Which place is cheaper, California or Texas?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Texas or California?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Texas and California. 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, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Texas or California?
Texas
Texas is the second largest and second most populated state in the United States. It measures 267,000 square miles in size and exploring even a large section of the state takes longer than you might expect. The size and distinctive culture of the area brings much pride to the state's natives. The state was briefly its own country for ten years, starting in 1836 after the residents rebelled as a territory of first Spain and then Mexico. It then joined the United States in 1845. The state maintains its independent personality and many Texans proudly display the state flag near their home or car.
California
California is the most populous state in the U.S. and is known for a variety of attractions such as Hollywood, warm beaches, the San Francisco bay area, Redwood trees, national parks, and stunning mountain vistas. With a variety of locations and activities to offer, California has become one of the premier travel destinations in the world.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Los Angeles, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from New York City, The Best 2-Week Tours from New York City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Anchorage.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayTexas $198California $252
The average daily cost (per person) in Texas is $198, while the average daily cost in California is $252. 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 Texas and California in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTexas $80California $116
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTexas $160California $232
Compare Hotels in Texas and California
Looking for a hotel in Texas or California? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Texas $49California $43
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Texas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Texas:
- William P. Hobby Airport to Galveston Port Arrival Transfer: $168
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Houston APT-HTL (IAH): $151
- Transfer private car from Dallas Airport (DAL) - City Center: $71
- Transfer in private vehicle from Houston George Bush Airport to Houston Downtown: $60
- Transfer in private minivan from Houston George Bush Airport to Houston Downtown: $88
- Transfer in private minivan from Dallas City Center - Dallas Airport (DFW): $69
- Transfer in private minivan from Dallas Airport (DFW) - City Center: $69
- Transfer in private minivan from Dallas Airport (DAL) - City Center: $91
- Transfer in executive private car from Dallas City Center - Dallas Airport (DAL): $71
- Sedan Airport Transfer in Houston: $165
- San Antonio International Airport (SAT) - Private Round Trip Transfer : $180
- San Antonio International Airport (SAT) - Arrival or Departure Private Transfer : $93
Hired Cars and Shuttles in California
Also for California, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Carnival Cruise Terminal to Long Beach - Arrival Private Transfer: $53
- Private Transfer from SFO to San Francisco: $139
- Sta. Monica Private Transfer To or From Los Angeles Airport/Cruise Port.: $71
- World Cruise Center to Long Beach Airport (LGB) - Departure Private Transfer: $60
- Anaheim Resort Private Transfer to or from Universal Studios.: $79
- Anaheim to Los Angeles Airport Departure Private Transfer: $101
- Arrival Private Transfer SFO Airport to San Francisco City by SUV: $245
- Arrival Private Transfer San Diego Airport SAN to San Diego by Executive SUV: $134
- Arrival Private Transfer: Airport LAX to Los Angeles in Luxury Car: $280
- Arrival Private Transfer: Airport LAX to Los Angeles in Luxury SUV: $206
- Arrival Private Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco in Business Car: $108
- Arrival Private Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco in Luxury Car: $169
Is it cheaper to fly into Texas or California?
Prices for flights to both California and Texas 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 dayTexas $43California $48
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Texas
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Texas.
- Happy Hour West Village Food Tour: $39
- East Austin Food Tour: $44
- Billy Bob's Texas Honky Tonk Dinner and Photo Package: $51
- Seasonal Pizza From Scratch Experience in Houston: $55
- Murder Mystery Dinner and Show: $66
- Astroville Food Tour of Downtown Houston with Tunnel Access: $72
- The Haunted Dinner Tour: $75
- The Heights Food Tour in Houston: $76
- Downtown Houston Food Tour: $76
- Devour Downtown Austin Walking Food Tour: $80
- Houston Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $85
- Deep Ellum Foodie Lovers Tour with Food Tours of America: $85
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in California
For California, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- San Francisco Virtual Food Tour with Local Guide: $19
- Encinitas Food Tour: $70
- Carlsbad Food Tour and Wine Tasting: $75
- Pirates Dinner Adventure Buena Park: $79
- Little Italy Food and Drink Walking Tour - Pizza, Pasta & Piazzas: $85
- San Francisco Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $89
- Downtown Los Angeles Food Tour: $89
- Mission District Food Tour: $89
- Gaslamp Quarter Downtown San Diego Food Tour: $89
- San Francisco Food Tour: Ferry Building and Ferry Plaza Farmers Market: $90
- Historic Old Sacramento Walking Food Tour: $95
- San Diego Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $95
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Texas $23California $63
Tours and Activities in Texas
Here are a few actual costs in Texas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 2 Hour Dallas Night Sightseeing E-Scooter Tour: $90
- Austin Glass Bottom Kayak Tour with Olympian: $50
- Cow Town Ghost Tour: Hauntings of the Wild West: $30
- Houston Ghosts and Hauntings By US Ghost Adventures: $30
- 1-Hour JFK Assassination Walking Tour: $28
- 1-Hour JFK Assassination Walking Tour : $28
- 1.5-Hour Historical Jet Ski Tour in South Padre Island: $173
- 2 Hour Festive Walk Tour in Dallas: $245
- 2 Hours H- Town Tour with 15ft Open Air Party Truck On Wheels: $46
- 2 Hours Private Cemeteries of Galveston Walking Tour: $180
- 2-Hour Historic Dallas Segway Tour: $79
- 2-Hour Private Sightseeing Cart Tour of Houston and Galveston: $256
Tours and Activities in California
For California, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Avalon City: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.13
- The Heart of Los Angeles’ Dreamland: A Self-Guide Tour in Culver City: $5.99
- Cow Heaven: A Self-Guided Driving Tour from Point Reyes Seashore to Tomales: $5.99
- Gold Rush and Ghosts of Sacramento Smart Phone guided (App/GPS) Walking Tour: $6.75
- The Ghosts of San Francisco Haunted Audio App Walking Tour: $6.99
- Essential Downtown SLO: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- LA Little Tokyo to Olvera St Smartphone (App/GPS) Walking Tour: $7.50
- Historic Folsom: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.99
- Carmel-by-the-Sea's Fairytale Houses: A Self-Guided Walking Tour: $7.99
- Downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.99
- Old Sacramento: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.99
- Carmel-by-the-Sea’s Bohemian Art Scene: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.99
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayTexas $19California $21
Sample the Local Flavors in Texas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Texas:
- Galveston Island Brewing Brewery Tour with Beer Tasting : $10
- Epic San Antonio Bar Crawl: By Let’s Roam: $12
- Austin Bar Hunt: Sixth Street Spree: Austin Bar Crawl: $12
- Fort Worth Bar Hunt: Foolproof Fort Worth Bar Crawl: $12
- Historical Walking Tour and Pub Crawl: $25
- Experience the Happy Hour Pub Crawl Tour in Galveston: $25
- Death Warmed Over: San Antonio Haunted Pub Crawl: $30
- Austin Haunted Pub Crawl Walking Tour: $30
- Galveston Haunted Pub Crawl Walking Tour: $30
- Texas’ Oldest Haunted Pub Crawl Shared Walking Tour: $30
- Downtown Austin Live Music Pub Crawl: $35
- Dallas Terrors Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $38
Sample the Local Flavors in California
Also in California, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- San Jose Bar Hunt: Sweet San Jose Bar Crawl: $12
- Long Beach Bar Hunt: Long Beach Boss Bar Crawl: $12
- Sacramento Bar Hunt: Sacramento Sprint Bar Crawl: $12
- San Diego Bar Hunt: Slammin' San Diego Bar Crawl: $13
- Placer County Wine Tasting Pass: $19
- Vintner's Private Wine Tasting Experience: $20
- Gaslamp Bar Crawls and Events: $20
- Wine Tasting Audio Tour - Lodi California: $35
- Sunset Distillery with Local Whiskey or Cocktail Tasting: $40
- Walk with Spirits: A Haunted Pub Crawl in San Francisco: $45
- Wine Tasting Around the World: $48
- Large Group Wine Tasting Tour (For 6+ Guests • We Drive Your Car): $60
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Texas and California, we can see that California is more expensive. And not only is Texas much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Texas would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Texas 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 California would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in California than you might in Texas.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Texas Expensive? and Is California Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, Texas or California?
California has a larger population, and is about 59% larger than the population of Texas. When comparing the sizes of Texas and California, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
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.