Should you visit Charleston or Santa Fe?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Charleston or Santa Fe, 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.
Santa Fe
Santa Fe is the state capital of New Mexico as well as the oldest state capital in the United States, founded in 1607. It has become a popular travel destination due to the surrounding scenic beauty, its long history, cultural diversity especially with its proximity to American Indian pueblos and culture, and a rich concentration of arts, music, and food.
Which city is cheaper, Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe is $127. 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 Santa Fe in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Charleston is about $144 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $128 in Santa Fe For nicer amenities and a premiere location, 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 Santa Fe travelers spend around $35 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
Santa Fe $35
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santa Fe
For Santa Fe, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Dinner at the Coffee Farm:
$55
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Santa Fe Railyard Arts District Food Tour:
$102
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New Mexican Flavors Food Tour of the Santa Fe Plaza:
$138
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.
Santa Fe's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend $49 per person, per day on transportation in Santa Fe.
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
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Private Departure Transfer to Charleston Airport (CHS):
$52
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Fe
Also for Santa Fe, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Arrival Transfer from Santa Fe Airport (SAF):
$62
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Private Departure Transfer to Santa Fe Airport SAF:
$125
Is it cheaper to fly into Charleston or Santa Fe?
Prices for flights to both Santa Fe 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.
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Santa Fe can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around $13 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
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 Santa Fe
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santa Fe.
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Santa Fe Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
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Small-Group Canyon Road Art Tour:
$37
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Beer and Art Tour:
$40
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Land Tour | Bantayan Island - Sightseeing - Guided Tour:
$46
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Walk Granada's Skyline Tour:
$49
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Search for The Story-Documentary Film School Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$52
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Santa Fe Architectural Walking Tour:
$115
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Small-Group E-Bike Adventure Tour through Hidden Santa Fe:
$155
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Lonely Planet Experiences: Private Walking Tour of Santa Fe:
$170
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Bantayan Island Day Tour From Cebu:
$173
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The Best of Santa Fe Walking Tour:
$498
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Guided Tour: 'Love Stories of Santa Fe":
$498
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 Santa Fe, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $7.74.
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 Santa Fe
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Santa Fe:
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Join-In Wine Tours:
$152
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White Water Rafting and Wine Tour:
$217
When comparing the travel costs between Charleston and Santa Fe, 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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