Which city is cheaper, Salt Lake City or Columbus?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
A Travel Price Comparison for United States of America Columbus vs. Salt Lake City for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons
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Should you visit Columbus or Salt Lake City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Columbus or Salt Lake City? 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.
Columbus
The capital city of Ohio, Columbus sits at the meeting point of America's Rust Belt, Bible Belt, Appalachia, and the Plains. It is also home of Ohio State University, which is a major financial and economic force in the city. You'll likely need a car to navigate the city, although there is a bus system, COTA, which can take you to some of Columbus' highlights.
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City is the capital city of Utah and one of the largest cities in the southwest region of the US. Salt Lake sits on the border between the Rocky Mountains and Great Basin regions, making it the perfect place for outdoor activities. The city's natural beauty and resources even became the focal point for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Salt Lake experiences all four seasons, with the most popular times to visit being summer and winter. Summer, June-August, sees little rain and temperatures in the high 80's Fahrenheit. Winter, December-March, has temperatures in the 30's Fahrenheit and gets the perfect amount of snow for winter sports.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayColumbus $126Salt Lake City $197
The average daily cost (per person) in Columbus is $126, while the average daily cost in Salt Lake City is $197. 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 Columbus and Salt Lake City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personColumbus $58Salt Lake City $95
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomColumbus $116Salt Lake City $190
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Columbus $40Salt Lake City $36
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Columbus
Also for Columbus, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Columbus to Columbus John Glen Airport (CMH) - Departure Private Transfer: $87
- Columbus John Glen Airport (CMH) to Columbus - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $174
- Columbus John Glen Airport (CMH) to Columbus - Arrival Private Transfer: $87
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Salt Lake City
Also for Salt Lake City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer from Salt Lake City Airport to Salt Lake City: $62
- Salt Lake City to Salt Lake City Airport (SLC) - Departure Private Transfer: $77
- Salt Lake City International Airport One Way Transfer: $48
- Salt Lake City Airport (SLC) to Salt Lake City - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $154
- Salt Lake City Airport (SLC) to Salt Lake City - Arrival Private Transfer: $77
- Private Transfer: Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) to Park City: $199
- Private Departure Transfer to Salt Lake City Airport SLC: $36
- Private Arrival Transfer from Salt Lake City Airport SLC: $36
- Departure Private Transfer City to Salt Lake City Airport SLC by Sedan or SUV: $68
- Arrival Private Transfer Salt Lake City Airport SLC to City by Sedan or SUV: $76
Is it cheaper to fly into Columbus or Salt Lake City?
Prices for flights to both Salt Lake City and Columbus 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 dayColumbus $39Salt Lake City $40
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Columbus $37Salt Lake City $22
Tours and Activities in Columbus
For Columbus, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Central Park Bike Tour: $53
- Columbus Scavenger Hunt Adventure: $21
- LEGOLAND Discovery Center Columbus Ticket: $21
- New York City: 3-Hour City Highlights Guided Bike Tour: $60
- Unique Scavenger Hunt Experience in Columbus: $11
Tours and Activities in Salt Lake City
For Salt Lake City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 3-Hour Guided Tour in Park City or Midway and Heber Areas: $513
- 4-Day Small Group Tour: Yellowstone and Tetons Camping from Salt Lake City: $695
- 4-Day Yellowstone and Grand Teton Park Winter Tour for Small Private Group: $1,880
- 4-Day Zion and Bryce Canyon National Park Private Tour: $1,116
- 5 Day Yellowstone and Grand Teton Winter Tour - Private Small Group Tour: $2,309
- 5-Day Utah All-Inclusive Tour from Salt Lake City: $2,256
- 5-Day Utah Mighty 5 National Parks Limousine Tour from Salt Lake City: $2,500
- Best of Salt Lake City Including Great Salt Lake Sightseeing Tour: $192
- Best of Salt Lake City Sightseeing Tour: $125
- Guided Tour of Great Salt Lake from Salt Lake City: $39
- Mighty 5 National Parks 5-Day Limousine Road Based Tour from Salt Lake City: $2,450
- Private Sightseeing Tour of Salt Lake City: $260
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayColumbus $16Salt Lake City $14
Sample the Local Flavors in Salt Lake City
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Salt Lake City:
- Salt Lake City Bar Hunt: Salt Lake City Bar Crawl: $12
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Columbus and Salt Lake City, we can see that Salt Lake City is more expensive. And not only is Columbus much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Columbus would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Columbus 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 Salt Lake City would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Salt Lake City than you might in Columbus.
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