Which place is cheaper, Vancouver or Columbia?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Columbia or Vancouver?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Columbia or Vancouver? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Columbia or Vancouver?
Columbia
Both the largest and capital city of South Carolina, Columbia is literally the center of everything. Geographically it is located in the middle of the state, and it is the home to the University of South Carolina, the Army's Fort Jackson, as well as a variety of museums that celebrate the city's art, history, and culture.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a beautiful and cosmopolitan city in Western Canada. It is also the largest city in British Columbia, and is dramatically positioned between the coast and mountains. It's a very international city, with a high level of energy and countless activites that you can enjoy while you're in town. In addition to offering all of the activities and entertainment of a modern city, it is also in jumping off distance to any number of outdoor activities.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in United States of America, The Best 3-Week Tours in United States of America, The Best 10-Day Tours from Vancouver, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Canada.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayColumbia $0.00Vancouver $141
The average daily cost (per person) in Columbia is $0.00, while the average daily cost in Vancouver is $141. 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Columbia and Vancouver in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personColumbia -Vancouver $87
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomColumbia $0.00Vancouver $174
Compare Hotels in Columbia and Vancouver
Looking for a hotel in Columbia or Vancouver? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Columbia Hotel Prices and Vancouver Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Columbia -Vancouver $12
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Vancouver
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Vancouver are as follows:
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SkyTrain from Airport$6.35
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Taxi from Airport to Downtown$21
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15 min Taxi Ride$8.71
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SkyTrain DayPass$6.53
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vancouver
Also for Vancouver, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Departure Transfer to Vancouver Airport (YVR): $32
- Vancouver Airport-Cypress/Grouse Mountain Private Transfer: $38
- Vancouver Airport (YVR) to White Rock - Arrival Private Transfer: $46
- White Rock to Vancouver Airport (YVR) - Departure Private Transfer: $46
- Canada Place Port to Vancouver Airport(YVR) - Departure Transfer : $55
- Vancouver Airport (YVR) to Canada Place Port - Arrival Transfer: $55
- City Highlights Tour with Hotel Transfers: $61
- Vancouver to Victoria: Ferry with Bus Transfer: $73
- Vancouver to Victoria, Coach Bus Transfer: $74
- Private Transfer from Canada Place Cruise Terminal to any Hotel: $74
- Vancouver Airport (YVR) to Whistler - Arrival Private Transfer: $76
- Vancouver to Victoria - Vancouver Hotel Pickup - Coach Bus Transfer: $83
Is it cheaper to fly into Columbia or Vancouver?
Prices for flights to both Vancouver and Columbia 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
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Food Meals for one dayColumbia $5.03Vancouver $31
Typical Food Prices in Vancouver
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Vancouver:
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All You Can Eat Sushi Lunch$8.80
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vancouver
For Vancouver, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- A Wok Around Food Tour of the Granville Island Public Market: $84
- The Gastown Experience Walking Food Tour: $85
- Gastown Historic Walking Food Tour: $100
- Vancouver Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $100
- North Vancouver Shipyards Food Tour: $108
- Vancouver Authentic Chinese Food Tour: $134
- VIP Granville Island Market Vancouver - Walking Food Tour: $138
- Authentic Asian Eats Walking Food Tour: $142
- 3-Hour Bowen Island Boat Cruise with Dinner: $153
- Vancouver Evening Dinner Cruise: $157
- Granville Island Uncorked Walking Food Tour: $161
- Bowen Island Dinner and Zodiac Boat Tour by Vancouver Water Adventures: $163
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Columbia -Vancouver $36
Tours and Activities in Columbia
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Columbia are as follows:
- Soda City: A Self-Guided Audio Tour in Columbia: $12
Tours and Activities in Vancouver
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Vancouver.
- Vancouver self-guided tour App - multilingual AudioGuide: $4.28
- Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tour of Gastown: $4.74
- Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tour of Gastown: $4.82
- Discover Stanley Park with a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $5.11
- Fort Langley: a Film & Television Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $5.19
- Discover Stanley Park with a Smartphone Audio Tour: $5.19
- Cycling the Seawall: A Self-Guided Audio Tour Along the Stanley Park Seawall: $5.46
- Historic Walking Tours of Vancouver with Then & Now Images!: $6.68
- Walking Tour Along Stanley Park's Seawall: $6.68
- Vancouver Downtown: Espionage Adventure Outdoor Escape Game: $6.94
- Self-Guided Smartphone Tour of Stanley Park: $7.30
- Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tours of Stanley Park: $7.42
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayColumbia $88Vancouver $16
Sample the Local Flavors in Vancouver
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Vancouver:
- Vancouver - Granville Pub Crawl ROUTE B: $18
- Gastown Pub Crawl: $22
- Vancouver - Granville Pub Crawl: $26
- 3.5-Hour Craft Brewery Tour: $84
- Fraser Valley Wine Tour with a light Lunch from Vancouver: $134
- Vancouver Wine Tour (Fraser Valley): $134
- From Half-Day Fraser Valley Wine Tour: $138
- Taste of the Valley Wine Tour: $148
- Stawamus Chief Hike and Local Brewery Tasting: $164
- Fraser Valley & White Rock Premium Public Wine Tour: $166
- Stawamus Chief Hike & Local Brewery Tasting : $167
- Full-Day Private Fraser Valley Wine Tour from Vancouver: $189
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Columbia and Vancouver, we can see that Vancouver is more expensive. And not only is Columbia much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Columbia would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Columbia 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 Vancouver would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Vancouver than you might in Columbia.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Columbia Expensive? and Is Vancouver Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Columbia or Vancouver?
Vancouver has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Columbia. When comparing the sizes of Columbia and Vancouver, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
When is the best time to visit Columbia or Vancouver?
Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.
Should I visit Columbia or Vancouver in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Columbia as well as Vancouver. Most visitors come to Columbia for the family-friendly experiences during these months.
In July, Columbia is generally much warmer than Vancouver. Daily temperatures in Columbia average around 82°F (28°C), and Vancouver fluctuates around 18°C (64°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Vancouver. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Columbia this time of the year. In the summer, Columbia often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Vancouver. Columbia gets 293 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Vancouver receives 296 hours of full sun.
Columbia receives a lot of rain in the summer. Columbia usually gets more rain in July than Vancouver. Columbia gets 4.6 inches (116 mm) of rain, while Vancouver receives 54 mm (2.1 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyColumbia 82°F (28°C)Vancouver 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Columbia or Vancouver in the Autumn?
Both Vancouver and Columbia are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The autumn months attract visitors to Columbia because of the shopping scene.
Columbia is much warmer than Vancouver in the autumn. The daily temperature in Columbia averages around 64°F (18°C) in October, and Vancouver fluctuates around 11°C (51°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Columbia. Columbia usually receives more sunshine than Vancouver during autumn. Columbia gets 230 hours of sunny skies, while Vancouver receives 124 hours of full sun in the autumn.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Vancouver. In October, Columbia usually receives less rain than Vancouver. Columbia gets 3 inches (75 mm) of rain, while Vancouver receives 164 mm (6.5 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberColumbia 64°F (18°C)Vancouver 11°C (51°F)
Should I visit Columbia or Vancouver in the Winter?
Both Vancouver and Columbia during the winter are popular places to visit. The museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine are the main draw to Columbia this time of year.
Be prepared for some very cold days in Vancouver. In the winter, Columbia is much warmer than Vancouver. Typically, the winter temperatures in Columbia in January average around 45°F (7°C), and Vancouver averages at about 4°C (40°F).
In the winter, Columbia often gets more sunshine than Vancouver. Columbia gets 171 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Vancouver receives 55 hours of full sun.
Vancouver gets a good bit of rain this time of year. Columbia usually gets less rain in January than Vancouver. Columbia gets 3.7 inches (93 mm) of rain, while Vancouver receives 167 mm (6.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryColumbia 45°F (7°C)Vancouver 4°C (40°F)
Should I visit Columbia or Vancouver in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Columbia and Vancouver.
In April, Columbia is generally much warmer than Vancouver. Daily temperatures in Columbia average around 64°F (18°C), and Vancouver fluctuates around 9°C (49°F).
In Columbia, it's very sunny this time of the year. Columbia usually receives more sunshine than Vancouver during spring. Columbia gets 273 hours of sunny skies, while Vancouver receives 172 hours of full sun in the spring.
Vancouver receives a lot of rain in the spring. In April, Columbia usually receives less rain than Vancouver. Columbia gets 2.8 inches (72 mm) of rain, while Vancouver receives 110 mm (4.3 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilColumbia 64°F (18°C)Vancouver 9°C (49°F)
Typical Weather for Vancouver and Columbia
| Columbia | Vancouver | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 45°F (7°C) | 3.7 inches (93 mm) | 4°C (40°F) | 167 mm (6.6 in) |
| Feb | 48°F (9°C) | 3.5 inches (88 mm) | 6°C (42°F) | 179 mm (7.1 in) |
| Mar | 56°F (13°C) | 3.7 inches (95 mm) | 7°C (45°F) | 142 mm (5.6 in) |
| Apr | 64°F (18°C) | 2.8 inches (72 mm) | 9°C (49°F) | 110 mm (4.3 in) |
| May | 72°F (22°C) | 3 inches (77 mm) | 13°C (55°F) | 81 mm (3.2 in) |
| Jun | 78°F (26°C) | 3.5 inches (89 mm) | 16°C (60°F) | 66 mm (2.6 in) |
| Jul | 82°F (28°C) | 4.6 inches (116 mm) | 18°C (64°F) | 54 mm (2.1 in) |
| Aug | 81°F (27°C) | 5.8 inches (147 mm) | 18°C (64°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| Sep | 75°F (24°C) | 3.3 inches (84 mm) | 15°C (59°F) | 73 mm (2.9 in) |
| Oct | 64°F (18°C) | 3 inches (75 mm) | 11°C (51°F) | 164 mm (6.5 in) |
| Nov | 56°F (13°C) | 2.1 inches (54 mm) | 7°C (44°F) | 234 mm (9.2 in) |
| Dec | 48°F (9°C) | 2.6 inches (67 mm) | 4°C (40°F) | 198 mm (7.8 in) |
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.