A Travel Price Comparison for Florida Clearwater vs. Pensacola for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

North America / Comparisons /
Jump to  down-arrow

Should you visit Clearwater or Pensacola?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Clearwater and Pensacola. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Clearwater

Clearwater is a city in Florida's Tampa Bay area known for its sunny weather and gulf coast beaches. Its most famous beach (Clearwater Beach) is located on a barrier island with white sands and crystal waters - a perfect setting for activities such as fishing, sailing, kayaking, jet skiing, dolphin and sunset tours, parasailing, and more.

Pensacola

With sands as white as sugar grain and a sky devoid of grey clouds and innumerable downpours, Pensacola is known by many as the "Western Gate to the Sunshine State." Located in northern Florida, Pensacola is a waterfront city known for its pristine beaches and rich Floridian history. As one of the earliest European settlements in the U.S., Pensacola is riddled with museums and landmarks that commemorate the state's history, making the city quite appetizing for history buffs and students alike. However, if you are simply looking to get the most out of the all-around good weather of Florida, Pensacola's protected beaches complemented with high-class restaurants and stores make this a vacation capital for many.

Which city is cheaper, Pensacola or Clearwater?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Clearwater is $241, while the average daily cost in Pensacola is $157. 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. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Clearwater and Pensacola in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Clearwater $104
    Pensacola $89
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Clearwater $208
    Pensacola $178

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Clearwater $177
    Pensacola $51

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Clearwater

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Clearwater:

  • Clearwater Beach to St.Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) -Departure Private Transfer: $37
  • St. Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) to St. Petersburg - Arrival Private Transfer: $37
  • St.Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) to Clearwater Beach -Roundtrip Private Transfer: $72
  • St. Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) to Clearwater Beach - Arrival Private Transfer: $75
  • Clearwater Beach to Tampa Airport (TPA) - Departure Private Transfer: $83
  • St. Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) to St. Petersburg - Roundtrip Private Transfer: $147
  • Private Transfer from Clearwater Beach to Orlando (MCO) Airport: $453
  • Private Transfer from Clearwater Beach to Orlando-Sanford (SFB) Airport: $588
  • Private Transfer from Clearwater Beach to Port Canaveral: $658

Typical Local Transportation prices in Pensacola

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Pensacola:


  • Boca Grande Causeway Toll
    $5.00

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pensacola

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Pensacola:

  • Pensacola to Pensacola International Airport (PNS) - Departure Private Transfer: $136
  • Pensacola International Airport (PNS) to Pensacola - Arrival Private Transfer: $136
  • Pensacola International Airport (PNS) to Pensacola - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $271

Is it cheaper to fly into Clearwater or Pensacola?

Prices for flights to both Pensacola and Clearwater 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Clearwater $38
    Pensacola $40

Typical Food prices in Pensacola

Some typical examples of dining costs in Pensacola are as follows:


  • Two Ice Creams
    $6.00

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Clearwater -
    Pensacola $11

Tours and Activities in Clearwater

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Clearwater are as follows:

  • Beach Cruiser Bicycle: $15
  • Journey through Space Simulator Experience: $15
  • Clearwater Encounters with Dolphins Tour: $20
  • Dolphin Sightseeing Tour of Clearwater Beach with Free Ice Cream: $21
  • Clearwater Evening Yacht Cruise with Optional Dining: $22
  • Clearwater Daytime Yacht Music Cruise with Optional Dining: $22
  • Adventure Boat in Clearwater Beach: $23
  • Sea Screamer Dolphin Tour Boat Ride Ticket: $25
  • Sunset Cruise from Clearwater: $27
  • Clearwater Dolphin-Watching Tour: $27
  • Clearwater Sunset Celebration Cruise: $29
  • Clearwater Beach: Boat Cruise with Dolphin Sightings: $29

Typical Entertainment prices in Pensacola

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Pensacola are as follows:


  • Bike Rental
    $16

Tours and Activities in Pensacola

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Pensacola are as follows:

  • Pensacola Scavenger Hunt: Pensacola Adventure: $12
  • Tour of Pensacola's Landmarks: $22
  • Ghosts and Graveyard Tour of Pensacola: $22
  • Red Light District Tour of Pensacola: $25
  • Hop-on Hop-off Tour in Pensacola: $30
  • 1hr Segway Tour Downtown: $53
  • Uninhabited Island Kayaking Adventure: $62
  • 2hr Segway Tour of Downtown: $72
  • 3-Day Pensacola Sightseeing Pass: $90

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Clearwater -
    Pensacola $35

Sample the Local Flavors in Pensacola

Also in Pensacola, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Walking Pub Tour: $21

About these numbers

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Clearwater and Pensacola, we can see that Clearwater is more expensive. And not only is Pensacola much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Pensacola would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Pensacola 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 Clearwater would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Clearwater than you might in Pensacola.

Budget Your Trip

Budget Your Trip has average travel costs for thousands of cities around the world, all provided by other travelers. You can also register to organize your spending by category and location with graphs, maps, charts, and tables.
Sign Up

More City Comparisons
Boca Raton vs. Clearwater
Boca Raton vs. Pensacola
Cape Canaveral vs. Clearwater
Cape Canaveral vs. Pensacola
Clearwater vs. Cocoa Beach
Clearwater vs. Daytona Beach
Clearwater vs. Destin
Clearwater vs. Fort Lauderdale
Clearwater vs. Gainesville
Clearwater vs. Key West
Clearwater vs. Miami
Clearwater vs. Naples
Clearwater vs. Orlando
Clearwater vs. Panama City
Clearwater vs. Saint Augustine
Clearwater vs. Saint Petersburg
Clearwater vs. Sarasota
Clearwater vs. Tallahassee
Clearwater vs. Tampa
Clearwater vs. West Palm Beach
Cocoa Beach vs. Pensacola
Daytona Beach vs. Pensacola
Destin vs. Pensacola
Fort Lauderdale vs. Pensacola
Gainesville vs. Pensacola
Key West vs. Pensacola
Miami vs. Pensacola
Naples vs. Pensacola
Share This Page
Pin This Page
Clearwater vs. Pensacola Travel Comparison

Some of the links on this website are sponsored or affiliate links which help to financially support this site. By clicking the link and making a purchase, we may receive a small commission, but this does not affect the price of your purchase.