Should you visit San Francisco or Durango?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between San Francisco or Durango, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
San Francisco
San Francisco is a beautiful city that is famous for it's picturesque neighborhoods, liberal character, and stunning location on the bay. Some people describe San Francisco as the United State's most "European City." This title most likely comes from its compact development and its easy walkability. It also has no shortage of parks and public spaces where you can pass some time. The city sits on the end of a peninsula and offers stunning views of the blue bay, rolling green hills, and the striking Golden Gate Bridge.
Durango
Located in the State of Colorado, in the Rocky Mountains, Durango is on the tourist maps because of its historic narrow gauge railroad that connects the city to the town of Silverton. Durango has a population of just over 16,000 and it is only a short distance from the "four corners" area where New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado all meet. The landscape surrounding Durango is quite impressive and includes the Animas River Valley, the San Juan Mountains, and some beautiful red sandstone bluffs.
Which city is cheaper, Durango or San Francisco?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in San Francisco is $172, while the average daily cost in Durango is $123. 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 Francisco and Durango in more detail.
Accommodation
The prices for places to stay in San Francisco can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is $103, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around $206.
For a normal double-occupancy room in Durango, $126 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Durango, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is $63, such as in a hostel.
Food
On average, meal and food prices in San Francisco cost around $32 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 $13.
The average traveler spends about $40 per day in Durango for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
San Francisco $32
Durango $40
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Francisco
For San Francisco, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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San Francisco Virtual Food Tour with Local Guide:
$15
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Traveling Spoon Pad Thai and Papaya Salad Private Online Cooking Class:
$25
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Lonely Planet Experiences: North Beach & Chinatown Food Tour:
$66
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North Beach and Little Italy Food Tour:
$69
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Mission District Walking Food Tour:
$75
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San Francisco North Beach Food Tour:
$75
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Cooking with Ale: let's make Tiramisu - private groups:
$80
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San Francisco Food Tour: Ferry Building and Ferry Plaza Farmers Market:
$80
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Farmers' Market & Ferry Building Food Tour:
$82
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American Cooking Class in San Francisco with a Local near Golden Gate Park:
$82
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San Francisco Chinatown Food Tour:
$89
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Russian Hill Gourmet Food Tour:
$97
Local Transportation
San Francisco's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend $13 per person, per day on transportation in San Francisco.
To get around in Durango, the average visitor spends $22 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.
Typical Local Transportation prices in San Francisco
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in San Francisco:
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Taxi to SFO
$45
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Golden Gate Bridge Toll
$6.00
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Alcatraz Tour
$30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Francisco
Also for San Francisco, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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San Fransisco Downtown to OAK Departure Chauffeur Driven Airport Transfer:
$83
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San Fransisco Downtown to OAK Departure Chauffeur Driven Airport Transfer:
$83
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San Fransisco Downtown to OAK Departure Chauffeur Driven Airport Transfer:
$100
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Private One-Way Airport Transfer:
$220
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San Francisco to/from Yosemite National Park: 1-Way Transfer:
$109
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San Francisco to San José Airport (SJC) - Departure Private Transfer:
$160
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San Francisco to San Francisco Airport (SFO) - Departure Private Transfer:
$85
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San Francisco to Oakland Airport (OAK) - Departure Private Car Transfer:
$105
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San Francisco Round Trip Chauffeur Driven Airport Transfer by Executive Sedan:
$130
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San Francisco Round Trip Chauffeur Driven Airport Transfer by Executive SUV:
$150
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San Francisco Round Trip Chauffeur Driven Airport Transfer:
$130
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San Francisco Hotels to San Francisco Airport Transfer:
$109
Is it cheaper to fly into San Francisco or Durango?
Prices for flights to both Durango and San Francisco 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, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in San Francisco can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around $37 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
In Durango, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $37 per person, per day.
Tours and Activities in San Francisco
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Francisco.
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1 Day Hop-On Hop-Off Tour:
$55
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1-Day Small-Group Napa Valley Tour for Wine Lovers:
$209
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1-Hour Golden Gate and Lombard GoRide Scooter Tour:
$54
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1.5-Hour Waterfront Mini Segway Tour:
$55
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1HR San Francisco Chinatown and Downtown GoCar Tour:
$71
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2 Day Hop-On Hop-Off Tour:
$79
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2-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Tour & Alcatraz:
$150
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2-Day Muir Woods and Wine Country Tour from San Francisco:
$569
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2-Day San Francisco Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour + Night Tour:
$79
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2-Day Yosemite National Park Tour from San Francisco:
$499
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2-Day Yosemite National Park Winter Tour from San Francisco:
$589
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2-Hour San Francisco Bay Happy Hour & Cocktail Cruises:
$35
Typical Entertainment prices in Durango
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Durango's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Hot Springs (for 2)
$50
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Tubing (for 2)
$40
Tours and Activities in Durango
For Durango, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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12-Zipline Adventure in the San Juan Mountains near Durango:
$141
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Fun Tour by Tuk Tuk around Durango Old Town, Garai and Goiuria:
$93
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Private Full-Day Fishing Experience in San Juan River:
$400
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Private Guided Tour by Tuk Tuk of Durango and Elorrio:
$93
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Private Guided Tour by tuk tuk of Durango and Atxondo:
$93
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Private Tour in Durango and Mendiola by Tuk Tuk:
$93
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Province of Vizcaya Half-Day Private Guided Tuk Tuk Tour:
$218
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 Francisco, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $15.
Typically, people visiting Durango spend on average $24 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in San Francisco
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in San Francisco:
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San Francisco Bar Hunt: Soul of San Francisco Bar Crawl:
$12
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3-Hour Pub Crawl in San Francisco:
$18
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San Francisco North Beach Pub Tour:
$58
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San Francisco North Beach Pub Crawl:
$60
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From Tri-Valley Half-Day Wine Tour:
$75
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Half-Day Sonoma Wine Tour:
$100
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San Francisco City & Wine tour:
$115
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Shore Excursion: Napa and Sonoma Ultimate Wine Tasting Experience Full-Day Tour:
$135
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Napa & Sonoma Full-Day Wine Tasting Tour with Optional Lunch:
$135
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Full-Day Muir Woods with Napa and Sonoma Wine Tour:
$135
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Chariot wine tour:
$145
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Viticulture with Charm: Sonoma Valley Wine Tour from San Francisco:
$149
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Francisco and Durango, we can see that San Francisco is more expensive. And not only is Durango much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Durango would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Durango 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 Francisco would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Francisco than you might in Durango.
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