A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Antananarivo vs. San Francisco for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Antananarivo or San Francisco?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Antananarivo and San Francisco 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: Antananarivo or San Francisco?

Antananarivo

Antananarivo is the capital of Madagascar; it is also sometimes referred to as Tana. This city is the cultural and political center of Madagascar as a whole. There are multiple universities, museums, and other social venues in the city, as well as a national rugby team. This city has a very apparent French influence.

San Francisco

San Francisco is a beautiful city that is famous for it's picturesque neighborhoods, liberal character, and stunning location on the bay. Some people describe San Francisco as the United State's most "European City." This title most likely comes from its compact development and its easy walkability. It also has no shortage of parks and public spaces where you can pass some time. The city sits on the end of a peninsula and offers stunning views of the blue bay, rolling green hills, and the striking Golden Gate Bridge.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to Madagascar, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Madagascar, The Best Wildlife Tours to United States of America, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in United States of America.


Which place is cheaper, San Francisco or Antananarivo?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Antananarivo is $72, while the average daily cost in San Francisco is $222. 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 Antananarivo and San Francisco in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Antananarivo $30
    San Francisco $130
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Antananarivo $60
    San Francisco $260
Compare Hotels in Antananarivo and San Francisco

Looking for a hotel in Antananarivo or San Francisco? 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.

Hotels in Antananarivo


Hotels in San Francisco


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: Antananarivo Hotel Prices and San Francisco Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Antananarivo $14
    San Francisco $16

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Antananarivo

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Antananarivo:

  • Private Airport Transfert Ivato Antananarivo: $43

Typical Local Transportation Prices in San Francisco

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in San Francisco:


  • Taxi to SFO
    $45
  • Golden Gate Bridge Toll
    $6.00
  • Alcatraz Tour
    $30

Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Francisco

Also for San Francisco, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Transfer in private vehicle from San Francisco Airport to City: $35
  • SFO Airport Private Transfer to/from Downtown San Francisco: $97
  • Airport Transfer: San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to San Francisco: $107
  • Private Airport Transfer: San Francisco to SF International Airport (SFO): $107
  • Private Transfer from Airport SFO to San Francisco in Business Car: $108
  • Departure Private Transfer: San Francisco to Airport SFO in Business Car: $108
  • Arrival Private Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco in Business Car: $108
  • Private Airport Transfer from SFO to San Francisco (One-way): $110
  • San Francisco Airport (SFO) to San Francisco - Arrival Private Transfer: $110
  • San Francisco to San Francisco Airport (SFO) - Departure Private Transfer: $110
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in San Francisco HTL-APT (SFO): $119
  • SFO Airport Private Transfer to Downtown: $120

Is it cheaper to fly into Antananarivo or San Francisco?

Prices for flights to both San Francisco and Antananarivo 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
    Antananarivo $29
    San Francisco $46

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Antananarivo

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Antananarivo.

  • Cooking And Cuisine Tasting From Tana-Malagasy Fine Foodie Madagascar Tour: $245

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Francisco

For San Francisco, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • San Francisco Virtual Food Tour with Local Guide: $19
  • North Beach and Little Italy Food Tour: $79
  • Buffet Lunch or Dinner Cruise on the Bay: $82
  • Secret Food Tours San Francisco: $84
  • Mission District Food Tour with Tastings: $85
  • Farmers' Market & Ferry Building Food Tour: $87
  • Mission District Walking Food Tour: $89
  • Chinatown Walking Food Tour: $89
  • San Francisco North Beach Food Tour: $89
  • San Francisco North Beach and Chinatown - Secret Food Tours: $89
  • San Francisco Chinatown Food Tour: $89
  • San Francisco Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $89

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Antananarivo $24
    San Francisco $46

Tours and Activities in Antananarivo

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Antananarivo are as follows:

  • 3 days -Wildlife and Lemur discovery Tour to Andasibe: $861
  • Antananarivo Like a Local: Customized Guided Tour: $25
  • Private Walking Tour with a Local Guide: $30
  • Antanavario: Private custom tour with a local guide: $24
  • Day - Tour Ampefy: $145
  • From 9 days unique adventure trip to Tulear: $1,991
  • Full Day Private Tour in Antananarivo: $203
  • Half-Day Private Tour in Lemur's Park: $150
  • Lemur Day Tour at Andasibe Rainforest and Vakona Lodge Reserve: $299
  • Madagascar Adventures on Tana, West, East, North, and South: $3,000
  • Madagascar: Andasibe and Nosy Be Tour in one week: $2,240
  • Private Ambohimanga and Ironwork Shop Tour from Antananarivo: $87

Tours and Activities in San Francisco

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Francisco.

  • Golden Gate Bridge: Self-guided Tour App - Audio + Written: $5.00
  • San Francisco’s Chinatown on foot: A Self Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
  • Leave your heart at the Wharf: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
  • Self Guided Chinatown Tour: Food, History and Culture: $5.99
  • San Francisco's Barbary Past: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
  • Embarcadero Self-Guided Audio Smartphone Tour: $5.99
  • San Francisco self-guided tour App - multilingual AudioGuide: $6.46
  • The Ghosts of San Francisco Haunted Audio App Walking Tour: $6.99
  • Self-Guided Audio Tour of Japantown & Stories: $6.99
  • Ghosts & Hauntings Audio App Walking Tour: $6.99
  • Secrets of Golden Gate Park Audio Tour: $7.99
  • Design in the Financial District Audio Tour: $7.99

For more ideas for your next trip, check out The Best Museums in San Francisco, The Best Outdoor Activities in San Francisco, and Things to Do In San Francisco on a Rainy Day.


Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Antananarivo $9.65
    San Francisco $22

Sample the Local Flavors in San Francisco

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in San Francisco:

  • Chinatown San Francisco’s Bar Crawl: An Audio Tour: $4.99
  • SF Pub Crawl and Clubbing Experience: $27
  • San Francisco Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl : $35
  • Ghosts, Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $35
  • 2 to 3 Hour Bar Crawl in Castro San Francisco: $49
  • Wine Tasting on the Bay: $85
  • Private Wine Tour Napa or Sonoma from $99 per person up to 7 & Concierge Service: $99
  • Small Group: The Ultimate Napa & Sonoma Wine Tour: $109
  • Big Bus Napa and Sonoma Valley Wine Tour: $125
  • Half-Day Wine Country Tour with Wine Tastings: $126
  • From The Ultimate Napa and Sonoma Wine Tour: $139
  • The Ultimate Napa & Sonoma Wine Tour: $139


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Antananarivo and San Francisco, we can see that San Francisco is more expensive. And not only is Antananarivo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Antananarivo is in Africa and San Francisco 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 Antananarivo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Antananarivo 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 San Francisco would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Francisco than you might in Antananarivo.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Antananarivo Expensive? and Is San Francisco Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Antananarivo or San Francisco?

Antananarivo has a larger population, and is about 90% larger than the population of San Francisco. When comparing the sizes of Antananarivo and San Francisco, 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.