Which place is cheaper, South Carolina or Florida?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Florida or South Carolina?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Florida and South Carolina. 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, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Florida or South Carolina?
Florida
The state of Florida, known for sunshine, warm weather, beaches, and Disney World, has much to offer. Orlando and its world-famous parks such as Disney, Epcot, Universal Studios, MGM, Sea World, and more draw massive amounts of visitors every year, and for a good reason. Florida is more than just Disney, however, the state has many other attractions and cities worth visiting.
South Carolina
The U.S. state of South Carolina is a part of the American South-rich in all the culture, cuisine, and countryside that make up the region. From the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains to a stunning coastline with many charming towns in between, the landscape of South Carolina is full of things to do and see. There are many great opportunities to dive into the past while indulging in the culture that thrives today.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Los Angeles, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to United States of America, 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 dayFlorida $251South Carolina $207
The average daily cost (per person) in Florida is $251, while the average daily cost in South Carolina is $207. 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 Florida and South Carolina in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personFlorida $132South Carolina $96
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomFlorida $264South Carolina $192
Compare Hotels in Florida and South Carolina
Looking for a hotel in Florida or South Carolina? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Florida $47South Carolina $33
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Florida
Also for Florida, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private transfer: From Tampa to airport and vice versa : $18
- Private Arrival Transfer from Fort Myers Southwest Florida Airport RSW: $28
- Palm Beach Airport (PBI) to Palm Beach City - Arrival Private Transfer: $30
- Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal Transfers: $34
- Private Transfer from Miami Airport to Hotel or Port of Miami: $35
- Private Arrival Transfer - from Tampa Airport (TPA): $36
- Private Transfer from Key West Int Airport to Key West Port: $38
- Private Transfer from Key West Cruise Port to Key West hotels: $38
- Delray Beach to Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) - Departure Private Transfer: $39
- Transfer Private Vehicle from City -Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL): $40
- Boynton Beach to Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) - Departure Private Transfer: $40
- Port Everglades to Fort Lauderdale Airport FLL-Departure Transfer: $40
Hired Cars and Shuttles in South Carolina
Some specific examples of transportation prices in South Carolina:
- Charleston Airport to Isle of Palms/Sullivans Island -Roundtrip Private Transfer: $206
- Charleston Airport (CHS) to Charleston city - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $173
- Charleston Airport (CHS) to Kiawah/Seabrook Islands – Arrival Private Transfer: $117
- Myrtle Beach Intl. Airport (MYR) to Myrtle Beach - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $104
- Isle of Palms/Sullivans Island to Charleston Airport –Departure Private Transfer: $103
- Folly Beach to Charleston Airport (CHS) - Departure Private Transfer: $103
- Charleston Airport (CHS) to Folly Beach - Arrival Private Transfer: $103
- Charleston Airport to Isle of Palms/Sullivans Island– Arrival Private Transfer: $103
- Hilton Head Island, SC to Savannah Hilton Airport - Departure Private Transfer: $89
- Charleston city to Charleston Airport (CHS) - Departure Private Transfer: $87
- Greenville-Spartanburg Airport (GSP) to Greenville - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $74
- Private Transfer from Charleston City to Charleston Cruise Port: $54
Is it cheaper to fly into Florida or South Carolina?
Prices for flights to both South Carolina and Florida 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 dayFlorida $62South Carolina $53
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Florida
For Florida, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Tastes of the World Food Tour in Winter Haven : $50
- Daytona Beach: Luau with Polynesian Dinner and Live Show: $53
- Polynesian Fire and Dinner Show Ticket in Daytona Beach: $53
- Food Tour in Lauderdale By The Sea: $60
- South Beach Donut & Gelato Walking Food Tour: $65
- Wynwood Street Art, Culture, Donuts & Walking Food Tour: $65
- Little Havana Street Food Tour with Enthusiastic Guide: $69
- 2 Hours Beach Bites & Brews Food Tour in Gulfport, Florida: $69
- Sleuth's Mystery Dinner Show, Orlando: $69
- Cuban Food Tour Of Little Havana: $70
- Seville Stroll Food Tour: $72
- Mornings in the Market Food Tour: $75
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in South Carolina
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in South Carolina.
- Murder Mystery Dinner Show in Myrtle Beach: $50
- Charleston Sunset Blues & BBQ Dinner Cruise: $63
- Polynesian Fire Luau and Dinner Show Ticket in Myrtle Beach: $67
- Charleston Harbor Luxury Dinner Cruise with Live Music: $88
- Charleston Food Tour: $99
- Sunset Hibachi Dinner Cruise : $102
- Hilton Head Sunset Dinner Cruise: $106
- Charleston Farm-to-Table Food Tour and Chef's Challenge: $109
- Charleston Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $110
- Downtown Charleston Food Tour: $110
- Savor the Flavors of Charleston Walking Food Tour: $110
- Charleston's Savor the Flavors of Upper King Street Walking Food Tour: $110
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Florida $62South Carolina $25
Tours and Activities in Florida
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Florida.
- Haunted Miami: a Smartphone Audio Driving Tour : $5.92
- 20 Minutes Chocolate & Candy Factory Tour in Jacksonville: $6.00
- Ybor City Immigrant influence Smart Phone guided App (GPS) walking tour: $6.50
- Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour around Lake Eola in Orlando: $6.65
- Little Havana Smartphone guided Audio App Solo Walking Tour: $6.75
- St Augustine Haunted History: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- Fort Lauderdale Riverwalk Self-guided Audio Walking Tour: $7.99
- Smartphone Audio Private Walking Tour in Tampa Riverwalk: $7.99
- Sights of Downtown Miami: a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $7.99
- Private Sightseeing Audio Walking Tour in Miami Beach: $7.99
- Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Miami: $8.70
- Miami Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
Tours and Activities in South Carolina
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for South Carolina are as follows:
- 2 Hours Private Morris Island and River Cruise: $255
- #1 Historical Horse Drawn Carriage Tour: $35
- 1 Hour Private Dolphin Tour Hilton Head Island: $250
- 1.5-Hour Charleston Harbor Cruise with Live Narration: $42
- 2 Hours Shem Creek Safari Kayak Tour: $52
- 2-Hour Guided Kayak Eco Tour in Charleston: $54
- 2-Hour Guided Segway Tour of Huntington Beach State Park in Myrtle Beach: $69
- 2-Hour Hilton Head Guided Kayak Nature Tour: $45
- 300 Years of War and Peacetime in Charleston: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $12
- 60-Minute Escape Game Adventures in Myrtle Beach: $41
- 90 Minute Hilton Head Dolphin Tour: $48
- 90 Minute Hilton Head Dolphin and Nature Cruise: $45
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayFlorida $31South Carolina $30
Sample the Local Flavors in Florida
Also in Florida, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Epic Naples Bar Crawl: By Let’s Roam: $12
- Orlando Virtual Bar Crawl & Scavenger Hunt: $12
- The Tour and Wine Tasting Experience at Aspirations Winery: $20
- Walking Pub Tour : $21
- The Original Haunted Pub Tour: $24
- Miami Bar Crawl: $25
- Key West Haunted Pub Crawl Walking Tour: $30
- St. Augustine Haunted Pub Crawl: $30
- Key West Haunted Pub Crawl and Ghost Tour with Free T-Shirt: $32
- the Fort Myers Beach Haunted Pub Crawl (a magical history tour): $35
- Ft Lauderdale Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $37
- Dive Bar Bus Crawl from Daytona Beach: $40
Sample the Local Flavors in South Carolina
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in South Carolina:
- Charleston Women and Wine Tour: $20
- Spooky & Haunted Paranormal Bar Crawl Downtown Greenville: $32
- Bay Street Bastards Pub Crawl Shared Tour in Charleston : $35
- Hilton Head's ONLY Distillery Experience: $55
- Charleston Brewery District Cruise (Public Tour): $95
- Half Day Party Bus Brewery Tour of Charleston: $140
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Florida and South Carolina, we can see that Florida is more expensive. And not only is South Carolina much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to South Carolina would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in South Carolina 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 Florida would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Florida than you might in South Carolina.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Florida Expensive? and Is South Carolina Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, Florida or South Carolina?
Florida has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of South Carolina. When comparing the sizes of Florida and South Carolina, 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.