Which place is cheaper, Idaho or California?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit California or Idaho?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for California and Idaho. 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, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: California or Idaho?
California
California is the most populous state in the U.S. and is known for a variety of attractions such as Hollywood, warm beaches, the San Francisco bay area, Redwood trees, national parks, and stunning mountain vistas. With a variety of locations and activities to offer, California has become one of the premier travel destinations in the world.
Idaho
Perhaps best known for its "Famous Potatoes," Idaho's true nickname is "The Gem State" and is full of a kind of wild beauty that comes with snow-capped mountains, raging rivers, placid lakes, and dense forests. Agriculture mostly lies in the eastern part of the state, while the wilderness of northern and central Idaho consists of some of the state's greatest natural treasures, dotted with a few cities and college towns.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Tours Under $1000 in United States of America, The Best Luxury Tours to United States of America, The Best Tours for Seniors to United States of America, and The Best Contiki Tours to United States of America.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCalifornia $252Idaho $0.00
The average daily cost (per person) in California is $252, while the average daily cost in Idaho is $0.00. 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for California and Idaho in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCalifornia $116Idaho -
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCalifornia $232Idaho $0.00
Compare Hotels in California and Idaho
Looking for a hotel in California or Idaho? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.California $43Idaho -
Hired Cars and Shuttles in California
Also for California, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private One-way Airport Transfer (San Francisco Airport To/From San Francisco): $16
- Private Transfer: Los Angeles Airport (LAX) to LA City Center: $26
- One Way Transfer: Los Angeles from /to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) : $29
- Private Arrival Transfer from John Wayne Orange County Airport SNA: $32
- Private Departure Transfer to John Wayne Orange County Airport SNA: $32
- Snow Summit to Ontario Airport (ONT) - Departure Private Transfer: $33
- Ontario Airport (ONT) to Snow Summit - Arrival Private Transfer: $33
- Santa Catalina to Catalina Airport - Departure Private Transfer: $35
- Avalon Airport (AVX) to Santa Catalina - Arrival Private Transfer: $35
- Ontario Airport (ONT) to Ontario City - Arrival Private Transfer: $37
- Ontario City to Ontario Airport (ONT) - Departure Private Transfer: $37
- Shared Airport Departure Transfer Anaheim and Orange County to John Wayne Airport: $38
Is it cheaper to fly into California or Idaho?
Prices for flights to both Idaho and California 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
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Food Meals for one dayCalifornia $48Idaho -
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in California
For California, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- San Francisco Virtual Food Tour with Local Guide: $19
- Encinitas Food Tour: $70
- Carlsbad Food Tour and Wine Tasting: $75
- Pirates Dinner Adventure Buena Park: $79
- Little Italy Food and Drink Walking Tour - Pizza, Pasta & Piazzas: $85
- Downtown Los Angeles Food Tour: $89
- Gaslamp Quarter Downtown San Diego Food Tour: $89
- Mission District Food Tour: $89
- San Francisco Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $89
- San Francisco Food Tour: Ferry Building and Ferry Plaza Farmers Market: $90
- San Diego Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $95
- Historic Old Sacramento Walking Food Tour: $95
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.California $63Idaho -
Tours and Activities in California
For California, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Avalon City: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.13
- Cow Heaven: A Self-Guided Driving Tour from Point Reyes Seashore to Tomales: $5.99
- The Heart of Los Angeles’ Dreamland: A Self-Guide Tour in Culver City: $5.99
- Gold Rush and Ghosts of Sacramento Smart Phone guided (App/GPS) Walking Tour: $6.75
- The Ghosts of San Francisco Haunted Audio App Walking Tour: $6.99
- Essential Downtown SLO: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- LA Little Tokyo to Olvera St Smartphone (App/GPS) Walking Tour: $7.50
- Self guided Driving Tour between LA and San Diego: $7.99
- Carmel-by-the-Sea’s Bohemian Art Scene: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.99
- Smartphone Audio Driving Tour between San Francisco & Monterey: $7.99
- Carmel-by-the-Sea's Fairytale Houses: A Self-Guided Walking Tour: $7.99
- Historic Cannery Row: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of John Steinbeck's Monterey: $7.99
Tours and Activities in Idaho
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Idaho are as follows:
- Boise Amazing Scavenger Hunt Adventure: $44
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCalifornia $21Idaho -
Sample the Local Flavors in California
Also in California, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Sacramento Bar Hunt: Sacramento Sprint Bar Crawl: $12
- Long Beach Bar Hunt: Long Beach Boss Bar Crawl: $12
- San Diego Bar Hunt: Slammin' San Diego Bar Crawl: $13
- Gaslamp Bar Crawls and Events: $20
- Vintner's Private Wine Tasting Experience: $20
- Sunset Distillery with Local Whiskey or Cocktail Tasting: $40
- Walk with Spirits: A Haunted Pub Crawl in San Francisco: $45
- Wine Tasting Around the World: $48
- Large Group Wine Tasting Tour (For 6+ Guests • We Drive Your Car): $60
- 4 Hour Livermore Valley Wine Tour: $100
- Paranormal Pairing: Wine Tasting Walk with Ghost Storytelling: $105
- 6 Hour Wine Tour in Napa & Sonoma with Pick-Up from Napa: $109
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between California and Idaho, we can see that California is more expensive. And not only is Idaho much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Idaho would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Idaho 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 California would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in California than you might in Idaho.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is California Expensive? and Is Idaho Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, California or Idaho?
California has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Idaho. When comparing the sizes of California and Idaho, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.