Should you visit Atlantic City or Pittsburgh?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Atlantic City and Pittsburgh. 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. So, let's dig into it.
Atlantic City
Atlantic City, on the southeastern coast of New Jersey, is a popular destination for gambling, partying, and generally having fun. The beach is lined with casinos, many with famous names, and there's a boardwalk that offers a diverse experience. Most people don't head to Atlantic City for the beaches - it's the casinos and partying that draws a crowd. This is a popular spot for bachelor and bachelorette parties, or anybody looking for an affordable place to gamble.
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is a city in western Pennsylvania at the junction of 3 rivers. Set between the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers, and a mountain ridge called Mt Washington, Pittsburgh has a unique character that is evident from the moment you arrive. Juxtaposed with the rumbling freight trains and the iconic bridges are the Bladerunner-esque self-driving Uber vehicles, scanning the roads with spinning Lidar scanners. Its Gilded Age sites, including the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the Carnegie Museum of Art, and the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, speak to its history as an early-20th-century industrial capital. In the North Shore neighborhood are the modern Andy Warhol Museum, Heinz Field football stadium, and PNC Park baseball stadium. Experiencing periods of boom and bust since its founding, the city is in a boom now, and it's a fun place to visit, with top-notch museums, great gardens and parks, and amazing food.
Which city is cheaper, Pittsburgh or Atlantic City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Atlantic City is $123, while the average daily cost in Pittsburgh is $145. 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. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Atlantic City and Pittsburgh in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $116 for a double occupancy room in Atlantic City.
The prices for places to stay in Pittsburgh can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is $85, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around $170.
Food
The average traveler spends about $40 per day in Atlantic City for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
Pittsburgh food costs typically run travelers around $43 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
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Food
Meals for one day
Atlantic City $40
Pittsburgh $43
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Atlantic City is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $32 per person, per day, on local transportation in Atlantic City.
Pittsburgh's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend $18 per person, per day on transportation in Pittsburgh.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Atlantic City
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Atlantic City:
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Private Transfer: Atlantic City to JFK or Laguardia Airports:
$665
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pittsburgh
Also for Pittsburgh, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Pittsburgh Airport (PIT) to Pittsburgh City - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$187
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Pittsburgh Airport (PIT) to Pittsburgh hotel/address - Arrival Private Transfer:
$93
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Pittsburgh City to Pittsburgh Airport (PIT) - Departure Private Transfer:
$93
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Pittsburgh Departure Private Transfer to Airport:
$69
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Pittsburgh International Airport One Way Transfer:
$80
Is it cheaper to fly into Atlantic City or Pittsburgh?
Prices for flights to both Pittsburgh and Atlantic City 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.
Entertainment
Entertainment and activities in Atlantic City typically cost an average of $35 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Pittsburgh can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around $30 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
Tours and Activities in Pittsburgh
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Pittsburgh.
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Entrance Ticket to AT BLAQK House Collections:
$5.60
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Pittsburgh to Logstown: Discover the area's settler history on an audio tour:
$5.99
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Pittsburgh Scavenger Hunt Experience:
$11
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2-Hr Pittsburgh Walking Tour:
$15
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Evening Ghost Tour:
$27
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Architecture and History Tour:
$29
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Black & Ghost Tour:
$30
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Beauty of the Burgh Bike Tour:
$49
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Bike the Burgh Tour:
$49
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Essential Pittsburgh Experience - The One Tour to Take:
$75
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Sip of Pittsburgh Brew Tour:
$90
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Pittsburgh Private Tours:
$94
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Atlantic City may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $31 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Pittsburgh, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $26.
Sample the Local Flavors in Atlantic City
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Atlantic City:
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All Bets Are Off: Atlantic City Bar Crawl:
$12
Sample the Local Flavors in Pittsburgh
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Pittsburgh:
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Wacky Pittsburgh Bar Crawl: By Let’s Roam:
$12
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Pittsburgh Bar Hunt: Party Through Pittsburgh Bar Crawl:
$13
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Atlantic City and Pittsburgh, we can see that Pittsburgh is more expensive. And not only is Atlantic City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Atlantic City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Atlantic City 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 Pittsburgh would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Pittsburgh than you might in Atlantic City.
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