Should you visit Clearwater or Saint Petersburg?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Clearwater and Saint Petersburg. 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.
Saint Petersburg
Located at the base of the Tampa Bay peninsula of Florida, Saint Petersburg is a city known for its pleasant weather, coastal activities, and downtown arts scene. Nicknamed the "Sunshine City," Saint Petersburg is also a popular location for golfing, boating, fishing and beachgoing in addition to the usual entertainment options to be found in a thriving city.
Which city is cheaper, Saint Petersburg 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 Saint Petersburg is $163. 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 Saint Petersburg in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $208 for a double occupancy room in Clearwater.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $202 in Saint Petersburg For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
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.
Food in Saint Petersburg costs travelers about $39 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
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Food
Meals for one day
Clearwater $38
Saint Petersburg $39
Typical Food prices in Saint Petersburg
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Saint Petersburg:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Saint Petersburg
For Saint Petersburg, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Enjoy Russian Delicacies in St Petersburg: Cooking Demo and Meal with a Local:
$80
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Private Dining: Russian dinner in a traditional St. Petersburg apartment:
$91
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Cooking Class and a Dinner with a Local Family (8 people max):
$92
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Off-the-tourist Path Food Tour:
$103
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Local Market Tour and Cooking Demo with a Homemade Russian Meal in St Petersburg:
$107
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Borscht and cabbage pie cooking class and dinner for small private groups:
$109
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FOOD TOUR. St.Petersburg:
$150
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Private Cooking Class: Learn the secrets of Borsch and Beef Stroganoff:
$166
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Private Cooking Class: Russian Blini with Red Caviar and Shchi soup:
$179
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Private Cooking Class: Russian Shchi soup and Blini with Red Caviar:
$187
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Private Cooking Class: Hands-on Siberian Pelmeni Making Workshop:
$188
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Private Cooking Class: Siberian Pelmeni, Stolichny salad and Borsch:
$212
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.
To get around in Saint Petersburg, the average visitor spends $38 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Clearwater
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Clearwater:
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Private Transfer from Clearwater Beach to Port Canaveral:
$658
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Private Transfer from Clearwater Beach to Orlando-Sanford (SFB) Airport:
$588
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Private Transfer from Clearwater Beach to Orlando (MCO) Airport:
$453
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St. Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) to St. Petersburg - Roundtrip Private Transfer:
$147
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Clearwater Beach to Tampa Airport (TPA) - Departure Private Transfer:
$83
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St. Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) to Clearwater Beach - Arrival Private Transfer:
$75
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St.Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) to Clearwater Beach -Roundtrip Private Transfer:
$72
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Clearwater Beach to St.Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) -Departure Private Transfer:
$37
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St. Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) to St. Petersburg - Arrival Private Transfer:
$37
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Saint Petersburg
Also for Saint Petersburg, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Airport Transfer: from St Petersburg to Pulkovo Airport (LED):
$28
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St. Petersburg Pulkovo Airport (LED) to hotel - Arrival Private Transfer:
$36
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St. Petersburg to St.Petersburg Pulkovo Airport - Departure Private Transfer:
$36
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Private Transfer from Peterhof Palace to St. Petersburg City Center:
$36
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Private Transfer from St. Petersburg City Center to Peterhof Palace:
$37
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Departure Private Transfer St Petersburg City to Pulkovo Airport LED - LuxuryVan:
$39
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Departure Private Transfer St. Petersburg to Pulkovo Airport LED by Business Car:
$61
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St Petersburg Airport Transfers : St Petersburg to Airport LED by Business Car:
$63
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St Petersburg Transfer from city hotels or Cruise port to Pulkovo Airport (LED):
$68
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Departure Private Transfer St Petersburg City to Pulkovo Airport LED - LuxuryCar:
$80
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St Petersburg Departure Private Transfers from St Petersburg City to Airport LED:
$84
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St Petersburg Airport Transfers : St Petersburg to Airport LED in Luxury Van:
$89
Is it cheaper to fly into Clearwater or Saint Petersburg?
Prices for flights to both Saint Petersburg 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
In Saint Petersburg, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $11 per person, per day.
Tours and Activities in Clearwater
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Clearwater are as follows:
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Adventure Boat in Clearwater Beach:
$23
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Beach Cruiser Bicycle:
$15
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Boeing 737 Flight Simulator Experience:
$154
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Calypso Queen Tropical Party Buffet Cruise:
$35
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Clearwater Beach Pier 60 Tour:
$199
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Clearwater Daytime Yacht Music Cruise with Optional Dining:
$22
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Clearwater Dolphin-Watching Tour:
$27
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Clearwater Encounters with Dolphins Tour:
$20
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Clearwater Evening Yacht Cruise with Optional Dining:
$22
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Dolphin Adventure at Clearwater Beach:
$32
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Dolphin Sightseeing Tour of Clearwater Beach with Free Ice Cream:
$21
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Fantastic Helicopter Tour- Tarpon Springs, Clearwater beaches & Caladesi Island:
$162
Tours and Activities in Saint Petersburg
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Saint Petersburg.
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2-Day Small-Group Visa-Free Tour - Top Highlights of St Petersburg:
$20
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1.5-Hours Saint Petersburg's Metro Tour Hidden Treasures:
$25
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Mini-Group 2-Day Shore Excursion of St Petersburg Must-Sees and Boat Cruise:
$25
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Saint Petersburg Drawbridges Tour:
$41
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Half Day Walking Tour Well Courtyards Tour in Saint Petersburg:
$44
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Guided Tour Peter and Paul Fortress, Cathedral and Prison:
$56
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Private Tours:
$64
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Half Day Bike City Tour in Saint Petersburg:
$75
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Private Tour of "Erarta" Galleries:
$76
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St Petersburg Communist walking tour + Museum of Russian political history:
$77
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Evening River and Canal Cruise Visas Included:
$86
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Revolutionary Petersburg City Tour:
$86
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Saint Petersburg, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $33.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Clearwater and Saint Petersburg, we can see that Clearwater is more expensive. And not only is Saint Petersburg much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Saint Petersburg would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Saint Petersburg 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 Saint Petersburg.
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