Agüimes is one of the easiest Gran Canaria municipalities to do cheaply because most of its anchors are free: the casco histórico, the San José church, the miradors above the ravines, and the trailheads into Barranco de Guayadeque all cost nothing. The decision that moves your daily total the most is where you sleep — inland holiday apartments and rural casas in the old town and surrounding villages routinely undercut beachfront resorts by 30–50% while keeping you within a 15–25 minute drive of the coast.
Your other big cost lever is food rhythm. Eating a light mid-day menu at a guachinche or local bar (set lunch menus are the cheapest legal meal of the day) and a late, smaller dinner after 9pm is both budget-smart and culturally correct. Add the Global guagua bus for airport transfers and inter-town hops instead of taxis, and you can comfortably stay under $100/day as long as you avoid peak Carnival weeks and August resort surcharges.
Inland wins on price. Holiday apartments and rural casas in Agüimes casco, Temisas, or Ingenio side typically run cheaper than coastal equivalents. Choose inland if you have a rental car or are happy using guaguas; choose coast (Arinaga, Arguineguín) only if beach-first and you accept paying for the view.
$$ savings inland
Global bus line 1 connects LPA to the eastern coast via the GC-1 motorway; it's the cheapest legal option and runs most of the day. Taxis quote fixed-ish fares but cost several times more. A rental car only pays off if you'll use it 4+ days across the island.
Bus cheapest
Lunch is the deal: menú del día at local bars (often under €12 with drink). Skip tourist menus near beach promenades. Late dinner after 9pm is cheaper and culturally expected. Self-cater breakfasts from a Mercadona or local market to skip €8–12 cafe breakfasts.
Menú del día wins
Casco histórico walk, San José church, Mirador de los Llanos de La Josefa, all barranco trailheads, public beaches (Arinaga, El Carbón, Arguineguín), coastal promenades. These cost €0 and are the core of the trip.
€0
Taxis for short hops a guagua covers, beach club beds, restaurant breakfasts, August resort dynamic pricing, airport parking if you don't need the car, and bottled water (tap water is safe — refill a bottle).
Avoid these