Should you visit Miami or Rapid City?
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 Miami and Rapid City can help you decide which place is right for you.
Miami
Miami is a popular tourist destination and a modern city in South Florida. It has beautiful white beaches, crystal blue waters, cosmopolitan neighborhoods, impressive shopping, and excellent dining opportunities. It is also a gateway to the Florida Keys, which is another popular destination in South Florida.
Miami is the second most populated city in Florida and the metropolitan area is the most populated in the state with more than 5.4 million people. It's also the 7th largest metro area in the country. The city sits between the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Everglades to the west. It covers 110 miles north to south but is a narrow 20 miles east to west.
Miami sits at a low latitude, giving it a subtropical savannah climate. There are two seasons; the warm and dry season between November and April and the hot and wet season between May and October. The coldest months are between December and March when highs are in the upper 70 or low 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The summer months have highs in the upper 80s or 90s and lows in the mid 70s with high humidity.
Rapid City
Rapid City is a large city in western South Dakota that is considered the gateway to the Black Hills National Forest. Rapid City is often used as a base for all types of outdoor activities, including tours to the infamous Mount Rushmore and surrounding parks. The city has a budding art scene and offers the perfect combination of a metropolitan city surrounded by stunning natural scenery. Rapid City experiences the best weather from June-September with temperatures in the 70's and 80's Fahrenheit. Temperatures drop to the low 20's F in the winter and the area receives the most rain pour in April and May.
Which city is cheaper, Rapid City or Miami?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Miami is $165, while the average daily cost in Rapid City is $93. 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 Miami and Rapid City in more detail.
Accommodation
Miami's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is $212. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is $106.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $96 in Rapid City For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
On average, meal and food prices in Miami cost around $33 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around $13.
In Rapid City travelers spend around $19 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
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Food
Meals for one day
Miami $33
Rapid City $19
Typical Food prices in Miami
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Miami:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Miami
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Miami.
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Little Havana 2-Hour Food Tour:
$59
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South Beach Miami Culinary Walking Tour Lunch or Dinner:
$59
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Little Havana Street Food Tours:
$61
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Taste of Little Havana Food Tour by Bicycle:
$69
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Haitian Cooking Experience:
$85
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Private Little Havana Cuban Food Tour:
$99
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4th of July Fireworks Cruise & Hard Rock Dinner:
$159
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4th of July Fireworks from Catamaran & Hard Rock Café Dinner:
$159
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Private VIP Historical Citywide Food Tour:
$159
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Miami is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $32 per person, per day, on local transportation in Miami.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Rapid City than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $42 on transportation in Rapid City on average per day.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Miami
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Miami are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Miami
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Miami:
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Universal Studios Ticket & Transfer from Miami:
$249
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Transfers to Port of Miami:
$28
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Transfer: Miami Beach to Airport, Port or Palm Beach:
$25
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Transfer in Private Vehicle from Miami Downtown to Miami Airport:
$46
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Transfer in Private Vehicle from Miami Airport to Miami Downtown:
$46
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Transfer in Private Vehicle from Miami Airport to Miami Beach:
$46
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Transfer in Private Minivan from Miami Downtown to Miami Airport:
$70
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Transfer in Private Minivan from Miami Airport to Miami Downtown:
$70
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Transfer in Private Minivan from Miami Airport to Miami Beach:
$70
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Transfer in Executive Private Vehicle from Miami Downtown to Miami Airport:
$53
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Transfer in Executive Private Vehicle from Miami Airport to Miami Downtown:
$53
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Transfer in Executive Private Vehicle from Miami Airport to Miami Beach:
$53
Is it cheaper to fly into Miami or Rapid City?
Prices for flights to both Rapid City and Miami 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 Miami typically cost an average of $25 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Sightseeing expenses in Rapid City, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $21 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Miami
Here are a few actual costs in Miami for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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"Cigar Factory Tour":
$35
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1 Hour Private Helicopter Tour of Miami and South Florida:
$518
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1-Day Key West Tour ( Miami Departure ) ( MIA1-B ):
$138
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1-Day Miami+Everglades Naitonal Park Tour ( Miami Departure )( MIA1-A ):
$80
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1/2 Hour Jet Ski Island Adventure:
$5.00
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10-Day Surf Adventure from Brisbane to Sydney Including Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay and Gold Coast:
$2,371
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2 Hour Cycle Boat Tour:
$50
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2-hour boat tour with Aquarius Boat Rental:
$195
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3 Hour Private Sunset Sailboat Tour for up to 6 Complimentary beverages, snacks:
$550
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3-hour tour with Aquarius Boat Rental:
$248
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3.5-Hour Ultimate Learn to Surf Adventure:
$35
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30 Minute Private Luxury Helicopter Sightseeing Tour of Miami:
$299
Tours and Activities in Rapid City
For Rapid City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Full-Day Tour:
$84
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Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Bus Tour with Live Commentary:
$84
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Bus Tour of Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills:
$123
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Bike Adventure on the Mickelson Trail - Private:
$267
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Southern Black Hills Bicycle Tour - Private:
$267
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Private Black Hills Monuments Full-Day Tour:
$299
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Black Hills: Private Tour of Mt. Rushmore & Flume Trail Hike:
$299
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Badlands National Park Private Tour:
$299
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Private Mickelson Trail Bicycling Tour/ Two Person Minimum:
$299
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Private Jeep Safari and Hiking Tour/ Two Person Minimum:
$307
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Private Badlands National Park Day Tour:
$315
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Private Mt Rushmore & Southern Black Hills Tour:
$329
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Miami may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $18 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Typically, people visiting Rapid City spend on average $5.54 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Typical Alcohol prices in Miami
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Miami are as follows:
Sample the Local Flavors in Miami
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Miami:
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Pub Crawl South Beach 3-Hour Tour:
$30
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Miami Beach Rockstar Bar Crawl:
$69
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Making Your Own Gin Distillery Tour and Tasting Experience:
$190
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Miami and Rapid City, we can see that Miami is more expensive. And not only is Rapid City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Rapid City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Rapid City 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 Miami would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Miami than you might in Rapid City.
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