Which place is cheaper, Charleston or Ponce?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Ponce or Charleston?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Ponce and Charleston 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: Ponce or Charleston?
Ponce
Ponce is on the south coast of Puerto Rico. It's the second largest city on the island and has been around since 1692 when it was originally founded by Ponce de Leon's grandson Juan Ponce de Leon y Loayza. The city has several nicknames, including La Perla del Sur (The Pearl of the South), La Ciudad Senorial (The Noble, or Lordly, City), and La Ciudad de las Quenepas (Genip City).
Charleston
Charleston is a beautiful, southern city and seaport town in South Carolina. It has a wonderful, historic downtown area that the city government works hard to maintain. Located on a peninsula that is created by two rivers, the city is a stunning setting with much character. It is a popular place to visit for its culture, architecture and cuisine. In recent years Charleston has gained popularity and it continues to grow as both a regional and international travel destination. With its rising popularity comes increasing costs. Travel costs continue to go up as restaurants and hotels raise their prices, particularly during the peak travel season and holiday periods.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from San Francisco, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Los Angeles.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPonce $205Charleston $170
The average daily cost (per person) in Ponce is $205, while the average daily cost in Charleston is $170. 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 Ponce and Charleston in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPonce $151Charleston $90
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPonce $302Charleston $180
Compare Hotels in Ponce and Charleston
Looking for a hotel in Ponce or Charleston? 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: Charleston Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ponce $10Charleston $33
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ponce
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ponce:
- San Juan Departure Share Transfer: $27
- Isabela / Hatillo to Aguadilla Airport(BQN) - DepartureTransfer: $44
- San Juan PR Cruise Port to San Juan hotels - Arrival Transfer: $46
- San Juan hotels to San Juan PR Cruise Port - Departure Transfer: $46
- San Juan Port to San Juan Airport (SJU) - Departure Private Transfer: $46
- San Juan Puerto Rico Cruise Port to San Juan hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $46
- Private Transfers from SJU Airport to Isla Verde, Condado or San Juan área : $60
- San juan Puerto Rico PrivateTransfers Airport,Hotels,Cruise Ports: $60
- Transfer TO or FROM: Airport,Cruise,Hotel in DORADO or RIO GRANDE: $70
- Private Transfer from San Juan City Hotels to Ponce Cruise Port: $79
- Aguadilla Hernandez Airport (BQN) to Isabela - RoundTrip Transfer: $87
- San Juan Airport (SJU) to San Juan hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $92
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Charleston
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Charleston:
- Private Transfer from Charleston Cruise Port to Charleston city: $55
- Private Transfer from Charleston City to Charleston Cruise Port: $55
- Private Transfer from Charleston Port to Charleston Airport (CHS): $59
- From Boone Hall Plantation Entry with Transfers: $71
- Charleston Airport (CHS) to Charleston city – Arrival Private Transfer: $88
- Charleston city to Charleston Airport (CHS) - Departure Private Transfer: $88
- Folly Beach to Charleston Airport (CHS) - Departure Private Transfer: $104
- Isle of Palms/Sullivans Island to Charleston Airport –Departure Private Transfer: $104
- Charleston Airport (CHS) to Folly Beach - Arrival Private Transfer: $104
- Charleston Airport to Isle of Palms/Sullivans Island– Arrival Private Transfer: $104
- Charleston Airport (CHS) to Kiawah/Seabrook Islands – Arrival Private Transfer: $118
- Charleston Airport: One-Way Transfer to Charleston: $153
Is it cheaper to fly into Ponce or Charleston?
Prices for flights to both Charleston and Ponce 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 dayPonce $35Charleston $58
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ponce
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Ponce.
- Private Cooking Class with a Fun Local in San German, Puerto Rico: $96
- Private Half-Day Food Tour : $130
- Private San Juan Cooking Class with a Local Expert: $146
Typical Food Prices in Charleston
Some typical examples of dining costs in Charleston are as follows:
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Lunch in downtown Charleston for two$21
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Breakfast$26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Charleston
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Charleston.
- Charleston Sunset Blues & BBQ Dinner Cruise: $72
- Charleston Harbor Luxury Dinner Cruise with Live Music: $88
- Luxury Harbor Dinner Cruise: $93
- Savor the Flavors Upper King Street Food Tour: $95
- Charleston Food Tour: $99
- Historic Downtown Food Tour with Tastings: $99
- 3-Hour Secret Food Tour: $108
- Charleston Farm-to-Table Food Tour and Chef's Challenge: $109
- Charleston Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $110
- Downtown Charleston Food Tour: $110
- Savor the Flavors of Charleston Walking Food Tour: $110
- Charleston's Savor the Flavors of Upper King Street Walking Food Tour: $110
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ponce $56Charleston $22
Tours and Activities in Ponce
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Ponce are as follows:
- Talking Buildings of Old San Juan: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- Footsteps in San Juan Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour: $17
- Private Sunset Walking Tour in San Juan: $25
- Old San Juan Tour (1 Hour) by DUHO: $25
- Salsa Tours PR Sunset Salsa Beach Class in San Juan, Puerto Rico : $29
- Historical Walking Tour in Old San Juan: $30
- Guided Walking Tour in Ponce: $30
- Guided City Walking Tour: $32
- La Perla Cultural Tour: $35
- Historic Old San Juan Sunset Walking Tour: $39
- Bio Bay Boat Tour with Swimming from La Parguera, Puerto Rico: $50
- Turtle spotting snorkeling adventure- no Jets : $50
Typical Entertainment Prices in Charleston
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Charleston are as follows:
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Patriots Point (for 2)$60
Tours and Activities in Charleston
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Charleston are as follows:
- The French Quarter: GPS Guided Walking Tour with Audio Guide: $5.99
- Self-Guided Ghost Tour: $6.99
- Self-Guided "The French Quarter Charleston" Solo Walking Tour: $7.50
- Cinematic, Self Guided Audio Ghost Tour in Charleston: $10
- Self-Guided Highlights Walking Audio Tour: $12
- 300 Years of War and Peacetime in A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $12
- Self-Guided Audio History Walking Tour: $12
- Charleston Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour: $15
- Trolley Tour in Wadmalaw Island of South Carolina: $17
- Charleston's Miracle Mile: Church and Cemetery Walking Tour: $21
- History & Storytelling Tour: $24
- The Ghosts of Liberty Guided Walking Tour: $25
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPonce $16Charleston $36
Sample the Local Flavors in Ponce
Also in Ponce, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Artisan Puertorrican Winery and Distillery Tour: $50
- Old San Juan Bar Crawl: Experience Local Hotspots: $65
- Local Puerto Rican Rum Distillery Tour - Ron Pepon: $90
- Rum Distillery and Old San Juan Tour: $99
Sample the Local Flavors in Charleston
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Charleston:
- Charleston Women and Wine Tour: $20
- Women and Wine Tour: $20
- Charleston Terrors Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $27
- Guided Pub Crawl and Haunted History Tour: $30
- Bay Street Bastards Pub Crawl Shared Tour in Charleston : $35
- Speakeasy Sagas Prohibition Pub Crawl: $35
- Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl Walking Tour: $35
- Historic District Haunted Pub Crawl Tour: $40
- Charleston Brewery District Cruise (Public Tour): $95
- Wadmalaw Island Wine Tasting and Tea Garden Trip: $135
- Half Day Party Bus Brewery Tour of Charleston: $140
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ponce and Charleston, we can see that Ponce is more expensive. And not only is Charleston much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Ponce is in Caribbean Islands and Charleston 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 Charleston would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Charleston 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 Ponce would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ponce than you might in Charleston.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Ponce Expensive? and Is Charleston Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ponce or Charleston?
Ponce has a larger population, and is about 58% larger than the population of Charleston. When comparing the sizes of Ponce and Charleston, 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.
When is the best time to visit Ponce or Charleston?
Charleston has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Ponce experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Ponce or Charleston in the Summer?
Both Charleston and Ponce are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Ponce throughout the year. Also, the summer months attract visitors to Charleston because of the beaches, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences.
In the summer, Ponce is around the same temperature as Charleston. Typically, the summer temperatures in Ponce in July average around 28°C (83°F), and Charleston averages at about 82°F (28°C).
It's quite sunny in Charleston. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Ponce. Ponce usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Charleston during summer. Ponce gets 287 hours of sunny skies, while Charleston receives 293 hours of full sun in the summer.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Charleston. In July, Ponce usually receives less rain than Charleston. Ponce gets 95 mm (3.7 in) of rain, while Charleston receives 6.9 inches (176 mm) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyPonce 28°C (83°F)Charleston 82°F (28°C)
Should I visit Ponce or Charleston in the Autumn?
Both Charleston and Ponce during the autumn are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Ponce because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Furthermore, the shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area are the main draw to Charleston this time of year.
In October, Ponce is generally a little warmer than Charleston. Daily temperatures in Ponce average around 28°C (82°F), and Charleston fluctuates around 67°F (19°C).
It's quite sunny in Ponce. In the autumn, Ponce often gets more sunshine than Charleston. Ponce gets 235 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Charleston receives 197 hours of full sun.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Ponce. Ponce usually gets more rain in October than Charleston. Ponce gets 135 mm (5.3 in) of rain, while Charleston receives 2.9 inches (74 mm) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberPonce 28°C (82°F)Charleston 67°F (19°C)
Should I visit Ponce or Charleston in the Winter?
The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Ponce and Charleston. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Ponce year-round. Furthermore, many travelers come to Charleston for the museums, the Christmas ambience, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
Ponce is much warmer than Charleston in the winter. The daily temperature in Ponce averages around 25°C (77°F) in January, and Charleston fluctuates around 47°F (9°C).
In Ponce, it's very sunny this time of the year. Ponce usually receives more sunshine than Charleston during winter. Ponce gets 240 hours of sunny skies, while Charleston receives 188 hours of full sun in the winter.
In January, Ponce usually receives less rain than Charleston. Ponce gets 58 mm (2.3 in) of rain, while Charleston receives 3.3 inches (85 mm) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryPonce 25°C (77°F)Charleston 47°F (9°C)
Should I visit Ponce or Charleston in the Spring?
The spring brings many poeple to Ponce as well as Charleston. Ponce attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. Additionally, many visitors come to Charleston in the spring for the beaches and the natural beauty.
In the spring, Ponce is a little warmer than Charleston. Typically, the spring temperatures in Ponce in April average around 26°C (79°F), and Charleston averages at about 64°F (18°C).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Charleston. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Ponce this time of the year. In the spring, Ponce often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Charleston. Ponce gets 272 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Charleston receives 275 hours of full sun.
Ponce usually gets around the same amount of rain in April as Charleston. Ponce gets 69 mm (2.7 in) of rain, while Charleston receives 2.7 inches (69 mm) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilPonce 26°C (79°F)Charleston 64°F (18°C)
Typical Weather for Charleston and Ponce
| Ponce | Charleston | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 25°C (77°F) | 58 mm (2.3 in) | 47°F (9°C) | 3.3 inches (85 mm) |
| Feb | 25°C (77°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 50°F (10°C) | 3.3 inches (85 mm) |
| Mar | 26°C (78°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) | 58°F (14°C) | 4.3 inches (110 mm) |
| Apr | 26°C (79°F) | 69 mm (2.7 in) | 64°F (18°C) | 2.7 inches (69 mm) |
| May | 27°C (81°F) | 120 mm (4.7 in) | 72°F (22°C) | 4.2 inches (106 mm) |
| Jun | 28°C (82°F) | 82 mm (3.2 in) | 78°F (26°C) | 6.4 inches (163 mm) |
| Jul | 28°C (83°F) | 95 mm (3.7 in) | 82°F (28°C) | 6.9 inches (176 mm) |
| Aug | 28°C (83°F) | 130 mm (5.1 in) | 81°F (27°C) | 7.1 inches (181 mm) |
| Sep | 28°C (83°F) | 130 mm (5.1 in) | 76°F (25°C) | 4.8 inches (121 mm) |
| Oct | 28°C (82°F) | 135 mm (5.3 in) | 67°F (19°C) | 2.9 inches (74 mm) |
| Nov | 27°C (80°F) | 132 mm (5.2 in) | 58°F (15°C) | 2.5 inches (63 mm) |
| Dec | 26°C (78°F) | 92 mm (3.6 in) | 51°F (10°C) | 3.1 inches (78 mm) |
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.