Which place is cheaper, Kamloops or Rapid City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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 Kamloops can help you decide which place is right for you.
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.
In British Columbia, Canada, Kamloops is perhaps most famous for the large number of tournaments it hosts, everything from the Strauss Canada Cup of Curling, to the World Fly Fishing Championships. It also hosts Skate Canada, Tim Horton's Olympic Qualifying Bike Race, and the World Junior Hockey Championships among others. The city is in the south central part of the province and it sits near the confluence of the two branches of the Thompson River near Kamloops Lake. The city has a population of about 85,000 and it's the largest community in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Anchorage, The Best 2-Week Tours from San Francisco, The Best Train & Rail Tours in Canada, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Canada.
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Rapid City is $116, while the average daily cost in Kamloops is $81. 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 Kamloops in more detail.
Looking for a hotel in Rapid City or Kamloops? 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.
Prices for flights to both Kamloops 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.
For Rapid City, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
For Kamloops, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
For Rapid City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
For Kamloops, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Rapid City and Kamloops, we can see that Rapid City is more expensive. And not only is Kamloops much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Kamloops would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kamloops 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 Kamloops.
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 Kamloops Expensive?.
Kamloops has a larger population, and is about 11% larger than the population of Rapid City. When comparing the sizes of Rapid City and Kamloops, 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.