Should you visit Sacramento or Santa Fe?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Sacramento or Santa Fe, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
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.
Santa Fe
Santa Fe is the state capital of New Mexico as well as the oldest state capital in the United States, founded in 1607. It has become a popular travel destination due to the surrounding scenic beauty, its long history, cultural diversity especially with its proximity to American Indian pueblos and culture, and a rich concentration of arts, music, and food.
Which city is cheaper, Santa Fe or Sacramento?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Sacramento is $225, while the average daily cost in Santa Fe is $127. 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. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Sacramento and Santa Fe in more detail.
Accommodation
The prices for places to stay in Sacramento can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is $88, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around $176.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $128 in Santa Fe For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
While meal prices in Sacramento can vary, the average travelers spends about $42 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Sacramento should cost around $17 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Sacramento is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
In Santa Fe travelers spend around $35 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Sacramento $42
Santa Fe $35
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santa Fe
For Santa Fe, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Dinner at the Coffee Farm:
$55
-
Santa Fe Railyard Arts District Food Tour:
$102
-
New Mexican Flavors Food Tour of the Santa Fe Plaza:
$138
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Sacramento than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $41 on transportation in Sacramento on average per day.
Santa Fe's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend $49 per person, per day on transportation in Santa Fe.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sacramento
Also for Sacramento, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Sacramento Airport (SMF) to Napa, CA - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$455
-
Private transfer from Sacramento to SFO:
$340
-
Sacramento Airport (SMF) to Napa, CA - Arrival Private Transfer:
$228
-
Private Sacramento Transfer Airport to Hotel:
$150
-
Private Sacramento Transfer Hotel to Airport:
$150
-
Sacramento Airport (SMF) to Sacramento hotel/address- RoundTrip Private Transfer:
$144
-
Low Cost Private Transfer From Sacramento Executive Airport to Roseville City - One Way:
$144
-
Low Cost Private Transfer From Sacramento Executive Airport to Sacramento City - One Way:
$73
-
Sacramento Airport (SMF) to Sacramento hotel/address - Arrival Private Transfer:
$72
-
Sacramento City to Sacramento Airport (SMF) - Departure Private Transfer:
$72
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Fe
Also for Santa Fe, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Private Departure Transfer to Santa Fe Airport SAF:
$125
-
Private Arrival Transfer from Santa Fe Airport (SAF):
$62
Is it cheaper to fly into Sacramento or Santa Fe?
Prices for flights to both Santa Fe 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.
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in Sacramento, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $15 per day, per person.
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Santa Fe can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around $13 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
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:
$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
Tours and Activities in Santa Fe
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santa Fe.
-
Bantayan Island Day Tour From Cebu:
$173
-
Beer and Art Tour:
$40
-
Guided Tour: 'Love Stories of Santa Fe":
$498
-
Land Tour | Bantayan Island - Sightseeing - Guided Tour:
$46
-
Lonely Planet Experiences: Private Walking Tour of Santa Fe:
$170
-
Santa Fe Architectural Walking Tour:
$115
-
Santa Fe Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
-
Search for The Story-Documentary Film School Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$52
-
Small-Group Canyon Road Art Tour:
$37
-
Small-Group E-Bike Adventure Tour through Hidden Santa Fe:
$155
-
The Best of Santa Fe Walking Tour:
$498
-
Walk Granada's Skyline Tour:
$49
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Sacramento spend on average $9.31 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Santa Fe, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $7.74.
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
Sample the Local Flavors in Santa Fe
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Santa Fe:
-
Join-In Wine Tours:
$152
-
White Water Rafting and Wine Tour:
$217
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sacramento and Santa Fe, we can see that Sacramento is more expensive. And not only is Santa Fe much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Santa Fe would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe.
Related Articles for Sacramento
Related Articles for Santa Fe
