Which city is cheaper, San Diego or Asheville?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Asheville and San Diego. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Asheville is a open-minded, eclectic, and outdoorsy mountain town. It's a beautiful place to visit, too. This destination also has one of those special and quaint feelings. Visitors also love the live music, food, and hiking.
San Diego is a dynamic, energetic, and outdoorsy coastal city. It's a large city, so you'll find plenty of things to do around town. It's a beautiful place to visit, too. This destination also has one of those special and quaint feelings. And you can't forget about the food, scuba diving and snorkeling, and beaches.
Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between San Diego and Asheville. Then, you can decide for yourself which place is better for your next trip.
Dining out at restaurants in both Asheville and San Diego can be an enjoyable experience.
Visitors will find a budding food and restaurant scene in Asheville. Popular local dishes include North Carolina barbeque and country ham biscuits.
San Diego is becoming an appealing option for foodies. The city has great seafood and a diversity of cuisines. Popular local dishes include fish tacos and California burritos.
Party-goers will find similar levels of energy in Asheville and San Diego.
Asheville is a popular destination for visitors looking to party into the night. The city has a fun and eclectic nightlife scene that centers around the city's breweries and live music venues.
Many people head to San Diego for the nightlife scene. The heart of the city's nightlife scene is in the Gaslamp District, which is filled with bars, clubs, and music venues.
Live music enthusiatsts will find something to enjoy in either Asheville or San Diego.
Music is a popular form of entertainment in Asheville. The city has grown into a world famous music destination that holds true to its mountain roots and independent artists.
The music scene in San Diego draws a good crowd. Popular venues include the House of Blues, The Belly Up, and The Shout House.
There are resorts to choose from in both Asheville and San Diego.
With a selection of resorts, Asheville makes a nice vacation spot. The most famous resorts in the area are the Biltmore Estate and the Grove Park Inn.
San Diego has a few great resort options. Most people prefer to stay in hotels or VRBOs, but several popular resorts include Fairmont Grand Del Mar, Paradise Point, and the famous Hotel del Coronado.
Hiking trails can be found around both Asheville and San Diego.
You'll find a nice variety of hiking trails around Asheville. Just outside of town are many great hikes to waterfalls or through the mountains.
Many visitors go to San Diego for the hiking trails. The city is filled with parks and has tons of natural beauty. Head to Torrey Pines State Park or Los Penasquitos Canyon Trail for some nice hikes.
Shopping is a popular activity in both San Diego and Asheville.
Asheville offers some nice shopping areas. The city has many local shops that sell local crafts and independent art.
San Diego has a variety of shopping areas worth visiting. Head to Fashion Valley or Westfield UTC for some fun shopping.
Families may find more to do in San Diego than Asheville.
With a huge array of activities for kids, San Diego is very family-friendly. It has a number of kid-friendly activities that everyone can enjoy. There's the world class zoo, several amusement parks, the beaches, aquariums, and more.
Asheville offers lots of family activities. With its beautiful hiking, interesting nature centers, and outdoor adventure activities, this mountain town makes a great kid-friendly destination.
Asheville and San Diego both fun destinations for a couple.
Asheville makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. Couples enjoy exploring the beautiful Biltmore Estates or visiting the spa at the Grove Park Inn. The quaint town makes a great honeymoon destination or a nice romantic getaway.
San Diego is a good mountain town for couples to visit. For adventurous couples, there are many outdoor activities that you can enjoy together. There are also restaurants and a great nightlife in San Diego.
Asheville and San Diego are comparable places to visit for backpackers and budget travelers.
Asheville is popular with backpackers and budget travelers. The town has an eclectic vibe that backpackers appreciate. There are a few good hostels around town as well as nearby campgrounds that are perfect for budget travelers.
It's common for backpackers to visit San Diego. Backpackers will enjoy the young vibe of the city. There are a few great hostels near the beach or in town.
Asheville and San Diego both are comparable when exploring on foot.
Asheville is a somewhat walkable place. If you stay downtown and don't plan to explore the outlying areas, then it's possible to walk around town. Otherwise, you'll need a car.
San Diego is a somewhat walkable mountain town. The downtown area is walkable, but if you want to travel further, you'll need to find a different form of transportation.
In either Asheville or San Diego, you'll find plenty of activities to fill your time. Most visitors tend to spend more time in San Diego than Asheville because of the overall number of sights and activities.
The ideal length of time for a trip to Asheville is 2-3 days, and the ideal length of time for a trip to San Diego is 3-5 days.
You'll find food and shopping around the mountain town of Asheville. Hiking can easily take up a good amount of your time here, too. Since there is so much to do in the area, one day is probably not enough for all of it. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.
You'll find shopping and museums around the coastal city of San Diego. Many visitors spend time at the beach while visiting the area. Since there is so much to do in the area, one day is probably not enough for all of it. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.
You'll find shopping and nightlife around the outdoorsy destination of Asheville. Hikers are also drawn to this area. This is a popular place to visit for a weekend.A weekend should give you a good understanding of everything this mountain town has to offer. This mountain town offers a variety of activities to choose from.
You'll find museums and nightlife around the idyllic destination of San Diego. Hikers are also drawn to this area. A weekend is usually not enough time for a trip here as there is plenty to do. This coastal city offers a variety of activities to choose from.
Travelers enjoy the nightlife and live music when visiting the outdoorsy mountain town of Asheville. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. Many visitors also spend a good bit of time hiking. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.
You'll find nightlife and live music around the energetic coastal city of San Diego. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. If you have five days, this coastal city makes for a great vacation. It's also a great beach destination, too. Most people head to the area for the beaches. Five days should give you a good understanding of everything this coastal city has to offer.
Asheville is a popular choice for travelers. Make sure you spend some time hiking while you're in the area. One week is usually plenty of time to spend here with extra days to spare. With this much time, visitors often visit nearby destinations or take day trips. It will give you the chance to have new experiences.
San Diego is a popular choice for travelers. It's a great spot for a beach vacation. One week is usually plenty of time to spend here with extra days to spare. With this much time, visitors often visit nearby destinations or take day trips. It will give you the chance to have new experiences.
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Asheville is $106, while the average daily cost in San Diego is $161. 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 city. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Asheville and San Diego in more detail.
Looking for a hotel in Asheville or San Diego? 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.
Also for San Diego, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
Prices for flights to both San Diego and Asheville 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.
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Asheville:
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to San Diego:
For San Diego, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
Here are a few typical costs in Asheville for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
Here are a few actual costs in Asheville for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
For San Diego, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Diego.
Also in Asheville, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
Also in San Diego, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Asheville and San Diego, we can see that San Diego is more expensive. And not only is Asheville much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Asheville would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Asheville 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 Diego would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Diego than you might in Asheville.
Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.
Both San Diego and Asheville during the summer are popular places to visit. The summer months attract visitors to Asheville because of the hiking, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences. Also, the beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, the city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences are the main draw to San Diego this time of year.
Asheville is a little warmer than San Diego in the summer. The temperature in Asheville is usually 82°F (28°C) in July, and San Diego stays around 71°F (22°C).
In San Diego, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Asheville. In the summer, Asheville often gets less sunshine than San Diego. Asheville gets 268 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while San Diego receives 306 hours of full sun.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Asheville. Asheville usually gets more rain in July than San Diego. Asheville gets 5.4 inches (137 mm) of rain, while San Diego receives 0 inches (1 mm) of rain this time of the year.
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Asheville and San Diego. The hiking trails, the shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area are the main draw to Asheville this time of year. Also, many travelers come to San Diego for the hiking trails, the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area.
In the autumn, Asheville is cooler than San Diego. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Asheville in October are around 64°F (18°C), and San Diego is about 68°F (20°C).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in San Diego this time of the year. In Asheville, it's very sunny this time of the year. Asheville usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as San Diego during autumn. Asheville gets 229 hours of sunny skies, while San Diego receives 244 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In October, Asheville usually receives more rain than San Diego. Asheville gets 3.4 inches (86 mm) of rain, while San Diego receives 0.4 inches (9 mm) of rain each month for the autumn.
The winter brings many poeple to Asheville as well as San Diego. Many travelers come to Asheville for the Christmas ambience, the shopping scene, and the cuisine. Also, many visitors come to San Diego in the winter for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
In January, Asheville is generally much colder than San Diego. Temperatures in Asheville average around 44°F (7°C), and San Diego stays around 57°F (14°C).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in San Diego. In the winter, Asheville often gets less sunshine than San Diego. Asheville gets 176 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while San Diego receives 239 hours of full sun.
Asheville receives a lot of rain in the winter. Asheville usually gets more rain in January than San Diego. Asheville gets 3.9 inches (100 mm) of rain, while San Diego receives 1.8 inches (46 mm) of rain this time of the year.
Both San Diego and Asheville are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. Many visitors come to Asheville in the spring for the natural beauty. Also, most visitors come to San Diego for the beaches, the activities around the city, and the natural beauty during these months.
Asheville is around the same temperature as San Diego in the spring. The temperature in Asheville is usually 64°F (18°C) in April, and San Diego stays around 62°F (17°C).
It's quite sunny in San Diego. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Asheville. Asheville usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as San Diego during spring. Asheville gets 266 hours of sunny skies, while San Diego receives 277 hours of full sun in the spring.
It's quite rainy in Asheville. In April, Asheville usually receives more rain than San Diego. Asheville gets 4.4 inches (112 mm) of rain, while San Diego receives 0.8 inches (20 mm) of rain each month for the spring.
Asheville | San Diego | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
Jan | 44°F (7°C) | 3.9 inches (100 mm) | 57°F (14°C) | 1.8 inches (46 mm) |
Feb | 47°F (8°C) | 4.3 inches (109 mm) | 59°F (15°C) | 1.5 inches (39 mm) |
Mar | 55°F (13°C) | 5.4 inches (137 mm) | 59°F (15°C) | 1.8 inches (45 mm) |
Apr | 64°F (18°C) | 4.4 inches (112 mm) | 62°F (17°C) | 0.8 inches (20 mm) |
May | 71°F (22°C) | 3.1 inches (79 mm) | 64°F (18°C) | 0.2 inches (5 mm) |
Jun | 79°F (26°C) | 3.8 inches (96 mm) | 67°F (19°C) | 0.1 inches (2 mm) |
Jul | 82°F (28°C) | 5.4 inches (137 mm) | 71°F (22°C) | 0 inches (1 mm) |
Aug | 81°F (27°C) | 4.6 inches (118 mm) | 73°F (23°C) | 0.1 inches (3 mm) |
Sep | 75°F (24°C) | 4 inches (101 mm) | 71°F (22°C) | 0.2 inches (6 mm) |
Oct | 64°F (18°C) | 3.4 inches (86 mm) | 68°F (20°C) | 0.4 inches (9 mm) |
Nov | 55°F (13°C) | 3.2 inches (81 mm) | 62°F (17°C) | 1.5 inches (37 mm) |
Dec | 47°F (8°C) | 4.1 inches (103 mm) | 57°F (14°C) | 1.6 inches (40 mm) |
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