Should you visit Charleston or Alexandria?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Charleston or Alexandria, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Charleston
Charleston is a beautiful, southern city and seaport town in South Carolina. It has a wonderful, historic downtown area that the city government works hard to maintain. Located on a peninsula that is created by two rivers, the city is a stunning setting with much character. It is a popular place to visit for its culture, architecture and cuisine. In recent years Charleston has gained popularity and it continues to grow as both a regional and international travel destination. With its rising popularity comes increasing costs. Travel costs continue to go up as restaurants and hotels raise their prices, particularly during the peak travel season and holiday periods.
Alexandria
Just minutes from the nation's capital of Washington DC, Alexandria offers a world of rich history and beautifully preserved buildings from the 18th-19th centuries. A city of many interests, attractions range from the old haunts of George Washington and historic architecture to museums, local crafts, and quaint boutiques. With its cobblestoned streets, Old Town of Alexandria is sure to charm as well.
Which city is cheaper, Alexandria or Charleston?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Charleston is $136, while the average daily cost in Alexandria 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Charleston and Alexandria in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Charleston is about $144 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
For a normal double-occupancy room in Alexandria, $60 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Alexandria, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is $30, such as in a hostel.
Food
On average, meal and food prices in Charleston cost around $46 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 $18.
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Food
Meals for one day
Charleston $46
Alexandria
-
Typical Food prices in Charleston
Some typical examples of dining costs in Charleston are as follows:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Charleston
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Charleston.
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Charleston Harbor: Luxury Dinner Cruise & Live Music:
$66
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Downtown Charleston Culinary Walking Food Tour:
$73
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Savor the Flavors of Charleston Walking Food Tour:
$75
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Charleston's Savor the Flavors of Upper King Street Walking Food Tour:
$75
-
Charleston Chef's Kitchen Guided Walking Food Tour:
$75
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Private Tour: Secret Food Tours Charleston:
$129
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Undiscovered 1/2 Day Food, Wine & History Tour with Cooking Class:
$154
-
3-Hour Secret Food Tour in Charleston w/ Private Tour Option:
$277
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Alexandria
For Alexandria, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Private Full-Day Food Tour of Alexandria with Hotel Pick Up:
$32
-
Alexandria Food Tour:
$36
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Amazing Alexandria Food Tour:
$55
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Alexandria Food Tour:
$60
-
Old Town Boutique Food Tour:
$89
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Sound&light show,Giza pyramids-Dinner on the Nile:
$94
Local Transportation
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $26 per day to get around in Charleston.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Charleston
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Charleston:
-
Private transfer: Charleston to Charleston Airport (CHS):
$622
-
Charleston city to Charleston Airport (CHS) - Departure Private Transfer:
$124
-
Private Departure Transfer to Charleston Airport (CHS):
$52
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Alexandria
Also for Alexandria, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Airport Transfer: from Alexandria to Borg El Arab Airport (HBE):
$20
-
Private transfer from HBE airport to Alexandria Hotel:
$20
-
Private Transfer from Borg El Arab Airport to Alexandria Hotels:
$20
-
Alexandria Airport Departure Transfer:
$33
-
Alexandria Airport Departure Transfer:
$36
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Alexandria AIRPORT ARRIVAL TRANSFER:
$36
-
One Way Transfer from Alexandria Hotels to Alexandria Port – Premium:
$37
-
One Way Transfer from Alexandria Hotels to Alexandria Port - Standard:
$41
-
Alexandria Airport Departure Transfer:
$45
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One Way Transfer from Alexandria Hotels to Borg El Arab Airport - Standard:
$53
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One Way Transfer from Alexandria Hotels to Alexandria Port – 15 Seater:
$57
-
One Way Transfer from Alexandria Hotels to Borg El Arab Airport – Premium:
$66
Is it cheaper to fly into Charleston or Alexandria?
Prices for flights to both Alexandria and Charleston 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
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $17 per person, per day in Charleston. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Typical Entertainment prices in Charleston
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Charleston are as follows:
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Patriots Point (for 2)
$60
Tours and Activities in Charleston
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Charleston are as follows:
-
2-Hour Guided Kayaking Eco Tour in Charleston:
$48
-
2-Hour Paddle Board Eco Tour of Charleston Lowcountry:
$48
-
90-Minute Historic Walking Tour of Charleston:
$25
-
Amazing Ladies of Charleston Walking Tour:
$35
-
Best of Historic Charleston Walking Tour:
$35
-
Boone Hall Plantation Admission & Tour with Transportation from Charleston:
$61
-
Bruce Knows Insider Walking Tour of Downtown:
$26
-
Car Service: Airport to / from Cruise Port:
$130
-
Charleston Attraction & Tour Pass for 1, 2, or 3 Days:
$73
-
Charleston Boo Hag & Brews Walking Ghost and Bar Tour:
$29
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Charleston Chicora Walking Tour:
$26
-
Charleston City Bus Tour with Charleston Museum Admission:
$32
Tours and Activities in Alexandria
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Alexandria.
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Online Virtual Tour Of Alexandria and Mt. Vernon:
$19
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Alexandria Walking Tour-Walk Like Egyptian:
$23
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half day tour to Montazah Palace and gardens:
$25
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Old Town, 2.5 Hour Haunted Bar Tour:
$27
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half day tour to The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Library of Alexandria):
$27
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Private Day Tour to Alexandria From Alexandria:
$30
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Alexandria Like a Local: Customized Private Tour:
$31
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Tour in Alex:
$32
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Alexandria Day Tour:
$38
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Tour to The Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria:
$40
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Alexandria private excursion tour from Cairo:
$50
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Private Day Tour to Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, Monatazah Palace In Alexandria:
$50
Alcohol
The average person spends about $28 on alcoholic beverages in Charleston per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in Charleston
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Charleston:
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Charleston Bar Hunt: Charleston Chase Bar Crawl:
$12
-
Ghost Walking Tour and Pub Crawl in Haunted Charleston:
$27
-
Haunted Pub Crawl of the Market:
$37
Sample the Local Flavors in Alexandria
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Alexandria:
-
Alexandria Bar Hunt: Ye Olde Pub Crawl through Old Town:
$12
-
Haunted Old Town Alexandria Ghost and Pub Walking Tour:
$26
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Charleston and Alexandria, we can see that Charleston is more expensive. And not only is Alexandria much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Alexandria would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Alexandria 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 Charleston would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Charleston than you might in Alexandria.
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