A Travel Price Comparison for United States of America Flagstaff vs. Rapid City for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Flagstaff or Rapid City?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Flagstaff and Rapid City 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: Flagstaff or Rapid City?

Flagstaff

Located in northern Arizona near the San Francisco Peaks mountain range, Flagstaff is a small city surrounded by natural beauty. The city's proximity to a number of popular tourist sights, including Grand Canyon National Park, Oak Creek Canyon, the Arizona Snowbowl, Meteor Crater, and Historic Route 66, make it a common destination for tourists. It lies at an elevation of almost 7,000 feet with nearby areas climbing higher. In large part because of its altitude, the city has a cooler climate than the southern part of Arizona, which is famous for its low lying desert.

Rapid City

Rapid City is a large city in western South Dakota that is considered the gateway to the Black Hills National Forest. Rapid City is often used as a base for all types of outdoor activities, including tours to the infamous Mount Rushmore and surrounding parks. The city has a budding art scene and offers the perfect combination of a metropolitan city surrounded by stunning natural scenery. Rapid City experiences the best weather from June-September with temperatures in the 70's and 80's Fahrenheit. Temperatures drop to the low 20's F in the winter and the area receives the most rain pour in April and May.

Which city is cheaper, Rapid City or Flagstaff?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Flagstaff is $133, while the average daily cost in Rapid City is $93. 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. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Flagstaff and Rapid City in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Flagstaff $69
    Rapid City $48
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Flagstaff $138
    Rapid City $96
Compare Hotels in Flagstaff and Rapid City

Looking for a hotel in Flagstaff or Rapid City? 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.

Hotels in Flagstaff


Hotels in Rapid City


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: Flagstaff Hotel Prices and Rapid City Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Flagstaff $30
    Rapid City $42

Is it cheaper to fly into Flagstaff or Rapid City?

Prices for flights to both Rapid City and Flagstaff 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Flagstaff $44
    Rapid City $19

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Flagstaff $22
    Rapid City $21

Tours and Activities in Flagstaff

Here are a few actual costs in Flagstaff for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend Day Tour from Flagstaff: $229
  • Antelope Slot Canyon and Horseshoe Bend Day Tour from Flagstaff: $236
  • Comprehensive Grand Canyon Tour from Flagstaff: $186
  • Dark Skies Astrophotography Tour: $50
  • Flagstaff Adventure Zipline Course: $61
  • Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course-Adult Course: $61
  • Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course-Kids Course: $30
  • From Sedona or Full-Day Monument Valley Tour: $306
  • Fun Flagstaff History Segway, Bike or Walking Tour: $31
  • Grand Canyon Discovery Tour: $379
  • Grand Canyon Experience Tour from Flagstaff: $162
  • Grand Canyon Sightseeing Tour from Flagstaff: $178

Tours and Activities in Rapid City

For Rapid City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Bus Tour with Live Commentary: $84
  • Bus Tour of Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills: $123
  • Bike Adventure on the Mickelson Trail - Private: $267
  • Southern Black Hills Bicycle Tour - Private: $267
  • Private Mickelson Trail Bicycling Tour/ Two Person Minimum: $299
  • Private Jeep Safari and Hiking Tour/ Two Person Minimum: $307
  • Private Badlands National Park Day Tour: $315
  • Private Mt Rushmore & Southern Black Hills Tour: $329

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Flagstaff $23
    Rapid City $5.54

About these numbers

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Flagstaff and Rapid City, we can see that Flagstaff is more expensive. And not only is Rapid City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Rapid City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Rapid City 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 Flagstaff would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Flagstaff than you might in Rapid City.

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Flagstaff vs. Rapid City Travel Comparison

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