Should you visit San Diego or Santa Monica?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for San Diego and Santa Monica. 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. So, let's dig into it.
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.
Santa Monica
When it comes to visiting Los Angeles, Santa Monica is high on the must-see-and-do list. Chances are you'll recognize the iconic ferris wheel from Pacific Park in films and TV shows, and nothing beats the relaxed yet bustling vibe of this laid-back city.
Santa Monica is a popular and diverse beach town, cultural hub, fitness venue, shopping district, and neighborhood full of unique and trendy restaurants, all rolled into one. Visited by more than 6 million people a year, it's no wonder you'll always find a crowd there.
So whether you're up for a high-end shopping spree, bicycling down the waterfront, an eclectic food crawl or simply a stroll down the promenade, Santa Monica is sure to have something in store for you.
The weather in Santa Monica is moderate, with average summer highs in the low to mid 70s and winter climate that rests comfortably around the low 50s. Though flip flops and sandals are considered year-round footwear in Los Angeles, bring comfortable walking shoes for browsing galleries, malls, and boutiques. Santa Monica is the perfect place to break out your California-casual wardrobe.
Which city is cheaper, Santa Monica or San Diego?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in San Diego is $161, while the average daily cost in Santa Monica is $168. 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 San Diego and Santa Monica in more detail.
Accommodation
For a normal double-occupancy room in San Diego, $182 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in San Diego, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is $91, such as in a hostel.
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around $98. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Santa Monica the cost is $196 on average.
Food
The price of a meal in San Diego can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $36 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $14 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
On average, meal and food prices in Santa Monica cost around $42 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 $17.
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Food
Meals for one day
San Diego $36
Santa Monica $42
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:
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San Diego North Park Food Tour:
$49
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Liberty Station Food Tour:
$49
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Market and Guacamole Cooking Class in Tijuana Mexico:
$89
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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
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Dinner Cruise:
$117
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Private Tour: Secret Food Tours San Diego:
$129
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Secret Food Tours San Diego w/ Private Tour Option:
$277
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santa Monica
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santa Monica.
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Taste of Santa Monica Walking Food Tour:
$84
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in San Diego than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $19 on transportation in San Diego on average per day.
The average price of local transportation around Santa Monica is $40 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 San Diego
Also for San Diego, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Airport Transfer: from San Diego to San Diego Int. Airport (SAN):
$35
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Private Departure Transfer from San Diego to SAN San Diego Airport:
$46
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Private Airport Transfer: San Diego International Airport (SAN) to San Diego:
$46
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Private Arrival Transfer from San Diego Airport SAN:
$48
-
Private Departure Transfer to San Diego Airport SAN:
$48
-
Private Arrival Transfer from SAN San Diego Airport to San Diego City:
$49
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San Diego Airport (SAN) to San Diego hotel or address - Arrival Private Transfer:
$60
-
San Diego hotel/address to San Diego Airport (SAN) - Departure Private Transfer:
$60
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Transfer from San Diego International Airport to San Diego:
$62
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Departure Private Transfer San Diego to San Diego Airport SAN in Business Car:
$63
-
Private 1-Way Private Airport Transfer:
$66
-
Private Airport Transfer San Deigo Arrival And Departure:
$67
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Monica
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santa Monica:
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Malibu or Pacific Palisades Private Transfer To Los Angeles.:
$115
-
Santa Monica to Long Beach Airport (LGB) - Deparure Private Transfer:
$113
-
Private Transfer From Santa Monica Area To Los Angeles Airport (LAX).:
$79
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Santa Monica to Los Angeles Airport (LAX) - Departure Private Transfer:
$61
Is it cheaper to fly into San Diego or Santa Monica?
Prices for flights to both Santa Monica 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.
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in San Diego, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $38 per day, per person.
Santa Monica's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $30 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.
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
-
Sea World Parking
$12
Tours and Activities in San Diego
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Diego.
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La Jolla: Explore California's Riviera on a self-guided audio tour:
$5.40
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San Diego Zoo Hunt: Roar with Rex Adventure at the San Diego Zoo:
$12
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San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter Historic True Crime Tour:
$16
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San Diego Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
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San Diego Balboa Park Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
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Behind-the-Scenes at Petco Park Tour:
$23
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San Diego Gaslamp District Ghost Tour:
$24
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Tijuana Walking Tour from San Diego:
$28
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San Diego Harbor Cruise:
$28
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Harbor Cruise:
$28
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Off the grid Christian tour.:
$28
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Old Town Scavenger Hunt, Walking Tour:
$29
Tours and Activities in Santa Monica
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Santa Monica are as follows:
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5-Hour Limo Tour with Open Bar:
$266
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Bvc 02 -half Day Tour Santa Monica.:
$45
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Deluxe 6-Hour Los Angeles Private Limo Tour:
$773
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Experience a beach séance with a medium in Santa Monica:
$48
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Half Day Tour of Santa Monica and Venice Beach:
$53
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Half-Day Private Gas-Powered Scooter Tour in Los Angeles:
$70
-
Half-Day Private Gas-Powered Skateboard Tour in Los Angeles:
$85
-
Half-Day Private Tour in California by Gas-Powered Bicycle:
$90
-
Las Vegas 2 Day Tour from Los Angeles Santa Monica Venice and Marina Del Rey:
$147
-
Malibu Celebrity Homes Tour:
$55
-
Malibu Wineries Private Tour:
$532
-
Perfect 5 ½ Hour LA & Hollywood Tour from Santa Monica:
$89
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 San Diego, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $17.
The average person spends about $17 on alcoholic beverages in Santa Monica per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
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:
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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
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The San Diego Downtown Craft Brewery Tour:
$101
-
Private San Diego Brewery Tour:
$107
-
All inclusive brewery tour-Fire Truck:
$189
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Luxury Private Wine Tasting Tour to Guadalupe Valley from San Diego.:
$249
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Private Wine Tour of Temecula from San Diego:
$475
Sample the Local Flavors in Santa Monica
Also in Santa Monica, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Vintage VW Hippie Tour to Malibu with wine tasting:
$148
When comparing the travel costs between San Diego and Santa Monica, we can see that Santa Monica is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in North America, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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