Should you visit Charleston or Portland?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Charleston or Portland, 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.
Portland
Referred to as "The City of Roses", Portland is the largest city in Oregon. It sits on the banks of the Columbia River and offers breathtaking views of Mount Hood when the weather allows. Portland is famous for its alternative vibe, live music scene, and popular microbreweries. It's also a mecca for environmentally conscious urban planning. The downtown area is quite compact and walkable. While the city itself may be smaller than you expect, it is still the largest metropolitan area between San Francisco and Seattle.
Which city is cheaper, Portland 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 Portland is $136. 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 Portland in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Charleston is about $144 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Travelers usually pay around $152 for a double occupancy room in Portland 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.
While meal prices in Portland can vary, the average travelers spends about $34 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Portland should cost around $14 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Portland is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
Charleston $46
Portland $34
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 Portland
For Portland, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Afternoon Drinks (for 2)
$9.50
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Portland
For Portland, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Arts District Food Tour:
$84
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Portland's Art District Food Tour:
$84
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Walking Food Tour in Downtown Portland with Brunch:
$86
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Downtown Deluxe Food Tour:
$89
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Tastes of Downtown Portland Walking Food Tour:
$89
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2.5-Hour Dinner Cruise Through Downtown Portland:
$108
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 Portland, the average visitor spends $20 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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Private Departure Transfer to Charleston Airport (CHS):
$52
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Charleston city to Charleston Airport (CHS) - Departure Private Transfer:
$124
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Portland
Also for Portland, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Departure Transfer to Portland Airport (PDX):
$32
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Private Arrival Transfer from Portland Airport PDX:
$32
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Portland International Airport One Way Transfer:
$69
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Arrival Business Class Private Transfer Portland Airport PDX to Portland City:
$75
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Departure Business Class Private Transfer from Portland Airport PDX to Portland:
$75
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Arrival Private Transfer from Portland Airport PDX to Oregon, West Linn or Tigar:
$82
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Portland Airport (PDX) to Portland downtown - Arrival Private Transfer:
$102
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Portland downtown to Portland Airport (PDX) - Departure Private Transfer:
$102
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Transfer from Portland International Airport to Portland:
$109
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PDX - Portland One Way Airport Transfer in a Chauffeured Sedan/SUV:
$133
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Portland Airport (PDX) to Tigard hotel or address - Arrival Private Transfer:
$141
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Portland Airport (PDX) to Lake Oswego - Arrival Private Transfer:
$141
Is it cheaper to fly into Charleston or Portland?
Prices for flights to both Portland 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 Portland, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $19 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
Tours and Activities in Portland
For Portland, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Downtown Portland's Outdoor Sculptures Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.20
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The Eastern Promenade: Explore the sounds and vistas on an audio walking tour:
$5.20
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Portland Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
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Portland Old Town Ghost Tour:
$22
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Downtown Ghost Tour:
$23
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Intro to Portland Small Group Walking Tour:
$29
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Pink Trolley City Tour of Portland - 10am:
$29
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Pink Trolley City Tour of Portland - 2pm:
$29
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Underground Donut Tour: Portland's Only Donut Tour:
$30
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Underground Donut Tour:
$30
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Portland's Only Underground Donut Tour:
$31
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Portland, Maine: 2.5-Hour History Tour with Sweet Treat:
$35
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.
Typically, people visiting Portland spend on average $14 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
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 Portland
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Portland:
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Power Through Portland Bar Crawl:
$12
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Oregon Priority Wine Tasting Pass:
$40
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Weird Bar Crawl with Fanatical Local:
$49
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Portland's Eastside Craft Brewery Walking Tour:
$55
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Portland Brewery Bike Tour:
$71
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Oregon Famous Wine Country Wine Tasting Adventure:
$75
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Brews & Bites - Food Carts & Brewery Tour:
$94
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Views and Brews, Portland Brewery Bike Tour:
$118
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5-Hour Willamette Valley Wine Tour with Tastings:
$120
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Oregon Coast Brewery Tour:
$130
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Willamette Valley Wine Tasting from Portland:
$139
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Full-Day City & Oregon Wine Tasting Tour:
$140
When comparing the travel costs between Charleston and Portland, we can see that Charleston is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in North America, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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