Should you visit Durango or Santa Fe?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Durango and Santa Fe. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Durango
Located in the State of Colorado, in the Rocky Mountains, Durango is on the tourist maps because of its historic narrow gauge railroad that connects the city to the town of Silverton. Durango has a population of just over 16,000 and it is only a short distance from the "four corners" area where New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado all meet. The landscape surrounding Durango is quite impressive and includes the Animas River Valley, the San Juan Mountains, and some beautiful red sandstone bluffs.
Santa Fe
Santa Fe is the state capital of New Mexico as well as the oldest state capital in the United States, founded in 1607. It has become a popular travel destination due to the surrounding scenic beauty, its long history, cultural diversity especially with its proximity to American Indian pueblos and culture, and a rich concentration of arts, music, and food.
Which city is cheaper, Santa Fe or Durango?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Durango is $49, while the average daily cost in Santa Fe is $127. 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 Durango and Santa Fe in more detail.
Accommodation
For a normal double-occupancy room in Durango, $42 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Durango, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is $21, such as in a hostel.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $128 in Santa Fe For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
The average traveler spends about $13 per day in Durango 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.
In Santa Fe travelers spend around $35 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
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Food
Meals for one day
Durango $13
Santa Fe $35
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santa Fe
For Santa Fe, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Dinner at the Coffee Farm:
$55
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Santa Fe Railyard Arts District Food Tour:
$102
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New Mexican Flavors Food Tour of the Santa Fe Plaza:
$138
Local Transportation
To get around in Durango, 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.
Santa Fe'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 $49 per person, per day on transportation in Santa Fe.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Fe
Also for Santa Fe, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Departure Transfer to Santa Fe Airport SAF:
$125
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Private Arrival Transfer from Santa Fe Airport (SAF):
$62
Entertainment
In Durango, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $23 per person, per day.
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Santa Fe can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around $13 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
Typical Entertainment prices in Durango
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Durango's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Hot Springs (for 2)
$50
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Tubing (for 2)
$40
Tours and Activities in Durango
For Durango, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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12-Zipline Adventure in the San Juan Mountains near Durango:
$141
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Fun Tour by Tuk Tuk around Durango Old Town, Garai and Goiuria:
$93
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Private Full-Day Fishing Experience in San Juan River:
$400
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Private Guided Tour by Tuk Tuk of Durango and Elorrio:
$93
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Private Guided Tour by tuk tuk of Durango and Atxondo:
$93
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Private Tour in Durango and Mendiola by Tuk Tuk:
$93
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Province of Vizcaya Half-Day Private Guided Tuk Tuk Tour:
$218
Tours and Activities in Santa Fe
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santa Fe.
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Bantayan Island Day Tour From Cebu:
$173
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Beer and Art Tour:
$40
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Guided Tour: 'Love Stories of Santa Fe":
$498
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Land Tour | Bantayan Island - Sightseeing - Guided Tour:
$46
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Lonely Planet Experiences: Private Walking Tour of Santa Fe:
$170
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Santa Fe Architectural Walking Tour:
$115
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Santa Fe Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
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Search for The Story-Documentary Film School Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$52
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Small-Group Canyon Road Art Tour:
$37
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Small-Group E-Bike Adventure Tour through Hidden Santa Fe:
$155
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The Best of Santa Fe Walking Tour:
$498
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Walk Granada's Skyline Tour:
$49
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 Santa Fe, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $7.74.
Sample the Local Flavors in Santa Fe
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Santa Fe:
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Join-In Wine Tours:
$152
-
White Water Rafting and Wine Tour:
$217
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Durango and Santa Fe, we can see that Santa Fe is more expensive. And not only is Durango much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Durango would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Durango 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 Santa Fe would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santa Fe than you might in Durango.
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