Should you visit Dayton or Portland?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Dayton or Portland, 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.
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 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 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 Dayton and Portland in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Dayton is about $400 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
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 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.
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
Dayton $49
Portland $34
Typical Food prices in Dayton
Some typical examples of dining costs in Dayton are as follows:
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
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Portland's Art District Food Tour:
$84
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Walking Food Tour in Downtown Portland with Brunch:
$86
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Downtown Deluxe Food Tour:
$89
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Tastes of Downtown Portland Walking Food Tour:
$89
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2.5-Hour Dinner Cruise Through Downtown Portland:
$108
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.
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 Dayton
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Dayton:
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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
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James M. Cox Dayton Airport (DAY) to Dayton - Arrival Private Transfer:
$133
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
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Private Arrival Transfer from Portland Airport PDX:
$32
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Portland International Airport One Way Transfer:
$69
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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
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Arrival Private Transfer from Portland Airport PDX to Oregon, West Linn or Tigar:
$82
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Portland Airport (PDX) to Portland downtown - Arrival Private Transfer:
$102
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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 Dayton or Portland?
Prices for flights to both Portland 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.
Entertainment
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 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
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The Eastern Promenade: Explore the sounds and vistas on an audio walking tour:
$5.20
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Portland Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
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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
Typically, people visiting Portland spend on average $14 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
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
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Oregon Priority Wine Tasting Pass:
$40
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Weird Bar Crawl with Fanatical Local:
$49
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Portland's Eastside Craft Brewery Walking Tour:
$55
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Portland Brewery Bike Tour:
$71
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Oregon Famous Wine Country Wine Tasting Adventure:
$75
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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 Dayton and Portland, we can see that Dayton is more expensive. And not only is Portland much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Portland would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Portland 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 Portland.
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