Which place is cheaper, San Francisco or Pokhara?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Pokhara or San Francisco?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Pokhara and San Francisco can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Pokhara or San Francisco?
Pokhara
Pokhara is the second largest city in Nepal and is strategically located near the popular Annapurna Circuit. The Annapurna Circuit, or the "Apple Pie Trail", is a popular trek through the Annapurna Valley that makes a circular route through stunning mountainous landscapes. Several other trekking options can be found in this region, too. Many people use Pohkara as a place to prepare or recover from their recently completed treks because it is less intimidating than the larger city of Kathmandu.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Nepal, The Best 10-Day Tours in Nepal, The Best 2-Week Tours from Los Angeles, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to United States of America.
-
Pokhara Prices
Nepal PricesSan Francisco Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPokhara $22San Francisco $251
The average daily cost (per person) in Pokhara is $22, while the average daily cost in San Francisco is $251. 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 Pokhara and San Francisco in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPokhara $3.46San Francisco $130
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPokhara $6.92San Francisco $260
Compare Hotels in Pokhara and San Francisco
Looking for a hotel in Pokhara or San Francisco? 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: Pokhara Hotel Prices and San Francisco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Pokhara $6.75San Francisco $16
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Pokhara
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Pokhara:
-
Short Taxi Ride$0.66
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pokhara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Pokhara:
- Pokhara to Kathmandu: One Way Private Transfer: $295
- "Exclusive Round-Trip Transfer: Pokhara to Jomsom & Muktinath": $210
- Kusma Swing Jumping Experience with Transfer: $150
- Paragliding Experience with Hotel Transfers: $139
- From 4-Day Poon Hill Trek with Transfers: $130
- Paragliding and Rafting Adventure with Transfers: $129
- Private Transfer from Pokhara to Kathmandu: $120
- Pokhara to Kathmandu Transfer by Private Car: $99
- "Exclusive Private Transfer: Pokhara to Chitwan in a Luxury car": $82
- Pokhara to Kathmandu One Way Transfer by Private AC Car: $80
- Private Transfer: Kathmandu ↔ Pokhara by Car, Jeep & Hiace: $73
- One way transfer To or From Chitwan: $73
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:
- Airport Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco by Luxury SUV: $134
- Arrival Private Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco in Business Car: $127
- Arrival Private Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco in Luxury Car: $181
- California: Oakland Airport Transfer from San Francisco: $180
- California: Oakland Airport Transfer to San Francisco: $180
- California: SFE Airport Transfer from San Francisco: $140
- California: SFE Airport Transfer to San Francisco: $140
- Departure Private Transfer San Francisco to SFO Airport in a SUV: $266
- Departure Private Transfer: San Francisco to Airport SFO in Luxury Car: $181
- Departure Private Transfer: San Francisco to Airport SFO in Luxury SUV: $150
- Luxury transfer between San Francisco and SFO Airport: $130
- Napa Valley 1-Way Transfer to/from the San Francisco Airport: $400
Is it cheaper to fly into Pokhara or San Francisco?
Prices for flights to both San Francisco and Pokhara 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 dayPokhara $12San Francisco $79
Typical Food Prices in Pokhara
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Pokhara:
-
Dinner for Two$3.98
-
Dessert (for 2)$2.65
-
Pastries$1.33
-
Dinner$5.64
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Pokhara
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Pokhara.
- Nepali cultural dinner night in Pokhara: $21
- Nepali Nights: Dinner & Cultural Dance Delight in Pokhara: $26
- MoMo or Dal Bhat Cooking Class at Aama Kitchen in Pokhara: $29
- Nepalese Kitchen in Momos or Dal Bhat Cooking Class: $29
- 3 Hour MoMo cooking class: $31
- Nepali Cooking Class and Momo Making Workshop: $42
- 3 Hour Authentic Nepali Thakali Dish Cooking Class: $45
- Pokhara Hidden Gems Off the Beaten Path and Local Food Tour: $50
- 3 Hours Momo Cooking class in Pokhara: $70
- 1 Day Momo making cooking class: $75
- Organic Farm Tour and Cooking Class at Durku: $115
- Pokhara 4 Hours Private Indian Authentic Naga Dish Cooking Class: $115
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:
- Online Cooking Class Pepper Steak Great for Team Building: $20
- Online Cooking Class Beijing Dumplings by Chef Sunflower Li: $25
- No Diet Club - Best street food tour in San Francisco !: $64
- Mission District Street Art and Food Tour: $79
- North Beach and Little Italy Food Tour: $84
- North Beach & Chinatown Authentic Food Tour: $84
- Mission District Food Tour with 6 Tastings: $89
- Mission District Food Tour with Tastings: $92
- San Francisco Food Tour: Ferry Building and Ferry Plaza Farmers Market: $95
- Chinatown Walking Food Tour: $99
- Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 Food Tour: $99
- San Francisco North Beach Food Tour: $99
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pokhara $6.42San Francisco $31
Tours and Activities in Pokhara
Here are a few actual costs in Pokhara for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- "Pokhara Day Bus Sightseeing 8 points": $20
- "Pokhara Pumdikot Tour: Eagle Eye Views of Stunning Pokhara": $29
- "Sunrise and Scenic Day Hike in A Perfect Adventure: $84
- 1-Day Private Dhampus Trekking Tour: $67
- 2 Iconic Suspension Bridge Tour in Pokhara: $29
- 2-Day Private Trekking Tour to Australian Camp & Dhampus: $99
- 2-Day Scenic Mustang Tour: Pokhara to Jomsom, Kagbeni & Muktinath: $239
- 3 Days and 2 Nights Chitwan National Park Safari Tour in Pokhara: $215
- 3 Night 4 Days Lower mustang 4W jeep tour from Pokhara: $404
- 3-Day Chitwan Jungle Safari Adventure From Kathmandu/Pokhara: $161
- 4 Days Trekking to Poon Hill with Nepal Cultural Village Experience: $300
- 5 hours Private Pokhara Sightseeing Tour: $71
Tours and Activities in San Francisco
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Francisco.
- Golden Gate Bridge Personalized Self-Guided App Tour: $5.00
- Coit Tower Hike Personalized Self-Guided App Tour: $5.00
- San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf Personalized Self-Guided App Tour: $5.00
- Golden Gate Bridge: Self-guided Tour App - Audio + Written: $5.00
- Downtown San Francisco Private Personalized Self-Guided App Tour: $5.00
- Self-Guided Golden Gate Bridge Bike or Walking App Tour: $5.00
- Mafia Heist at the Bay: Escape Adventure in San Francisco: $5.24
- Self Guided Chinatown Tour: Food, History and Culture: $5.99
- San Francisco (District 3) Scavenger Hunt and Self Guided Tour: $7.65
- Self-Guided Audio Tour of the Golden Gate Bridge: $7.99
- The Secrets of Golden Gate Park: A San Francisco Chronicle Self-Guided Tour: $7.99
- Chinatown Experience San Francisco: $7.99
For more ideas for your next trip, check out The Best Museums in San Francisco, The Best Outdoor Activities in San Francisco, and Things to Do In San Francisco on a Rainy Day.
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayPokhara $5.80San Francisco $22
Sample the Local Flavors in San Francisco
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in San Francisco:
- SF Pub Crawl and Clubbing Experience: $17
- San Francisco Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $29
- Ghosts, Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $30
- #1 San Francisco Pub Crawl & Clubbing Experience: $32
- Walk with Spirits: A Haunted Pub Crawl in San Francisco: $44
- Walk with Spirits Haunted Pub Crawl: $44
- Local Distillery Cocktail Class: $49
- Wine Tasting on the Bay: $85
- Napa Valley Half-Day Wine Tour with Tastings: $103
- From Napa & Sonoma Valley Wine Tour with Tastings: $116
- Napa and Sonoma Half-Day Wine Tour with Guide and Tastings: $129
- Half-Day Wine Country Tour with Wine Tastings: $130
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pokhara and San Francisco, we can see that San Francisco is more expensive. And not only is Pokhara much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Pokhara is in Asia and San Francisco is in North America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Pokhara would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Pokhara 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 San Francisco would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Francisco than you might in Pokhara.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Pokhara Expensive? and Is San Francisco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Pokhara or San Francisco?
San Francisco has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Pokhara. When comparing the sizes of Pokhara and San Francisco, 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.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.