Should you visit Orlando or Chicago?
Should I visit Orlando or Chicago? 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.
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.
Chicago
Located in the Midwest, Chicago is the third largest city in the United States. It has a population of almost 3 million and a metropolitan area that covers more than 10,000 square kilometers. It is also a hub for music, comedy and theater. It's skyline is beautiful with modern skyscrapers and Lake Michigan as a backdrop. It is easy to stay entertained in Chicago for weeks. There are world class museums, upscale or eclectic shopping opportunities, and impressive architecture.
Which city is cheaper, Chicago or Orlando?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Orlando is $240, while the average daily cost in Chicago is $221. 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 Orlando and Chicago in more detail.
Accommodation
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.
Chicago's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is $304. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is $152.
Food
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.
The price of a meal in Chicago can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $37 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.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Orlando $50
Chicago $37
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
Typical Food prices in Chicago
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Chicago:
-
Dinner for 1
$24
-
Dinner for 3
$118
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chicago
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Chicago.
-
Traveling Spoon Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza Private Online Cooking Class:
$27
-
Factories to Calories Fulton Market Food Tour:
$46
-
Learn to Make Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza with a Local:
$49
-
Chicago Crime & Pizza Walk:
$50
-
Lonely Planet Experiences: Chicago History and Food Tour:
$59
-
Lonely Planet Experiences: River North Historical Food Tour:
$61
-
Signature Food Tour at Chicago's Navy Pier:
$64
-
Best in Chow: Chicago River North Food Tour:
$64
-
Private Fusion Cooking Class in Downtown Chicago:
$64
-
Skip the Line: Tommy Gun's Garage Dinner and Show Ticket:
$67
-
Small-Group Chicago Food Tour: Gold Coast and Old Town:
$75
-
Best of Chicago Tour Including a Deep-Dish Pizza:
$75
Local 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.
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $29 per day to get around in Chicago.
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:
-
Busch Gardens Shuttle Transfer:
$299
-
Car Service Orlando International Airport Transfer To/From Hotel - One-Way:
$128
-
Cruise Port of Orlando to Orlando Airport (MCO) - Departure Private Transfer:
$80
-
Departure Private Transfer Orlando to Port Canaveral by Minibus:
$186
-
Departure Private Transfer Orlando to Port Canaveral by SUV:
$150
-
Disney World Resort to Cruise Port Canaveral. Private Transfer Up to 10 pax:
$128
-
Disney World Resort to Cruise Port Canaveral. Private Transfer Up to 4 pax:
$112
-
Disney World Resort to Orlando Airport MCO. Private Transfer Up to 10 pax:
$58
-
Disney World Resort to Orlando Airport MCO. Private Transfer Up to 4 pax:
$45
-
Disney World or Universal Studios transfer to Orlando Airport MCO up to 4 pax:
$45
-
Disney World to Sanford International Airport (SFB) - Departure Private Transfer:
$134
-
Disney/West 192 Hotels to Orlando Airport Private Transfer:
$133
Typical Local Transportation prices in Chicago
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Chicago:
-
Parking
$19
-
Taxi Ride
$10
-
Taxi from Airport
$45
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chicago
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chicago:
-
Private Sedan Transfer between ORD and Indianapolis IN:
$587
-
Private SUV Transfer Between O'Hare airport & Downtown Madison WI:
$427
-
Private Sedan Transfer Between O'Hare airport & Downtown Madison WI:
$426
-
Departure Private Transfer Chicago to O'Hare Airport ORD in a Minibus:
$333
-
Arrival Private Transfer Chicago O'Hare Airport to Chicago City by Minibus:
$333
-
Private SUV Transfer Between O'Hare airport & Downtown Milwaukee WI:
$298
-
Transfer to Chicago Premium Outlets:
$288
-
Private Sedan Transfer Between O'Hare airport & Downtown Milwaukee WI:
$266
-
Chicago Midway Airport/Hotel Round Trip Private Ground Transfer:
$256
-
Chicago O'Hare Private Ground Airport/Hotel Transfer - Round-Trip:
$256
-
Private One-Way Midway Airport Transfer:
$225
-
Chicago O'Hare Airport Private Transfers:
$195
Is it cheaper to fly into Orlando or Chicago?
Prices for flights to both Chicago and Orlando 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 Orlando, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $163 per person, per day.
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $34 per person, per day in Chicago. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
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
-
Factory Adventure Tour in Chocolate Kingdom:
$18
-
Chocolate Kingdom Factory Tour:
$18
-
Orlando Walking Ghost Tour:
$20
-
Titanic - The Artifact Exhibition Ticket:
$24
-
Crayola Experience Orlando Ticket:
$25
-
Lost Caverns Adventure Golf:
$29
-
Skip the Line: Indoor Kart Racing Experience Ticket:
$32
-
The Escape Game Epic 60-Minute Adventures:
$37
-
Kennedy Space Center Tour:
$49
Typical Entertainment prices in Chicago
Here are a few typical costs in Chicago for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
Tours and Activities in Chicago
Here are a few actual costs in Chicago for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
2 Hour Chicago Art and Architecture Segway Tour:
$71
-
2 Hour Pier Fireworks and Evening Segway Tour in Chicago:
$65
-
2 Hours Chicago Sightseeing Tour - Luxury Private Stretch Limo / 8 Passengers:
$250
-
2-Hour Chicago City Lights and Skyline Segway Tour:
$76
-
2-Hour Chicago Fireworks Segway Tour:
$76
-
2-Hour Chicago Lakefront and Museum Campus Segway Tour:
$73
-
2-Hour Haunted Segway Tour of Chicago:
$76
-
2-Hour History of Chicago Architecture and Art Segway Tour:
$75
-
3 Hours Chicago Sightseeing Tour - Luxury Private SUV, ALL Inclusive:
$392
-
3-Hour Segway Tour of Chicago:
$76
-
360 Chicago Observation Deck Admission: Skip the Ticket Desk:
$25
-
4 Hours Chicago Sightseeing Tour - Luxury Private SUV, ALL Inclusive:
$220
Alcohol
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.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Chicago may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $20 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Sample the Local Flavors in Orlando
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Orlando:
-
Florida Craft Beer & Brewery Tour:
$65
Sample the Local Flavors in Chicago
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Chicago:
-
Haunted Chicago Ghost and Pub Walking Tour:
$25
-
Walking tour to Chicago dive bars:
$41
-
Chicago Barrel Bus Craft Distillery Tour:
$90
-
Chicago Craft Brewery Barrel Bus Tour:
$90
-
Ultimate Girl's Night Out in Sparkling Wine, Photo Shoot, Burlesque:
$900
When comparing the travel costs between Orlando and Chicago, we can see that Orlando is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in North America, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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