Should you visit Chicago or Rapid City?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Chicago and Rapid City can help you decide which place is right for you.
Chicago
Located in the Midwest, Chicago is the third largest city in the United States. It has a population of almost 3 million and a metropolitan area that covers more than 10,000 square kilometers. It is also a hub for music, comedy and theater. It's skyline is beautiful with modern skyscrapers and Lake Michigan as a backdrop. It is easy to stay entertained in Chicago for weeks. There are world class museums, upscale or eclectic shopping opportunities, and impressive architecture.
Rapid City
Rapid City is a large city in western South Dakota that is considered the gateway to the Black Hills National Forest. Rapid City is often used as a base for all types of outdoor activities, including tours to the infamous Mount Rushmore and surrounding parks. The city has a budding art scene and offers the perfect combination of a metropolitan city surrounded by stunning natural scenery. Rapid City experiences the best weather from June-September with temperatures in the 70's and 80's Fahrenheit. Temperatures drop to the low 20's F in the winter and the area receives the most rain pour in April and May.
Which city is cheaper, Rapid City or Chicago?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Chicago is $221, while the average daily cost in Rapid City is $93. 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 Chicago and Rapid City in more detail.
Accommodation
Chicago's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is $304. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is $152.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $96 in Rapid City For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
The price of a meal in Chicago can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $37 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $15 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
In Rapid City travelers spend around $19 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
Chicago $37
Rapid City $19
Typical Food prices in Chicago
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Chicago:
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Dinner for 1
$24
-
Dinner for 3
$118
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chicago
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Chicago.
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Traveling Spoon Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza Private Online Cooking Class:
$27
-
Factories to Calories Fulton Market Food Tour:
$46
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Learn to Make Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza with a Local:
$49
-
Chicago Crime & Pizza Walk:
$50
-
Lonely Planet Experiences: Chicago History and Food Tour:
$59
-
Lonely Planet Experiences: River North Historical Food Tour:
$61
-
Signature Food Tour at Chicago's Navy Pier:
$64
-
Best in Chow: Chicago River North Food Tour:
$64
-
Private Fusion Cooking Class in Downtown Chicago:
$64
-
Skip the Line: Tommy Gun's Garage Dinner and Show Ticket:
$67
-
Small-Group Chicago Food Tour: Gold Coast and Old Town:
$75
-
Best of Chicago Tour Including a Deep-Dish Pizza:
$75
Local Transportation
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $29 per day to get around in Chicago.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Rapid City than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $42 on transportation in Rapid City on average per day.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Chicago
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Chicago:
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Parking
$19
-
Taxi Ride
$10
-
Taxi from Airport
$45
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chicago
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chicago:
-
Transfers in Chicago:
$107
-
Transfer to Chicago Premium Outlets:
$288
-
Transfer from O'Hare International Airport to Chicago:
$93
-
Private transfer: Chicago to Chicago International Airport (MDW):
$105
-
Private transfer: Chicago International Airport (MDW) to Chicago:
$105
-
Private Transfer: O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Chicago:
$133
-
Private Transfer: Chicago to O'Hare International Airport (ORD):
$133
-
Private Transfer from Chicago City to Chicago (ORD) Airport:
$113
-
Private Transfer from Chicago City to Chicago (MDW) Airport:
$113
-
Private Transfer from Chicago (ORD) Airport to Chicago City:
$113
-
Private Transfer from Chicago (MDW) Airport to Chicago City:
$113
-
Private Sedan Transfer from Chicago Downtown to O`Hare airport:
$100
Is it cheaper to fly into Chicago or Rapid City?
Prices for flights to both Rapid City and Chicago 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 $34 per person, per day in Chicago. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Sightseeing expenses in Rapid City, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $21 per day, per person.
Typical Entertainment prices in Chicago
Here are a few typical costs in Chicago for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
Tours and Activities in Chicago
Here are a few actual costs in Chicago for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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2 Hour Chicago Art and Architecture Segway Tour:
$71
-
2 Hour Pier Fireworks and Evening Segway Tour in Chicago:
$65
-
2 Hours Chicago Sightseeing Tour - Luxury Private Stretch Limo / 8 Passengers:
$250
-
2-Hour Chicago City Lights and Skyline Segway Tour:
$76
-
2-Hour Chicago Fireworks Segway Tour:
$76
-
2-Hour Chicago Lakefront and Museum Campus Segway Tour:
$73
-
2-Hour Haunted Segway Tour of Chicago:
$76
-
2-Hour History of Chicago Architecture and Art Segway Tour:
$75
-
3 Hours Chicago Sightseeing Tour - Luxury Private SUV, ALL Inclusive:
$392
-
3-Hour Segway Tour of Chicago:
$76
-
360 Chicago Observation Deck Admission: Skip the Ticket Desk:
$25
-
4 Hours Chicago Sightseeing Tour - Luxury Private SUV, ALL Inclusive:
$220
Tours and Activities in Rapid City
For Rapid City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Full-Day Tour:
$84
-
Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Bus Tour with Live Commentary:
$84
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Bus Tour of Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills:
$123
-
Bike Adventure on the Mickelson Trail - Private:
$267
-
Southern Black Hills Bicycle Tour - Private:
$267
-
Private Black Hills Monuments Full-Day Tour:
$299
-
Black Hills: Private Tour of Mt. Rushmore & Flume Trail Hike:
$299
-
Badlands National Park Private Tour:
$299
-
Private Mickelson Trail Bicycling Tour/ Two Person Minimum:
$299
-
Private Jeep Safari and Hiking Tour/ Two Person Minimum:
$307
-
Private Badlands National Park Day Tour:
$315
-
Private Mt Rushmore & Southern Black Hills Tour:
$329
For more ideas for your next trip, check out The Best Free Things to Do in Chicago, Chicago Bucket List: The Best Places to See, and The Best Museums in Chicago.
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Chicago may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $20 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Typically, people visiting Rapid City spend on average $5.54 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Chicago
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Chicago:
-
Haunted Chicago Ghost and Pub Walking Tour:
$25
-
Walking tour to Chicago dive bars:
$41
-
Chicago Barrel Bus Craft Distillery Tour:
$90
-
Chicago Craft Brewery Barrel Bus Tour:
$90
-
Ultimate Girl's Night Out in Sparkling Wine, Photo Shoot, Burlesque:
$900
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Chicago and Rapid City, we can see that Chicago is more expensive. And not only is Rapid City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Rapid City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Rapid City 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 Chicago would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Chicago than you might in Rapid City.
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