Which city is cheaper, San Diego or Austin?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Austin or San Diego, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Austin is a entrepreneurial, eccentric, and unconventional city. It's a big city with many activities to entertain visitors, too. This is beautiful destination to visit. Visitors also love the live music, food, and shopping.
San Diego is a outdoorsy, idyllic, and fun-filled coastal city. Since it's a large city, you'll find plenty of things to do. It's a gorgeous place to visit. This is a quaint and attractive place to visit, too. It's also known for shopping, museums, and nightlife.
Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between San Diego and Austin. Then, you can decide for yourself which place is better for your next trip.
Both Austin and San Diego have interesting landmarks and museums for visitors.
Austin is a good place to visit if you're interested in museums or other recognizable sights. Austin has a number of great museums and sights including the Blanton Museum of Art, the Mexic-Arte Museum, and the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. There's also a huge supply of local art galleries.
You'll find a good number of museums and monuments packed into San Diego. While the city is famous for it's beaches, zoos, and aquariums, don't overlook the museums and other landmarks. Popular options include the Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum, the Old Town State Historic Park, and Point Loma and Cabrillo Monument.
Austin has a longer list of notable local restaurants than San Diego.
Known for it's food and restaurant scene, Austin is always at the top of any foodie's travel list. There is amazing Texas barbecue, excellent Mexican food, and diverse food trucks.
San Diego has a delicious restaurant scene that relies on local flavors. The city has great seafood and a diversity of cuisines. Popular local dishes include fish tacos and California burritos.
It's hard to distinguish whether Austin or San Diego has a better nightlife scene.
People head to Austin just to party. Head for Sixth Street for some of the most popular bars and clubs. Popular bars and clubs include the White Horse, the Rose Room, and Antone's Nightclub.
The nightlife in San Diego has something for everybody. 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 Austin or San Diego.
Austin is a world class music destination. Music is what gives this city its character. There are many live music venues, concerts, and music festivals to experience.
San Diego has a thriving music scene. Popular venues include the House of Blues, The Belly Up, and The Shout House.
While Austin and San Diego both have hiking trails, overall San Diego is more well-known.
You'll find a nice variety of hiking trails around San Diego. 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.
Many visitors include a hike while visiting Austin. Head just outside of town to explore a few great hiking spots right near town.
Shopping is a popular activity in both San Diego and Austin.
Austin is a great destination for shopping. There are a number of local boutiques around town where you can enjoy shopping.
Shopping is a popular activity when visiting San Diego. Head to Fashion Valley or Westfield UTC for some fun shopping.
Families will find a wider variety of activities in San Diego than Austin.
San Diego is an amazing family-friendly coastal city to visit. 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.
Austin offers lots of family activities. The city is a popular destination for young travelers, but there are also some family friendly activities like Barton Springs, Zilker Park, and several natural swimming holes.
Austin and San Diego are both fun to visit as a couple.
Austin is a nice destination for couples. Young couples will enjoy the city for its lively nightlife, fun music scene, and youthful vibe.
San Diego makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. For adventurous couples, there are many outdoor activities that you can enjoy together. There are also restaurants and a great nightlife in San Diego.
Austin and San Diego are comparable places to visit for backpackers and budget travelers.
Austin is popular with backpackers and budget travelers. Although the city is relatively small, it does see a disproportionate number of backpackers. There are a couple of hostels in town as well.
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.
Austin and San Diego are comparable places to visit for students.
Austin is a great city to visit as a student. The city has a huge university, the University of Texas at Austin, and it is a young city with tons for international students to experience and enjoy.
San Diego is a very popular city for students. With its young population and many universities, international students will feel right at home in San Diego.
You'll find somewhat comparable public transit options in both Austin and San Diego.
Public transit is limited or non-existant in Austin.
Public transit is mostly limited in San Diego. The city has a trolley (light rail system) as well as a bus system. Most people depend on cars to get around.
San Diego is generally more walkable than Austin.
San Diego is somewhat walkable. The downtown area is walkable, but if you want to travel further, you'll need to find a different form of transportation.
Austin is not a very walkable city. The city, like most southern cities, isn't very walkable and it's important to have a car to get around.
In either Austin or San Diego, you'll find plenty of activities to fill your time. Most visitors tend to spend more time in San Diego than Austin because of the overall number of sights and activities.
The ideal length of time for a trip to Austin is 2-3 days, and the ideal length of time for a trip to San Diego is 3-5 days.
You'll find nightlife and live music around the city of Austin. 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.
Many travelers enjoy the live music and food when visiting the destination of San Diego. Hikers are also drawn to this area. But since there are so many activities, you'll likely want to spend more than one day exploring.
You'll find live music and food around the eccentric destination of Austin. This is a popular place to visit for a weekend.A weekend should give you a good understanding of everything this city has to offer. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from.
San Diego is a great place to explore. Don't miss the beaches, as that's what most people do. With so much to do, a weekend is probably not enough time to see everything. Your budget might influence how long you stay.
Travelers enjoy the food and shopping when visiting the unconventional city of Austin. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.
It's hard to know how much time to spend in San Diego. Don't miss the beaches, as that's what most people do. For many, it makes a great getaway for five days. Make sure you spend some time hiking while you're in the area. With all of its activities, you can easily fill five days here. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.
Austin is a popular choice for travelers. 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.
Travelers enjoy the shopping and museums when visiting the idyllic destination of San Diego. This coastal city offers a variety of activities to choose from. Many travelers plan to spend time hiking while in the area. Most people find that one week is more than enough time to see everything.
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Austin is $114, 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 Austin and San Diego in more detail.
Looking for a hotel in Austin 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.
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Austin:
Also for San Diego, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
Prices for flights to both San Diego and Austin 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.
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Austin.
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 Austin for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
Here are a few actual costs in Austin 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.
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Austin:
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 Austin and San Diego, we can see that San Diego is more expensive. And not only is Austin much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Austin would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Austin 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 Austin.
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 Austin during the summer are popular places to visit. Many travelers come to Austin for the hiking, the city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences. Furthermore, many visitors come to San Diego in the summer for the beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, the city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences.
In the summer, Austin is a little warmer than San Diego. Typically, the summer temperatures in Austin in July are around 87°F (30°C), and San Diego is about 71°F (22°C).
In San Diego, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Austin. In the summer, Austin often gets around the same amount of sunshine as San Diego. Austin gets 318 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while San Diego receives 306 hours of full sun.
Austin usually gets more rain in July than San Diego. Austin gets 1.9 inches (48 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 Austin and San Diego. Many visitors come to Austin in the autumn for the hiking trails, the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area. Furthermore, most visitors 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 during these months.
In October, Austin is generally a little warmer than San Diego. Temperatures in Austin average around 73°F (23°C), and San Diego stays around 68°F (20°C).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in San Diego this time of the year. In Austin, it's very sunny this time of the year. Austin usually receives less sunshine than San Diego during autumn. Austin gets 214 hours of sunny skies, while San Diego receives 244 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In October, Austin usually receives more rain than San Diego. Austin gets 3 inches (77 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 Austin as well as San Diego. Most visitors come to Austin for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine during these months. Additionally, the winter months attract visitors to San Diego because of the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
Austin is cooler than San Diego in the winter. The temperature in Austin is usually 51°F (11°C) in January, 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, Austin often gets less sunshine than San Diego. Austin gets 163 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while San Diego receives 239 hours of full sun.
Austin usually gets around the same amount of rain in January as San Diego. Austin gets 1.9 inches (48 mm) of rain, while San Diego receives 1.8 inches (46 mm) of rain this time of the year.
Both San Diego and Austin are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The spring months attract visitors to Austin because of the activities around the city and the natural beauty. Also, the beaches, the activities around the city, and the natural beauty are the main draw to San Diego this time of year.
In the spring, Austin is a little warmer than San Diego. Typically, the spring temperatures in Austin in April are around 71°F (22°C), and San Diego is about 62°F (17°C).
It's quite sunny in San Diego. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Austin. Austin usually receives less sunshine than San Diego during spring. Austin gets 209 hours of sunny skies, while San Diego receives 277 hours of full sun in the spring.
In April, Austin usually receives more rain than San Diego. Austin gets 3.5 inches (89 mm) of rain, while San Diego receives 0.8 inches (20 mm) of rain each month for the spring.
Austin | San Diego | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
Jan | 51°F (11°C) | 1.9 inches (48 mm) | 57°F (14°C) | 1.8 inches (46 mm) |
Feb | 55°F (13°C) | 3.1 inches (78 mm) | 59°F (15°C) | 1.5 inches (39 mm) |
Mar | 63°F (17°C) | 1.9 inches (48 mm) | 59°F (15°C) | 1.8 inches (45 mm) |
Apr | 71°F (22°C) | 3.5 inches (89 mm) | 62°F (17°C) | 0.8 inches (20 mm) |
May | 77°F (25°C) | 4 inches (101 mm) | 64°F (18°C) | 0.2 inches (5 mm) |
Jun | 83°F (29°C) | 3.1 inches (80 mm) | 67°F (19°C) | 0.1 inches (2 mm) |
Jul | 87°F (30°C) | 1.9 inches (48 mm) | 71°F (22°C) | 0 inches (1 mm) |
Aug | 87°F (31°C) | 2.2 inches (56 mm) | 73°F (23°C) | 0.1 inches (3 mm) |
Sep | 82°F (28°C) | 3.7 inches (93 mm) | 71°F (22°C) | 0.2 inches (6 mm) |
Oct | 73°F (23°C) | 3 inches (77 mm) | 68°F (20°C) | 0.4 inches (9 mm) |
Nov | 62°F (17°C) | 2 inches (52 mm) | 62°F (17°C) | 1.5 inches (37 mm) |
Dec | 54°F (12°C) | 2.2 inches (56 mm) | 57°F (14°C) | 1.6 inches (40 mm) |
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