Should you visit Saint Petersburg or Charleston?
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 Charleston 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.
Charleston
Charleston is a beautiful, southern city and seaport town in South Carolina. It has a wonderful, historic downtown area that the city government works hard to maintain. Located on a peninsula that is created by two rivers, the city is a stunning setting with much character. It is a popular place to visit for its culture, architecture and cuisine. In recent years Charleston has gained popularity and it continues to grow as both a regional and international travel destination. With its rising popularity comes increasing costs. Travel costs continue to go up as restaurants and hotels raise their prices, particularly during the peak travel season and holiday periods.
Which city is cheaper, Charleston 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 Charleston is $136. 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 Charleston 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.
A hotel room in Charleston is about $144 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
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.
On average, meal and food prices in Charleston cost around $46 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around $18.
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Food
Meals for one day
Saint Petersburg $39
Charleston $46
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 Charleston
Some typical examples of dining costs in Charleston are as follows:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Charleston
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Charleston.
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Charleston Harbor: Luxury Dinner Cruise & Live Music:
$66
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Downtown Charleston Culinary Walking Food Tour:
$73
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Savor the Flavors of Charleston Walking Food Tour:
$75
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Charleston's Savor the Flavors of Upper King Street Walking Food Tour:
$75
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Charleston Chef's Kitchen Guided Walking Food Tour:
$75
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Private Tour: Secret Food Tours Charleston:
$129
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Undiscovered 1/2 Day Food, Wine & History Tour with Cooking Class:
$154
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3-Hour Secret Food Tour in Charleston w/ Private Tour Option:
$277
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.
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $26 per day to get around in Charleston.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Saint Petersburg
Also for Saint Petersburg, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Airport Transfer: from St Petersburg to Pulkovo Airport (LED):
$28
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St. Petersburg Pulkovo Airport (LED) to hotel - Arrival Private Transfer:
$36
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St. Petersburg to St.Petersburg Pulkovo Airport - Departure Private Transfer:
$36
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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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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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St Petersburg Airport Transfers : St Petersburg to Airport LED by Business Car:
$63
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St Petersburg Transfer from city hotels or Cruise port to Pulkovo Airport (LED):
$68
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Departure Private Transfer St Petersburg City to Pulkovo Airport LED - LuxuryCar:
$80
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St Petersburg Departure Private Transfers from St Petersburg City to Airport LED:
$84
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St Petersburg Airport Transfers : St Petersburg to Airport LED in Luxury Van:
$89
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Charleston
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Charleston:
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Private transfer: Charleston to Charleston Airport (CHS):
$622
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Charleston city to Charleston Airport (CHS) - Departure Private Transfer:
$124
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Private Departure Transfer to Charleston Airport (CHS):
$52
Is it cheaper to fly into Saint Petersburg or Charleston?
Prices for flights to both Charleston 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.
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $17 per person, per day in Charleston. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
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 Charleston
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Charleston are as follows:
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Patriots Point (for 2)
$60
Tours and Activities in Charleston
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Charleston are as follows:
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2-Hour Guided Kayaking Eco Tour in Charleston:
$48
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2-Hour Paddle Board Eco Tour of Charleston Lowcountry:
$48
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90-Minute Historic Walking Tour of Charleston:
$25
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Amazing Ladies of Charleston Walking Tour:
$35
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Best of Historic Charleston Walking Tour:
$35
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Boone Hall Plantation Admission & Tour with Transportation from Charleston:
$61
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Bruce Knows Insider Walking Tour of Downtown:
$26
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Car Service: Airport to / from Cruise Port:
$130
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Charleston Attraction & Tour Pass for 1, 2, or 3 Days:
$73
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Charleston Boo Hag & Brews Walking Ghost and Bar Tour:
$29
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Charleston Chicora Walking Tour:
$26
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Charleston City Bus Tour with Charleston Museum Admission:
$32
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.
The average person spends about $28 on alcoholic beverages in Charleston per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in Charleston
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Charleston:
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Charleston Bar Hunt: Charleston Chase Bar Crawl:
$12
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Ghost Walking Tour and Pub Crawl in Haunted Charleston:
$27
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Haunted Pub Crawl of the Market:
$37
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Saint Petersburg and Charleston, we can see that Saint Petersburg is more expensive. And not only is Charleston much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Charleston would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Charleston 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 Charleston.
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