Which place is cheaper, San Francisco or Doha?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Doha or San Francisco?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Doha and San Francisco can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Doha or San Francisco?
Doha
Doha is the capital city of Qatar, modern and rapidly developing with much construction underway. It is home to Doha International Airport, the main point of entry for Qatar, as well as many of the country's best museums and examples of cultural heritage.
San Francisco
San Francisco is a beautiful city that is famous for it's picturesque neighborhoods, liberal character, and stunning location on the bay. Some people describe San Francisco as the United State's most "European City." This title most likely comes from its compact development and its easy walkability. It also has no shortage of parks and public spaces where you can pass some time. The city sits on the end of a peninsula and offers stunning views of the blue bay, rolling green hills, and the striking Golden Gate Bridge.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to United States of America, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in United States of America.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDoha $200San Francisco $222
The average daily cost (per person) in Doha is $200, while the average daily cost in San Francisco is $222. 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Doha and San Francisco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDoha $119San Francisco $130
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDoha $238San Francisco $260
Compare Hotels in Doha and San Francisco
Looking for a hotel in Doha or San Francisco? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Doha Hotel Prices and San Francisco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Doha $23San Francisco $16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Doha
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Doha:
- Private Full Day City Sightseeing Tour with Transfer: $243
- Private Transfer from Doha City to Doha (DOH) Airport: $191
- Qatar Doha Hamad Airport (DOH): Transfer to Doha city: $177
- Qatar Doha Airport (DOH) to Doha - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $144
- Doha Hamad Airport (DOH) to Doha - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $131
- ONE WAY: Doha International Airport - Private Transfer From/to Hotels: $122
- Departure Transfer: Doha to Hamad Airport DOH by Luxury Van: $120
- Airport Transfer: Doha to Doha Airport DOH by Luxury Van: $120
- Private Arrival Transfer - Al Khor: $120
- Private Sightseeing Tour in Doha with Roundtrip Transfer: $115
- Airport Transfer: Doha to Doha Airport DOH by Luxury Car: $108
- Private Arrival Transfer to Sumaysimah: $100
Typical Local Transportation Prices in San Francisco
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in San Francisco:
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Taxi to SFO$45
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Golden Gate Bridge Toll$6.00
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Alcatraz Tour$30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Francisco
Also for San Francisco, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfer: San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to San Francisco: $107
- Arrival Private Transfer SFO Airport to San Francisco City by SUV: $245
- Arrival Private Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco in Business Car: $108
- Arrival Private Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco in Luxury Car: $169
- Arrival Private Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco in Luxury SUV: $141
- Arrival Transfer San Francisco Pier to San Francisco City by SUV: $177
- Carmel 1-Way Transfer to/from San Francisco Airport: $535
- Departure Private Transfer San Francisco to SFO Airport by Sedan: $152
- Departure Private Transfer San Francisco to SFO Airport in a SUV: $203
- Departure Private Transfer: San Francisco to Airport SFO in Business Car: $108
- Napa Valley 1-Way Transfer to/from the San Francisco Airport: $400
- Private Airport SUV VIP Transfer from or to SFO to Marin County: $168
Is it cheaper to fly into Doha or San Francisco?
Prices for flights to both San Francisco and Doha 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 dayDoha $61San Francisco $46
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Doha
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Doha.
- Private Dinner on Al Safliya Island: $76
- Private Souk Waqif with Lunch or Dinner Tour: $96
- The Pearl-Qatar Food Tour & Boat Ride: $119
- Half Day Doha City Tour with Lunch or Dinner: $143
- BBQ Dinner in the desert resort; Dune bashing & camel ride: $165
- Doha Private Full Day Desert Safari Lunch | Dinner Included: $190
- Full Day Desert Safari with Camp Access, Buffet Dinner,Camel Ride: $195
- Doha : Full Day Desert Safari | BBQ Dinner | Inland sea: $197
- Private Desert Safari with BBQ Lunch/Dinner at Souk Al Wakra: $202
- Full Day Desert Private Safari with Lunch or Dinner: $214
- Private Overnight Desert Safari, Dune bashing, dinner & Breakfast: $220
- From Overnight Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner: $240
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Francisco
For San Francisco, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- San Francisco Virtual Food Tour with Local Guide: $19
- North Beach and Little Italy Food Tour: $79
- Buffet Lunch or Dinner Cruise on the Bay: $82
- Secret Food Tours San Francisco: $84
- Mission District Food Tour with Tastings: $85
- Farmers' Market & Ferry Building Food Tour: $87
- Mission District Walking Food Tour: $89
- Chinatown Walking Food Tour: $89
- San Francisco North Beach Food Tour: $89
- San Francisco North Beach and Chinatown - Secret Food Tours: $89
- San Francisco Chinatown Food Tour: $89
- San Francisco Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $89
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Doha $18San Francisco $46
Tours and Activities in Doha
Here are a few actual costs in Doha for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Doha City Tour And Dhow Boat Ride (Private Tour): $99
- Private Express Doha City Tour: $165
- Transit/Layover Tours from Doha Airport – Explore Doha City : $105
- (Private) Quickie to the Desert Safari Experience - Inland Sea Visit: $100
- 1 Hour Camel Ride Experience in Sealine Beach: $172
- 3-Hour Kayaking Eco Adventure - Mangrove Purple Island : $70
- 4 Hours-Doha City Private Tour: $74
- 4-Hour Private Group City Tour in Doha, Qatar: $72
- 4-Hour Private Group City Tour in Doha, Qatar: $70
- 4-Hour Private Tour to Msheireb Museums: $100
- 8-Hour Private Cultural Tour: $288
- Arabian Sands Half-Day Adventure in Qatar: $140
Tours and Activities in San Francisco
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Francisco.
- Golden Gate Bridge: Self-guided Tour App - Audio + Written: $5.00
- San Francisco’s Chinatown on foot: A Self Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- Leave your heart at the Wharf: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- Self Guided Chinatown Tour: Food, History and Culture: $5.99
- San Francisco's Barbary Past: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- Embarcadero Self-Guided Audio Smartphone Tour: $5.99
- San Francisco self-guided tour App - multilingual AudioGuide: $6.46
- The Ghosts of San Francisco Haunted Audio App Walking Tour: $6.99
- Self-Guided Audio Tour of Japantown & Stories: $6.99
- Ghosts & Hauntings Audio App Walking Tour: $6.99
- Secrets of Golden Gate Park Audio Tour: $7.99
- Design in the Financial District Audio Tour: $7.99
For more ideas for your next trip, check out The Best Museums in San Francisco, The Best Outdoor Activities in San Francisco, and Things to Do In San Francisco on a Rainy Day.
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDoha $15San Francisco $22
Sample the Local Flavors in San Francisco
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in San Francisco:
- Chinatown San Francisco’s Bar Crawl: An Audio Tour: $4.99
- SF Pub Crawl and Clubbing Experience: $27
- San Francisco Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl : $35
- Ghosts, Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $35
- 2 to 3 Hour Bar Crawl in Castro San Francisco: $49
- Wine Tasting on the Bay: $85
- Private Wine Tour Napa or Sonoma from $99 per person up to 7 & Concierge Service: $99
- Small Group: The Ultimate Napa & Sonoma Wine Tour: $109
- Big Bus Napa and Sonoma Valley Wine Tour: $125
- Half-Day Wine Country Tour with Wine Tastings: $126
- From The Ultimate Napa and Sonoma Wine Tour: $139
- The Ultimate Napa & Sonoma Wine Tour: $139
When comparing the travel costs between Doha and San Francisco, we can see that San Francisco is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Doha is in Middle East and San Francisco is in North America, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Doha Expensive? and Is San Francisco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Doha or San Francisco?
San Francisco has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Doha. When comparing the sizes of Doha and San Francisco, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.