Should you visit Dayton or Pittsburgh?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Dayton or Pittsburgh, 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.
Dayton
Located in southwest Ohio, Dayton is known as the "Gem City." It's the original home of Orville and Wilbur Wright, the brothers who designed the first airplane. You'll also find the Dayton Aviation Heritage Park here, which is one of the only multi-site National Parks in the United States. The cities climate has four different seasons, winter, spring, summer and fall. The winter months are quite cold and you can expect a decent amount of snow in the area. Spring remains cool and there are infrequent showers. This is also the peak time for tornadoes in the area. Summer is hot and humid and can be unpleasant at times, but fall is crisp and refreshing with occasional storms and infrequent tornadoes.
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is a city in western Pennsylvania at the junction of 3 rivers. Set between the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers, and a mountain ridge called Mt Washington, Pittsburgh has a unique character that is evident from the moment you arrive. Juxtaposed with the rumbling freight trains and the iconic bridges are the Bladerunner-esque self-driving Uber vehicles, scanning the roads with spinning Lidar scanners. Its Gilded Age sites, including the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the Carnegie Museum of Art, and the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, speak to its history as an early-20th-century industrial capital. In the North Shore neighborhood are the modern Andy Warhol Museum, Heinz Field football stadium, and PNC Park baseball stadium. Experiencing periods of boom and bust since its founding, the city is in a boom now, and it's a fun place to visit, with top-notch museums, great gardens and parks, and amazing food.
Which city is cheaper, Pittsburgh or Dayton?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Dayton is $259, while the average daily cost in Pittsburgh is $145. 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 Dayton and Pittsburgh in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Dayton is about $400 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
The prices for places to stay in Pittsburgh can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is $85, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around $170.
Local Transportation
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $20 per day to get around in Dayton.
Pittsburgh's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend $18 per person, per day on transportation in Pittsburgh.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dayton
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Dayton:
-
James M. Cox Dayton Airport (DAY) to Dayton - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$266
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James M. Cox Dayton Airport (DAY) to Dayton - Departure Private Transfer:
$133
-
James M. Cox Dayton Airport (DAY) to Dayton - Arrival Private Transfer:
$133
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pittsburgh
Also for Pittsburgh, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Pittsburgh Departure Private Transfer to Airport:
$69
-
Pittsburgh International Airport One Way Transfer:
$80
-
Pittsburgh City to Pittsburgh Airport (PIT) - Departure Private Transfer:
$93
-
Pittsburgh Airport (PIT) to Pittsburgh hotel/address - Arrival Private Transfer:
$93
-
Pittsburgh Airport (PIT) to Pittsburgh City - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$187
Is it cheaper to fly into Dayton or Pittsburgh?
Prices for flights to both Pittsburgh and Dayton 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
The average traveler spends about $49 per day in Dayton 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.
Pittsburgh food costs typically run travelers around $43 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
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Food
Meals for one day
Dayton $49
Pittsburgh $43
Typical Food prices in Dayton
Some typical examples of dining costs in Dayton are as follows:
Entertainment
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Pittsburgh can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around $30 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
Tours and Activities in Dayton
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Dayton are as follows:
-
Daytona Beach: Daytona 500 NASCAR Race Ticket:
$249
Tours and Activities in Pittsburgh
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Pittsburgh.
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Entrance Ticket to AT BLAQK House Collections:
$5.60
-
Pittsburgh to Logstown: Discover the area's settler history on an audio tour:
$5.99
-
Pittsburgh Scavenger Hunt Experience:
$11
-
2-Hr Pittsburgh Walking Tour:
$15
-
Black & Ghost Tour:
$30
-
Bike the Burgh Tour:
$49
-
Essential Pittsburgh Experience - The One Tour to Take:
$75
-
Sip of Pittsburgh Brew Tour:
$90
-
Pittsburgh Private Tours:
$94
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 Pittsburgh, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $26.
Sample the Local Flavors in Pittsburgh
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Pittsburgh:
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Wacky Pittsburgh Bar Crawl: By Let’s Roam:
$12
-
Pittsburgh Bar Hunt: Party Through Pittsburgh Bar Crawl:
$13
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dayton and Pittsburgh, we can see that Dayton is more expensive. And not only is Pittsburgh much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Pittsburgh would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Pittsburgh 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 Dayton would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Dayton than you might in Pittsburgh.
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