Should you visit Cleveland or Rapid City?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Cleveland or Rapid City, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Cleveland
Located on the shores of Lake Erie of the Great Lakes, Cleveland is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. As a culturally diverse and thriving metropolitan area, the city is host to a vast range of sights and activities, such as world-class museums, cultural events, professional sports, and golf courses as well as plenty of dining, shopping, and entertainment opportunities.
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 Cleveland?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Cleveland is $106, 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 Cleveland and Rapid City in more detail.
Accommodation
The prices for places to stay in Cleveland can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is $60, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around $120.
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
On average, meal and food prices in Cleveland cost around $29 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around $12.
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
Cleveland $29
Rapid City $19
Typical Food prices in Cleveland
For Cleveland, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
Coffee
$1.79
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Sandwich
$9.75
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Large Pizza
$15
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cleveland
For Cleveland, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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West Side Market Food Tour:
$47
-
Tremont Neighborhood Food Tour:
$65
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Ohio City Food Tour:
$70
-
Little Italy Neighborhood Food Tour:
$73
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Tremont Guided Food Tour with Tasting:
$246
Local Transportation
To get around in Cleveland, the average visitor spends $15 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.
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 Cleveland
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Cleveland are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cleveland
Also for Cleveland, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Departure Transfer to Cleveland Airport (CLE):
$62
-
Private Arrival Transfer from Cleveland Airprot (CLE):
$62
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Cleveland to Cleveland Hopkins Airport (CLE) - Departure Private Transfer:
$78
-
Cleveland Hopkins Airport (CLE) to Cleveland - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$157
-
Cleveland Hopkins Airport (CLE) to Cleveland - Arrival Private Transfer:
$78
-
Cleveland Airport-Hotel Ground Transfer - One Way:
$106
-
Cleveland Airport - Executive Sedan/SUV Airport/Hotel Round Trip Transfer:
$261
-
CLE Airport Transfer to Downtown Cleveland:
$116
Entertainment
In Cleveland, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $32 per person, per day.
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.
Tours and Activities in Cleveland
For Cleveland, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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60's Throwback Shopping Tour:
$375
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Casual Wine transportation tour:
$225
-
Cleveland History Center General Admission Entry Ticket:
$12
-
Private City Tour:
$250
-
Downtown Cleveland Smartphone-Guided Walking Tour:
$24
-
Private Wine Full Day Tour from Atlanta City by Luxury Vehicle:
$987
-
Romantic tour in Cleveland:
$498
-
Skip the Line: GRAMMY Museum Mississippi General Admission Ticket:
$14
-
Spring Break GREECE Tour:
$3,700
-
Stradbroke Island Adventure:
$672
-
The Original Cleveland Brew Tour:
$108
-
The best of Cleveland walking tour:
$498
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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Badlands National Park Private Tour:
$299
-
Bike Adventure on the Mickelson Trail - Private:
$267
-
Black Hills: Private Tour of Mt. Rushmore & Flume Trail Hike:
$299
-
Bus Tour of Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills:
$123
-
Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Bus Tour with Live Commentary:
$84
-
Private Badlands National Park Day Tour:
$315
-
Private Jeep Safari and Hiking Tour/ Two Person Minimum:
$307
-
Private Mickelson Trail Bicycling Tour/ Two Person Minimum:
$299
-
Private Mt Rushmore & Southern Black Hills Tour:
$329
-
Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Full-Day Tour:
$84
-
Private Black Hills Monuments Full-Day Tour:
$299
-
Southern Black Hills Bicycle Tour - Private:
$267
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Cleveland spend on average $36 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Typically, people visiting Rapid City spend on average $5.54 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Typical Alcohol prices in Cleveland
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Cleveland are as follows:
Sample the Local Flavors in Cleveland
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cleveland:
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Cleveland Bar Hunt: Cleveland Climax Bar Crawl:
$12
-
Brewery Tour with Tastings:
$81
When comparing the travel costs between Cleveland and Rapid City, we can see that Cleveland 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.
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