A Travel Price Comparison for United States of America Greenville vs. Phoenix for Attractions, Food, Nightlife, and Families

Should you visit Greenville or Phoenix?

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

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Greenville and Phoenix can help you decide which place is right for you.

Greenville

Greenville is a hospitable, southern, and welcoming city. It's also popular because of the museums, nightlife, and shopping.

Phoenix

Phoenix is a laid back, sprawling, and desert city. It's also popular because of the shopping, museums, and nightlife.

Greenville and Phoenix: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Greenville or Phoenix?

Tourists will generally find more to do in Phoenix than Greenville. It is bigger and it has more sights, attractions, and activities for travelers. Phoenix is more touristy than Greenville and is known for its desert landscapes, high number of golf courses, and year round warm weather. It is also well known for Desert Botanical Garden. Greenville is famous for its outdoor spaces and its growing arts scene.

How is Greenville different from Phoenix?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between Phoenix and Greenville. Then, you can decide for yourself which place is better for your next trip.

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Greenville or Phoenix?

You'll find a number of nice museums and attractions in both Phoenix and Greenville.

If you're looking for an educational opportunity, there are a decent number of museums and historical sights around Greenville. Museums focus on art, history, and science. Notable museums in town include the Greenville County Museum of Art, the Upcountry History Museum, and the Sigal Music Museum.

Phoenix is a good place to visit if you're interested in museums or other recognizable sights. You'll find art, science, and cultural museums around town. Favorites include the Heard Museum, the Phoenix Art Museum, S'edav Va'aki Museum, and the Arizona Science Museum.

Is the Food Better in Greenville or Phoenix? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Phoenix is very good for its local flavors and cuisine. However, Greenville is not known for its local cuisine and restaurants.

Phoenix is becoming an appealing option for foodies. There are many mom-and-pop shops around town that serve everything from casual meals to quality steaks. There's also a huge selection of Mexican restaurants, as well as other international options such as sushi, dim sum, and Italian.

Greenville offers some easy restaurants to choose from. The food scene is growing and the farm-to-table movement is apparent here, but the city is still often overlooked by foodies in the area.

Is Greenville or Phoenix Better for Nightlife?

If the nightlife is your priority, you'll find nice options in both Greenville and Phoenix.

If you're looking for night time activities Greenville has a few options to choose from. Bars, breweries, and low key clubs are what drive the city's nightlife scene. There are both piano bars and live music venues that often lean towards the local country classics.

There's a variety of activities in the evening in Phoenix. The best nightlife scene is found in downtown and central Phoenix. There are bars, restaurants, and venues where you can catch a show. North Phoenix also has grown into a popular evening spot with cocktail bars and pubs.

Is Greenville or Phoenix Better for Hiking?

Phoenix is very good for hiking. However, Greenville is not a hiking destination.

Many people include a hike when visiting Phoenix. You don't have to head far out of town for impressive hiking opportunities. You'll find trails that range from easy to challenging, and many pass through other-worldly landscapes. You'll find popular trails in Usery Mountain Regional Park, Papago Park, White Tank Mountain Regional Park, South Mountain Park and many others.

Greenville is not a hiking destination.

Is the Shopping Better in Greenville or Phoenix?

If you're looking to go shopping, Greenville and Phoenix both offer plenty of nice spots.

Greenville has a variety of shopping areas worth visiting. You'll find upscale shopping in the city's downtown and sprawling shopping malls in other neighborhoods. There are plenty of name brand stores where you can pick up the latest style.

Phoenix is a great destination for shopping. There are plenty of shopping centers, outlets, and malls where you'll find the standard chain stores. You'll also find farmer's markets around town.

Is Greenville or Phoenix Better for Families?

You'll find nice kid-friendly activities in either Greenville or Phoenix.

Greenville offers lots of family activities. There are many local families in town, so you'll find all kinds of kid-friendly activities to enjoy. Paris Mountain State Park is a popular place where everyone can run around. Falls Park on the Reedy River also has walking trails and is in the city's historic district. There's also a children's theater and plenty of playgrounds around town.

Phoenix is a family-friendly place to visit. Kids will love the Phoenix Zoo, the Arizona Science Center, the SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium, and the Bearizona Wildlife Park. There's also a number of parks and gardens as well as a children's museum and several other interactive museums for kids.

Is Greenville or Phoenix Better for Couples?

Phoenix is very good for couples. However, Greenville is not known for romance.

Phoenix is a good city for couples to visit. There are many parks and gardens in town as well as beautiful hikes and outdoor activities that couples will enjoy. In the evening, there's theater, shows, and many romantic restaurants.

Greenville is not the best destination for a couple to visit. You can take the free trolley down Main Street and then enjoy a meal at one of the local restaurants.

Is Greenville or Phoenix Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Greenville and Phoenix both offer reasonable public transit to get you around.

Public transit is mostly limited in Greenville. There are free trolleys that make their way around the downtown neighborhoods.

Public transit is generally limited in Phoenix. There's a bus and light rail system, but you really need your own vehicle to get around.

Is Greenville or Phoenix a more walkable city?

Greenville and Phoenix are reasonable when it comes to walkability.

Greenville is generally not a very walkable city. The downtown area is surprisingly walkable, but like most cities in the area, you need a car to make the most of your visit.

Phoenix is generally not very walkable. It's a sprawling city and the only real area that's walkable is the downtown.

For even more information, also check out Is Greenville Worth Visiting? and Is Phoenix Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in Phoenix or Greenville?

How long in Greenville or Phoenix?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Greenville and Phoenix. With generally more activities and things to do, visitors tend to spend more time in Phoenix than in Greenville. Usually, 1-2 days is a good amount of time for Greenville, and 1-3 days is enough time in Phoenix.

Families should spend more time in Phoenix than Greenville. Because of the many family-friendly attractions and fun things to do for kids in Phoenix, it's a great place to visit with the whole family.

Couples should spend more time in Phoenix than Greenville. You'll find plenty of romantic sights and fun activities in Phoenix that are perfect for a weekend getaway or a longer couple's trip.

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Phoenix than Greenville if your budget allows for it. With a larger number of budget-friendly sights, good nightlife, and active things to do, anyone traveling on a budget would have a good time in Phoenix.

One day in Greenville or Phoenix?

In Greenville, you'll find museums and nightlife. This city offers something for everyone. This would be the perfect place to spend one day, as it has just the right amount of activities.

With museums and nightlife around the sprawling city of Phoenix, there's plenty to do. Anyone can find something fun to do here. While some people choose to spend more or less time in Phoenix, one day is sufficent for most.

A weekend in Greenville or Phoenix?

In Greenville, you'll find nightlife and shopping. The length of your trip often depends on your style of travel. A weekend here is typical. A weekend is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Greenville has to offer.

With nightlife and food around the destination of Phoenix, there's plenty to do. It offers something for everyone. Many people spend a weekend here. In a weekend, you should have a good grasp of this city.

Five days in Greenville or Phoenix?

Greenville is a great place to explore. Five days is more than enough time to enjoy everything. Take some day trips to nearby places to fill the extra days. Anyone can find something fun to do here.

Phoenix, a popular city, is full of activities for travelers. Most people find that five days is more than enough time to see everything. Your budget might influence how long you stay.

A week in Greenville or Phoenix?

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Greenville. Many people enjoy the museums and nightlife when visiting Greenville. One week may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing.

Phoenix is a popular place that is full of things to see and experience. One week is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from New York City, The Best 2-Week Tours from New York City, The Best 2-Week Tours from Anchorage, and The Best 2-Week Tours from San Francisco.

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

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Greenville Expensive? and Is Phoenix Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, Greenville or Phoenix?

Phoenix has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Greenville. When comparing the sizes of Greenville and Phoenix, 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.