Should you visit Boston or Rapid City?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Boston and Rapid City. 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.
Boston
Boston is one of the oldest and most historic cities in New England. It is also the capital of the state of Massachusetts and the largest city in the region. The city proper covers 48 square miles and has a population of more than 600,000. The Greater Boston area has 4.5 million people and is the tenth largest metropolitan area in the country.
Rapid City
Rapid City is a large city in western South Dakota that is considered the gateway to the Black Hills National Forest. Rapid City is often used as a base for all types of outdoor activities, including tours to the infamous Mount Rushmore and surrounding parks. The city has a budding art scene and offers the perfect combination of a metropolitan city surrounded by stunning natural scenery. Rapid City experiences the best weather from June-September with temperatures in the 70's and 80's Fahrenheit. Temperatures drop to the low 20's F in the winter and the area receives the most rain pour in April and May.
Which city is cheaper, Rapid City or Boston?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Boston is $203, while the average daily cost in Rapid City is $93. 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 Boston and Rapid City in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $264 for a double occupancy room in Boston.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $96 in Rapid City For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Boston is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $28 per person, per day, on local transportation in Boston.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Rapid City than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $42 on transportation in Rapid City on average per day.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Boston
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Boston are as follows:
-
Taxi
$35
-
Subway Daily Pass
$9.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Boston
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Boston:
-
Transfer in private vehicle from Boston City Downtown to Boston Airport (BOS):
$69
-
Transfer in private vehicle from Boston Airport (BOS) to City Downtown:
$69
-
Transfer from Boston Logan International Airport to Boston:
$85
-
Shared Departure Transfer: Hotel to Boston Airport:
$30
-
Shared Arrival Transfer: Boston Airport to Hotel:
$30
-
Round trip transfer in private vehicle from Boston city -to Boston Airport (BOS):
$138
-
Round trip Airport Transfer: Logan - Boston:
$181
-
Private transfer: Boston to Boston Airport (BOS):
$622
-
Private transfer: Boston Airport (BOS) to Boston:
$622
-
Private transfer from or to BOS Boston, MA:
$113
-
Private arrival OR departure transfer in Boston (hotel OR airport pick-up):
$132
-
Private Transfer from Boston City to Boston (BOS) Airport:
$117
Is it cheaper to fly into Boston or Rapid City?
Prices for flights to both Rapid City and Boston 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.
Food
In Boston travelers spend around $40 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
In Rapid City travelers spend around $19 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Boston $40
Rapid City $19
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Boston
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Boston.
-
Boston's North End "Little Italy" Pizza, Cannoli, and Freedom Trail Walking Tour:
$49
-
Boston's North End Small-Group Walking Food Tour:
$71
-
Fenway Neighborhood Food Tour (Boston):
$79
-
Buffet Lunch or Dinner Cruise on Boston Harbor:
$81
-
Private Tour: Secret Food Tours Boston North End:
$103
-
Spirit of Boston Sunset Dinner Cruise with Buffet:
$105
-
Boston Odyssey Dinner Cruise:
$118
-
Lunch or Dinner Cruise on the Odyssey:
$122
-
North End Neighborhood Food Tour:
$150
Entertainment
Entertainment and activities in Boston typically cost an average of $26 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Sightseeing expenses in Rapid City, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $21 per day, per person.
Typical Entertainment prices in Boston
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Boston are as follows:
Tours and Activities in Boston
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Boston are as follows:
-
2-Day Trip Philadelphia City Tour from Boston:
$519
-
6-Day Economy East Coast Tour ( Boston Departure) ( BOAP6E):
$448
-
6-Day Economy East Coast Tour (Boston departure)(BO6E):
$448
-
6-Day Tour East Coast Tour ( Boston Departure) ( BOAP6D):
$560
-
6-Day Tour East Coast Tour (Boston Departure)(BO6):
$560
-
6-Day U.S East Coast Tour (Boston departure) BO6U:
$560
-
7-Days Tour US east coast and Canada tour (Boston Departure) (BO7C):
$706
-
Amazing Scavenger Hunt Adventure: Boston Harbor:
$44
-
Beer Tour:
$80
-
Best of Boston Tour - Private Safe Tour:
$185
-
Boston Back Bay Tourist Scavenger Hunt:
$36
-
Boston Chocolate Tours w/ Private Tour Option:
$204
Tours and Activities in Rapid City
For Rapid City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Bus Tour with Live Commentary:
$84
-
Bus Tour of Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills:
$123
-
Bike Adventure on the Mickelson Trail - Private:
$267
-
Southern Black Hills Bicycle Tour - Private:
$267
-
Private Mickelson Trail Bicycling Tour/ Two Person Minimum:
$299
-
Private Jeep Safari and Hiking Tour/ Two Person Minimum:
$307
-
Private Badlands National Park Day Tour:
$315
-
Private Mt Rushmore & Southern Black Hills Tour:
$329
For more ideas for your next trip, check out Free Things to Do in Boston, Must-See Monuments and Memorials In Boston, and The Best Things To Do in Boston with Kids.
Alcohol
The average person spends about $22 on alcoholic beverages in Boston per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typically, people visiting Rapid City spend on average $5.54 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Boston
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Boston:
-
Haunted Boston Ghost and Pub Walking Tour:
$27
-
Historic Pub Crawl Tour along the Freedom Trail:
$56
-
Sip of Boston Guided Brewery Tour:
$90
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Boston and Rapid City, we can see that Boston is more expensive. And not only is Rapid City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Rapid City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Rapid 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 Boston would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Boston than you might in Rapid City.
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