Should you visit Clearwater or Pocono Mountains?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Clearwater and Pocono Mountains. 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. 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.
Pocono Mountains
The Poconos are a region of mountains, small towns, and natural areas in Eastern Pennsylvania. Located just a few hours from both New York City and Philadelphia, this region of 4 counties (Wayne, Pike, Monroe, & Carbon) consists of plenty of mountain scenery, gorgeous lakes, historic small towns, ski resorts, state parks, water parks, and more.
Which city is cheaper, Pocono Mountains 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 Pocono Mountains is $139. 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 Clearwater and Pocono Mountains in more detail.
Food
The average traveler spends about $38 per day in Clearwater 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.
Pocono Mountains food costs typically run travelers around $42 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Clearwater $38
Pocono Mountains $42
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Clearwater is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $177 per person, per day, on local transportation in Clearwater.
The average price of local transportation around Pocono Mountains is $39 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.
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
Is it cheaper to fly into Clearwater or Pocono Mountains?
Prices for flights to both Pocono Mountains 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.
Entertainment
Pocono Mountains's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $24 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.
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 Daytime Yacht Music Cruise with Optional Dining:
$22
-
Clearwater Evening Yacht 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
-
Dolphin Adventure at Clearwater Beach:
$32
-
Calypso Queen Tropical Party Buffet Cruise:
$35
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Clearwater and Pocono Mountains, we can see that Clearwater is more expensive. And not only is Pocono Mountains much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Pocono Mountains would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Pocono Mountains 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 Pocono Mountains.
