Which place is cheaper, Charleston or Freeport?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Freeport or Charleston?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Freeport and Charleston 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: Freeport or Charleston?
Freeport
When you picture the Bahamas you likely picture the beaches, resorts and playgrounds of Nassau. Just to the northwest of this tourist paradise is a tropical city founded on industry. Freeport began as mostly swampland and is now the second most populous city in the Bahamas.
This city is less of a tourist attraction - a place where you'll find the true Bahaman culture mixed in with some relaxing spots to help you unwind and get into your island vacation.
Charleston
Charleston is a beautiful, southern city and seaport town in South Carolina. It has a wonderful, historic downtown area that the city government works hard to maintain. Located on a peninsula that is created by two rivers, the city is a stunning setting with much character. It is a popular place to visit for its culture, architecture and cuisine. In recent years Charleston has gained popularity and it continues to grow as both a regional and international travel destination. With its rising popularity comes increasing costs. Travel costs continue to go up as restaurants and hotels raise their prices, particularly during the peak travel season and holiday periods.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from San Francisco, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Los Angeles.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayFreeport $244Charleston $170
The average daily cost (per person) in Freeport is $244, while the average daily cost in Charleston is $170. 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 Freeport and Charleston in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personFreeport $141Charleston $90
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomFreeport $282Charleston $180
Compare Hotels in Freeport and Charleston
Looking for a hotel in Freeport or Charleston? 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: Freeport Hotel Prices and Charleston Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Freeport $59Charleston $33
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Freeport
Also for Freeport, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Freeport Port to Grand Bahama Airport (FPO): $29
- Private Transfer from Grand Bahama Airport (FPO) to Freeport Port: $29
- Roundtrip Airport Transfers Grand Lucayan Resort Freeport: $30
- Round-trip Airport Transfers to Castaway Resorts, Freeport: $30
- Round-Trip Airport Transfer Viva Club Fortuna Freeport: $30
- Round-Trip Airport Transfer Between Freeport Airport and Pelican Bay Resort : $30
- Freeport to Grand Bahama Airport (FPO) Departure Private Transfer: $72
- Grand Bahama Airport (FPO) to Freeport - Arrival Private Transfer: $72
- Private Round Trip Transfer from Freeport Airport to Hotel: $133
- Grand Bahama Airport: One-Way Transfer to Freeport Hotels: $139
- Grand Bahama Airport(FPO) to Freeport -RoundTrip Private Transfer: $144
- Shared Round Trip Limousine Transfer to the Port Lucaya Market: $150
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Charleston
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Charleston:
- Charleston Airport to Isle of Palms/Sullivans Island -Roundtrip Private Transfer: $208
- Charleston Airport (CHS) to Charleston city - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $175
- Charleston Airport: One-Way Transfer to Charleston: $153
- Charleston Airport (CHS) to Kiawah/Seabrook Islands – Arrival Private Transfer: $118
- Charleston Airport to Isle of Palms/Sullivans Island– Arrival Private Transfer: $104
- Charleston Airport (CHS) to Folly Beach - Arrival Private Transfer: $104
- Isle of Palms/Sullivans Island to Charleston Airport –Departure Private Transfer: $104
- Folly Beach to Charleston Airport (CHS) - Departure Private Transfer: $104
- Charleston Airport (CHS) to Charleston city – Arrival Private Transfer: $88
- Charleston city to Charleston Airport (CHS) - Departure Private Transfer: $88
- From Boone Hall Plantation Entry with Transfers: $71
- Private Transfer from Charleston Port to Charleston Airport (CHS): $59
Is it cheaper to fly into Freeport or Charleston?
Prices for flights to both Charleston and Freeport 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 dayFreeport $64Charleston $58
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Freeport
For Freeport, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Around Town/Bahamian Cooking Experience: $175
Typical Food Prices in Charleston
Some typical examples of dining costs in Charleston are as follows:
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Lunch in downtown Charleston for two$21
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Breakfast$26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Charleston
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Charleston.
- Charleston Sunset Blues & BBQ Dinner Cruise: $72
- Charleston Harbor Luxury Dinner Cruise with Live Music: $88
- Luxury Harbor Dinner Cruise: $93
- Savor the Flavors Upper King Street Food Tour: $95
- Charleston Food Tour: $99
- Historic Downtown Food Tour with Tastings: $99
- 3-Hour Secret Food Tour: $108
- 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.Freeport $40Charleston $22
Typical Entertainment Prices in Freeport
For Freeport, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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10 Dive Package$300
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4 Hr. Kayak Tour$70
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1/2 Day Snorkel Trip$75
Tours and Activities in Freeport
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Freeport.
- Tour of Coral Vita and breach brak at Banana bay beach club: $51
- Mamma Gal Native Experience : $70
- Freeport Shore Excursion: Garden of the Groves and City Tour: $82
- Mamma Gal East End Native Experience : $85
- Rumbo Tour : $90
- Clear Kayak Tour: $120
- Bahamas Sea Scooter Snorkeling Adventure: $120
- CocoNutz Cruisers Electric Bicycle Tour: $123
- East End Private Day Trip Experience Tour : $200
- Snorkel/Swim with the Turtles Experience: $250
- 4 Hour Private Sandy Cay Experience with Snorkeling - Adults Only: $275
Typical Entertainment Prices in Charleston
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Charleston are as follows:
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Patriots Point (for 2)$60
Tours and Activities in Charleston
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Charleston are as follows:
- 2 Hours Private Morris Island and River Cruise: $295
- 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
- 300 Years of War and Peacetime in A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $12
- 90-Minute Charleston City Sightseeing Bus Tour : $37
- Access Tour to the Cameron House from Outer Banks: $225
- Afternoon Schooner Sightseeing Dolphin Cruise on Charleston Harbor: $56
- An Amazing Guided Ghost Tour: $30
- Behind the Scenes of Shem Creek Shrimp Walking Tour: $25
- Boone Hall Plantation Admission & Tour with Transportation from Charleston: $78
- Boone Hall Plantation All-Access Admission Ticket: $28
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayFreeport $30Charleston $36
Sample the Local Flavors in Freeport
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Freeport:
- Brewery & Taste with Beach & Shop at Largest Market on Freeport 4-hrs : $75
Sample the Local Flavors in Charleston
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Charleston:
- Charleston Women and Wine Tour: $20
- Women and Wine Tour: $20
- Charleston Terrors Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $27
- Guided Pub Crawl and Haunted History Tour: $30
- Bay Street Bastards Pub Crawl Shared Tour in Charleston : $35
- Speakeasy Sagas Prohibition Pub Crawl: $35
- Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl Walking Tour: $35
- Historic District Haunted Pub Crawl Tour: $40
- Charleston Brewery District Cruise (Public Tour): $95
- Wadmalaw Island Wine Tasting and Tea Garden Trip: $135
- Half Day Party Bus Brewery Tour of Charleston: $140
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Freeport and Charleston, we can see that Freeport is more expensive. And not only is Charleston much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Freeport is in Caribbean Islands and Charleston is in North America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Charleston would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Charleston 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 Freeport would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Freeport than you might in Charleston.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Freeport Expensive? and Is Charleston Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Freeport or Charleston?
Charleston has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Freeport. When comparing the sizes of Freeport and Charleston, 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.