Should you visit Saint Petersburg or Asheville?
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 Saint Petersburg and Asheville can help you decide which place is right for you.
Saint Petersburg
Located at the base of the Tampa Bay peninsula of Florida, Saint Petersburg is a city known for its pleasant weather, coastal activities, and downtown arts scene. Nicknamed the "Sunshine City," Saint Petersburg is also a popular location for golfing, boating, fishing and beachgoing in addition to the usual entertainment options to be found in a thriving city.
Asheville
Asheville is a beautiful mountain town between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains. It's a popular tourist destination in western North Carolina that attracts hikers, shoppers, and adventurers alike. It's the largest city in the area and is famous for it's liberal mindset and large art community. Local crafts are frequently available for sale in the downtown shops.
Which city is cheaper, Asheville or Saint Petersburg?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Saint Petersburg is $163, while the average daily cost in Asheville is $106. 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 Saint Petersburg and Asheville in more detail.
Accommodation
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $202 in Saint Petersburg For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $142 for a double occupancy room in Asheville.
Food
Food in Saint Petersburg costs travelers about $39 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
In Asheville travelers spend around $26 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.
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Food
Meals for one day
Saint Petersburg $39
Asheville $26
Typical Food prices in Saint Petersburg
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Saint Petersburg:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Saint Petersburg
For Saint Petersburg, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Enjoy Russian Delicacies in St Petersburg: Cooking Demo and Meal with a Local:
$80
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Private Dining: Russian dinner in a traditional St. Petersburg apartment:
$91
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Cooking Class and a Dinner with a Local Family (8 people max):
$92
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Off-the-tourist Path Food Tour:
$103
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Local Market Tour and Cooking Demo with a Homemade Russian Meal in St Petersburg:
$107
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Borscht and cabbage pie cooking class and dinner for small private groups:
$109
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FOOD TOUR. St.Petersburg:
$150
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Private Cooking Class: Learn the secrets of Borsch and Beef Stroganoff:
$166
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Private Cooking Class: Russian Blini with Red Caviar and Shchi soup:
$179
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Private Cooking Class: Russian Shchi soup and Blini with Red Caviar:
$187
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Private Cooking Class: Hands-on Siberian Pelmeni Making Workshop:
$188
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Private Cooking Class: Siberian Pelmeni, Stolichny salad and Borsch:
$212
Typical Food prices in Asheville
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Asheville:
Local Transportation
To get around in Saint Petersburg, the average visitor spends $38 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
The average price of local transportation around Asheville is $11 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Saint Petersburg
Also for Saint Petersburg, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Departure Private Transfer St Petersburg City to Pulkovo Airport LED - LuxuryCar:
$80
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Departure Private Transfer St Petersburg City to Pulkovo Airport LED - LuxuryVan:
$39
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Departure Private Transfer St. Petersburg to Pulkovo Airport LED by Business Car:
$61
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Private Airport Transfer: from St Petersburg to Pulkovo Airport (LED):
$28
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Private Transfer from Peterhof Palace to St. Petersburg City Center:
$36
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Private Transfer from St. Petersburg City Center to Peterhof Palace:
$37
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St Petersburg Airport Transfers : St Petersburg to Airport LED by Business Car:
$63
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St Petersburg Airport Transfers : St Petersburg to Airport LED in Luxury Car:
$103
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St Petersburg Airport Transfers : St Petersburg to Airport LED in Luxury Van:
$89
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St Petersburg Departure Private Transfers from St Petersburg City to Airport LED:
$84
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St Petersburg Transfer from city hotels or Cruise port to Pulkovo Airport (LED):
$68
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St. Petersburg Pulkovo Airport (LED) to hotel - Arrival Private Transfer:
$36
Is it cheaper to fly into Saint Petersburg or Asheville?
Prices for flights to both Asheville and Saint Petersburg 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
In Saint Petersburg, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $11 per person, per day.
Asheville's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $13 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Tours and Activities in Saint Petersburg
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Saint Petersburg.
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2-Day Small-Group Visa-Free Tour - Top Highlights of St Petersburg:
$20
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1.5-Hours Saint Petersburg's Metro Tour Hidden Treasures:
$25
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Mini-Group 2-Day Shore Excursion of St Petersburg Must-Sees and Boat Cruise:
$25
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Saint Petersburg Drawbridges Tour:
$41
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Half Day Walking Tour Well Courtyards Tour in Saint Petersburg:
$44
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Guided Tour Peter and Paul Fortress, Cathedral and Prison:
$56
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Private Tours:
$64
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Half Day Bike City Tour in Saint Petersburg:
$75
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Private Tour of "Erarta" Galleries:
$76
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St Petersburg Communist walking tour + Museum of Russian political history:
$77
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Evening River and Canal Cruise Visas Included:
$86
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Revolutionary Petersburg City Tour:
$86
Typical Entertainment prices in Asheville
Here are a few typical costs in Asheville for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
Tours and Activities in Asheville
Here are a few actual costs in Asheville for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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"Love Stories of Asheville" Guided Walking Tour:
$498
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2-Hour Guided Segway Tour of Asheville:
$68
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4-Mile Guided Paddleboard Tour on The French Broad River in Asheville:
$82
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7 Mile Guided Paddleboard Tour On The French Broad River in Asheville:
$97
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Amazing Asheville Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$44
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Asheville Insider Guided Walking Tour:
$30
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Asheville Literary Tour:
$30
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Asheville Night-Time Guided Walking Ghost Tour (1 or 1.5-Hour Options Available):
$21
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Asheville Night-Time Walking Ghost Tour:
$21
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Asheville Private Guided Bird Watching Tour:
$41
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Asheville Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
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Asheville Scavenger Hunt: Downtown Asheville Adventure:
$12
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Saint Petersburg, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $33.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Asheville may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $13 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Sample the Local Flavors in Asheville
Also in Asheville, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Downtown Asheville Guided Brewery Walking Tour:
$38
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Private Adventure Brews Cruise Brewery Tours in Asheville (Up To 5 Breweries):
$1,013
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Saint Petersburg and Asheville, we can see that Saint Petersburg is more expensive. And not only is Asheville much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Asheville would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Asheville 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 Saint Petersburg would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Saint Petersburg than you might in Asheville.
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