Should you visit Key West or Orlando?
Should I visit Key West or Orlando? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Key West
Key West is both a city and an island as well as the southern most Florida Key. It is also the southern most city in the continental United States. The island is only about four miles long and one mile wide. The total land mass covers just 4.2 square miles. The most famous street in town is Duval Street, which runs just 1.1 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. There are 14 blocks. The size of the island doubled during the 1950s when many of the salt ponds along the eastern side of the island were filled in.
Orlando
Orlando is a haven for tourists from the entire United States and abroad. The most famous sight in Orlando, Walt Disney World, is not actually located in the city at all, but in nearby Lake Buena Vista. The area attracts over 50 million visitors a year and the city's sprawling development has created amenities and entertainment options for tourists of all ages.
Which city is cheaper, Orlando or Key West?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Key West is $170, while the average daily cost in Orlando is $240. 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 Key West and Orlando in more detail.
Accommodation
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around $106. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Key West the cost is $212 on average.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $224 in Orlando For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
The price of a meal in Key West can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $38 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $15 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
The price of a meal in Orlando can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $50 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $20 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Key West $38
Orlando $50
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Key West
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Key West.
-
Key West Sunset Dinner Cruise with Tropical Buffet:
$68
-
Sunset Cruise with Buffet Dinner and Open Bar:
$90
-
Private Secret Food Tour of Key West:
$103
-
Secret Food Tour of Key West w/ Private Tour Option:
$221
Typical Food prices in Orlando
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Orlando:
-
Lunch for Two at Epcot
$29
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Orlando
For Orlando, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
The Outta Control Magic Comedy Dinner Show, Orlando:
$34
-
The Outta Control Magic Comedy Dinner Show:
$34
-
Mango's Tropical Cafe Dinner & Show Tickets:
$50
-
Mango's Tropical Cafe Orlando Dinner and Show Ticket:
$50
-
The Rock Dinner Show in Orlando:
$51
-
Food Tour of Celebration:
$55
-
Pirates Dinner Adventure Orlando:
$57
-
Downtown Food Tour:
$60
-
WonderWorks and Outta Control Dinner Show VIP Combo:
$64
-
Audubon Park Garden District Food Tour:
$85
-
Cowboy Rodeo Adventure Tour & BBQ Dinner from Orlando:
$89
-
Dinner with Disney Characters by Limousine:
$119
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Key West is $41 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
To get around in Orlando, the average visitor spends $48 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Key West
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Key West:
-
Rental Car for One Day
$38
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Key West
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Key West:
-
Private Airport Transfer in Key West, Florida:
$209
-
Round-Trip Transfer: Fort Lauderdale to Key West:
$198
-
Private Arrival Transfer: Key West Airport to Hotel:
$116
-
Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Key West Airport:
$116
-
Miami & One-Way Transfer by Motor Coach Bus:
$54
-
Key West International Airport One Way Transfer:
$53
Typical Local Transportation prices in Orlando
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Orlando are as follows:
-
Parking
$14
-
Taxi Ride
$45
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Orlando
Also for Orlando, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Orlando International Airport Shared Shuttle Transfers:
$15
-
Orlando Attractions Roundtrip Transfer:
$19
-
Private Departure Transfer to Orlando Sanford Airport (SFB):
$24
-
Private Arrival Transfer - from Orlando Sanford Airport (SFB):
$24
-
Shared Orlando Cruise Port Transfer: Airport to Port:
$32
-
Shared Orlando Cruise Port Transfer: Port to Airport:
$32
-
Private Airport Transfer: from Orlando to Orlando International Airport (MCO):
$39
-
Private Airport Transfer: Orlando International Airport (MCO) to Orlando:
$39
-
Private Airport Transfer: from Orlando Int. Airport (MCO) to Walt Disney World:
$39
-
Disney World or Universal Studios transfer to Orlando Airport MCO up to 4 pax:
$45
-
Disney World Resort to Orlando Airport MCO. Private Transfer Up to 4 pax:
$45
-
Orlando (MCO) Airport transfer to / from Orlando area hotels (One Way) Regular:
$52
Is it cheaper to fly into Key West or Orlando?
Prices for flights to both Orlando and Key West 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
Key West's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $26 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
In Orlando, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $163 per person, per day.
Tours and Activities in Key West
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Key West are as follows:
-
2 Hour Private Highlights of Key West Walking Tour:
$99
-
2-Hour Private Sunset Cruise around Key West:
$200
-
2-Hour Private Sunset Cruise on Tiki Bar Boat in Key West:
$457
-
4-Hour Private Sand Bar Cruise on a Tiki Bar Boat in Key West:
$565
-
6th Sense Haunted Tour of Key West:
$25
-
Adults only Champagne Celebration Sunset Cruise from Key West:
$79
-
All-Inclusive Water Adventure Excursion in Key West:
$129
-
Booze Cruise Key West Private Charter:
$248
-
Cultural Walking Tour of Key West with Food and Drink Tastings:
$240
-
Do It All Watersports Adventure with Lunch:
$148
-
Easy Stroll Audio Tour Downtown Key West:
$7.99
-
Florida Keys Afternoon Reef Snorkel & Sail Adventure:
$69
Typical Entertainment prices in Orlando
For Orlando, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
Tours and Activities in Orlando
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Orlando.
-
A Walk Around Lake Eola Audio Tour:
$6.65
-
Port Canaveral Cruise shuttles:
$15
-
Port Canaveral Cruise shuttles:
$15
-
Chocolate Kingdom Factory Tour:
$18
-
Factory Adventure Tour in Chocolate Kingdom:
$18
-
Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens Admission Ticket:
$20
-
Orlando Walking Ghost Tour:
$20
-
1-Hour Haunted Walking Tour:
$23
-
Titanic - The Artifact Exhibition Ticket:
$24
-
Crayola Experience:
$24
-
Crayola Experience Orlando Ticket:
$25
-
Lost Caverns Adventure Golf:
$29
Alcohol
The average person spends about $13 on alcoholic beverages in Key West per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Orlando, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $24.
Sample the Local Flavors in Key West
Also in Key West, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Key West Haunted Pub Crawl and Ghost Tour:
$23
-
Yes, Queen! Drag Queen Pub Crawl of Key West:
$34
-
Key West Pub Crawl:
$35
Sample the Local Flavors in Orlando
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Orlando:
-
Florida Craft Beer & Brewery Tour:
$65
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Key West and Orlando, we can see that Orlando is more expensive. And not only is Key West much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Key West would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Key West 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 Orlando would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Orlando than you might in Key West.
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