Which place is cheaper, Calgary or Adelaide?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Adelaide or Calgary?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Adelaide and Calgary can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Adelaide or Calgary?
Adelaide
Adelaide is the often overlooked capital city of the State of South Australia. It's also the fifth largest city in the country. Despite being skipped by most travelers, Adelaide is an interesting city to explore and has a decent amount to offer open minded travelers. It has some fascinating architecture, unique shopping, and wonderful cafes and restaurants. Part of the appeal of Adelaide is its location in the midst of Australia's wine regions, including McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, and Clare Valley. Any of these destinations could be visited as a day trip from Adelaide.
Calgary
Calgary is the largest city in Alberta and, located at the edge of the prairie and foothills, it is a gateway to the Rocky Mountains. If you're headed to Banff or Jasper, this is likely to be your first stop. It's also Canada's fourth largest city and worth a few days visit. Calgary's economy is diverse, but includes energy, financial services, film and television, transportation, technology, manufacturing, and much more.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to Australia, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Sydney, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Canada, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Canada.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAdelaide $111Calgary $156
The average daily cost (per person) in Adelaide is $111, while the average daily cost in Calgary is $156. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Adelaide and Calgary in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAdelaide $66Calgary $74
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAdelaide $132Calgary $148
Compare Hotels in Adelaide and Calgary
Looking for a hotel in Adelaide or Calgary? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Adelaide Hotel Prices and Calgary Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Adelaide $19Calgary $13
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Adelaide
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Adelaide are as follows:
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Shuttle from the Train Station$3.63
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Adelaide
Also for Adelaide, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Adelaide Airport (ADL) to Adelaide - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $76
- Adelaide Airport (ADL): Private Transfer to Adelaide Port: $254
- Adelaide Airport (ADL): Private Transfer to Adelaide hotels: $220
- Adelaide Airport Transfers : Adelaide City to Airport ADL in Luxury Car: $106
- Adelaide Airport(ADL)to Adelaide city - Arrival Private Transfer: $38
- Adelaide Airport: One-Way Private Transfer to Adelaide: $57
- Adelaide Cruise Port: Private Transfer to Adelaide city: $254
- Adelaide Private Airport and City Transfer: $109
- ADL Airport Private Transfer to Downtown: $119
- Full-Day Private City Tour with Hotel Transfers: $496
- Arrival Private Transfers: Adelaide Airport ADL to Adelaide in Business Car: $62
- Departure Private Transfers: Adelaide to Adelaide Airport ADL in Luxury Van: $92
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Calgary
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Calgary:
- Transfer in private minivan from Calgary Downtown - Calgary Airport (YYC): $91
- Transfer in private minivan from Calgary Airport (YYC) to Calgary Downtown: $138
- Transfer in private minivan from Calgary Airport (YYC) - Calgary Downtown: $91
- Roundtrip Transfer Private Vehicle Calgary Airport (YYC) -Calgary Downtown: $121
- Roundtrip Transfer Private Minivan Calgary Airport (YYC) -Calgary: $181
- Private Transfer: Calgary Airport to Downtown: $111
- Private Transfer: Calgary Airport YYC to Calgary by Luxury SUV: $119
- Private Transfer from Calgary to Calgary Airport YYC in Luxury Van: $128
- Private Transfer from Calgary Airport to Sunshine Village : $60
- Private Transfer from Calgary Airport to Calgary Hotels: $63
- Private Calgary to Banff One-way Transfer in Luxury Car: $296
- Lake Louise: Calgary to Lake Louise Private Transfer 1 Way: $475
Is it cheaper to fly into Adelaide or Calgary?
Prices for flights to both Calgary and Adelaide change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayAdelaide $31Calgary $31
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Adelaide
For Adelaide, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- HandleBar Bike Tour with Pub Stops & Dinner Option: $23
- Local Food Tour and Tastings with Guide: $79
- Cooking classes Goolwa: $129
- Small-Group River Murray Dark Sky and Sunset Tour with Dinner: $192
- Pipi Catching and Cooking Experience in Goolwa : $230
Typical Food Prices in Calgary
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Calgary:
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Bread, Chips, Cheese$8.16
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Calgary
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Calgary.
- Light Brunch & Food Tour at Calgary Farmers' Market WEST: $81
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Adelaide $14Calgary $16
Tours and Activities in Adelaide
For Adelaide, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Adelaide Self-Guided Audio Tour: $1.00
- Queer Adelaide History: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $12
- Torrens River Cruise in Adelaide: $17
- River Torrens Popeye Sightseeing Cruise: $17
- Adelaide Oval Stadium Guided Tour: $19
- Adelaide Oval Stadium Tour: $19
- An exciting, Tree Top Adventure for Our Littlest Adventurers : $23
- River Torrens Popeye Devonshire Tea Cruise: $26
- Adelaide Walking Tour: Hills, Squares and Parklands: $27
- Adelaide Gaol Adults Ghost Tour & Investigation: $28
- City Highlights Walking Tour with Guide: $29
- Private Home Style Indian Dining Experience: $30
Typical Entertainment Prices in Calgary
Here are a few typical costs in Calgary for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Stampede Admission (for 2)$22
Tours and Activities in Calgary
Here are a few actual costs in Calgary for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 1 Day Yoho Tour | Moraine Lake | Johnston Canyon | From Calgary: $118
- 2 Days Jasper and Banff Tour from Calgary: $163
- 2-Hour Private Walking Tour of Calgary's Highlights: $238
- 2-Hour Scooter Tour of Calgary's City Highlights: $68
- 3-Hour Bike Tour of Calgary, E-Bike Upgrade Options Available: $101
- 3-Hour Street Art Tour of Calgary with Craft Beer Tastings: $101
- 3-Hour Tips Based Walking Tour of Calgary: $5.46
- Afternoon tour to Banff from Calgary: $244
- Banff Area & Johnston Canyon 1-Day Tour from Calgary or Banff: $119
- Banff Deep 1 Day Tour in Banff National Park: $172
- Banff Hot Springs - Gondola - Wildlife Tour from Calgary/Banff: $116
- Banff, Lake Louise & Moraine Lake Tour from Calgary, Canmore: $96
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAdelaide $23Calgary $11
Sample the Local Flavors in Adelaide
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Adelaide:
- Private Pinot Noir Wine Tasting & Platter in Adelaide Hills: $30
- River Torrens Desserts And Wine Tour: $43
- McLaren Vale and Glenelg Wine Tasting and Sightseeing (Half-day Afternoon): $52
- McLaren Vale and Glenelg Wine Tasting Tour: $52
- Adelaide Highlights, Hahndorf & McLaren Vale Wine Tasting and Sightseeing Tour: $79
- Highlights, Hahndorf, & McLaren Vale Wine Tastings: $79
- Barossa Valley Full-Day Wine Tasting Tour: $112
- From Barossa Valley Food and Wine Tour: $112
- The Barossa Valley Premium Wine Tour with Lunch: $112
- Barossa Small Group Wine Tours - Local Guide: $131
- Barossa Valley Food and Wine Tour: $131
- Adelaide Hills Full Day Wine Tour: $131
Sample the Local Flavors in Calgary
Also in Calgary, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Calgary Brewery and Wine Tours at Award Winning Venues: $83
- Calgary Brewery Tour: $89
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Adelaide and Calgary, we can see that Calgary is more expensive. And not only is Adelaide much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Adelaide is in Pacific and Calgary is in North America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Adelaide would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Adelaide and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Calgary would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Calgary than you might in Adelaide.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Adelaide Expensive? and Is Calgary Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Adelaide or Calgary?
Adelaide has a larger population, and is about 5% larger than the population of Calgary. When comparing the sizes of Adelaide and Calgary, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.