A Travel Price Comparison for United States of America Minneapolis vs. Santa Fe for Attractions, Food, Nightlife, and Families

Should you visit Minneapolis or Santa Fe?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Minneapolis or Santa Fe, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Minneapolis

Minneapolis is a diverse, dynamic, and innovative city. Because this is such a big city, visitors will find many sights and attractions around town. It's also popular because of the museums, nightlife, and food.

Santa Fe

Santa Fe is a cultural, historic, and charming historic town. It's a beautiful place to visit, too. This destination also has one of those special and quaint feelings. Visitors also love the live music, food, and hiking.

Minneapolis and Santa Fe: Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Popular museums and historical sights
  • Active nightlife
  • Family-friendly
  • Good for couples and romance
Things to Consider
  • Less popular with backpackers
Pros
  • Popular for skiing
  • Popular museums and historical sights
  • Good music scene
  • Scenic old town
  • Good for hiking
  • Family-friendly
  • Good for couples and romance
Things to Consider
  • Less popular for nightlife
  • Less popular with backpackers


Is there more to do in Minneapolis or Santa Fe?

Visitors will generally find more to do in Santa Fe than Minneapolis. While Minneapolis is larger than Santa Fe, Santa Fe has more sights, attractions, and activities for tourists. Santa Fe is more popular for its skiing, food, music, historical sights, hiking, impressive beauty, and quaint atmosphere, while Minneapolis is known for its museums, nightlife, shopping, and big city activities. Minneapolis is popular for its professional sports teams, countless outdoor activities, and friendly people. Santa Fe is popular for its strong arts scene, its Pueblo-style architecture, and its unique local cuisine. It is also home to The Museum of New Mexico Complex.

How is Minneapolis different from Santa Fe?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

Is Minneapolis or Santa Fe Better for Skiing?

Minneapolis
Santa Fe

Santa Fe is a nice place to visit for skiing and snowboarding. However, Minneapolis is not a skiing destination.

For winter sports and skiing, Santa Fe is a great destination to visit. There are a few good ski resorts not far from Santa Fe. Popular options include Taos Ski Valley, Ski Santa Fe, Pajarito Mountain Ski Area, and Sipapu Ski and Summer Resort.

Minneapolis is not a skiing destination.


Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Minneapolis or Santa Fe?

Minneapolis
Santa Fe

Minneapolis is a great city for its historical sights. Also, Santa Fe is not as popular, but is still a nice historic town for its sights and museums.

Many visitors head to Minneapolis specifically to visit some of its top-rated museums and other sights. There's a wide variety of museums that include art, history, science, and local culture. Some of the favorite museums in the city are the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Walker Art Center, the American Swedish Institute, and the Weisman Art Museum.

Santa Fe is a good place to visit if you're interested in museums or other recognizable sights. Head to the Museum of New Mexico Complex, which has four museums that give a great overview of the history of the area. Also make sure you visit the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.

Is the Food Better in Minneapolis or Santa Fe? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Minneapolis
Santa Fe

Santa Fe is a very popular place for its restaurants. Also, Minneapolis is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its restaurant scene.

Santa Fe has a huge number of terrific restaurants. There are many local restaurants that use regional ingredients and offer great flavors. There are also cafes and bistros where you can enjoy breakfast or brunch. Local dishes include sopaipillas made with Native American fry bread, slow-cooked beans, and anything made with red and green chili peppers.

There are many up and coming restaurants in the Minneapolis area. Dishes in the Midwest are known for being hearty comfort foods, and the food in Minneapolis is no exception. You'll find cheese-stuffed burgers that are known as Juicy Lucys, Tator Tot casseroles, and deep-fried cheese curds. For international food, there's a variety of Scandinavian options around town.

Is Minneapolis or Santa Fe Better for Nightlife?

Minneapolis
Santa Fe

Minneapolis is a great city for its evening party scene. However, Santa Fe is not known for nightlife.

The nightlife in Minneapolis has something for everybody. There are diverse neighborhoods that each have their own personality. You'll find rooftop lounges in Uptown, international venues in Whittier, and trendy bars in the North Loop. But at the heart of the city's nightlife scene is Downtown Minneapolis.

Most people don't head to Santa Fe specifically for the nightlife scene, but you can find a few options. While most of the town quiets down at night, the city has a few areas that stay active late into the night. Live music is popular and diverse. It often includes different genres such as the blues, country, salsa or bluegrass.


Is Minneapolis or Santa Fe Better for Music?

Minneapolis
Santa Fe

Santa Fe is a nice place to visit for its live music scene. However, Minneapolis is not a live music destination.

The music scene helps keep Santa Fe active and fun. The town has an eclectic music scene that includes a mix of the blues, country, Latin American music, and bluegrass.

Minneapolis is not a live music destination.

Is Minneapolis or Santa Fe Better for its Old Town?

Minneapolis
Santa Fe

Santa Fe is a very popular place for its old town. However, Minneapolis does not have a historic old town.

Many visitors go to Santa Fe to see the historical old town. As the 2nd oldest city in the United States, the old town historic district is filled with charm. The Pueblo-style buildings are brightly colored and there are churches throughout.

Minneapolis does not have a historic old town.

Is Minneapolis or Santa Fe Better for Hiking?

Minneapolis
Santa Fe

Santa Fe is a nice place to visit for its hiking trails. However, Minneapolis is not a hiking destination.

Santa Fe has hiking trails worth exploring. Because it's located right by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, there are many beautiful hikes right outside of town. Popular trails include the Picacho Peak Trail and the Nambe Lake Trail. Bandelier National also has many places to hike.

Minneapolis is not a hiking destination.


Is the Shopping Better in Minneapolis or Santa Fe?

Minneapolis
Santa Fe

Minneapolis is an unbeatable place for its shopping areas. Also, Santa Fe is not as popular, but is still a nice historic town for shopping.

Many people travel to Minneapolis specifically to go shopping. Known for the megamall, Mall of America, this is a shopper's paradise. Mall of America is the largest shopping mall in the country and it even has an aquarium and a theme park within it. In addition to this iconic shopping mall, Minneapolis also has many shopping districts including the Minnehaha Mile.

Santa Fe is an extremely popular place for shoppers. There are many unique shops and art galleries that feature local artists and craftsmen.

Is Minneapolis or Santa Fe Better for Families?

Minneapolis
Santa Fe

Minneapolis is a great city for its kid-friendly activities. Also, Santa Fe is not as popular, but is still a nice historic town for its family-friendly activities.

You'll find plenty of family-friendly things to do in Minneapolis. Mall of America is at the top of the list for most families, but there's also plenty of kid-friendly museums around town as well as nature centers, parks, and playgrounds. There's the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, the Minnesota Zoo, and Afton Apple Orchard. For museums, kids will love the Minnesota Children's Museum or the Science Museum of Minnesota.

Santa Fe is a family-friendly place to visit. There are a few kids' museums in Santa Fe including the Santa Fe Children's Museum and the Meow Wolf Art Complex. Kids also enjoy the botanical gardens at Museum Hill and Bandelier National Monument just outside of the city.

Is Minneapolis or Santa Fe Better for Couples?

Minneapolis
Santa Fe

Minneapolis and Santa Fe are both good to visit as a couple.

Minneapolis makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. There are beautiful parks and outdoor spaces to explore as well as museums and fine dining. Couples will appreciate stopping by the Stone Arch Bridge or wandering through the Lyndale Park Rose Garden.

Santa Fe is a good city for couples to visit. There are many romantic inns around town, each with a lot of character. The town also has a lot of atmosphere that makes for a romantic getaway.


Is Minneapolis or Santa Fe Better for Students?

Minneapolis
Santa Fe

Minneapolis is a great city for its student-friendly activities. Also, Santa Fe is not as popular, but is still a nice historic town for students.

Minneapolis is very popular with students. There are a number of colleges and universities in the area including the University of Minnesota. The city is known for its academic and intellectual focus, and students will enjoy being challenged educationally while enjoying a dynamic city.

Santa Fe is a good city to visit for students. There are a few colleges and universities in town and students will appreciate the reasonable cost of living and outdoor activities nearby.

Is Minneapolis or Santa Fe Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Minneapolis
Santa Fe

Minneapolis is very good for times when you don't have a car. However, Santa Fe is not known for its public transit.

While Minneapolis offers some public transit options, it might not be your first choice. There are buses, light rail, and commuter trains that stop at many of the major entertainment centers around town.

Public transit is generally limited in Santa Fe. There is a bus system - the Santa Fe Trails Bus Service.

Is Minneapolis or Santa Fe a more walkable city?

Minneapolis
Santa Fe

Santa Fe is a very popular place for its high level of walkability. Also, Minneapolis is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its ease of walking around.

Santa Fe is a very walkable historic town. The historic district is walkable and it's easy to visit most of the tourist sights in this area on foot.

Minneapolis is a somewhat walkable city. There are neighborhoods that are dense enough to be walkable, but the city is still very car-focused.


For even more information, also check out Is Minneapolis Worth Visiting? and Is Santa Fe Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in Santa Fe or Minneapolis?

How long in Minneapolis or Santa Fe?

In either Minneapolis or Santa Fe, you'll find plenty of activities to fill your time. Most visitors tend to spend more time in Santa Fe than Minneapolis because of the overall number of sights and activities. Usually, 2-4 days is a good amount of time for Minneapolis, and 2-5 days is enough time in Santa Fe.

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

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

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Santa Fe than Minneapolis 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 Santa Fe.


  • How many days in Minneapolis or Santa Fe? Ideal Length of Stay
    Minneapolis 2-4 
    Santa Fe 2-5

One day in Minneapolis or Santa Fe?

The city of Minneapolis offers food and shopping. With so much to do, one day is probably not enough time to see everything. It will give you the chance to have new experiences.

Visitors enjoy the food and shopping when visiting the artsy historic town of Santa Fe. The old town is one of the main draws for visitors. One day is usually not enough time for a trip here as there is plenty to do. The entire region has so many activities, and you'll want time to do everything.

A weekend in Minneapolis or Santa Fe?

Minneapolis is a popular place that is full of things to see and experience. If you have a weekend, this city makes for a great vacation. While some people choose to spend more or less time in Minneapolis, a weekend is sufficent for most. Take your pick from the many activities offered here.

Visitors enjoy the shopping and museums when visiting the artsy destination of Santa Fe. Exploring the old town is a popular activity. This historic town offers something for everyone. Plenty of people spend a weekend in the area when traveling. If you enjoy all that's offered here, then a weekend is just the right amount of time to spend here.

Five days in Minneapolis or Santa Fe?

Minneapolis is a popular choice for travelers. It's no surprise that shopping is why people visit. Five days is usually plenty of time to spend here with extra days to spare. With this much time, visitors often visit nearby destinations or take day trips. The entire region has so many activities, and you'll want time to do everything.

Visitors enjoy the museums and skiing when visiting the historic historic town of Santa Fe. Make sure you visit the old town while you're here. Many people spend five days here.If you enjoy all that's offered here, then five days is just the right amount of time to spend here. The length of your trip often depends on your style of travel.


A week in Minneapolis or Santa Fe?

Minneapolis is a great place to explore. It's no surprise that shopping is why people visit. One week is more than enough time to enjoy everything. Take some day trips to nearby places to fill the extra days. This city offers something for everyone.

Many people enjoy the skiing and live music when visiting Santa Fe. Anyone can find something fun to do here. Most visitors spend time around the old town while in the area. Most people find that one week is more than enough time to see everything.


Which place is cheaper, Santa Fe or Minneapolis?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Minneapolis is $206, while the average daily cost in Santa Fe is $159. 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Minneapolis and Santa Fe in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Minneapolis $110
    Santa Fe $81
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Minneapolis $220
    Santa Fe $162
Compare Hotels in Minneapolis and Santa Fe

Looking for a hotel in Minneapolis or Santa Fe? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Minneapolis


Hotels in Santa Fe


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Minneapolis Hotel Prices and Santa Fe Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Minneapolis $43
    Santa Fe $61

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Minneapolis

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

  • Minneapolis Airport (MSP) to Minneapolis - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $139
  • Private Departure Transfer to Minneapolis Airport MSP: $88
  • Private Arrival Transfer from Minneapolis Airport MSP: $88
  • Minneapolis Airport (MSP) to Minneapolis - Arrival Private Transfer: $69

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Fe

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

  • Private Departure Transfer to Santa Fe Airport SAF: $125
  • Private Arrival Transfer from Santa Fe Airport (SAF): $62

Is it cheaper to fly into Minneapolis or Santa Fe?

Prices for flights to both Santa Fe and Minneapolis 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
    Minneapolis $40
    Santa Fe $43

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Minneapolis

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

  • Minneapolis Food Tour - Walking: $115

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santa Fe

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

  • Wander NM Food Tour - Tuesday Farmers' Market: $149
  • New Mexican Flavors Food Tour of the Santa Fe Plaza: $184
  • Wander New Mexico Food Tour - Railyard Arts District: $189
  • Wander New Mexico Food Tour - Downtown Plaza 'Sip & Savor': $209
  • Downtown Plaza "Sip and Savor" Half-day Food Tour: $209
  • Savor Wine Pairing Dinner: $228

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Minneapolis $27
    Santa Fe $17

Tours and Activities in Minneapolis

For Minneapolis, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Challah Baking Experience: $72
  • Christmas in the City: A Minneapolis Walking Tour: $699
  • Complete Minneapolis Walking Tour: $99
  • Experience St. Paul Ghost Walking Tour: $29
  • Experience the season with a scavenger hunt in Minneapolis with Holly Jolly Hunt: $20
  • Ghost Walking Tour in Minneapolis: $29
  • In the Footsteps of Prince: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.99
  • In the Footsteps of Prince: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Downtown Minneapolis: $7.99
  • Lost Souls Tour: $20
  • Mall of America: 1-Hour Escape Room Adventure: $44
  • Mall of America: Crayola Experience Flexible Date Ticket: $31
  • Mighty Mississippi: A Self-Guided Riverside Walking Tour: $7.99

Tours and Activities in Santa Fe

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

  • 2 Hours Historic E Bike Tour of Santa Fe: $169
  • Adventurers Ready To Jump Into the Void Santa Fe Style Wanted: $39
  • 2 Hour Pottery Experience (Wheel or Hand-Building): $160
  • 2-Hour Photography Class While Touring Downtown Santa Fe, Smart Phones Welcome!: $85
  • A Walking Tour of Santa Fe's Most Beautiful and Historic Sites: $216
  • Canyon Road Arts District Tour: $70
  • Enchanted Eats of Santa Fe Half-Day Tour: $960
  • Explore Santa Fe's Old Town & the Museum of Art: Private Tour: $195
  • Murder Mystery Detective Experience Santa Fe, NM: $15
  • Our Lady of Guadalupe Walking Tour in Santa Fe: $70
  • Private Canyon Road Arts District Tour: $138
  • Railyard Sip, Savor, & History Walking Tour in Santa Fe: $105

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Minneapolis $24
    Santa Fe $9.68

Sample the Local Flavors in Minneapolis

Also in Minneapolis, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • History and 4-Bar Crawl Guided Walking Tour: $69
  • All-Inclusive Minneapolis Craft Brewery Tour: $85
  • 3-Hour Craft Brewery Tour: $100

Sample the Local Flavors in Santa Fe

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Santa Fe:

  • Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery Tour and Tasting: $18


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

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


Which is Bigger, Minneapolis or Santa Fe?

Minneapolis has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Santa Fe. When comparing the sizes of Minneapolis and Santa Fe, 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.