Should you visit Orlando or San Francisco?
Should I visit Orlando or San Francisco? 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.
San Francisco
San Francisco is a beautiful city that is famous for it's picturesque neighborhoods, liberal character, and stunning location on the bay. Some people describe San Francisco as the United State's most "European City." This title most likely comes from its compact development and its easy walkability. It also has no shortage of parks and public spaces where you can pass some time. The city sits on the end of a peninsula and offers stunning views of the blue bay, rolling green hills, and the striking Golden Gate Bridge.
Which city is cheaper, San Francisco 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 San Francisco is $172. 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 San Francisco 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.
The prices for places to stay in San Francisco can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is $103, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around $206.
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.
On average, meal and food prices in San Francisco cost around $32 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.
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Food
Meals for one day
Orlando $50
San Francisco $32
Typical Food prices in Orlando
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Orlando:
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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:
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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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Francisco
For San Francisco, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
San Francisco Virtual Food Tour with Local Guide:
$15
-
Traveling Spoon Pad Thai and Papaya Salad Private Online Cooking Class:
$25
-
Lonely Planet Experiences: North Beach & Chinatown Food Tour:
$66
-
North Beach and Little Italy Food Tour:
$69
-
Mission District Walking Food Tour:
$75
-
San Francisco North Beach Food Tour:
$75
-
Cooking with Ale: let's make Tiramisu - private groups:
$80
-
San Francisco Food Tour: Ferry Building and Ferry Plaza Farmers Market:
$80
-
Farmers' Market & Ferry Building Food Tour:
$82
-
American Cooking Class in San Francisco with a Local near Golden Gate Park:
$82
-
San Francisco Chinatown Food Tour:
$89
-
Russian Hill Gourmet Food Tour:
$97
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.
San Francisco's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend $13 per person, per day on transportation in San Francisco.
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:
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Private transfer from or to MIA FLL MCO airports and Orlando FL:
$1,000
-
Private Transfer from Orlando (MCO) Airport to Miami Beach:
$904
-
Private Transfer from Orlando (MCO) Airport to Miami City:
$871
-
Private Transfer from Orlando (MCO) Airport to Miami Cruise Port:
$871
-
Private Transfer from Orlando (MCO) Airport to Miami Airport:
$871
-
Private Transfer from Orlando (MCO) Airport to Saint Simons Island:
$871
-
Orlando Airport (MCO) to Miami Cruise Port - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$834
-
Orlando Airport (MCO) to Miami accommodation - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$834
-
Private Transfer from Orlando (MCO) Airport to Cape Coral:
$796
-
Private Transfer from Orlando (MCO) Airport to Fort Lauderdale:
$754
-
Private Roundtrip Transfer: Orlando to Clearwater Beach:
$750
-
Private Transfer from Orlando (MCO) Airport to Fort Myers:
$671
Typical Local Transportation prices in San Francisco
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in San Francisco:
-
Taxi to SFO
$45
-
Golden Gate Bridge Toll
$6.00
-
Alcatraz Tour
$30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Francisco
Also for San Francisco, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Private Transfer from San Fransisco City To Carmel-by-the-Sea.:
$450
-
Carmel 1-Way Transfer to/from San Francisco Airport:
$410
-
Private transfer from SFO to or from Sacramento (SUV):
$400
-
Private Airport Transfer From SFO to San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf:
$395
-
Private Airport Transfer from SFO To Carmel-by-the-Sea.:
$370
-
Napa Valley 1-Way Transfer to/from the San Francisco Airport:
$310
-
Private Airport Transfer from SFO to Yountville, Napa Valley:
$300
-
Private Airport Transfer From SFO to Napa Valley:
$270
-
SFO Roundtrip Airport Hotel Transfer:
$267
-
Private Airport Transfer from SFO to Sonoma Valley:
$255
-
Private Transfer from SFO to Napa:
$235
-
Private One-Way Airport Transfer:
$220
Is it cheaper to fly into Orlando or San Francisco?
Prices for flights to both San Francisco 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.
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in San Francisco can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around $37 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
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.
-
1-Hour Airboat Sunset Tour (Seasonal):
$72
-
1-Hour Private Ski Boat Experience in Florida:
$69
-
2-Park 1-Day Universal Orlando™ Theme Park Tickets:
$174
-
2-Park 2-Day Universal Orlando™ Theme Park Tickets:
$275
-
8-Hour Automatic Polaris Slingshot SL Adventure Rental:
$193
-
A Walk Around Lake Eola Audio Tour:
$6.65
-
Central Florida Everglades Airboat Tour from Orlando:
$59
-
Central Florida Everglades and Safari Park Tour:
$129
-
Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens Admission Ticket:
$20
-
Chef Nite Dining Experience:
$150
-
City Tour of Orlando with Gospel Brunch:
$109
-
Clearwater Beach Deep Sea Fishing Adventure with Lunch:
$149
Tours and Activities in San Francisco
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Francisco.
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1 Day Hop-On Hop-Off Tour:
$55
-
1-Day Small-Group Napa Valley Tour for Wine Lovers:
$209
-
1-Hour Golden Gate and Lombard GoRide Scooter Tour:
$54
-
1.5-Hour Waterfront Mini Segway Tour:
$55
-
1HR San Francisco Chinatown and Downtown GoCar Tour:
$71
-
2 Day Hop-On Hop-Off Tour:
$79
-
2-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Tour & Alcatraz:
$150
-
2-Day Muir Woods and Wine Country Tour from San Francisco:
$569
-
2-Day San Francisco Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour + Night Tour:
$79
-
2-Day Yosemite National Park Tour from San Francisco:
$499
-
2-Day Yosemite National Park Winter Tour from San Francisco:
$589
-
2-Hour San Francisco Bay Happy Hour & Cocktail Cruises:
$35
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.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In San Francisco, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $15.
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 San Francisco
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in San Francisco:
-
San Francisco Bar Hunt: Soul of San Francisco Bar Crawl:
$12
-
3-Hour Pub Crawl in San Francisco:
$18
-
San Francisco North Beach Pub Tour:
$58
-
San Francisco North Beach Pub Crawl:
$60
-
From Tri-Valley Half-Day Wine Tour:
$75
-
Half-Day Sonoma Wine Tour:
$100
-
San Francisco City & Wine tour:
$115
-
Shore Excursion: Napa and Sonoma Ultimate Wine Tasting Experience Full-Day Tour:
$135
-
Napa & Sonoma Full-Day Wine Tasting Tour with Optional Lunch:
$135
-
Full-Day Muir Woods with Napa and Sonoma Wine Tour:
$135
-
Chariot wine tour:
$145
-
Viticulture with Charm: Sonoma Valley Wine Tour from San Francisco:
$149
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Orlando and San Francisco, we can see that Orlando is more expensive. And not only is San Francisco much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to San Francisco would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Francisco 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 Orlando would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Orlando than you might in San Francisco.
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