Which place is cheaper, Vancouver or Salt Lake City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Salt Lake City or Vancouver?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
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 Salt Lake City and Vancouver can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Salt Lake City or Vancouver?
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City is the capital city of Utah and one of the largest cities in the southwest region of the US. Salt Lake sits on the border between the Rocky Mountains and Great Basin regions, making it the perfect place for outdoor activities. The city's natural beauty and resources even became the focal point for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Salt Lake experiences all four seasons, with the most popular times to visit being summer and winter. Summer, June-August, sees little rain and temperatures in the high 80's Fahrenheit. Winter, December-March, has temperatures in the 30's Fahrenheit and gets the perfect amount of snow for winter sports.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a beautiful and cosmopolitan city in Western Canada. It is also the largest city in British Columbia, and is dramatically positioned between the coast and mountains. It's a very international city, with a high level of energy and countless activites that you can enjoy while you're in town. In addition to offering all of the activities and entertainment of a modern city, it is also in jumping off distance to any number of outdoor activities.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 3-Week Tours in United States of America, The Best Bicycle Tours in United States of America, The Best 10-Day Tours from Vancouver, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Canada.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySalt Lake City $246Vancouver $141
The average daily cost (per person) in Salt Lake City is $246, while the average daily cost in Vancouver is $141. 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 Salt Lake City and Vancouver in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSalt Lake City $119Vancouver $87
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSalt Lake City $238Vancouver $174
Compare Hotels in Salt Lake City and Vancouver
Looking for a hotel in Salt Lake City or Vancouver? 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.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Salt Lake City Hotel Prices and Vancouver Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Salt Lake City $45Vancouver $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Salt Lake City
Also for Salt Lake City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from SLC to Park City UT : $261
- Private Transfer from Salt Lake City Airport (SLC) to Park City hotel or address: $261
- Salt Lake Airport (SLC) to Canyons Village - Round-Trip Transfer: $230
- Salt Lake City Airport (SLC): Transfer to Salt Lake City: $201
- Private Transfer from Salt Lake City Airport (SLC) to Salt Lake City : $120
- Private Transfer from SLC to Salt Lake City : $120
- Salt Lake Airport (SLC) to Canyons Village - Arrival Transfer: $115
- Private Transfer: Salt Lake City to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) : $107
- Salt Lake City to Salt Lake City Airport (SLC) - Departure Private Transfer: $46
- Private Departure Transfer to Salt Lake City Airport SLC: $36
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Vancouver
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Vancouver are as follows:
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SkyTrain from Airport$6.35
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Taxi from Airport to Downtown$21
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15 min Taxi Ride$8.71
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SkyTrain DayPass$6.53
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vancouver
Also for Vancouver, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Yvr Airport to Whistler and Whistler to Yvr Airport transfers: $111
- White Rock to Vancouver Airport (YVR) - Departure Private Transfer: $46
- Seaplane Transfer between Vancouver & Nanaimo: $206
- Private Transfer from YVR Airport To Whistler: $511
- City Highlights Tour with Hotel Transfers: $61
- Vancouver, BC: Scenic Seaplane Transfer to Seattle, WA: $283
- Vancouver to Victoria: Ferry with Bus Transfer: $73
- Vancouver to Victoria, Coach Bus Transfer: $74
- Vancouver to Victoria - Vancouver Hotel Pickup - Coach Bus Transfer: $83
- Vancouver to Victoria - Vancouver Cruise Terminal Pickup - Coach Bus Transfer: $87
- Vancouver hotels to Canada Place Cruise Port - Departure Private Transfer: $93
- Vancouver Cruise ship Transfer to Airport/City Hotel: $135
Is it cheaper to fly into Salt Lake City or Vancouver?
Prices for flights to both Vancouver and Salt Lake 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.
Food
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Food Meals for one daySalt Lake City $50Vancouver $31
Typical Food Prices in Vancouver
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Vancouver:
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All You Can Eat Sushi Lunch$8.80
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vancouver
For Vancouver, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- A Wok Around Food Tour of the Granville Island Public Market: $84
- The Gastown Experience Walking Food Tour: $85
- Gastown Historic Walking Food Tour: $100
- Vancouver Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $100
- North Vancouver Shipyards Food Tour: $108
- Vancouver Authentic Chinese Food Tour: $134
- VIP Granville Island Market Vancouver - Walking Food Tour: $138
- Authentic Asian Eats Walking Food Tour: $142
- 3-Hour Bowen Island Boat Cruise with Dinner: $153
- Vancouver Evening Dinner Cruise: $157
- Granville Island Uncorked Walking Food Tour: $161
- Bowen Island Dinner and Zodiac Boat Tour by Vancouver Water Adventures: $163
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Salt Lake City $28Vancouver $36
Tours and Activities in Salt Lake City
For Salt Lake City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2 Hour Salt Lake Boat Tour with Swimming on the Lake: $79
- 4-Day Winter Yellowstone Tour: $2,499
- 45 Minute Great Salt Lake Boat Tour: $37
- 5-day Tour Yellowstone Park Los Angeles-Salt Lake City: $1,558
- From 3-Day Yellowstone Wildlife Adventure: $999
- From Private Bryce Canyon National Park Tour: $1,475
- From Private Canyonlands National Park Tour: $1,475
- From Private Capitol Reef National Park Tour: $1,475
- From Private Goblin Valley State Park Tour: $1,475
- From Private Tour of Arches National Park: $1,475
- Great Salt Lake Flying Tour: $249
- Great Salt Lake Guided Bus Tour from Salt Lake City: $70
Tours and Activities in Vancouver
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Vancouver.
- Guided Bike /E-bike Tour in Whistler From Vancouver: $219
- Sunshine Coast Escape (Around Vancouver) Small Group Tour: $145
- $99 Vancouver 2 Hours City Tour Private: $102
- 2 Days Leavenworth Christmastown Tour from Vancouver (Chn&Eng): $192
- 2-in-1 Vancouver city Tour: $234
- 3-Day Vancouver City Tour Package With Whistler & Victoria: $2,411
- 3hr Private Sightseeing Tour Vancouver (from Vancouver City): $456
- 3hr Private Sightseeing Tour-Vancouver City (fr YVR/Cruise): $583
- 4-Hour Private Tour of Vancouver's Gardens: $334
- 5 Days in Vancouver Multiactivity Adventure Tour: $2,411
- 5hr Private Sightseeing Tour-Vancouver (from Vancouver City): $709
- 5hr Private Sightseeing Tour-Vancouver City (fr YVR/Cruise): $836
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySalt Lake City $17Vancouver $16
Sample the Local Flavors in Vancouver
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Vancouver:
- Vancouver - Granville Pub Crawl ROUTE B: $18
- Gastown Pub Crawl: $22
- Vancouver - Granville Pub Crawl: $26
- 3.5-Hour Craft Brewery Tour: $84
- Fraser Valley Wine Tour with a light Lunch from Vancouver: $134
- Vancouver Wine Tour (Fraser Valley): $134
- From Half-Day Fraser Valley Wine Tour: $138
- Taste of the Valley Wine Tour: $148
- Stawamus Chief Hike and Local Brewery Tasting: $164
- Fraser Valley & White Rock Premium Public Wine Tour: $166
- Stawamus Chief Hike & Local Brewery Tasting : $167
- Full-Day Private Fraser Valley Wine Tour from Vancouver: $189
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Salt Lake City and Vancouver, we can see that Salt Lake City is more expensive. And not only is Vancouver much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Vancouver would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Vancouver 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 Salt Lake City would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Salt Lake City than you might in Vancouver.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Salt Lake City Expensive? and Is Vancouver Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Salt Lake City or Vancouver?
Vancouver has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Salt Lake City. When comparing the sizes of Salt Lake City and Vancouver, 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.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.