Should you visit Savannah or Rapid City?
Should I visit Savannah or Rapid City? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Savannah
Savanah is a reasonably priced city by U.S. standards. With a wide range of accommodation and food options, it's possible to experience this historical city on a cheaper budget, or, if you like, to live it up in luxury without spending an inordinate amount of money.
The oldest city in the state of Georgia, Savannah sits right on the Savannah River, a historic commercial port dating back to the Thirteen Colonies. The old port of the city still lies along this river, paved in traditional cobblestone roads and radiating with old southern charm. Savannah is also known for its many small parks, tunnels of oak trees and magnolias draped in southern moss, romantic horse-drawn carriages, as well as some of the most ornate antebellum architecture to be found in the south.
Whether you are interested in the past of a historically prosperous seaport or wish to enjoy the enchanting atmosphere that it still holds, Savannah is a quaint destination full of beauty with an arsenal of historic appeal to match.
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.
Which city is cheaper, Rapid City or Savannah?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Savannah is $122, while the average daily cost in Rapid City is $93. 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 Savannah and Rapid City in more detail.
Accommodation
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around $67. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Savannah the cost is $134 on average.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $96 in Rapid City For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
On average, meal and food prices in Savannah cost around $40 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 $16.
In Rapid City travelers spend around $19 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
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Food
Meals for one day
Savannah $40
Rapid City $19
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Savannah
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Savannah.
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2-Hour Southern Food Tour:
$47
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Savannah Southern Fried Expectations Walking Food Tour:
$47
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3-Hour First Squares Food Tour:
$57
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Famous and Secret East Side Food Tour:
$57
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Savannah's Historic & Secret East Side Walking Food Tour:
$61
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Savannah Culinary & Cultural Walking Food Tour:
$61
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Savannah Riverboat Gospel Music Dinner Cruise:
$72
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Riverboat Dinner Cruise with Live Entertainment:
$77
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Savannah Riverboat Dinner Cruise:
$79
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Savannah Walktails & Bar Bites Guided Food Tour:
$80
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Savannah is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $22 per person, per day, on local transportation in Savannah.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Rapid City than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $42 on transportation in Rapid City on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Savannah
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Savannah:
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Savannah to Savannah Hilton Airport (SAV) - Departure Private Transfer:
$62
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Savannah Hilton Airport (SAV) to Savannah - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$124
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Savannah Hilton Airport (SAV) to Savannah - Arrival Private Transfer:
$62
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SAV Airport Transfer To & From South Carolina:
$120
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Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Savannah Airport:
$157
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Private Departure Transfer to Savannah Airport SAV:
$73
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Private Arrival Transfer: Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport to Hotel:
$157
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Private Arrival Transfer from Savannah Airport SAV:
$73
Is it cheaper to fly into Savannah or Rapid City?
Prices for flights to both Rapid City and Savannah 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
Entertainment and activities in Savannah typically cost an average of $13 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Sightseeing expenses in Rapid City, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $21 per day, per person.
Typical Entertainment prices in Savannah
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Savannah are as follows:
Tours and Activities in Savannah
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Savannah are as follows:
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"Pedal through Savannah" 2-Hour Bike Tour:
$30
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10:00 pm Restless Souls Tour:
$29
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13 Ghosts of Christmas: Savannah Ghost Tour:
$26
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60-Minute Guided Segway History Tour of Savannah:
$49
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8:00 pm Voices of the Dead Tour:
$29
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90-Minute Segway History Tour of Savannah:
$71
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America's Most Haunted City Savannah, Georgia Interpreter Tour:
$179
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Bonaventure Cemetery Walking Tour with Transportation:
$30
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Botanical Walking Tour of Savannah:
$32
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Cayman Honey Beekeeping Adventure:
$67
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Colonial Park Cemetery Segway and Walking Tour:
$69
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Custom Savannah Private Tour:
$103
Tours and Activities in Rapid City
For Rapid City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Full-Day Tour:
$84
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Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Bus Tour with Live Commentary:
$84
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Bus Tour of Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills:
$123
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Bike Adventure on the Mickelson Trail - Private:
$267
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Southern Black Hills Bicycle Tour - Private:
$267
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Private Black Hills Monuments Full-Day Tour:
$299
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Black Hills: Private Tour of Mt. Rushmore & Flume Trail Hike:
$299
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Badlands National Park Private Tour:
$299
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Private Mickelson Trail Bicycling Tour/ Two Person Minimum:
$299
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Private Jeep Safari and Hiking Tour/ Two Person Minimum:
$307
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Private Badlands National Park Day Tour:
$315
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Private Mt Rushmore & Southern Black Hills Tour:
$329
Alcohol
The average person spends about $28 on alcoholic beverages in Savannah per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typically, people visiting Rapid City spend on average $5.54 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Savannah
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Savannah:
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Epic Savannah Bar Crawl: By Let’s Roam:
$12
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90 Minute Savannah Haunted Pub Crawl:
$15
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Spanish Moss Haunted Savannah Pub Crawl:
$20
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Savannah Haunted Pub Crawl Walking Tour:
$24
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Haunted Pub Tour:
$28
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Haunted Savannah Ghost & Pub Walking Tour:
$28
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Bad Kitty Haunted Pub Crawl - The Best Savannah Ghost and Spirits Experience:
$29
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Spooky Savannah Haunted Pub Crawl and Walking Ghost Tour:
$30
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Creepy Crawl Night-Time Haunted Pub Walking Tour of Savannah's Historic District:
$30
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Haunted Savannah Pub Crawl:
$30
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Haunted Savannah Pub Crawl:
$30
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Drag Queen Guided Pub Crawl with Sing-a-Longs:
$34
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Savannah and Rapid City, we can see that Savannah 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 Savannah would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Savannah than you might in Rapid City.
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