Should you visit Baltimore or Cleveland?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Baltimore and Cleveland can help you decide which place is right for you.
Baltimore
Baltimore is a large, industrial city and popular tourist destination in the state of Maryland. It is about an hour outside of Washington, D.C. and is a hub of tourism and entertainment for the area. It has a vibrant nightlife, comfortable climate, and is a great place to visit when you're in the area. The city proper has a population of about 600,000 and the metropolitan area has 2.7 million. Its economy is centered around science, technology, engineering and math and it has many undergraduate and graduate schools including the world renowned Johns Hopkins University.
Cleveland
Located on the shores of Lake Erie of the Great Lakes, Cleveland is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. As a culturally diverse and thriving metropolitan area, the city is host to a vast range of sights and activities, such as world-class museums, cultural events, professional sports, and golf courses as well as plenty of dining, shopping, and entertainment opportunities.
Which city is cheaper, Cleveland or Baltimore?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Baltimore is $145, while the average daily cost in Cleveland is $106. 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 Baltimore and Cleveland in more detail.
Accommodation
Baltimore's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is $150. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is $75.
The prices for places to stay in Cleveland can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is $60, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around $120.
Food
The average traveler spends about $37 per day in Baltimore 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.
On average, meal and food prices in Cleveland cost around $29 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around $12.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Baltimore $37
Cleveland $29
Typical Food prices in Baltimore
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Baltimore:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Baltimore
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Baltimore.
-
Federal Hill Food Tour:
$71
-
Little Italy and Jonestown Food Tour:
$71
-
Fells Point Food Tour in Baltimore:
$73
-
Spirit of Baltimore Dinner Cruise with Buffet:
$100
-
Baltimore Helicopter Sightseeing Tour Plus Dinner:
$288
-
Platinum Package - Helicopter Tour with Dinner at Ruth's Chris or Capital Grille:
$315
-
Baltimore Helicopter Tour plus Lunch or Dinner Cruise:
$321
Typical Food prices in Cleveland
For Cleveland, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
Coffee
$1.79
-
Sandwich
$9.75
-
Large Pizza
$15
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cleveland
For Cleveland, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
West Side Market Food Tour:
$47
-
Tremont Neighborhood Food Tour:
$65
-
Ohio City Food Tour:
$70
-
Little Italy Neighborhood Food Tour:
$73
-
Tremont Guided Food Tour with Tasting:
$246
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Baltimore is $17 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
To get around in Cleveland, the average visitor spends $15 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Baltimore
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Baltimore:
-
Transfer from Baltimore–Washington Airport to Baltimore:
$100
-
Private transfer from or to BWI , PHL , MDT airports and PA:
$350
-
Private Transfer: Baltimore to Baltimore Airport (BWI):
$622
-
Private Transfer from Downtown Baltimore to BWI Airport:
$120
-
Private Transfer Washington Airport BWI to Washington DC in a Business Car:
$96
-
Private Baltimore Transfer: Hotel to Airport or Cruise Port:
$143
-
Private Baltimore Transfer: Cruise Port to Airport or Hotel:
$143
-
Private Baltimore Transfer: Airport to Hotel or Cruise Port:
$143
-
Private Arrival Transfer from Baltimore Washington Airport BWI:
$54
-
Private Airport Transfer: Baltimore to Baltimore–Washington Int. Airport (BWI):
$56
-
Private Airport Transfer to Washington DC from Baltimore:
$280
-
Departure Private Transfer Baltimore to Baltimore Airport BWI - Business Vehicle:
$74
Typical Local Transportation prices in Cleveland
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Cleveland are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cleveland
Also for Cleveland, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
CLE Airport Transfer to Downtown Cleveland:
$116
-
Cleveland Airport - Executive Sedan/SUV Airport/Hotel Round Trip Transfer:
$261
-
Cleveland Airport-Hotel Ground Transfer - One Way:
$106
-
Cleveland Hopkins Airport (CLE) to Cleveland - Arrival Private Transfer:
$78
-
Cleveland Hopkins Airport (CLE) to Cleveland - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$157
-
Cleveland to Cleveland Hopkins Airport (CLE) - Departure Private Transfer:
$78
-
Private Arrival Transfer from Cleveland Airprot (CLE):
$62
-
Private Departure Transfer to Cleveland Airport (CLE):
$62
Is it cheaper to fly into Baltimore or Cleveland?
Prices for flights to both Cleveland and Baltimore 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
Baltimore's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $14 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
In Cleveland, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $32 per person, per day.
Tours and Activities in Baltimore
Here are a few actual costs in Baltimore for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
2 Hour Chesapeake Signature Cruise:
$15
-
Baltimore City Historical Tours with a local private tour guide.:
$250
-
Baltimore Helicopter Sightseeing Tour:
$151
-
Baltimore Inner Harbor Sailing Experience:
$49
-
Baltimore Inner Harbor Sightseeing Tour:
$23
-
Baltimore Monuments Walking Tour:
$12
-
Baltimore Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
-
Baltimore Tour-shuttle service:
$190
-
Bay of a hundred islands cruise. West Cork. Private guided. 50 mins.:
$432
-
Christmas in Baltimore tour:
$250
-
From Inner Harbor to Happy Hour Small Group Tour with Local:
$139
-
Highlights of Baltimore - Food and History Tour:
$199
Tours and Activities in Cleveland
For Cleveland, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
Virtual Tour of the Lake Erie Shoreline via Coastal Trail:
$10
-
Cleveland History Center General Admission Entry Ticket:
$12
-
Skip the Line: GRAMMY Museum Mississippi General Admission Ticket:
$14
-
Downtown Cleveland Smartphone-Guided Walking Tour:
$24
-
The Original Cleveland Brew Tour:
$108
-
Casual Wine transportation tour:
$225
-
Private City Tour:
$250
-
60's Throwback Shopping Tour:
$375
-
The best of Cleveland walking tour:
$498
-
Romantic tour in Cleveland:
$498
-
Stradbroke Island Adventure:
$672
-
Private Wine Full Day Tour from Atlanta City by Luxury Vehicle:
$987
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Baltimore may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $14 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Typically, people visiting Cleveland spend on average $36 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Baltimore
Also in Baltimore, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Sip of Baltimore Brewery Tour:
$90
-
Westminster Region Wine Tour:
$97
-
Chesapeake Region Wine Tour:
$97
-
Heritage Region Wine Tour:
$97
-
Chocolate and Wine Tour:
$106
Typical Alcohol prices in Cleveland
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Cleveland are as follows:
Sample the Local Flavors in Cleveland
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cleveland:
-
Cleveland Bar Hunt: Cleveland Climax Bar Crawl:
$12
-
Brewery Tour with Tastings:
$81
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Baltimore and Cleveland, we can see that Baltimore is more expensive. And not only is Cleveland much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Cleveland would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cleveland 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 Baltimore would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Baltimore than you might in Cleveland.
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