Should you visit Alberta or Quebec?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Alberta or Quebec? 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 Quebec?
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.
Quebec
The culture and history of Europe is alive and well in North America. The largest province in Canada, Quebec, was a French colony from the time of Jacques Cartier in 1534 until 1760. Today, it is the only province in Canada where French is the official language. With the second largest population in the country, approximately 6.4 million, or 80% of the people speak French as their native language.
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.
Which place is cheaper, Quebec or Alberta?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
The average daily cost (per person) in Alberta is $20,602, while the average daily cost in Quebec is $188. 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 Quebec in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation
Hotel or hostel for one person
Alberta $8,947
Quebec $108
-
Accommodation
Typical double-occupancy room
Alberta
$
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16
Quebec
$216
Looking for a hotel in Alberta or Quebec? 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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Alberta
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Alberta:
-
Black Car Airport Transfers in Bow Valley:
$289
-
Calgary to Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, Luxury YYC Transfer:
$288
-
Private Transfer YYC Airport to Banff Canmore Louise kananaskis:
$252
-
Banff/Canmore to Calgary YYC Airport Private Transfer:
$246
-
Edmonton Airport (YEG) to Edmonton - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$235
-
Calgary Airport (YYC) to Banff Resorts - Arrival Private Transfer:
$210
-
Calgary Airport (YYC) to Sunshine Village - Arrival Transfer:
$208
-
Calgary Airport (YYC) to Lake Louise - Arrival Private Transfer:
$202
-
Calgary Airport (YYC) to Calgary hotel or address - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$196
-
Private Airport Transfer YYC to Banff Canmore or Lake Louise:
$180
-
Private Transfer: Calgary Airport to Fairmont Banff Spring Hotel:
$159
-
Arrival Transfer: Calgary Airport YYC to Calgary by Luxury Van:
$151
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Quebec
Also for Quebec, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
8 Passengers Transfer from or to Montreal Airport YUL to Montreal City Center:
$216
-
Departure Transfer Montreal to Montreal Airport by Limos or Bus:
$155
-
Departure transfer Montreal to Montreal Airport YUL by Car or SUV:
$62
-
From Quebec City: Grosse Île Tour & Cruise + Bus Transfer:
$92
-
Le Terminal Quebec Cruise Port to Quebec - Arrival Private Transfer:
$72
-
Le Terminal Quebec Cruise Port: Private Transfer to Quebec:
$243
-
Le Terminal Quebec Port to Québec Airport (YQB) - Departure Private Transfer:
$102
-
Montréal Airport (YUL) to Montreal Hotels - Private Transfer:
$69
-
Montréal Airport (YUL) to Montreal hotel or port - Arrival Private Transfer:
$68
-
Montreal Private Transfer to Montreal Airport YUL in Luxury SUV:
$174
-
Montreal Private Transfer to Montreal Airport YUL in Luxury Van:
$181
-
Montreal hotels to Montréal Airport (YUL) - Private Transfer:
$69
Is it cheaper to fly into Alberta or Quebec?
Prices for flights to both Quebec 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
-
Food
Meals for one day
Alberta $8,366
Quebec $59
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Alberta
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Alberta.
-
Banff's Canadian Rocky Mountain Food Tour:
$105
-
Banff's Winter Wonderland Food Tour:
$105
-
Half-Day Jasper Culture Food Tour:
$117
-
Edmonton's #1 Food Bike Tour: The Best Local Food Tour on E-Bikes:
$144
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Quebec
For Quebec, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Guided Happy Hour Brew Tour in Montreal with Dinner:
$86
-
Montreal Mile End Food Tour: Bagels, Smoked Meat & Poutine:
$86
-
Jean Talon Market & Little Italy Food Tour with 8 Food Tastings:
$87
-
Montreal Elite Mile End Food Tour:
$97
-
Montreal Mile End Food Tour with Bagel, Poutine & 7 Tastings:
$99
-
Montreal Mile End Guided Food Tour by Local Montreal Tours:
$99
-
Quebec : Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide:
$108
-
Old Montreal Guided Food Tour with 8+ Local Delicacies Tastings:
$115
-
Montreal Home Dining & Dim Sum Cooking Class:
$115
-
Private Authentic Cooking Class in Montreal with Sokun:
$115
-
Old Quebec City Food Tour with 10+ Local Tastings:
$122
-
Québec City: 3 or 5-Course Dinner Cruise with DJ & Dancing:
$123
Entertainment
Tours and Activities in Alberta
Here are a few actual costs in Alberta for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
1 Day Tour Drumheller Royal Tyrrell Museum from Calgary:
$112
-
1 Day Tour in Banff Lake Louise and Moraine Lake:
$108
-
1-Hour Edmonton River Valley Segway Tour:
$43
-
1.5 Hour Stand Up Paddle-board (SUP) Tour in Banff National Park:
$90
-
2 Days Banff and Jasper Tour : Lakes, Glaciers and Hot Springs:
$216
-
3 Day Banff Moraine Lake Louise Johnston Columbia Icefield Tour:
$216
-
4 hour Moraine Lake Tour from Banff and Canmore:
$98
-
4WD Tour from Calgary to Bow Lake Banff:
$180
-
5 Lakes Tour Louise and Moraine Emerald Peyto Takakkaw Falls:
$112
-
5 Lakes day tour: Moraine, Louise, Bow, Peyto, small groups!:
$115
-
A Spectacular Audio Tour : Calgary Adventure:
$15
-
Badlands Guided Small Group Tour: Calgary to Drumheller Dinosaurs:
$98
Tours and Activities in Quebec
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Quebec.
-
Old Quebec Scavenger Hunt & Highlights Self-Guided Walking Tour:
$4.08
-
Uncover Old Fun Walking Tour with a guide-Gratuity based:
$4.33
-
Québec: City Highlights Walking Tour | 3-Hour:
$5.00
-
Montreal City Highlights 3 Hour Walking Tour | Gratuity-Based:
$5.00
-
Self Guided Walking Tour of Historic Québec City:
$5.83
-
Quebec City Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$6.00
-
Quebec City Walking Tour 1h45 and 24 Audio Comments:
$6.75
-
APP Self-Guided Tours Quebec with Audioguide:
$9.34
-
Old Montreal Historical Downtown Self Guided Walking Tour:
$9.75
-
Quebec City Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour:
$14
-
La Citadelle de Québec Ticket and Guided Tour:
$16
-
Quebec City: MNBAQ National Fine Arts Museum Entry Ticket:
$18
Alcohol
Sample the Local Flavors in Alberta
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Alberta:
-
An Epic Bar Crawl: Cruisin' Calgary:
$12
-
Edmonton Brewery Tour (10 person minimum group):
$101
-
Calgary to Banff Brewery Tour and Lunch:
$144
Sample the Local Flavors in Quebec
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Quebec:
-
Guided visits and tasting at a Quebec distillery:
$16
-
Montreal Distillery Tour and Spirit Tasting at Cirka:
$18
-
Quebec City: Honey and Distillery Tour with Tasting:
$20
-
Quebec City: Island of Orleans Wine Tour:
$93
-
Quebec Cheese and Wine Tasting:
$94
-
Wine Tasting on Ile d'Orleans:
$95
-
Quebec City: Montmorency Falls and Microbrewery eBike Tour:
$145
-
Experience the Flavors of Montérégie on a Guided Wine Tour:
$283
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Alberta and Quebec, we can see that Alberta is more expensive. And not only is Quebec much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Quebec would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Quebec 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 Alberta would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Alberta than you might in Quebec.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Alberta Expensive? and Is Quebec Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, Alberta or Quebec?
Quebec has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Alberta. When comparing the sizes of Alberta and Quebec, 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.
Related Articles for Alberta
Related Articles for Quebec