A Travel Price Comparison for United States of America Sacramento vs. Rapid City for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Sacramento or Rapid City?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Sacramento or Rapid City, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Sacramento or Rapid City?

Sacramento

Sacramento is the capital city and one of the oldest cities in the state of California. It was founded in 1849 in the midst of the Gold Rush, and has since grown to a population of over 500,000 people. The atmosphere is more laid back than most major cities, and its heritage is rooted in the Gold Rush and Transcontinental Railroad era.

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.

Which city is cheaper, Rapid City or Sacramento?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Sacramento is $281, while the average daily cost in Rapid City is $116. 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 city. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Sacramento and Rapid City in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Sacramento $111
    Rapid City $60
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Sacramento $222
    Rapid City $120
Compare Hotels in Sacramento and Rapid City

Looking for a hotel in Sacramento or Rapid City? 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.

Hotels in Sacramento


Hotels in Rapid City


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: Sacramento Hotel Prices and Rapid City Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Sacramento $51
    Rapid City $53

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sacramento

Also for Sacramento, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Sacramento City to Sacramento Airport (SMF) - Departure Private Transfer: $72
  • Sacramento Airport (SMF) to Sacramento hotel/address- RoundTrip Private Transfer: $144
  • Sacramento Airport (SMF) to Sacramento hotel/address - Arrival Private Transfer: $72
  • Sacramento Airport (SMF) to Napa, CA - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $455
  • Sacramento Airport (SMF) to Napa, CA - Arrival Private Transfer: $228
  • Private transfer from Sacramento to SFO: $340
  • Private Sacramento Transfer Hotel to Airport: $150
  • Private Sacramento Transfer Airport to Hotel: $150
  • Low Cost Private Transfer From Sacramento Executive Airport to Sacramento City - One Way: $73
  • Low Cost Private Transfer From Sacramento Executive Airport to Roseville City - One Way: $144

Is it cheaper to fly into Sacramento or Rapid City?

Prices for flights to both Rapid City and Sacramento 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 day
    Sacramento $53
    Rapid City $23

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sacramento

For Sacramento, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Downtown Sacramento Historical Food Tour: $82
  • Midtown Sacramento Arts and Food Tour: $85

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Sacramento $19
    Rapid City $26

Tours and Activities in Sacramento

For Sacramento, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • California Gold Rush: The Sacramento Grid on a Self-Guided Bicycle Audio Tour: $8.30
  • Sacramento Historic River Cruise: $30
  • Sacramento Historic River Cruise: $20
  • Sacramento Scavenger Hunt Adventure: $21
  • Sacramento Sutter District History and Food Walking Tour: $78
  • Sacramento Urban Murals: Cycle the streets of Sacramento with an audio tour: $5.00
  • Rock The Yacht River Cruise: $33

Tours and Activities in Rapid City

For Rapid City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Bike Adventure on the Mickelson Trail - Private: $267
  • Bus Tour of Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills: $123
  • Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Bus Tour with Live Commentary: $84
  • Private Badlands National Park Day Tour: $315
  • Private Jeep Safari and Hiking Tour/ Two Person Minimum: $307
  • Private Mickelson Trail Bicycling Tour/ Two Person Minimum: $299
  • Private Mt Rushmore & Southern Black Hills Tour: $329
  • Southern Black Hills Bicycle Tour - Private: $267

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Sacramento $12
    Rapid City $6.93

Sample the Local Flavors in Sacramento

Also in Sacramento, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Sacramento Bar Hunt: Sacramento Sprint Bar Crawl: $12
  • Bk Best Wine Tasting Tours Amador County 4 Hour Chevrolet Suburban Passengers 7: $385
  • 4 Hour Private Amador County Wine Tasting Tours Mercedes Sprinter Passengers Van: $409
  • Amador Wine Tour from Sacramento: $436
  • 6 Hour Wine Tasting Tours Napa Valley Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Passengers Van: $625

About these numbers

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sacramento and Rapid City, we can see that Sacramento is more expensive. And not only is Rapid City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Rapid City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Rapid City 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 Sacramento would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Sacramento than you might in Rapid City.

Budget Your Trip

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.
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Compare Hotel Prices
Kayak

Inn at Parkside From $266 Kimpton Sawyer Hotel From $281 Westin Sacramento From $223 Arden Star Hotel From $132 Inn Off Capitol Park an Ascend Hotel Collection Member From $200
View Hotels in Sacramento

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Sacramento vs. Rapid City Travel Comparison

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