A lot of people are complaining about the prices here but nothing has really changed much in the past few years except the exchange rate. When you used to get a euro and a half for your pound, things seemed cheaper. Now the euro and pound are pretty much equal in value, things seem more expensive.
Photo by William Spaetzel
Food and drink still cost the same in Gran Canaria. The trips haven’t gone up in price. My rent has (but that’s another story!) I sell fishing trips on the Barakuda Dos and I used to be able to say a day’s fishing was 40 pounds (60€) but now it is still 60€ and that is about 60 pounds! Big difference. 
One way around this is to book an all-inclusive holiday and eat every meal in the complex but this is limiting if you want to go out for a day and explore the island. The best thing to do is to make a budget and stick to it. You can get English breakfast for 3€ in some places and meal deals in Canarian restaurants (3 courses plus a drink) for about 6€ which is great value.
The exchange rate might not be great but there are still plenty of things to do in Gran Canaria which aren’t expensive and if you are careful where you shop (ie: don’t shop in Netto!) you don’t have to spend a fortune on food. With a simple Gran Canaria beach holiday, it is totally possible to have a blissful week enjoying the sun and sea, without breaking the bank.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Victoria // Mar 30, 2009 at 5:03 am
Also, with the credit crunch, people are having to be more careful with their money in the UK. You might as well come to Gran Canaria and spend a week in the sun being careful!
2 Nic // Apr 11, 2011 at 7:13 am
Could you suggest the best place to shop (instead of Netto) in Puerto Rico?? Won’t have a car!
3 Victoria // Apr 11, 2011 at 7:15 am
Try the Spar in the main shopping centre. The prices are a bit lower. Avoid the Netto and the little shops in the holiday complexes. Grains and vegetables aren’t too expensive, it’s the pre-packaged things that bump the costs up. And touristy things like sun cream and stuff.
4 Victoria // Apr 11, 2011 at 7:16 am
Check the advice on this post too: http://www.cunningcanary.com/575/self-catering-tips-for-gran-canaria/
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