Should you visit New Orleans or Pocono Mountains?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between New Orleans and Pocono Mountains can help. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
New Orleans
New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, and it is a cultural city that is the home of jazz, unique cuisine, and Mardi Gras in the U.S. It was established in 1718 and is one of the oldest cities in the country. The culture of the city has a mix of French, Creole, African American, Caribbean, Irish, Haitian, German and Vietnamese. There's an energy and atmosphere that is unlike any place else.
Pocono Mountains
The Poconos are a region of mountains, small towns, and natural areas in Eastern Pennsylvania. Located just a few hours from both New York City and Philadelphia, this region of 4 counties (Wayne, Pike, Monroe, & Carbon) consists of plenty of mountain scenery, gorgeous lakes, historic small towns, ski resorts, state parks, water parks, and more.
Which city is cheaper, Pocono Mountains or New Orleans?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in New Orleans is $191, while the average daily cost in Pocono Mountains is $139. 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 New Orleans and Pocono Mountains in more detail.
Accommodation
Travelers usually pay around $200 for a double occupancy room in New Orleans If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
The average price for accommodation for two people in Pocono Mountains is $142. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
Food
The average traveler spends about $36 per day in New Orleans for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
Pocono Mountains food costs typically run travelers around $42 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
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Food
Meals for one day
New Orleans $36
Pocono Mountains $42
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in New Orleans
For New Orleans, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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New Orleans Lunch & Lesson: Cajun & Creole Cooking Class:
$33
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New Orleans Cooking Class:
$34
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French Quarter Food Tour:
$42
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New Orleans Food Tour:
$44
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Steamboat Natchez Evening Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option:
$50
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Evening Jazz Boat Cruise with Optional Dinner:
$52
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Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Cruise with Optional Dinner:
$52
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Dinner at Tujague's Restaurant in New Orleans:
$68
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New Orleans French Quarter Food Tour:
$69
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French Quarter Food Tour:
$75
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Lower Garden District Food Tour:
$75
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New Orleans Small-Group French Quarter Food Tour:
$75
Local Transportation
To get around in New Orleans, the average visitor spends $41 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.
The average price of local transportation around Pocono Mountains is $39 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.
Typical Local Transportation prices in New Orleans
Some typical examples of transportation costs in New Orleans are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in New Orleans
Also for New Orleans, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Shared Departure Transfer: Hotel or Cruise Port to New Orleans Airport:
$20
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New Orleans Shared Airport Transfers:
$24
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Shared Departure Transfer: Hotel or Cruise Port to New Orleans Airport:
$26
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Private Transfer from New Orleans Airport to Hotel or Port:
$32
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Private Departure Transfer: Hotel or Cruise Port to MSY:
$40
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Shared Roundtrip Transfer: Hotel or Cruise Port to New Orleans Airport:
$40
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New Orleans Departure Chauffeur Driven Airport Transfer:
$48
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Private Departure Transfer: Hotel or Cruise to MSY by Executive Sedan:
$48
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Private Arrival Transfer: MSY to Hotel or Cruise Port by Executive SUV:
$50
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Luxury Transfer from New Orleans International Airport to Downtown Hotels:
$59
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Private Roundtrip Transfer: New Orleans Airport to Hotel or Cruise Port:
$64
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Departure Private Transfer New Orleans to New Orleans MSY or Port - Business Car:
$67
Is it cheaper to fly into New Orleans or Pocono Mountains?
Prices for flights to both Pocono Mountains and New Orleans 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
In New Orleans, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $44 per person, per day.
Pocono Mountains's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $24 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.
Typical Entertainment prices in New Orleans
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for New Orleans's activities, tours, and tickets:
Tours and Activities in New Orleans
For New Orleans, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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New Orleans City Park Private Tour and Exploration Game:
$3.72
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Your new addiction! The best women’s shoe shopping experience in NOLA!:
$5.00
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Walking the Tremé: A Self-guided Audio Tour of New Orleans:
$5.34
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New Orleans Esplanade Ridge: A Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$5.34
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Struttin' Down Royal Street Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.34
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Metairie Cemetery Stories Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.34
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A Walk in the Park: City Park New Orleans Audio Tour:
$5.34
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Bywater Stroll: Explore the Evolving Neighbourhood on an Audio Walking Tour:
$5.40
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Beyond the French Quarter: New Orleans Off the Beaten Path Audio Tour:
$5.40
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New Orleans Virtual Self-Paced Guided City Tour:
$5.99
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One Hour Saint Louis Cemetery Number One Walking Tour:
$10
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Skip the Line: Historic House Tour Ticket:
$10
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting New Orleans spend on average $48 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
The average person spends about $11 on alcoholic beverages in Pocono Mountains per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in New Orleans
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in New Orleans:
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New Orleans Bar Hunt: New Orleans Ballin' Bar Crawl:
$12
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Bourbon Street VIP Pub Crawl:
$20
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Big Easy Ghost and Vampire Pub Crawl:
$20
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Haunted Pub Crawl in New Orleans:
$22
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New Orleans Haunted Pub Crawl:
$25
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Haunted New Orleans Ghost and Pub Walking Tour:
$27
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Haunted Pub Crawl:
$27
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NOLA Distillery Tour:
$28
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Haunted Pub Tour:
$35
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Frenchmen Street Live Music Pub Crawl:
$48
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between New Orleans and Pocono Mountains, we can see that New Orleans is more expensive. And not only is Pocono Mountains much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Pocono Mountains would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Pocono Mountains 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 New Orleans would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in New Orleans than you might in Pocono Mountains.
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