The best cheap Greek islands for a budget holiday

1. Corfu

Corfu has done its best to live up to its 'cheap and cheerful' reputation ever since the 1960s, and it’s still wonderfully affordable in 2024. In fact, the Post Office Travel Barometer ranked it among the seven best-value European destinations in 2023 (ahead of Madeira, but trailing Marmaris, Bulgaria, the Algarve, Costa del Sol and Paphos), based on a shopping basket of popular holiday items.

Corfu's smartest and costliest resort areas are around Kassiopi at the island's northeast tip, while hillsides above Nissaki are millionaire villa territory. For bargains, try Benitses, south of Corfu Town, or Corfu’s popular resorts of Gouvia, Dassia and Ypsos, which merge into a cheerful strip of hotels, restaurants and bars. Families looking for a cheap deal should seek out a hotel or self-catering apartment in Sidari or Roda, two laidback, almost-merged resorts on the north coast.

All are within easy reach of Corfu Town and its attractions using frequent Blue Bus services. For fresh produce, visit the smartly renovated covered market at Lochagou Spiridos Vlaikou in Corfu Town, a couple of blocks from the main Blue Bus city terminus or for supermarket shopping there are two Lidl outlets on the outskirts of town. Green Bus services connect Corfu Town with villages further afield. If you want a hire car, a week’s rental starts from £45.*

2. Crete

Crete can be very expensive indeed – the ultra-luxury hotels around Elounda are some of the poshest in Greece – but there are still plenty of affordable options if you know where to look.

Start with the chain of resorts that stretch west from Heraklion's airport through Gouves, Malia, Stalis and Sissi. There are smaller hotels and self-catering apartments that offer bargain breaks in this pretty chunk of the north coast. It's party central, particularly Malia, so expect 'happy hours' that stretch for a lot longer than 60 minutes and international DJs host club nights into the small hours. For somewhere quieter, Georgioupoli, between Chania and Rethymnon is perfect for families with a miles-long sandy beach lapped by calm water.

Keep it cheap by following the locals to laiki agora markets in cities including Heraklion, Rethymnon and Chania, where you'll also find big supermarkets under familiar names. A good bus service runs along Crete's north coast highway, making it easy to shop and sightsee in and around Heraklion, Chania and Rethymnon, but a car to explore more of Greece’s biggest island will only set you back around around £43* a week.

3. Rhodes

Rhodes’ Old Town is spectacular but its busy port, which welcomes tons of cruise ship passengers a day, tends to drive up the prices at bars and cafés. The neighbouring New Town is the cheaper option – it’s home to locals including a large student body, and you'll find affordable hotels and places to eat and drink here.

Out of town, postcard pretty Lindos can get overcrowded and overpriced. There are few bargains here, but you'll find a cheaper accommodation and nightlife scene in Faliraki (14km/9 miles from town), which has shaken off its reputation for booze-fuelled high jinks and smartened itself up. Trianda, on the north coast, with its unpretentious, village-like feel and long sand-and-pebble beach, is another good pick for affordable accommodation and inexpensive eating and drinking. It's a 20-minute ride from town and only 15 minutes from the airport.

For holiday basics, there are big Vassilopoulos supermarkets on the southern outskirts of town, and a laiki agora market just off Leoforos Kallitheas (south of the town centre) every Wednesday and Saturday. The island has a good bus service that links Rhodes Town with most of the main resorts in around half an hour, so unless you're staying in a remote villa you won't really need a car. If you do, expect a week’s car hire in Rhodes to start at £50.*

4. Kos

Like an active holiday? Kos claims to be Greece's most bike-friendly island, with miles of car-free cycle trails linking Kos Town with outlying resorts and plenty of bike rental outlets offering bikes and e-bikes for all ages. If a hire car is an absolute must, expect prices starting from £65* for a week.

You'll find affordable smaller hotels and self-catering accommodation in the island's biggest resort, Kardamaina, on the south coast. Marmari and Tigkaki are favourite windsurfing destinations, and there's affordable self-catering accommodation close to the mile-long sandy beach, complementing a handful of all-inclusive properties. For families, the small, relaxed resort of Kefalos – set on calm, sandy Kamari Beach near the western tip of Kos – is another good option for families, and the airport is only 20 minutes away.

Shopping-wise, if you're looking for better prices and more choice than small resort supermarkets offer, you'll need to head for Kos Town, the only large community on the island, or Kardamaina, which has a handful of mid-sized supermarkets, including a Carrefour.

5. Zakynthos

Just a stone's throw from the airport, Zakynthos’ (also known as Zante) best-known resort, Laganas, is a byword for cheap booze and noisy nightlife. If cut-price cocktails are your thing, this is the place for you.

If you're looking for somewhere a bit less raucous, Tsilivi and Alykes on the north coast of the island are a good bet for affordable hotels and apartments – although their beaches don't quite match up to Laganas Bay's 12km (8 miles) of golden sand.

A car isn't essential on the island as there's a good bus service and none of the main tourist resorts are more than 16km (10 miles) from Zakynthos Town. But if you’re up for exploring more of the island – or just want to stock up at the supermarket or the island capital's farmer market, with its great choice of local delicacies, it could be a good bet. Car hire for one week starts at just £39.*

*Please note that all car hire prices are based on a one-week rental of a mini car from 11 May to 18 May 2024. The price quoted is the lowest found on TravelSupermarket on 14 March 2024. Prices correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.