Which place is cheaper, Jasper National Park or Rapid City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Rapid City or Jasper National Park?
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 Rapid City and Jasper National Park can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Rapid City or Jasper National Park?
Rapid City
Rapid City is a large city in western South Dakota that is considered the gateway to the Black Hills National Forest. Rapid City is often used as a base for all types of outdoor activities, including tours to the infamous Mount Rushmore and surrounding parks. The city has a budding art scene and offers the perfect combination of a metropolitan city surrounded by stunning natural scenery. Rapid City experiences the best weather from June-September with temperatures in the 70's and 80's Fahrenheit. Temperatures drop to the low 20's F in the winter and the area receives the most rain pour in April and May.
Jasper National Park
An UNESCO World Heritage Site, Jasper National Park, located in Canada's Alberta Province, is one of a few national and provincial parks that showcase the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Anchorage, The Best 2-Week Tours from San Francisco, The Best Luxury Tours to Canada, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Canada.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRapid City $116Jasper National Park $82
The average daily cost (per person) in Rapid City is $116, while the average daily cost in Jasper National Park is $82. 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 Rapid City and Jasper National Park in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRapid City $60Jasper National Park $45
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRapid City $120Jasper National Park $90
Compare Hotels in Rapid City and Jasper National Park
Looking for a hotel in Rapid City or Jasper National Park? 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: Rapid City Hotel Prices and Jasper National Park Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Rapid City $53Jasper National Park $19
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Jasper National Park
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Jasper National Park are as follows:
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Park Pass$14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Jasper National Park
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Jasper National Park:
- Jasper Thermal to Edmonton Airport (YEG) Departure Transfer: $170
- Jasper Thermal Resorts to Calgary Airport YYC Departure Transfer: $170
Is it cheaper to fly into Rapid City or Jasper National Park?
Prices for flights to both Jasper National Park and Rapid City 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 dayRapid City $23Jasper National Park $23
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rapid City
For Rapid City, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Roller Coaster Tickets with Dinner and Show in Rapid City: $70
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Jasper National Park
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Jasper National Park.
- Half-Day Jasper Culture Food Tour: $107
- Peak Nic - A hike and an outdoor cooking lesson: $119
- 4-Hours E-Bike Food Tour : $201
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Rapid City $26Jasper National Park $7.75
Tours and Activities in Rapid City
For Rapid City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Mount Rushmore Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour: $15
- Black Hills & Badlands: Self-Guided Audio Driving Tours: $20
- Bus Tour of Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills: $133
- Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Tour with Two Meals and a Music Variety Show: $164
- Badlands Winter Wonderland Adventure: $239
- Full-Day Private Sightseeing Tour in South Dakota: $275
- NEW! Half Day Tour of the Black Hills: $289
- Badlands Sunset and Wildlife Adventure : $289
- From Private Spearfish Canyon Tour: $650
- From Private Devils Tower Tour and Hike: $650
- Private Black Hills Monuments Full-Day Tour: $650
- Badlands National Park Private Tour: $650
Tours and Activities in Jasper National Park
Here are a few actual costs in Jasper National Park for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 5.5-Hour Jasper Wildlife and Waterfalls Tour with Maligne Lake Cruise from Jasper: $131
- Canadian Rockies Tour by Chauffeured Sidecar from Jasper: $118
- Class 3 Sunwapta River Rafting Adventure in Jasper: $94
- Columbia Icefield Tour with Glacier Skywalk from Jasper: $222
- Explore Jasper Tour: $122
- Explore Jasper Tour with Maligne Lake Cruise: $179
- From Jasper: Jasper National Park Wildlife Discovery Tour: $53
- Icefields Parkway Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour: $17
- Jasper Evening Wildlife Tour: $64
- Jasper Ice Climbing Experience: $176
- Jasper National Park Tour: Maligne Valley, Medicine Lake and Spirit Island: $64
- Jasper Rock Climbing Experience: $108
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRapid City $6.93Jasper National Park $11
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Rapid City and Jasper National Park, we can see that Rapid City is more expensive. And not only is Jasper National Park much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Jasper National Park would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Jasper National Park 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 Rapid City would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Rapid City than you might in Jasper National Park.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Rapid City Expensive? and Is Jasper National Park Expensive?.
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.