Should you visit Cincinnati or San Diego?
Should I visit Cincinnati or San Diego? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Cincinnati
Located on the north banks of the Ohio River, Cincinnati is the third largest city in Ohio having grown from its industrial heritage. It is situated in the southwest part of the state, separated from the Kentucky border by the river. The city is best known for its striking skyline and unique chili.
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 Cincinnati?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Cincinnati is $146, 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 Cincinnati and San Diego in more detail.
Accommodation
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around $82. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Cincinnati the cost is $164 on average.
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.
Food
The average traveler spends about $44 per day in Cincinnati for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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
Cincinnati $44
San Diego $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cincinnati
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cincinnati.
-
Cincy Vegan Streetcar Food Tour in Cincinnati:
$69
-
Cincinnati Streetcar Food Tour + Findlay Market:
$69
-
Cincinnati Walking Sightseeing Tour with Pizza and Ice-cream:
$180
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:
-
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
-
Dinner Cruise:
$117
-
Private Tour: Secret Food Tours San Diego:
$129
-
Secret Food Tours San Diego w/ Private Tour Option:
$277
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Cincinnati is $20 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
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 Cincinnati
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cincinnati:
-
Cincinnati to Cincinnati Airport (CVG) - Departure Private Transfer:
$122
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Diego
Also for San Diego, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Arrival Private Transfer San Diego Airport SAN to San Diego City by Business Car:
$71
-
Arrival Private Transfer San Diego Airport SAN to San Diego by Executive SUV:
$85
-
Arrival and Departure Transfer: Hotel to and from San Diego International Airport:
$70
-
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
-
Private Airport Transfer: San Diego International Airport (SAN) to San Diego:
$46
-
Private Airport Transfer: from San Diego to San Diego Int. Airport (SAN):
$35
-
Private Arrival Transfer from SAN San Diego Airport to San Diego City:
$49
-
Private Arrival Transfer from San Diego Airport SAN:
$48
-
Private Departure Transfer from San Diego to SAN San Diego Airport:
$46
-
Private Departure Transfer to San Diego Airport SAN:
$48
Is it cheaper to fly into Cincinnati or San Diego?
Prices for flights to both San Diego and Cincinnati 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
Cincinnati's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $21 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
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.
Tours and Activities in Cincinnati
Here are a few actual costs in Cincinnati for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
1919: The year that changed baseball tour:
$30
-
Best Bites and Sites City Streetcar Tour of Cincinnati:
$59
-
Cellarman's Tour:
$26
-
Cincinnati Ethnic Eats in Over the Rhine Food and Culture Tour:
$69
-
Cincinnati Wine & Dessert Tour:
$65
-
Cincy Let's Do Brunch Food, History + Streecar Tour:
$74
-
Downtown Cincinnati Self-Guided Walking Tour with Smartphone:
$24
-
Explore Over-the-Rhine Cruise:
$358
-
The Escape Game Epic 60-Minute Adventures:
$36
-
The Original Findlay Market Tour:
$39
-
Tour of Historic Wesleyan Cemetery:
$20
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
-
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
-
Tijuana Walking Tour from San Diego:
$28
-
San Diego Harbor Cruise:
$28
-
Harbor Cruise:
$28
-
Off the grid Christian tour.:
$28
-
Old Town Scavenger Hunt, Walking Tour:
$29
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Cincinnati may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $9.11 per day on alcoholic beverages.
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 Cincinnati
Also in Cincinnati, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Cincinnati Bar Hunt: Cin-sational Cincinnati Bar Crawl:
$12
-
Craft Brewery 3 Stop Hop:
$64
-
Cincinnati Original Craft Brewery Tour:
$65
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 comparing the travel costs between Cincinnati and San Diego, we can see that San Diego 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.
Related Articles for Cincinnati
Related Articles for San Diego
