Which place is cheaper, Vancouver or Vail?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Vail or Vancouver?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Vail or Vancouver? 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: Vail or Vancouver?
Vail
Vail is one of the premier ski resort areas in the United States. Located in central Colorado, Vail is not far from Denver and situated in the heart of the Rockies. Here you'll find a quaint mountain town designed around tourism, especially for the winter, although plenty of visitors come in the warmer months, too.
High-end hotels, condos, and other accommodation options are surrounded by shops and restaurants that are all somewhat expensive compared to other costs in the United States. Because of this, Vail is definitely not considered an "affordable" travel option for many. However, good deals can be found if you look around and do some research.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a beautiful and cosmopolitan city in Western Canada. It is also the largest city in British Columbia, and is dramatically positioned between the coast and mountains. It's a very international city, with a high level of energy and countless activites that you can enjoy while you're in town. In addition to offering all of the activities and entertainment of a modern city, it is also in jumping off distance to any number of outdoor activities.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 3-Week Tours in United States of America, The Best Bicycle Tours in United States of America, The Best 10-Day Tours from Vancouver, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Canada.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayVail $291Vancouver $141
The average daily cost (per person) in Vail is $291, while the average daily cost in Vancouver is $141. 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 Vail and Vancouver in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personVail $174Vancouver $87
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomVail $348Vancouver $174
Compare Hotels in Vail and Vancouver
Looking for a hotel in Vail or Vancouver? 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: Vail Hotel Prices and Vancouver Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Vail $19Vancouver $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vail
Also for Vail, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Eagle County / Vail Airport Transfer to Vail: $299
- Private Eagle County Regional / Vail Airport Transfer to Beaver Creek: $299
- Avon/Vail Valley to Denver Airport (DEN) - Departure Private Transfer : $238
- EGE Airport Roundtrip Transfer to Vail, Beaver Creek, and Avon: $229
- Vail/Beaver Creek/Avon to Denver Airport DEN - Departure Transfer: $218
- Private Arrival Transfer from Vail Airport EGE: $156
- Eagle Airport (EGE) to Glenwood Resorts Round-Trip Transfer: $153
- Eagle County Airport to Steamboat - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $153
- Private Departure Transfer to Vail Airport EGE: $128
- Eagle County Regional (EGE) to Steamboat Springs-Arrival Transfer: $120
- Eagle County Airport to Steamboat Springs-Round-Trip Transfer: $120
- Eagle County Airport to Vail/Beaver Creek/Avon-Arrival Transfer: $115
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Vancouver
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Vancouver are as follows:
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SkyTrain from Airport$6.35
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Taxi from Airport to Downtown$21
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15 min Taxi Ride$8.71
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SkyTrain DayPass$6.53
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vancouver
Also for Vancouver, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Vancouver Airport (YVR) Transfer to Whistler: $611
- Private Transfer from Whistler to Vancouver Airport YVR: $602
- Private Transfer from Downtown Vancouver to Whistler: $570
- Private Transfer from YVR Airport To Whistler: $511
- Vancouver Airport(YVR): Transfer to Canada Place Cruise Port: $425
- Canada Place Cruise Port: Transfer to Vancouver hotels: $425
- Maximize Your Cruise Adventure: Vancouver Tour & Transfer: $292
- Vancouver, BC: Scenic Seaplane Transfer to Seattle, WA: $283
- Private Transfer, Langley, BC to Vancouver International Airport-VIP Sedan: $280
- Vancouver Cruise Transfers/ City Sightseeing Tour Private: $277
- Private Transfer from Vancouver (YVR) Airport to Vancouver City: $270
- Private Transfer, Vancouver Intl. Airport to Vancouver, BC - VIP, SEDAN : $250
Is it cheaper to fly into Vail or Vancouver?
Prices for flights to both Vancouver and Vail 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 dayVail $74Vancouver $31
Typical Food Prices in Vancouver
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Vancouver:
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All You Can Eat Sushi Lunch$8.80
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vancouver
For Vancouver, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- A Wok Around Food Tour of the Granville Island Public Market: $84
- The Gastown Experience Walking Food Tour: $85
- Gastown Historic Walking Food Tour: $100
- Vancouver Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $100
- North Vancouver Shipyards Food Tour: $108
- Vancouver Authentic Chinese Food Tour: $134
- VIP Granville Island Market Vancouver - Walking Food Tour: $138
- Authentic Asian Eats Walking Food Tour: $142
- 3-Hour Bowen Island Boat Cruise with Dinner: $153
- Vancouver Evening Dinner Cruise: $157
- Granville Island Uncorked Walking Food Tour: $161
- Bowen Island Dinner and Zodiac Boat Tour by Vancouver Water Adventures: $163
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Vail $133Vancouver $36
Tours and Activities in Vail
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Vail.
- Bike Tour or Mountain Bike down Vail Mountain: $120
- Dillon Marina & Shopping Tour: $267
- Inflatable Kayak Adventure Colorado River: Half Day Guided Tour : $109
- Save the Mountain Escape Room Adventure: $45
- Smartphone Driving Tour between Denver & Vail / Breckenridge: $7.99
- Stand Up Paddle Board Colorado River Adventure: Guided Half Day : $98
- Vail Segway Tour from Vail Village: $89
Tours and Activities in Vancouver
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Vancouver.
- Guided Bike /E-bike Tour in Whistler From Vancouver: $219
- Sunshine Coast Escape (Around Vancouver) Small Group Tour: $145
- $99 Vancouver 2 Hours City Tour Private: $102
- 2 Days Leavenworth Christmastown Tour from Vancouver (Chn&Eng): $192
- 2-in-1 Vancouver city Tour: $234
- 3-Day Vancouver City Tour Package With Whistler & Victoria: $2,411
- 3hr Private Sightseeing Tour Vancouver (from Vancouver City): $456
- 3hr Private Sightseeing Tour-Vancouver City (fr YVR/Cruise): $583
- 4-Hour Private Tour of Vancouver's Gardens: $334
- 5 Days in Vancouver Multiactivity Adventure Tour: $2,411
- 5hr Private Sightseeing Tour-Vancouver (from Vancouver City): $709
- 5hr Private Sightseeing Tour-Vancouver City (fr YVR/Cruise): $836
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayVail $9.79Vancouver $16
Sample the Local Flavors in Vancouver
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Vancouver:
- Vancouver - Granville Pub Crawl ROUTE B: $18
- Gastown Pub Crawl: $22
- Vancouver - Granville Pub Crawl: $26
- 3.5-Hour Craft Brewery Tour: $84
- Fraser Valley Wine Tour with a light Lunch from Vancouver: $134
- Vancouver Wine Tour (Fraser Valley): $134
- From Half-Day Fraser Valley Wine Tour: $138
- Taste of the Valley Wine Tour: $148
- Stawamus Chief Hike and Local Brewery Tasting: $164
- Fraser Valley & White Rock Premium Public Wine Tour: $166
- Stawamus Chief Hike & Local Brewery Tasting : $167
- Full-Day Private Fraser Valley Wine Tour from Vancouver: $189
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Vail and Vancouver, we can see that Vail is more expensive. And not only is Vancouver much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Vancouver would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Vancouver 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 Vail would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Vail than you might in Vancouver.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Vail Expensive? and Is Vancouver Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Vail or Vancouver?
Vancouver has a larger population, and is about 400 times larger than the population of Vail. When comparing the sizes of Vail and Vancouver, 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.