Should you visit Flagstaff or San Diego?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Flagstaff and San Diego can help. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
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.
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 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 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 Flagstaff and San Diego in more detail.
Accommodation
The average price for accommodation for two people in Flagstaff is $138. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
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
Flagstaff food costs typically run travelers around $44 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
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
Flagstaff $44
San Diego $36
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 $30 per day to get around in Flagstaff.
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 San Diego
Also for San Diego, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Arrival Private Transfer San Diego Airport SAN to San Diego City by Business Car:
$71
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Arrival Private Transfer San Diego Airport SAN to San Diego by Executive SUV:
$85
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Arrival and Departure Transfer: Hotel to and from San Diego International Airport:
$70
-
Departure Private Transfer San Diego to San Diego Airport SAN in Business Car:
$63
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Private Airport Transfer San Deigo Arrival And Departure:
$67
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Private Airport Transfer: Hotel to and from San Diego International Airport:
$70
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Private Airport Transfer: San Diego International Airport (SAN) to San Diego:
$46
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Private Airport Transfer: from San Diego to San Diego Int. Airport (SAN):
$35
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Private Arrival Transfer from SAN San Diego Airport to San Diego City:
$49
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Private Arrival Transfer from San Diego Airport SAN:
$48
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Private Departure Transfer from San Diego to SAN San Diego Airport:
$46
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Private Departure Transfer to San Diego Airport SAN:
$48
Is it cheaper to fly into Flagstaff or San Diego?
Prices for flights to both San Diego 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.
Entertainment
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $22 per person, per day in Flagstaff. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
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.
Tours and Activities in Flagstaff
Here are a few actual costs in Flagstaff for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend Day Tour from Flagstaff:
$229
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Antelope Slot Canyon and Horseshoe Bend Day Tour from Flagstaff:
$236
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Comprehensive Grand Canyon Tour from Flagstaff:
$186
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Dark Skies Astrophotography Tour:
$50
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Flagstaff Adventure Zipline Course:
$61
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Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course-Adult Course:
$61
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Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course-Kids Course:
$30
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Flagstaff Segway Tour:
$89
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Small-Group Haunted City Tour:
$30
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From Flagstaff or Sedona: Hopi Lands Cultural Tour & Lunch:
$176
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From Grand Canyon National Park Tour:
$169
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From Grand Canyon Railroad Full-Day Tour:
$219
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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Tijuana Walking Tour from San Diego:
$28
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San Diego Harbor Cruise:
$28
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Harbor Cruise:
$28
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Off the grid Christian tour.:
$28
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Old Town Scavenger Hunt, Walking Tour:
$29
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Flagstaff may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $23 per day on alcoholic beverages.
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
-
Wine Tasting Or Beer Tasting:
$15
-
San Diego Brewery Tour:
$85
-
San Diego Micro Brewery Tour:
$91
-
The San Diego Downtown Craft Brewery Tour:
$95
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The San Diego Downtown Craft Brewery Tour:
$101
-
Private San Diego Brewery Tour:
$107
-
All inclusive brewery tour-Fire Truck:
$189
-
Luxury Private Wine Tasting Tour to Guadalupe Valley from San Diego.:
$249
-
Private Wine Tour of Temecula from San Diego:
$475
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Flagstaff and San Diego, we can see that San Diego is more expensive. And not only is Flagstaff much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Flagstaff would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Flagstaff 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 San Diego would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Diego than you might in Flagstaff.
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