Should you visit Charleston or San Diego?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Charleston or San Diego, 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.
San Diego
For many visitors and locals alike, San Diego is a paradise. Located in southern California, not far from Los Angeles, it has the perfect climate, wonderful beaches, and a culturally rich environment. It's surrounded by beautiful landscape and has a strong focus on wildlife conservation and eco-friendly living. Home to about 1.3 million residents, it is California's second largest city. It also has many universities, a large tech industry, and a thriving economy. Despite its size, many people perceive San Diego as a slower, more relaxed city with a pleasant vibe away from the chaos of a large city.
Which city is cheaper, San Diego 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 San Diego is $161. 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 San Diego 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 San Diego, $182 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in San Diego, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is $91, such as in a hostel.
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.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in San Diego than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $19 on transportation in San Diego on average per day.
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 San Diego
Also for San Diego, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Airport Transfer: from San Diego to San Diego Int. Airport (SAN):
$35
-
Private Departure Transfer from San Diego to SAN San Diego Airport:
$46
-
Private Airport Transfer: San Diego International Airport (SAN) to San Diego:
$46
-
Private Arrival Transfer from San Diego Airport SAN:
$48
-
Private Departure Transfer to San Diego Airport SAN:
$48
-
Private Arrival Transfer from SAN San Diego Airport to San Diego City:
$49
-
San Diego Airport (SAN) to San Diego hotel or address - Arrival Private Transfer:
$60
-
San Diego hotel/address to San Diego Airport (SAN) - Departure Private Transfer:
$60
-
Transfer from San Diego International Airport to San Diego:
$62
-
Departure Private Transfer San Diego to San Diego Airport SAN in Business Car:
$63
-
Private Airport Transfer San Deigo Arrival And Departure:
$67
-
Private Airport Transfer: Hotel to and from San Diego International Airport:
$70
Is it cheaper to fly into Charleston or San Diego?
Prices for flights to both San Diego 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.
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.
The price of a meal in San Diego can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $36 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $14 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Charleston $46
San Diego $36
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.
-
Downtown Charleston Culinary Walking Food Tour:
$73
-
Savor the Flavors of Charleston Walking Food Tour:
$75
-
Charleston's Savor the Flavors of Upper King Street Walking Food Tour:
$75
-
Charleston Chef's Kitchen Guided Walking Food Tour:
$75
-
Charleston Harbor: Luxury Dinner Cruise:
$77
-
Savor the Flavors Upper King Street Food Tour:
$95
-
Private Tour: Secret Food Tours Charleston:
$129
-
Undiscovered 1/2 Day Food, Wine & History Tour with Cooking Class:
$154
-
3-Hour Secret Food Tour in Charleston w/ Private Tour Option:
$277
Typical Food prices in San Diego
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to San Diego:
-
Mexican Lunch for Two
$27
-
Breakfast at Starbucks
$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Diego
For San Diego, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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San Diego North Park Food Tour:
$49
-
Liberty Station Food Tour:
$49
-
Market and Guacamole Cooking Class in Tijuana Mexico:
$89
-
Private Cooking Demonstration of Indian Fusion Cuisine in San Diego:
$96
-
Farmers Market Tour & Social Cooking With A Chef:
$100
-
San Diego Harbor Dinner Cruise:
$111
-
Private Tour: Secret Food Tours San Diego:
$129
-
Secret Food Tours San Diego w/ Private Tour Option:
$277
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.
Sightseeing expenses in San Diego, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $38 per day, per person.
Typical Entertainment prices in Charleston
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Charleston are as follows:
-
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
-
Charleston Chicora Walking Tour:
$26
-
Charleston City Bus Tour with Charleston Museum Admission:
$32
Typical Entertainment prices in San Diego
For San Diego, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
-
San Diego Zoo
$15
-
Sea World Parking
$12
Tours and Activities in San Diego
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Diego.
-
La Jolla: Explore California's Riviera on a self-guided audio tour:
$5.40
-
La Jolla: Ultimate Self-Guided Combo Tour:
$12
-
San Diego Zoo Hunt: Roar with Rex Adventure at the San Diego Zoo:
$12
-
San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter Historic True Crime Tour:
$16
-
San Diego Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
-
San Diego Balboa Park Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
-
Behind-the-Scenes at Petco Park Tour:
$23
-
San Diego Gaslamp District Ghost Tour:
$24
-
Ghost-Themed Walking Tour:
$25
-
Skip-the-Line: USS Midway Museum Entry Ticket:
$26
-
San Diego Harbor Cruise:
$28
-
Tijuana Walking Tour from San Diego:
$28
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 San Diego, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $17.
Sample the Local Flavors in Charleston
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Charleston:
-
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 San Diego
Also in San Diego, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
San Diego Bar Hunt: Slammin' San Diego Bar Crawl:
$12
-
Wine Tasting Or Beer Tasting:
$15
-
San Diego Brewery Tour:
$85
-
San Diego Micro Brewery Tour:
$91
-
The San Diego Downtown Craft Brewery Tour:
$95
-
The San Diego Downtown Craft Brewery Tour:
$101
-
Private San Diego Brewery Tour:
$107
-
All inclusive brewery tour-Fire Truck:
$189
-
Luxury Private Wine Tasting Tour to Guadalupe Valley from San Diego.:
$249
-
Private Wine Tour of Temecula from San Diego:
$475
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Charleston and San Diego, we can see that San Diego 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 San Diego would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Diego than you might in Charleston.
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