Should you visit Baltimore or Tucson?
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 Tucson 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.
Tucson
Tucson, Arizona is the second largest city in the state and sits at an elevation of 2,400 feet. It's temperature is slightly milder than Phoenix and it is a pleasant place to visit. Most people arrive in the city by car, but Amtrak does travel through Tucson, as does Greyhound. The area is also served by the Tucson International Airport. Once in the city, you'll likely want to have access to a car, as the city is not very pedestrian friendly and public transportation is very much lacking. Many popular and beautiful sights are also outside of town in the surrounding desert, so having access to a vehicle is paramount if you hope to visit any of the places.
Which city is cheaper, Tucson 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 Tucson is $122. 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 Tucson 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.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $142 in Tucson For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
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.
While meal prices in Tucson can vary, the average travelers spends about $29 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Tucson should cost around $12 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Tucson is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
Baltimore $37
Tucson $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.
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Federal Hill Food Tour:
$71
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Little Italy and Jonestown Food Tour:
$71
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Fells Point Food Tour in Baltimore:
$73
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Spirit of Baltimore Dinner Cruise with Buffet:
$100
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Baltimore Helicopter Sightseeing Tour Plus Dinner:
$288
-
Platinum Package - Helicopter Tour with Dinner at Ruth's Chris or Capital Grille:
$315
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Baltimore Helicopter Tour plus Lunch or Dinner Cruise:
$321
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 Tucson, the average visitor spends $22 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:
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Transfer from Baltimore–Washington Airport to Baltimore:
$100
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Private transfer from or to BWI , PHL , MDT airports and PA:
$350
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Private Transfer: Baltimore to Baltimore Airport (BWI):
$622
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Private Transfer from Downtown Baltimore to BWI Airport:
$120
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Private Transfer Washington Airport BWI to Washington DC in a Business Car:
$96
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Private Baltimore Transfer: Hotel to Airport or Cruise Port:
$143
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Private Baltimore Transfer: Cruise Port to Airport or Hotel:
$143
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Private Baltimore Transfer: Airport to Hotel or Cruise Port:
$143
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Private Arrival Transfer from Baltimore Washington Airport BWI:
$54
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Private Airport Transfer: Baltimore to Baltimore–Washington Int. Airport (BWI):
$56
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Private Airport Transfer to Washington DC from Baltimore:
$280
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Departure Private Transfer Baltimore to Baltimore Airport BWI - Business Vehicle:
$74
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tucson
Also for Tucson, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Tucson Transfer: Airport to Hotel:
$96
-
Private Tucson Transfer: Hotel to Airport:
$96
-
Private transfer: Tucson Airport (TUS) to Tucson:
$622
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Private transfer: Tucson to Tucson Airport (TUS):
$622
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Tucson Downtown area to Tucson Intl Airport (TUS) - Departure Private Transfer:
$65
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Tucson International Airport One Way Transfer:
$53
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Tucson Intl Airport (TUS) to Tucson Downtown area - Arrival Private Transfer:
$65
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Tucson Intl Airport (TUS) to Tucson Downtown area - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$129
Is it cheaper to fly into Baltimore or Tucson?
Prices for flights to both Tucson 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 Tucson, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $13 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
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Baltimore City Historical Tours with a local private tour guide.:
$250
-
Baltimore Helicopter Sightseeing Tour:
$151
-
Baltimore Inner Harbor Sailing Experience:
$49
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Baltimore Inner Harbor Sightseeing Tour:
$23
-
Baltimore Monuments Walking Tour:
$12
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Baltimore Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
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Baltimore Tour-shuttle service:
$190
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Bay of a hundred islands cruise. West Cork. Private guided. 50 mins.:
$432
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Christmas in Baltimore tour:
$250
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From Inner Harbor to Happy Hour Small Group Tour with Local:
$139
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Highlights of Baltimore - Food and History Tour:
$199
Tours and Activities in Tucson
For Tucson, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Tucson Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
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Oasis Tour of Tucson:
$50
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Historic Bike Tour in Tucson:
$60
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Mural Bike Tour:
$60
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Taco Bike Tour:
$85
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 Tucson spend on average $13 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:
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Sip of Baltimore Brewery Tour:
$90
-
Westminster Region Wine Tour:
$97
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Chesapeake Region Wine Tour:
$97
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Heritage Region Wine Tour:
$97
-
Chocolate and Wine Tour:
$106
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Baltimore and Tucson, we can see that Baltimore is more expensive. And not only is Tucson much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Tucson would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Tucson 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 Tucson.
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