Should you visit Baltimore or Pittsburgh?
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 Pittsburgh 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.
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 Baltimore?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Baltimore is $143, 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 Baltimore and Pittsburgh 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 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 $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.
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
Baltimore $37
Pittsburgh $43
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
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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
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Baltimore is $15 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.
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 Baltimore
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Baltimore:
-
Private Transfer: Baltimore to Baltimore Airport (BWI):
$622
-
Baltimore City to New York City - Private Car Transfer:
$454
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Baltimore City to New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) - Departure Private Transfer:
$448
-
Baltimore to New York J.F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) - Departure Private Transfer:
$448
-
Baltimore City to Newark International Airport (EWR)- Departure Private Transfer:
$411
-
Private transfer from or to BWI , PHL , MDT airports and PA:
$350
-
Baltimore City to Philadelphia City - Private Car Transfer:
$311
-
Private Airport Transfer to Washington DC from Baltimore:
$280
-
Baltimore Washington Airport (BWI) to Washington - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$219
-
Baltimore City to Washington City - Private Car Transfer:
$168
-
Private Baltimore Transfer: Cruise Port to Airport or Hotel:
$143
-
Private Baltimore Transfer: Hotel to Airport or Cruise Port:
$143
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
-
Pittsburgh Airport (PIT) to Pittsburgh hotel/address - Arrival Private Transfer:
$93
-
Pittsburgh City to Pittsburgh Airport (PIT) - Departure Private Transfer:
$93
-
Pittsburgh Departure Private Transfer to Airport:
$69
-
Pittsburgh International Airport One Way Transfer:
$80
Is it cheaper to fly into Baltimore or Pittsburgh?
Prices for flights to both Pittsburgh 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.
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 Baltimore
Here are a few actual costs in Baltimore for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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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
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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 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
-
Pittsburgh to Logstown: Discover the area's settler history on an audio tour:
$5.99
-
Pittsburgh Scavenger Hunt Experience:
$11
-
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
-
Bike the Burgh Tour:
$49
-
Essential Pittsburgh Experience - The One Tour to Take:
$75
-
Sip of Pittsburgh Brew Tour:
$90
-
Pittsburgh Private Tours:
$94
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.
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 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
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
-
Pittsburgh Bar Hunt: Party Through Pittsburgh Bar Crawl:
$13
When comparing the travel costs between Baltimore and Pittsburgh, we can see that Pittsburgh is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in North America, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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