A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers San Francisco vs. Jasper National Park for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit San Francisco or Jasper National Park?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between San Francisco or Jasper National Park, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: San Francisco or Jasper National Park?

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.

Jasper National Park

An UNESCO World Heritage Site, Jasper National Park, located in Canada's Alberta Province, is one of a few national and provincial parks that showcase the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to United States of America, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in United States of America, The Best Luxury Tours to Canada, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Canada.


Which place is cheaper, Jasper National Park or San Francisco?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in San Francisco is $222, while the average daily cost in Jasper National Park is $82. 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 San Francisco and Jasper National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    San Francisco $130
    Jasper National Park $45
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    San Francisco $260
    Jasper National Park $90
Compare Hotels in San Francisco and Jasper National Park

Looking for a hotel in San Francisco or Jasper National Park? 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.

Hotels in San Francisco


Hotels in Jasper National Park


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 Francisco Hotel Prices and Jasper National Park Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    San Francisco $16
    Jasper National Park $19
Typical Local Transportation Prices in San Francisco

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in San Francisco:


  • Taxi to SFO
    $45
  • Golden Gate Bridge Toll
    $6.00
  • Alcatraz Tour
    $30

Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Francisco

Also for San Francisco, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Airport Transfer: San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to San Francisco: $107
  • Arrival Private Transfer SFO Airport to San Francisco City by SUV: $245
  • Arrival Private Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco in Business Car: $108
  • Arrival Private Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco in Luxury Car: $169
  • Arrival Private Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco in Luxury SUV: $141
  • Arrival Transfer San Francisco Pier to San Francisco City by SUV: $177
  • Carmel 1-Way Transfer to/from San Francisco Airport: $535
  • Departure Private Transfer San Francisco to SFO Airport by Sedan: $152
  • Departure Private Transfer San Francisco to SFO Airport in a SUV: $203
  • Departure Private Transfer: San Francisco to Airport SFO in Business Car: $108
  • Napa Valley 1-Way Transfer to/from the San Francisco Airport: $400
  • Private Airport SUV VIP Transfer from or to SFO to Marin County: $168

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Jasper National Park

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Jasper National Park are as follows:


  • Park Pass
    $14

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Jasper National Park

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Jasper National Park:

  • Jasper Thermal Resorts to Calgary Airport YYC Departure Transfer: $170
  • Jasper Thermal to Edmonton Airport (YEG) Departure Transfer: $170

Is it cheaper to fly into San Francisco or Jasper National Park?

Prices for flights to both Jasper National Park 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.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    San Francisco $46
    Jasper National Park $23

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:

  • San Francisco Virtual Food Tour with Local Guide: $19
  • North Beach and Little Italy Food Tour: $79
  • Buffet Lunch or Dinner Cruise on the Bay: $82
  • Secret Food Tours San Francisco: $83
  • Mission District Food Tour with Tastings: $85
  • Farmers' Market & Ferry Building Food Tour: $87
  • Mission District Walking Food Tour: $89
  • Chinatown Walking Food Tour: $89
  • San Francisco North Beach Food Tour: $89
  • San Francisco North Beach and Chinatown - Secret Food Tours: $89
  • San Francisco Chinatown Food Tour: $89
  • San Francisco Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $89

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Jasper National Park

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Jasper National Park.

  • Half-Day Jasper Culture Food Tour: $107
  • Peak Nic - A hike and an outdoor cooking lesson: $119
  • 4-Hours E-Bike Food Tour : $201

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    San Francisco $46
    Jasper National Park $7.75

Tours and Activities in San Francisco

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Francisco.

  • Golden Gate Bridge: Self-guided Tour App - Audio + Written: $5.00
  • San Francisco's Barbary Past: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
  • Leave your heart at the Wharf: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
  • San Francisco’s Chinatown on foot: A Self Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
  • Embarcadero Self-Guided Audio Smartphone Tour: $5.99
  • Self Guided Chinatown Tour: Food, History and Culture: $5.99
  • San Francisco self-guided tour App - multilingual AudioGuide: $6.42
  • Ghosts & Hauntings Audio App Walking Tour: $6.99
  • Self-Guided Audio Tour of Japantown & Stories: $6.99
  • The Ghosts of San Francisco Haunted Audio App Walking Tour: $6.99
  • The Secrets of Golden Gate Park: A San Francisco Chronicle Self-Guided Tour: $7.99
  • Design in the Financial District Audio Tour: $7.99

Tours and Activities in Jasper National Park

Here are a few actual costs in Jasper National Park for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • 5.5-Hour Jasper Wildlife and Waterfalls Tour with Maligne Lake Cruise from Jasper: $131
  • Canadian Rockies Tour by Chauffeured Sidecar from Jasper: $118
  • Class 3 Sunwapta River Rafting Adventure in Jasper: $94
  • Columbia Icefield Tour with Glacier Skywalk from Jasper: $222
  • Explore Jasper Tour: $122
  • Explore Jasper Tour with Maligne Lake Cruise: $179
  • From Jasper: Jasper National Park Wildlife Discovery Tour: $53
  • Icefields Parkway Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour: $17
  • Jasper Evening Wildlife Tour: $64
  • Jasper Ice Climbing Experience: $176
  • Jasper National Park Tour: Maligne Valley, Medicine Lake and Spirit Island: $64
  • Jasper Rock Climbing Experience: $108

For more ideas for your next trip, check out The Best Museums in San Francisco, The Best Outdoor Activities in San Francisco, and Things to Do In San Francisco on a Rainy Day.


Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    San Francisco $22
    Jasper National Park $11

Sample the Local Flavors in San Francisco

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in San Francisco:

  • Chinatown San Francisco’s Bar Crawl: An Audio Tour: $4.99
  • SF Pub Crawl and Clubbing Experience: $27
  • Ghosts, Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $35
  • San Francisco Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl : $35
  • 2 to 3 Hour Bar Crawl in Castro San Francisco: $49
  • Wine Tasting on the Bay: $85
  • Private Wine Tour Napa or Sonoma from $99 per person up to 7 & Concierge Service: $99
  • Small Group: The Ultimate Napa & Sonoma Wine Tour: $109
  • Big Bus Napa and Sonoma Valley Wine Tour: $125
  • Half-Day Wine Country Tour with Wine Tastings: $126
  • From The Ultimate Napa and Sonoma Wine Tour: $139
  • The Ultimate Napa & Sonoma Wine Tour: $139


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Francisco and Jasper National Park, we can see that San Francisco is more expensive. And not only is Jasper National Park much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Jasper National Park would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Jasper National Park 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 Jasper National Park.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is San Francisco Expensive? and Is Jasper National Park Expensive?.