Should you visit Charleston or Honolulu?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Charleston or Honolulu, 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.
Honolulu
Hawaii's capital city of Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, is the state's center for government, finance, and transportation. It's also the home of Waikiki Beach, one of the most famous beaches in the state of Hawaii. Nearly one million people live in this Honolulu metropolitan area. This is almost 80% of the state's population. The city is not the relaxed Hawaiian destination that you might be searching for, but is instead a fast paced, cosmopolitan city. In addition to attracting many tourists every year, you'll also find international businesses, military defense and a diverse culture and population.
Which city is cheaper, Honolulu 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 Honolulu is $196. 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 Honolulu in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Charleston is about $144 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Travelers usually pay around $230 for a double occupancy room in Honolulu If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
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.
In Honolulu travelers spend around $42 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.
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Food
Meals for one day
Charleston $46
Honolulu $42
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
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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
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3-Hour Secret Food Tour in Charleston w/ Private Tour Option:
$277
Typical Food prices in Honolulu
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Honolulu:
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Dinner for Two
$73
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Lapperts Hawaii Ice Cream
$5.55
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Chai's Island Bistro (for 2)
$53
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Cheeseburger Waikiki (for 2)
$34
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Matsumoto Shave Ice (for 2)
$7.50
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Hot Dog with the Fixins'
$8.30
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Sushi Dinner for Two
$73
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Honolulu
For Honolulu, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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After Dinner Tour along the Famous Waikiki Beach Strip:
$68
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Majestic Sunset Dinner and Cocktail Cruise with Live Entertainment:
$97
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Hawaii Food Tour - Off The Beaten Path:
$110
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Hawaiian Style Cooking Classes in Honolulu:
$125
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Da Local's Food Tour:
$130
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Three Star Deluxe Sunset Dinner & Show:
$151
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Private Hawaiian Food Tour by Bike in Oahu:
$159
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Oahu Fireworks Dinner Cruise:
$162
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4th of July Sunset Dinner and Fireworks Cruise:
$170
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Oahu Food Tour with Emmy-Winning 'Cooking Hawaiian Style' Host:
$177
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Aloha Plate Food Tour:
$177
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.
To get around in Honolulu, the average visitor spends $21 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 Charleston
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Charleston:
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Private transfer: Charleston to Charleston Airport (CHS):
$622
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Charleston city to Charleston Airport (CHS) - Departure Private Transfer:
$124
-
Private Departure Transfer to Charleston Airport (CHS):
$52
Typical Local Transportation prices in Honolulu
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Honolulu are as follows:
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Rental Car for One Day
$35
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Airport Shuttle for Two
$30
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Hilton Parking
$24
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Honolulu
Also for Honolulu, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Departure Transfer: Airport Shuttle Honolulu and Waikiki or Cruise Terminal:
$15
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Arrival Transfer: Airport Shuttle Honolulu and Waikiki or Cruise Terminal:
$15
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Shared Arrival Transfer: Honolulu Airport to Hotel or Cruise Terminal:
$16
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Shared Departure Transfer: Oahu Hotels or Cruise Terminal to Honolulu Airport:
$16
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Arrival Transfer: Airport Shuttle Honolulu To Ko'olina:
$22
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Shared Round-Trip Transfer: Honolulu Airport to Hotel or Cruise Terminal:
$33
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Private Airport Transfer: Honolulu International Airport (HNL) to Honolulu:
$44
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Private Airport Transfer: Honolulu to Honolulu International Airport (HNL):
$44
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Honolulu Private Airport Transfer by Minivan - To Hotels in Waikiki:
$48
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Private Transfer from Honolulu (HLN) Airport to Waikiki:
$56
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Private Transfer from Waikiki to Honolulu (HLN) Airport:
$56
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Arrival Lei Greeting and Round Trip Waikiki Transfers:
$57
Is it cheaper to fly into Charleston or Honolulu?
Prices for flights to both Honolulu 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.
In Honolulu, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $32 per person, per day.
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:
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2-Hour Guided Kayaking Eco Tour in Charleston:
$48
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2-Hour Paddle Board Eco Tour of Charleston Lowcountry:
$48
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90-Minute Historic Walking Tour of Charleston:
$25
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Amazing Ladies of Charleston Walking Tour:
$35
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Best of Historic Charleston Walking Tour:
$35
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Boone Hall Plantation Admission & Tour with Transportation from Charleston:
$61
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Bruce Knows Insider Walking Tour of Downtown:
$26
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Car Service: Airport to / from Cruise Port:
$130
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Charleston Attraction & Tour Pass for 1, 2, or 3 Days:
$73
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Charleston Boo Hag & Brews Walking Ghost and Bar Tour:
$29
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Charleston Chicora Walking Tour:
$26
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Charleston City Bus Tour with Charleston Museum Admission:
$32
Typical Entertainment prices in Honolulu
For Honolulu, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
Tours and Activities in Honolulu
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Honolulu.
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Honolulu Downtown Walking Tour:
$5.00
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Diamond Head Hiking Narrated Tour:
$5.00
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Pearl Harbor Virtual Reality Center Tour:
$6.99
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USS Arizona Memorial Narrated Tour:
$7.99
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East Oahu Shoreline Drive Audio Tour:
$12
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Oahu Grand Circle Island Audio Driving Tour:
$12
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USS Arizona Memorial Deluxe Tour:
$13
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Arrival Trasfer: Airport Shuttle Honolulu and Cruise Terminal:
$13
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North Shore Grand Circle Island Tour’s Honolulu Airport Shuttle Waikiki Hotel:
$14
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USS Arizona Memorial Narrated Tour and Pearl Harbor Virtual Reality Center:
$15
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Honolulu Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$15
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Bishop Museum General Admission Ticket:
$25
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.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Honolulu, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $5.18.
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
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Ghost Walking Tour and Pub Crawl in Haunted Charleston:
$27
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Haunted Pub Crawl of the Market:
$37
Sample the Local Flavors in Honolulu
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Honolulu:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Charleston and Honolulu, we can see that Honolulu is more expensive. And not only is Charleston much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Charleston would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Charleston 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 Honolulu would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Honolulu than you might in Charleston.
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