Which city is cheaper, Rapid City or San Diego?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
A Travel Price Comparison for United States of America San Diego vs. Rapid City for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons
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Should you visit San Diego or Rapid City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for San Diego and Rapid City. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: San Diego or Rapid City?
San Diego
For many visitors and locals alike, San Diego is a paradise. Located in southern California, not far from Los Angeles, it has the perfect climate, wonderful beaches, and a culturally rich environment. It's surrounded by beautiful landscape and has a strong focus on wildlife conservation and eco-friendly living. Home to about 1.3 million residents, it is California's second largest city. It also has many universities, a large tech industry, and a thriving economy. Despite its size, many people perceive San Diego as a slower, more relaxed city with a pleasant vibe away from the chaos of a large city.
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.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySan Diego $202Rapid City $116
The average daily cost (per person) in San Diego is $202, 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 San Diego and Rapid City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSan Diego $115Rapid City $60
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSan Diego $230Rapid City $120
Compare Hotels in San Diego and Rapid City
Looking for a hotel in San Diego 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.
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: San Diego Hotel Prices and Rapid City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.San Diego $24Rapid City $53
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Diego
Also for San Diego, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer from San Diego International Airport to San Diego: $62
- Tijuana Border Crossing Private Transfer To Los Angeles.: $398
- SAN Airport Private Transfer: $77
- San Diego to Long Beach Airport (LGB) - Departure Private Transfer: $357
- San Diego to Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) - Departure Private Transfer: $342
- San Diego hotel/address to San Diego Airport (SAN) - Departure Private Transfer: $60
- San Diego Private Transfer To Palm Springs.: $398
- San Diego Private Transfer To N. Hollywood/Burbank area.: $398
- San Diego Private Transfer To Los Angeles.: $389
- San Diego Airport (SAN) to San Diego hotel/address - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $119
- San Diego Airport (SAN) to San Diego hotel or address - Arrival Private Transfer: $60
- Private transfer: San Diego to San Diego Airport (SAN): $622
Is it cheaper to fly into San Diego or Rapid City?
Prices for flights to both Rapid City and San Diego 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 daySan Diego $45Rapid City $23
Typical Food prices in San Diego
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to San Diego:
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Mexican Lunch for Two$27
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Breakfast at Starbucks$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Diego
For San Diego, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- San Diego North Park Food Tour: $49
- Liberty Station Food Tour: $49
- Market and Guacamole Cooking Class in Tijuana Mexico: $89
- Private Cooking Demonstration of Indian Fusion Cuisine in San Diego: $96
- Farmers Market Tour & Social Cooking With A Chef: $100
- San Diego Harbor Dinner Cruise: $111
- Private Tour: Secret Food Tours San Diego: $129
- Secret Food Tours San Diego w/ Private Tour Option: $277
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.San Diego $48Rapid City $26
Typical Entertainment prices in San Diego
For San Diego, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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San Diego Zoo$15
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Sea World Parking$12
Tours and Activities in San Diego
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Diego.
- 1-Hour Voodoo Escape Room Experience in San Diego: $35
- 1Hr GPS Guided Scooter Tour: Harbor/Gaslamp Quarter: $63
- 2 Hour Whale Watching Kayak Tour for Two: $77
- 4 Hour Whale Watching/Eco Adventure: $163
- Affordable, Luxury Sailing Tour of San Diego's Bay and Coastal Waterways: $112
- All Day San Diego City and Shopping Tour: $95
- All Inclusive Beer Tour-Party bus: $169
- Behind-the-Scenes at Petco Park Tour: $23
- Brothels, Bites and Booze: A Culinary Tour of San Diego's Questionable Past: $69
- Catamaran Sailing Cruise on San Diego Bay for up to 12 Guests: $1,200
- Catamaran Sailing Cruise on San Diego Bay for up to 6 Guests: $600
- Coastal Beauty - Private Sunset & Night Photography Tour: $455
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
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySan Diego $21Rapid City $6.93
Sample the Local Flavors in San Diego
Also in San Diego, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- San Diego Bar Hunt: Slammin' San Diego Bar Crawl: $12
- Wine Tasting Or Beer Tasting: $15
- San Diego Brewery Tour: $85
- San Diego Micro Brewery Tour: $91
- The San Diego Downtown Craft Brewery Tour: $95
- The San Diego Downtown Craft Brewery Tour: $101
- Private San Diego Brewery Tour: $107
- All inclusive brewery tour-Fire Truck: $189
- Luxury Private Wine Tasting Tour to Guadalupe Valley from San Diego.: $249
- Private Wine Tour of Temecula from San Diego: $475
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Diego and Rapid City, we can see that San Diego 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 San Diego would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Diego than you might in Rapid City.
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