Which place is cheaper, British Columbia or Alberta?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Alberta or British Columbia?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Alberta or British Columbia? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Alberta or British Columbia?
Alberta
If you ever wanted to visit a place where all the beauty of nature is centrally located, you will want to make a trip to Alberta, Canada. With part of the Canadian Rockies, the prairies and the wilderness of forests, Alberta has something for everyone. As the home to Canada's oil industry, this is also the richest province in the country.
British Columbia
The westernmost province in Canada, British Columbia, is four times the size of Great Britain with less than one tenth of the population. This is due to the vast mountain ranges just ready to be tackled including the Rockies, Selkirks and the Coastal Range. With vibrant cities and ambitious outdoor activities, British Columbia is ready for any traveler.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 3-Day Tours from Vancouver, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Vancouver, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Toronto, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Vancouver.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAlberta $113British Columbia $139
The average daily cost (per person) in Alberta is $113, while the average daily cost in British Columbia is $139. 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 Alberta and British Columbia in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAlberta $66British Columbia $80
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAlberta $132British Columbia $160
Compare Hotels in Alberta and British Columbia
Looking for a hotel in Alberta or British Columbia? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Alberta $19British Columbia $20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Alberta
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Alberta:
- Alberta Transfer: Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise, Calgary: $64
- Arrival Private Transfer: Calgary Airport YYC to Calgary in Business Car: $108
- Arrival Private Transfer: Calgary Airport YYC to Calgary in Luxury Van: $128
- Banff Thermal Resorts to Calgary Airport (YYC) Departure Transfer: $139
- Calgary Air to Fairmont/Radium Hot Springs Round-Trip Transfer: $295
- Calgary Airport (YYC) to Banff Thermal Round-Trip Transfer: $277
- Calgary Airport (YYC) to Banff | Private Transfer: $185
- Calgary Airport (YYC) to Jasper Thermal Resorts Arrival Transfer: $169
- Calgary Airport (YYC) to Lake Louise - Arrival Private Transfer: $115
- Calgary Airport (YYC) to Lake Louise | Private Transfer: $235
- Calgary Airport to Banff Thermal Resorts Private Arrival Transfer: $139
- Calgary Airport to Kicking Horse Private Round Trip Transfer: $153
Hired Cars and Shuttles in British Columbia
Some specific examples of transportation prices in British Columbia:
- Airport Transfer: $156
- Arrival Private Transfer from Vancouver YVR or Cruise Port to Vancouver by SUV: $120
- Arrival Private Transfer from Vancouver YVR or Port to Vancouver by Business Car: $108
- Arrival Private Transfer: Vancouver Airport YVR to Vancouver in Business Car: $120
- Arrival Private Transfer: Vancouver Airport YVR to Vancouver in Luxury Car: $163
- Arrival Private Transfer: Vancouver Airport YVR to Vancouver in Luxury SUV: $133
- Big White/Silver Star to Kelowna Airport (YLW)-Departure Transfer: $155
- Calgary Airport Transfer to Canmore, Banff and Lake Louise: $63
- Canada Place Cruise Port to Vancouver Airport (YVR) - Departure Private Transfer: $93
- Canada Place Cruise Port to Vancouver hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $93
- Canada Place Cruise Port to Vancouver hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $186
- Canada Place Port to Vancouver Airport(YVR) - Departure Transfer : $55
Is it cheaper to fly into Alberta or British Columbia?
Prices for flights to both British Columbia and Alberta 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 dayAlberta $28British Columbia $32
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Alberta
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Alberta.
- Take a Bite out of Banff ~ Rocky Mountain Banff Food Tour: $94
- Half-Day Jasper Culture Food Tour: $107
- Peak Nic - A hike and an outdoor cooking lesson: $119
- Banff Food Tour: Eat the Castle: $153
- 4-Hours E-Bike Food Tour : $201
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in British Columbia
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in British Columbia.
- Hip & Hidden Chinatown + Old Town Food Tour Victoria: $59
- Victoria Delicious Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour: $73
- Downtown Kelowna Walking Food Tour with 7 Tastings and Drinks: $74
- Vancouver Delicious Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour: $78
- A Wok Around Food Tour of the Granville Island Public Market: $84
- Kelowna Top 5 Food Tour with Drinks: $89
- Experience Gastown Vancouver's Elite Walking Food Tour: $93
- Gastown Historic Walking Food Tour: $100
- North Vancouver Shipyards Food Tour: $108
- Okanagan Valley Wine Tasting with Sunset Dinner : $133
- Vancouver Authentic Chinese Food Tour: $134
- VIP Granville Island Market Vancouver - Walking Food Tour: $138
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Alberta $13British Columbia $43
Tours and Activities in Alberta
Here are a few actual costs in Alberta for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Discover the Early History of Strathcona with Historic Walking Tour: $4.46
- Bow River Trail: a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $5.19
- Tunnel Mountain Trail: a Smartphone Audio Nature Tour : $5.19
- Downtown Calgary a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $5.22
- 3-Hour Tips Based Walking Tour of Calgary: $5.46
- The Sights of Banff: a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $6.31
- Smartphone Audio Driving Tour between Banff and Calgary: $6.31
- The Sights of Canmore: a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $6.31
- Explore the Stampede City with Walking Tours in Calgary: $6.68
- Edmonton Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- Banff Cave and Hot Springs Self-Guided Walking Tour: $9.99
- Scavenger Hunt Adventure in Edmonton by Crazy Dash: $10
Tours and Activities in British Columbia
Here are a few actual costs in British Columbia for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tour of Gastown: $4.85
- Fort Langley: a Film & Television Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $5.19
- Victoria Harbour: a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $5.19
- Cycling the Seawall: A Self-Guided Audio Tour Along the Stanley Park Seawall: $5.46
- Sea to Sky Highway: a Smartphone Audio Driving Tour: $6.31
- Smartphone Audio Driving Tour between Kamloops & Revelstoke: $6.33
- Smartphone Audio Driving Tour between Kamloops and Vancouver: $6.36
- Walking Tour Along Stanley Park's Seawall: $6.68
- Historic Walking Tours of Vancouver with Then & Now Images!: $6.72
- Explore The History of People of the Safe Harbour in Walking Tour of Ucluelet: $6.73
- Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tours of Stanley Park: $7.46
- VanDusen Botanical Garden Admission Ticket: $7.65
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAlberta $11British Columbia $12
Sample the Local Flavors in Alberta
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Alberta:
- Calgary Brewery Tour: $90
- Edmonton Brewery Tour: $105
Sample the Local Flavors in British Columbia
Also in British Columbia, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Gastown Pub Crawl: $26
- Whistler Distillery Tour & Tasting Experience: $66
- Kelowna Snow E-Biking Adventure with Lunch, Wine Tasting & S'mores: $74
- Vancouver Craft Brewery Tour: $89
- Victoria Craft Brewery Tour: $90
- Vancouver Behind-the-Scenes Brewery Tour: $93
- 3-Hour Street Art & Craft Beer Tour of Victoria, Brewery Tour & Tasting included: $102
- Lake Country Scenic Wine Tour With Wine Tasting Experience: $104
- Kelowna Wine Tour on an E-Bike with Lunch: $111
- Victoria Craft Beer and Distillery Tour: $111
- East Kelowna Half-Day Guided Wine Tour With 4 Wineries: $118
- Sunset Sip Wine Tour : $118
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Alberta and British Columbia, we can see that British Columbia is more expensive. And not only is Alberta much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Alberta would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Alberta 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 British Columbia would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in British Columbia than you might in Alberta.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Alberta Expensive? and Is British Columbia Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, Alberta or British Columbia?
British Columbia has a larger population, and is about 26% larger than the population of Alberta. When comparing the sizes of Alberta and British Columbia, 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.