A Travel Price Comparison for Florida Key West vs. Sarasota for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Key West or Sarasota?

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

Should I visit Key West or Sarasota? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and 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.

Sarasota

Located on the Gulf Coast of southwest Florida, Sarasota is a popular city known for its thriving arts scene, selection of restaurants, plenty of shopping, and beautiful beaches. The metropolitan area is a hub of city culture, while the beaches offer escapes of fine white sand and aqua waters.

Which city is cheaper, Sarasota or Key West?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Key West is $441, while the average daily cost in Sarasota is $279. 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. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Key West and Sarasota in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Key West $106
    Sarasota $166
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Key West $212
    Sarasota $332

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Key West $41
    Sarasota -
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

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sarasota

Also for Sarasota, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Arrival Transfer from Sarasota Airport SRQ: $32
  • Private Departure Transfer to Sarasota Airport SRQ: $32
  • Sarasota to Sarasota–Bradenton Intl. Airport (SRQ) - Departure Private Transfer: $112
  • Sarasota–Bradenton Intl. Airport (SRQ) to Sarasota - Arrival Private Transfer: $112
  • Sarasota Airport to Hotel Private Transfer: $133
  • Sarasota Private Transfer - Hotel to Airport: $133
  • Sarasota–Bradenton Intl. Airport (SRQ) to Sarasota - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $224
  • Private Transfer from Sarasota to Orlando (MCO) Airport: $453
  • Private Transfer from Sarasota to Orlando-Sanford (SFB) Airport: $615
  • Private Transfer from Sarasota to Port Canaveral: $658

Is it cheaper to fly into Key West or Sarasota?

Prices for flights to both Sarasota 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.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Key West $308
    Sarasota $110

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

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sarasota

For Sarasota, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Downtown Walking Food Tour in Sarasota: $99

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Key West $26
    Sarasota $9.08

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

Tours and Activities in Sarasota

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Sarasota.

  • Public Art Tour: $39
  • Psychic Sunday Tour: $40
  • City Sightseeing Trolley Tour of Sarasota: $43
  • Tiki Trivia Trolley Tour with Local Performer and Guide: $43
  • Sightseeing Trolley Tour of Sarasota for Private Groups & Corporate Events: $45
  • Infamous Sarasota - Happy Hour City Trolley Tour: $46
  • Circus History Tour: $49
  • 90-Minute Narrated City Sightseeing Trolley Tour: $49
  • Sarasota Bay & Lido Key BEST Mangrove Kayak Tour: $50
  • Mangrove Tunnel Kayak Ecotour: $51
  • Paddleboard or Kayak Tour Through Mangrove Tunnels: $51
  • Kayak Tour through Mangrove Tunnels: $51

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Key West $13
    Sarasota -

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

About these numbers

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

Budget Your Trip

Budget Your Trip has average travel costs for thousands of cities around the world, all provided by other travelers. You can also register to organize your spending by category and location with graphs, maps, charts, and tables.
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Key West vs. Sarasota Travel Comparison

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