Should you visit Dayton or San Diego?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Dayton or San Diego, 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.
San Diego
For many visitors and locals alike, San Diego is a paradise. Located in southern California, not far from Los Angeles, it has the perfect climate, wonderful beaches, and a culturally rich environment. It's surrounded by beautiful landscape and has a strong focus on wildlife conservation and eco-friendly living. Home to about 1.3 million residents, it is California's second largest city. It also has many universities, a large tech industry, and a thriving economy. Despite its size, many people perceive San Diego as a slower, more relaxed city with a pleasant vibe away from the chaos of a large city.
Which city is cheaper, San Diego 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 San Diego is $161. 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 San Diego in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Dayton is about $400 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
For a normal double-occupancy room in San Diego, $182 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in San Diego, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is $91, such as in a hostel.
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.
The price of a meal in San Diego can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $36 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $14 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
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Food
Meals for one day
Dayton $49
San Diego $36
Typical Food prices in Dayton
Some typical examples of dining costs in Dayton are as follows:
Typical Food prices in San Diego
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to San Diego:
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Mexican Lunch for Two
$27
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Breakfast at Starbucks
$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Diego
For San Diego, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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San Diego North Park Food Tour:
$49
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Liberty Station Food Tour:
$49
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Market and Guacamole Cooking Class in Tijuana Mexico:
$89
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Private Cooking Demonstration of Indian Fusion Cuisine in San Diego:
$96
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Farmers Market Tour & Social Cooking With A Chef:
$100
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San Diego Harbor Dinner Cruise:
$111
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Dinner Cruise:
$117
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Private Tour: Secret Food Tours San Diego:
$129
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Secret Food Tours San Diego w/ Private Tour Option:
$277
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.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in San Diego than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $19 on transportation in San Diego on average per day.
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 San Diego
Also for San Diego, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Airport Transfer: from San Diego to San Diego Int. Airport (SAN):
$35
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Private Departure Transfer from San Diego to SAN San Diego Airport:
$46
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Private Airport Transfer: San Diego International Airport (SAN) to San Diego:
$46
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Private Arrival Transfer from San Diego Airport SAN:
$48
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Private Departure Transfer to San Diego Airport SAN:
$48
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Private Arrival Transfer from SAN San Diego Airport to San Diego City:
$49
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San Diego Airport (SAN) to San Diego hotel or address - Arrival Private Transfer:
$60
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San Diego hotel/address to San Diego Airport (SAN) - Departure Private Transfer:
$60
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Transfer from San Diego International Airport to San Diego:
$62
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Departure Private Transfer San Diego to San Diego Airport SAN in Business Car:
$63
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Private 1-Way Private Airport Transfer:
$66
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Private Airport Transfer San Deigo Arrival And Departure:
$67
Is it cheaper to fly into Dayton or San Diego?
Prices for flights to both San Diego 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
Sightseeing expenses in San Diego, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $38 per day, per person.
Typical Entertainment prices in San Diego
For San Diego, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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San Diego Zoo
$15
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Sea World Parking
$12
Tours and Activities in San Diego
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Diego.
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La Jolla: Explore California's Riviera on a self-guided audio tour:
$5.40
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San Diego Zoo Hunt: Roar with Rex Adventure at the San Diego Zoo:
$12
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San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter Historic True Crime Tour:
$16
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San Diego Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
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San Diego Balboa Park Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
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Behind-the-Scenes at Petco Park Tour:
$23
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San Diego Gaslamp District Ghost Tour:
$24
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San Diego Harbor Cruise:
$28
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Harbor Cruise:
$28
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Tijuana Walking Tour from San Diego:
$28
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Off the grid Christian tour.:
$28
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Old Town Scavenger Hunt, Walking Tour:
$29
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 San Diego, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $17.
Sample the Local Flavors in San Diego
Also in San Diego, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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San Diego Bar Hunt: Slammin' San Diego Bar Crawl:
$12
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Wine Tasting Or Beer Tasting:
$15
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San Diego Brewery Tour:
$85
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San Diego Micro Brewery Tour:
$91
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The San Diego Downtown Craft Brewery Tour:
$95
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The San Diego Downtown Craft Brewery Tour:
$101
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Private San Diego Brewery Tour:
$107
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All inclusive brewery tour-Fire Truck:
$189
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Luxury Private Wine Tasting Tour to Guadalupe Valley from San Diego.:
$249
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Private Wine Tour of Temecula from San Diego:
$475
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dayton and San Diego, we can see that Dayton is more expensive. And not only is San Diego much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to San Diego would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Diego 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 San Diego.
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