexpensive Meal (restaurant) | €15.00 | $14.60 |
| Fast Food Combo Meal | €9.00 | $8.76 |
| Takeaway Cappucino (restaurant) | €1.20 | $1.17 |
| Coke Bottle (supermarket) | €1.90 | $1.85 |
| Water Bottle (supermarket) | €0.88 | $0.85 |
| Pompeii Tour (half-day) | €88 | $86.34 |
| Private Boat Tour to Capri for 5 People (full-day) | €930 | $912.50 |
Is the Amalfi Coast expensive to get to?
It’s not just pricey when you get there, but the Amalfi Coast can also be expensive to get to. Compared to the rest of Campania like the sprawling city of Naples and Sorrento on the north coast of the Sorrentine Peninsula, Amalfi is a little further out of the way and you’ll need to consider some further transport after you’ve got off the plane.
First things first, the most convenient airport to the Amalfi Coast is Naples Capodichino Aiport (NAP) located just outside the city center. Unless you’re coming from elsewhere in Italy and thinking about taking the train or driving, the international airport in Naples will most likely be your port of entry. There is an airport in Salerno, located around an hour from Amalfi, but the port isn’t as busy as Naples and welcomes mostly domestic and private flights.
There are regular direct flights from a number of destinations in Europe to Naples every day. The average price for a return from London is around €140, while you can fly non-stop from Berlin for €130 return, Paris for €170 return, Amsterdam for €180 return, and Copenhagen for €200 return. You can fly from Italy’s capital city for around €40 one-way, but the train is more efficient, taking less than one hour on the high-speed service and starting from just €15.
If you’re coming from across the pond, you’ll probably have to connect in one of Italy’s other cities or another European transport hub to get to Naples. Round trips with connecting flights from New York average at around €850, while it costs €950 to come from Los Angeles, and €800 from Toronto. If you’re coming all the way from Down Under, expect prices in excess of €1,500 return.
Still, as we said, the most cumbersome thing about getting to Amalfi is the onward travel from the airport. Unlike Sorrento, Amalfi doesn’t have a central train station and can only be reached by road or sea. There are public buses that run from Naples down the winding coastal roads of the Sorrentine Peninsula to Amalfi, but they can take upwards of two hours.
The bus is by far the cheapest option, costing around €13.50 each way, but it is the slowest route. A taxi from Naples International Airport to Amalfi will set you back around €85, and the ferry costs €35-75 per person, but the scenic route can be an exciting way to arrive at the coast.
Is the Amalfi Coast expensive for accommodation?
Accommodation is another thing that you’ll have to fork out for when you’re in Amalfi. You can save by staying just outside the main town centers, and sacrificing sea views for long walks, but, that said, it depends on which town you pick on the Amalfi Coast that will determine how much you’ll pay.
Compared to the Sorrento Coast, the Amalfi Coast is consistently expensive, but Positano is one of the priciest places to stay, whereas you’re more likely to bag a deal somewhere like Ravello or Praiano.
On average, hotels on the Amalfi Coast start at €80 a night in the low season and go up to €1,000 a night or more, but the average price for a double occupancy room is around €152. Vacation rentals can be a little more costly. You should expect to pay between €150 and €380 per night to get an entire home to yourself.
This is considerably more costly in Positano, where the average hotel goes for €240 a night, and vacation rentals go for between €450 and more than €1,000 a night. In the high season, the average price for an Airbnb in Positano is as much as €1,186 a night, whereas, in Ravello, just one hour up the coast from Positano, the average price for an Airbnb rental is closer to €170 a night, even in June.
Have a look at some of these accommodation options to suit every budget so you can decide which town on the Amalfi Coast is right for you:
La Gemma, Ravello ($$) – Located half a mile from the center of town, this charming B&B offers buffet breakfasts, air-conditioned rooms, lush gardens, and a shared patio. Prices start from €105 a night.
B&B Il Porticciolo, Amalfi ($$) – This quaint guest house is located in a renewed historic building, with views over Amalfi’s central beach. The double rooms are equipped with basic amenities and private bathroom access, while a sweet buffet breakfast is served on the communal sea-view terrace. Doubles start from €170 a night.
Hotel Royal, Positano ($$) – Surrounded by Postino’s rocky cliffs, this expansive four-star hotel is located just outside town but the local bus that runs regular services to the beaches and the center leaves just six yards from the hotel entrance. There’s a large outdoor pool, tennis courts, and an on-site restaurant and bar. Choose between hill-view and sea-view rooms, starting from €319 a night.
Palazzo Confalone, Ravello ($$$) – Located atop a cliff with sweeping views of the sea, this grand five-star hotel is set in the historic Palazzo Confalone. The property features lush gardens, antique furnishings, high ceilings, and an on-site restaurant. Rooms start from €465 a night with an exceptional breakfast included.
Hotel Marina Riviera, Amalfi ($$$) – This four-star hotel is situated on Amalfi’s main seaside promenade, 250 yards from the cathedral. There’s a sprawling deck with a rooftop pool and views over the Tyrrhenian Sea. All the rooms are decorated to a high standard with marble bathrooms, and there is an on-site bar and restaurant. Rooms start from €540 a night.
La Bizantina Luxury Villa, Positano ($$$) – Located in a grand Byzantine villa, this four-star hotel offers decadent suites, exceptional breakfasts, and sweeping sea views. The property is just 500 meters from Fornillo Beach and 750 yards from the Roman Archeological Museum. The junior suite with private terrace and sea views starts from €600 a night.
Is the Amalfi Coast expensive for food and drink?
Italian holidays are all about the food and you should dedicate a big portion of your budget to eating out in Italy because it’s all part of the fun. Food can be pricey on the Amalfi Coast and even your top daily expense after accommodation. The prices go up if you have your heart set on visiting the terrace restaurants in places like Positano where you need to book months in advance for a sea.
Still, the average traveler can get by spending around €55 a day on food on the Amalfi Coast. This number can be slightly higher in Positano, where food and drink are more expensive than in most parts of Italy but lower in towns like Ravello. On average, an inexpensive meal should cost around €15 on the Amalfi Coast, while you can expect to spend €70-80 on a three-course sit-down dinner in a mid-range restaurant.
Local wine is always a good bet if you want to drink well for less in Italy, and a mid-range bottle can cost just €5 in a supermarket, even on the Amalfi Coast. You should expect to pay closer to €22-30 for a bottle of wine in a restaurant, but this is still reasonable considering Amalfi’s reputation. Likewise, you’ll pay around €4 for a pint of beer and €6-8 for a cocktail like an Aperol Spritz.
If you want to cook for yourself, groceries can be pricey in Positano but cheaper in Praiano, Amalfi, and Ravello where there are more locals. On average, you could get a loaf of bread for 80 cents on the Amalfi Coast, a kilogram of tomatoes for €2, and a kilogram of onions for €1.10, but expect to pay more than €7 for 500g of local cheese, and the same for a kilogram of chicken fillets.
In Amalfi, you’ll often find that you pay more for the setting than the food. A seafood pasta on a sea-view terrace could cost you €30, but the same dish in a tucked-away trattoria just five minutes into town could cost less than half the price. There are ways to visit the Amalfi Coast on a budget, but you’ll need extra funds to get the full Instagram-worthy experience.
The Amalfi Coast on a Budget: Our 7 Top Money-Saving Tips
- Book things in advance – Although some websites offer last-minute deals, booking your trip far in advance is a good way to guarantee discounts on activities, trains, and even accommodation, since the cheaper places get snapped up the quickest.
- Travel in the low season – June to August sees the highest flight, tours, and accommodation prices, visiting in the low season can see these numbers halve.
- Stay outside town – You pay a premium for sea views and accessibility on the Amalfi Coast. If you don’t mind a little walk or bus trip (which you shouldn’t if you’re trying to stick to a budget) stay above one of the towns in Amalfi rather than in the center. There are more hostels and family-run B&Bs outside the centers anyway.
- Avoid Positano – the glitzy resort where superyachts bob in the bay is one of the most overpriced destinations in Italy. Positano is undeniably beautiful, but there are dozens of Amalfi and Sorrentine towns that offer the same dramatic settings without the extortionate price tags. Visit for the day, but stay elsewhere.
- Eat like a local – There are still small family-run restaurants in Amalfi if you know where to look. Sacrifice a sea view for more traditional Amalfi Coast cuisine and wander the winding roads of each town to find hidden away haunts. Pizzerias are also a good bet since there are a lot in Amalfi and pizza is one of the cheapest things to eat.
- Make the most of free activities – From hiking trails to public beaches and old churches, there’s a lot to do in Amalfi that doesn’t cost a thing. Skip the overpriced beach clubs and their €20 parasols and bring a towel and a picnic to the beach instead.
- Take the ferry – You have to get to Amalfi from Naples some way or other, and even though the public ferry can be more expensive than the bus, you can ‘kill two birds with one stone’ and skip out on booking a private boat trip since the ferry offers the same spectacular views of the coast.
Is the Amalfi Coast expensive? Our Conclusion
What they say is true: the Amalfi Coast is expensive. From the accommodation to the boat trips and right down to the revered Italian cuisine, you can’t visit Amalfi on a shoestring, but there are ways to save a few pennies and not get roped into the tourist traps. Being flexible is your best bet in Amalfi. You’ll have to sacrifice staying in Positano and eating at a terrace restaurant every day, but you can still stay among the colorful fisherman’s houses of quieter towns and have an equally charming experience.
Choose hotels over vacation rentals and eat as much pizza as you can manage, making sure public transport and your own two feet are the only ways you’re getting around, and the Amalfi Coast doesn’t have to break the bank.
