Which place is cheaper, South Lake Tahoe or Pocono Mountains?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
A Travel Price Comparison for United States of America Pocono Mountains vs. South Lake Tahoe for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons
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Should you visit Pocono Mountains or South Lake Tahoe?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Pocono Mountains and South Lake Tahoe can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Pocono Mountains or South Lake Tahoe?
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.
South Lake Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe is the largest town on the famous Lake Tahoe that straddles the California-Nevada border in the Sierra Mountain Range. Located just south of Reno, Nevada and about 2 hours east of Sacramento, the Lake Tahoe area is easily accessible to many visitors.
Lake Tahoe is known for skiing and other winter sports, as well as plenty of warm weather activities such as hiking, swimming, boating, mountain biking, and more.
South Lake Tahoe has plenty of accommodations, restaurants, bars, and shopping. This is a good town to base yourself if you're looking to explore the area, as it has a large number of amenities.
Located on the Nevada side of South Lake Tahoe is the town of Stateline. Here you can find some casinos, as gambling is legal in Nevada.
If you're looking to go skiing or snowboarding, the Heavenly Ski Resort can be found on the southern edge of the town of South Lake Tahoe. Naturally, more ski resorts are located around the lake as well.
As swimming is also popular, several beach areas are on the southern section of the lake including the Regan Memorial City Beach, Lakeside Beach, Pope Beach, Emerald Bay State Park, and the Edgewood Resort area (on the Nevada side).
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPocono Mountains $174South Lake Tahoe $118
The average daily cost (per person) in Pocono Mountains is $174, while the average daily cost in South Lake Tahoe is $118. 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 Pocono Mountains and South Lake Tahoe in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPocono Mountains $89South Lake Tahoe $54
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPocono Mountains $178South Lake Tahoe $108
Compare Hotels in Pocono Mountains and South Lake Tahoe
Looking for a hotel in Pocono Mountains or South Lake Tahoe? 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.
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: South Lake Tahoe Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Pocono Mountains $49South Lake Tahoe $24
Is it cheaper to fly into Pocono Mountains or South Lake Tahoe?
Prices for flights to both South Lake Tahoe and Pocono Mountains 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
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Food Meals for one dayPocono Mountains $53South Lake Tahoe $38
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pocono Mountains $30South Lake Tahoe $56
Tours and Activities in South Lake Tahoe
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for South Lake Tahoe are as follows:
- Full-Day Lake Tahoe Circle Tour including Squaw Valley: $62
- Emerald Bay Helicopter Tour of Lake Tahoe: $94
- 2 Hour Small Group Sailing Cruise Lake Tahoe: $99
- Lake Tahoe Ultimate Photography Scenic Half-Day Tour in Small-Group: $179
- Zephyr Cove Helicopter Tour: $180
- Tahoe's Sand Harbor Helicopter Tour: $265
- Tahoe Helicopter Tour: Lakes and Waterfalls: $265
- Lake Tahoe Helicopter Tour: Circle the Lake: $392
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPocono Mountains $13South Lake Tahoe $34
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pocono Mountains and South Lake Tahoe, we can see that Pocono Mountains is more expensive. And not only is South Lake Tahoe much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to South Lake Tahoe would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in South Lake Tahoe 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 Pocono Mountains would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Pocono Mountains than you might in South Lake Tahoe.
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Budget Your Trip has average travel costs for thousands of cities around the world, all provided by other travelers. You can also register to organize your spending by category and location with graphs, maps, charts, and tables.More City Comparisons
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