Should you visit Dallas or Portland?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Dallas and Portland can help you decide which place is right for you.
Dallas
Located in the north central part of the state, Dallas is a prominent city in Texas and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in the United States of America. The business reputation of Dallas rose from its historical status as the center for cotton and oil industries. It was also positioned among numerous railroads.
Portland
Referred to as "The City of Roses", Portland is the largest city in Oregon. It sits on the banks of the Columbia River and offers breathtaking views of Mount Hood when the weather allows. Portland is famous for its alternative vibe, live music scene, and popular microbreweries. It's also a mecca for environmentally conscious urban planning. The downtown area is quite compact and walkable. While the city itself may be smaller than you expect, it is still the largest metropolitan area between San Francisco and Seattle.
Which city is cheaper, Portland or Dallas?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Dallas is $103, while the average daily cost in Portland is $136. 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 Dallas and Portland in more detail.
Accommodation
Dallas's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is $116. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is $58.
Travelers usually pay around $152 for a double occupancy room in Portland If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
The price of a meal in Dallas can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $28 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $11 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
While meal prices in Portland can vary, the average travelers spends about $34 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Portland should cost around $14 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Portland is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
Dallas $28
Portland $34
Typical Food prices in Dallas
Some typical examples of dining costs in Dallas are as follows:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Dallas
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Dallas.
-
Live from Eggs Benedict Brunch Cooking Class with Bri from MasteChef:
$33
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Live from Eggs Benedict Cooking Class with Bri from MasterChef:
$33
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Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament Admission Ticket in Dallas:
$73
-
Secret Food Tour of Dallas w/ Private Tour Option:
$221
-
Dallas Secret Food Tour:
$224
Typical Food prices in Portland
For Portland, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Afternoon Drinks (for 2)
$9.50
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Portland
For Portland, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Arts District Food Tour:
$84
-
Portland's Art District Food Tour:
$84
-
Walking Food Tour in Downtown Portland with Brunch:
$86
-
Downtown Deluxe Food Tour:
$89
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Tastes of Downtown Portland Walking Food Tour:
$89
-
2.5-Hour Dinner Cruise Through Downtown Portland:
$108
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Dallas is $23 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.
To get around in Portland, the average visitor spends $20 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 Dallas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Dallas:
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Transfer in private minivan from Dallas Love Field Airport to City Center:
$93
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Transfer in private minivan from Dallas City Center to Love Field Airport:
$93
-
Transfer in private minivan from Dallas City Center to Fort Worth Airport:
$93
-
Transfer in executive private car from Dallas Love Field Airport to City Center:
$73
-
Transfer in executive private car from Dallas City Center to Love Field Airport:
$73
-
Transfer in executive private car from Dallas City Center to Fort Worth Airport:
$70
-
Transfer from Dallas Love Field to Dallas:
$100
-
RoundTrip transfer in executive private car from-to Love Field Airpt-Dallas City:
$147
-
Round trip transfer in private minivan from-to Love Field Airport in Dallas City:
$187
-
Private transfer: Dallas to Dallas Airport (DAL):
$622
-
Private Transfer Downtown Dallas to Fort Worth Airport DFW Luxury Vehicle:
$63
-
Private Transfer Dallas Airport DAL to Las Colinas, Irving by Luxury Vehicle:
$54
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Portland
Also for Portland, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Departure Transfer to Portland Airport (PDX):
$32
-
Private Arrival Transfer from Portland Airport PDX:
$32
-
Portland International Airport One Way Transfer:
$69
-
Arrival Business Class Private Transfer Portland Airport PDX to Portland City:
$75
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Departure Business Class Private Transfer from Portland Airport PDX to Portland:
$75
-
Arrival Private Transfer from Portland Airport PDX to Oregon, West Linn or Tigar:
$82
-
Portland Airport (PDX) to Portland downtown - Arrival Private Transfer:
$102
-
Portland downtown to Portland Airport (PDX) - Departure Private Transfer:
$102
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Transfer from Portland International Airport to Portland:
$109
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PDX - Portland One Way Airport Transfer in a Chauffeured Sedan/SUV:
$133
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Portland Airport (PDX) to Tigard hotel or address - Arrival Private Transfer:
$141
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Portland Airport (PDX) to Lake Oswego - Arrival Private Transfer:
$141
Is it cheaper to fly into Dallas or Portland?
Prices for flights to both Portland and Dallas 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
Dallas's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $10 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.
In Portland, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $19 per person, per day.
Tours and Activities in Dallas
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Dallas are as follows:
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2-Hour Dallas and JFK Limousine Tour:
$70
-
2-Hour Historic Dallas Segway Tour:
$59
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3-Hour Small-Group Dallas Cowboys Stadium Tour:
$90
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Best of Dallas Sightseeing Bus Tour: Reunion Tower GeO-Deck or CityPass:
$60
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Create Your Own Dallas Ft. Worth Combination Tour:
$129
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Dallas City Highlights Tour:
$29
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Dallas City Tour:
$51
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Dallas Cruizer Tour:
$25
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Dallas Food and Culture Tour:
$36
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Dallas Highlights Tour:
$69
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Dallas JFK and West Village Restaurant Walking Tour:
$78
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Dallas Shopping Tour:
$106
Tours and Activities in Portland
For Portland, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Downtown Portland's Outdoor Sculptures Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.20
-
The Eastern Promenade: Explore the sounds and vistas on an audio walking tour:
$5.20
-
Portland Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
-
Portland Old Town Ghost Tour:
$22
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Downtown Ghost Tour:
$23
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Intro to Portland Small Group Walking Tour:
$29
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Pink Trolley City Tour of Portland - 10am:
$29
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Pink Trolley City Tour of Portland - 2pm:
$29
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Underground Donut Tour: Portland's Only Donut Tour:
$30
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Underground Donut Tour:
$30
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Portland's Only Underground Donut Tour:
$31
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Portland, Maine: 2.5-Hour History Tour with Sweet Treat:
$35
Alcohol
The average person spends about $9.82 on alcoholic beverages in Dallas per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typically, people visiting Portland spend on average $14 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Dallas
Also in Dallas, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Dallas Bar Hunt: Dallas Dynasty Bar Crawl:
$12
-
Haunted Dallas Ghost and Pub Walking Tour:
$27
-
Party Bike Pub Crawl in Deep Ellum and Downtown Dallas:
$55
Sample the Local Flavors in Portland
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Portland:
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Power Through Portland Bar Crawl:
$12
-
Oregon Priority Wine Tasting Pass:
$40
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Weird Bar Crawl with Fanatical Local:
$49
-
Portland's Eastside Craft Brewery Walking Tour:
$55
-
Portland Brewery Bike Tour:
$71
-
Oregon Famous Wine Country Wine Tasting Adventure:
$75
-
Brews & Bites - Food Carts & Brewery Tour:
$94
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Views and Brews, Portland Brewery Bike Tour:
$118
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5-Hour Willamette Valley Wine Tour with Tastings:
$120
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Oregon Coast Brewery Tour:
$130
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Willamette Valley Wine Tasting from Portland:
$139
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Full-Day City & Oregon Wine Tasting Tour:
$140
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dallas and Portland, we can see that Portland is more expensive. And not only is Dallas much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Dallas would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Dallas 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 Portland would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Portland than you might in Dallas.
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