Should you visit Gainesville or Los Angeles?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Gainesville or Los Angeles, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Gainesville
Home to the University of Florida as well as Santa Fe College, the town of Gainesville has all of the shopping, entertainment, and restaurants that you could want in a college town - plus easy access to a number of outdoor adventures from canoeing, diving, and kayaking to birding, fishing, hiking, and biking. Some of the top features include the Butterfly Rainforest, the Florida Museum of Natural History, the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, and Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California is probably one of the most well known cities in the United States. It is the second most populated metro area in the country with more than 17 million people. The city's diversity is wide reaching, giving it a character that is unique from any other place in the country. LA has many world famous sights and neighborhoods including Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, and Santa Monica, but there is really so much more to this city.
Which city is cheaper, Los Angeles or Gainesville?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Gainesville is $135, while the average daily cost in Los Angeles is $190. 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 Gainesville and Los Angeles in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Gainesville is about $138 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
For a normal double-occupancy room in Los Angeles, $222 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Los Angeles, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is $111, such as in a hostel.
Food
While meal prices in Gainesville can vary, the average travelers spends about $46 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Gainesville should cost around $18 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Gainesville is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
The price of a meal in Los Angeles can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $35 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
Gainesville $46
Los Angeles $35
Typical Food prices in Gainesville
Some typical examples of dining costs in Gainesville are as follows:
Typical Food prices in Los Angeles
For Los Angeles, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Los Angeles
For Los Angeles, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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How to Cook the Perfect Steak Virtual Cooking Class:
$42
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Downtown Food Tour:
$75
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West Hollywood Food Tour:
$75
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Downtown Los Angeles Food Tour:
$77
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Private Tour: Secret Food Tours Los Angeles Venice Beach:
$96
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Private Authentic Middle Eastern Cooking Class in Reseda, Los Angeles:
$102
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Luxury Vegan Food Tours of Los Angeles:
$125
-
Secret Food Tour of Venice Beach, Los Angeles w/ Private Tour Option:
$207
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3-Hour Secret Food Tour:
$209
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Gainesville is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $33 per person, per day, on local transportation in Gainesville.
Los Angeles'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 $29 per person, per day on transportation in Los Angeles.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gainesville
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Gainesville:
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Private Transfer from Gainesville to Port Canaveral:
$658
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Private Transfer from Gainesville to Orlando-Sanford (SFB) Airport:
$676
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Private Transfer from Gainesville to Orlando (MCO) Airport:
$453
Typical Local Transportation prices in Los Angeles
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Los Angeles:
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Hotel Parking for a Day
$22
-
Taxi to Airport
$55
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Los Angeles
Also for Los Angeles, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Arrival Transfer from Los Angeles Airport LAX:
$30
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Private Departure Transfer to Los Angeles Airport LAX:
$30
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Los Angeles Arrival Private Transfer: LAX Airport:
$31
-
Small-Group Amazing Hollywood Sign Tour with Transfer:
$32
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Transfer to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX):
$39
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Los Angeles Airport (LAX) to Santa Monica - Arrival Private Transfer:
$41
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Private Airport Transfer: from Los Angeles to Los Angeles Int. Airport (LAX):
$52
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Private Van Airport Arrival Transfer: LAX Airport to Anaheim Resort Area:
$53
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Private Departure Transfer from Los Angeles City to Los Angeles Airport:
$53
-
Private Arrival Transfer from Los Angeles Airport to Los Angeles City:
$57
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Los Angeles Airport (LAX) to Los Angeles - Arrival Private Transfer:
$61
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Los Angeles to Los Angeles Airport (LAX) - Departure Private Transfer:
$61
Is it cheaper to fly into Gainesville or Los Angeles?
Prices for flights to both Los Angeles and Gainesville 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
Entertainment and activities in Gainesville typically cost an average of $14 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Los Angeles can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around $64 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
Typical Entertainment prices in Gainesville
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Gainesville are as follows:
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Manatee Tour for Two
$98
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Tour Guide Tip
$5.00
Tours and Activities in Gainesville
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Gainesville are as follows:
-
Butterfly Rainforest at Florida Museum of Natural History Ticket:
$14
Typical Entertainment prices in Los Angeles
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Los Angeles's activities, tours, and tickets:
Tours and Activities in Los Angeles
For Los Angeles, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Hollywood Boulevard’s Haunting History and Hidden Gems: A Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$5.00
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Gambling Built the Sunset Strip: A Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour:
$5.13
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Hollywood Legends: A self-guided audio tour of the Sunset Strip:
$5.99
-
Hollywood Celebrity & Star Homes Self-Guided Driving Tour:
$6.40
-
City tour Los Angeles Chile:
$10
-
TCL Chinese Theatre VIP Tour:
$14
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Petersen Automotive Museum Admission Ticket:
$16
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Fun Self-Guided Tour of Hollywood in Los Angeles:
$19
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Half Day Self-Guided Tour of Westwood in Los Angeles:
$19
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Melrose Self-Guided Tour of Instagrammable Places:
$19
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Self-Guided Tour of Downtown Los Angeles with Fun Facts and Best Photo Ops:
$19
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Venice Beach, CA WalkingTour:
$19
Alcohol
The average person spends about $39 on alcoholic beverages in Gainesville per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typically, people visiting Los Angeles spend on average $11 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Los Angeles
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Los Angeles:
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Brews Cruise- DTLA Brewery tour by bike:
$50
-
Brewery Walking Tour -- Downtown / Arts District:
$81
-
Malibu: Exclusive Wine Tasting and Falconry Experience:
$109
-
Malibu: Vintage VW Hippie Sightseeing Tour with Wine Tasting:
$139
-
Santa Barbara Wine Tasting Day Tour from Los Angeles:
$249
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Los Angeles Wine Tour:
$250
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The Private Malibu Wine Tour:
$419
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Food and Wine Tasting Party:
$750
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Private Tour: Malibu Wine Tasting for Two by Limousine from Los Angeles:
$999
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Gainesville and Los Angeles, we can see that Los Angeles is more expensive. And not only is Gainesville much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Gainesville would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Gainesville 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 Los Angeles would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Los Angeles than you might in Gainesville.
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