Which place is cheaper, Yosemite National Park or San Juan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit San Juan or Yosemite National Park?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit San Juan or Yosemite National Park? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: San Juan or Yosemite National Park?
San Juan
If you've ever set foot on a Caribbean cruise, you've probably spent a bit of time in San Juan, Puerto Rico. However, maybe you should consider spending more than just a port day in this beautiful and historically rich city.
As the capital and largest city in all of Puerto Rico, San Juan is home to approximately 400,000 people. Established in 1521, it is also the second oldest European-founded settlement in the Americas.
As this city fuses a historic paradise with modern day energy, it has absolutely everything to offer. Intellectual wanderers, beach bums, rainforest adventurers and radical surfers will all find plenty to do in San Juan.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is located in east-central California in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It's one of the most famous and popular parks in the country and is known for its breathtaking granite cliffs, dramatic waterfalls, clear streams, and giant sequoia groves. The park covers 750,000 acres, or 1,200 square miles, and includes thousands of lakes and ponds and an impressive range of biodiversity. There are 800 miles of hiking trails within the park as well. Yosemite National Park is the third most visited park within the United States with an average annual visitation of almost 4 million people.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in United States of America, and The Best Historical Tours in United States of America.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySan Juan $192Yosemite National Park $129
The average daily cost (per person) in San Juan is $192, while the average daily cost in Yosemite National Park is $129. 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 Juan and Yosemite National Park in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSan Juan $124Yosemite National Park $64
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSan Juan $248Yosemite National Park $128
Compare Hotels in San Juan and Yosemite National Park
Looking for a hotel in San Juan or Yosemite 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.
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 Juan Hotel Prices and Yosemite National Park Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.San Juan $14Yosemite National Park $41
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Juan
Also for San Juan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Departure Transfer - Hotel / Accommodation to San Juan Airport: $22
- Mendoza: One-Way Private Transfer from Airport: $25
- San Juan One-way Transfer: $30
- San Juan hotels to San Juan Airport (SJU) - Departure Private Transfer: $46
- San Juan Luxury Private Round-Trip Transfer: SJU Airport - Cruise Pier - Hotel : $50
- Oneway Transfer- San Juan(SJU, hotel, airbnb, port) to Río Grande: $68
- Old Walking Tour with Shopping and Hotel Transfer: $70
- Roundtrip-Transfer from: SJU Airport,Cruises and Hotels in Puerto Rico LuxurySUV: $70
- Puerto Rico Island Wide Transfer, Tesla Y Luxury SUV, Select Zone: $77
- Puerto Rico Island Wide Transfer, Tesla S Lux Sedan, Select Zone: $79
- Oneway Transfer San Juan to Ceiba: Ferry, Vieques/Culebra Airport: $80
- Puerto Rico Island Wide Transfer, Lexus Luxury Sedan, Select Zone: $81
Is it cheaper to fly into San Juan or Yosemite National Park?
Prices for flights to both Yosemite National Park and San Juan 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 Juan $36Yosemite National Park $40
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Juan
For San Juan, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Old San Juan Sunset Food Tour with Drinks: $156
- Savor the Sunset: Old San Juan Walk and Food Tour: $159
- City Lights Sky High Dinner Experience: $165
- Authentic Flavors of San Juan Food Tour: $170
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.San Juan $49Yosemite National Park $19
Typical Entertainment Prices in San Juan
For San Juan, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Horseback Riding Tour$40
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Full Day Snorkeling Trip$100
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1 Hr Windsurfing Lesson$75
Tours and Activities in San Juan
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Juan.
- Self-Guided Audio Tour of Historic Buildings: $5.99
- Discover Old In-App Audio Tour of History: $11
- Self-Guided Tour with Audio Guide: $14
- Group Transportation in airport, cruise ships, hotels, bnb's in San Juan, PR: $20
- Old Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour: $25
- Old San Juan Walking Tour with a Certified Guide: $30
- History, Legends, & Highlights Guided Walking Tour: $30
- Historical Walking Tour in Old San Juan: $30
- Old San Juan Walking Tour: $39
- Old San Juan City Walking Tour: $39
- Legacy Tour at Casa BarcadÍ in Puerto Rico: $45
- Ron del Barrilito Skip-the-Line Heritage Tour Ticket: $46
Tours and Activities in Yosemite National Park
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Yosemite National Park are as follows:
- Big Trees Hike & Riverside Cookout Adventure: $180
- Family Fun Private Half Day Fly Fishing Adventure: $215
- Full-Day Small Group Yosemite & Glacier Point Tour Including Hotel Pickup: $169
- Private Guided Hiking Tour in Yosemite: $293
- Semi Private Yosemite Tour with Ahwahnee Lunch and Hotel Pickup: $250
- Waterfalls of Yosemite: Customizable Private Tour: $495
- Yosemite Full Day Small Group High Country / Mariposa Tour: $299
- Yosemite Highlights Small Group Tour: $200
- Yosemite National Park Audio Driving Tour: $11
- Yosemite Panorama Trail Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
- Yosemite Self-Guided Audio Tour: $14
- Yosemite Valley & Glacier Point Adaptive Tour: $180
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySan Juan $12Yosemite National Park $11
Sample the Local Flavors in San Juan
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in San Juan:
- Pinones Pub crawl in Puerto Rico: $50
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Juan and Yosemite National Park, we can see that San Juan is more expensive. And not only is Yosemite National Park much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since San Juan is in Caribbean Islands and Yosemite National Park is in North America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Yosemite National Park would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Yosemite 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 Juan would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Juan than you might in Yosemite National Park.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is San Juan Expensive? and Is Yosemite National Park Expensive?.
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.