Should you visit Washington or Santa Fe?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Washington and Santa Fe can help you decide which place is right for you.
Washington
Washington, DC is the capital city of the United States of America. It is also a city rich in history and culture. The city dates back to 1791 when the states of Maryland and Virginia donated the land to create the capital. In 1846, Congress returned the land that was ceded by Virginia and in 1871 it created a single municipal government with the remaining area. Today, Washington, DC has a population of over 600,000 people. The metropolitan area includes suburbs in Maryland and Virginia and has a population of about 5.8 million.
Santa Fe
Santa Fe is the state capital of New Mexico as well as the oldest state capital in the United States, founded in 1607. It has become a popular travel destination due to the surrounding scenic beauty, its long history, cultural diversity especially with its proximity to American Indian pueblos and culture, and a rich concentration of arts, music, and food.
Which city is cheaper, Santa Fe or Washington?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Washington is $155, while the average daily cost in Santa Fe is $127. 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 Washington and Santa Fe in more detail.
Accommodation
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $182 in Washington For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $128 in Santa Fe For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
The average traveler spends about $30 per day in Washington for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
In Santa Fe travelers spend around $35 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
Washington $30
Santa Fe $35
Typical Food prices in Washington
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Washington:
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Water
$2.00
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Snacks on Monuments Tour
$6.15
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Washington
For Washington, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Washington D.C.: 3.5-Hour Georgetown Food Tour:
$65
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Washington DC: 3-Hour Italian Food Tour:
$65
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Washington DC Food Tour: Italian Cuisine in Dupont Circle:
$65
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Adams Morgan Food Tour:
$76
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Lonely Planet Experiences: DC Morning Food Tour on H Street:
$79
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Washington DC: Private Food Tour Experience:
$79
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Capitol Hill Walking Food Tour:
$79
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Washington, DC: The Original Brew Tour with Tasting & Dinner:
$81
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U Street Neighborhood Food Tour:
$89
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Washington DC Odyssey Dinner Cruise:
$100
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Private French Cooking Class with an Expert in the Heart of Washington DC:
$108
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Washington, DC 3-Hour Dinner Buffet Cruise:
$122
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santa Fe
For Santa Fe, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Dinner at the Coffee Farm:
$55
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Santa Fe Railyard Arts District Food Tour:
$102
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New Mexican Flavors Food Tour of the Santa Fe Plaza:
$138
Local Transportation
To get around in Washington, the average visitor spends $37 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Santa Fe's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend $49 per person, per day on transportation in Santa Fe.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Washington
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Washington are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Washington
Also for Washington, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Washington to New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) - Departure Private Transfer:
$535
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Washington to New York J.F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) - Departure Private Transfer:
$535
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Washington City to New York City - Private Car Transfer:
$516
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Washington to Newark International Airport (EWR) - Departure Private Transfer:
$491
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Washington City to Philadelphia City - Private Car Transfer:
$392
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Washington, DC: Potomac Mills Outlet Private Transfer:
$357
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Private transfer from or to IAD , DCA , PHL , MDT airports , VA and Philadelphia:
$320
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Washington Airport Transfers: Washington to Dulles Airport IAD in Luxury Car:
$218
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Washington, DC: Private Airport Transfer(SUV): To or From: (DCA) Reagan National:
$180
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Washington City to Baltimore City - Private Car Transfer:
$168
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Airport Transfer to and from Dulles International IAD Airport:
$160
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Departure Private Transfers: Washington to Baltimore Airport BWI in Luxury Van:
$159
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Fe
Also for Santa Fe, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Departure Transfer to Santa Fe Airport SAF:
$125
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Private Arrival Transfer from Santa Fe Airport (SAF):
$62
Is it cheaper to fly into Washington or Santa Fe?
Prices for flights to both Santa Fe and Washington 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
In Washington, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $19 per person, per day.
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Santa Fe can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around $13 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
Tours and Activities in Washington
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Washington.
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"HEROES OF FREEDOM" PRIVATE TOUR (4 Hour Military Tribute):
$658
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"SHINING CITY" PRIVATE TOUR (3 Hour Evening Tour):
$658
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2 Day Grand Tour with George Washington's Mount Vernon:
$95
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2-Day Colonial Williamsburg Guided Tour from Washington DC:
$330
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24/48-Hour Washington, D.C. Hop-on Hop-off Tour:
$49
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3-Hour "DC After Dark" Night-Time Guided Bus Tour with Stops at Top Attractions:
$35
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3-Hour Private Jeep Tour of Washington D.C.:
$495
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3-Hour Washington DC "Monuments By Night" Guided Night-Time Sightseeing Bus Tour:
$49
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3-Hour Washington DC "Morning Monuments" Guided Sightseeing Walking & Bus Tour:
$64
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3-Hour Washington, D.C Urban Adventure Scavenger Hunt:
$44
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30-Minutes Supercar Driving Pilot Experience in Washington DC:
$275
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Advance Tickets to Washington, D.C.'s Newseum:
$24
Tours and Activities in Santa Fe
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santa Fe.
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Bantayan Island Day Tour From Cebu:
$173
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Beer and Art Tour:
$40
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Guided Tour: 'Love Stories of Santa Fe":
$498
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Land Tour | Bantayan Island - Sightseeing - Guided Tour:
$46
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Lonely Planet Experiences: Private Walking Tour of Santa Fe:
$170
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Santa Fe Architectural Walking Tour:
$115
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Santa Fe Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
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Search for The Story-Documentary Film School Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$52
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Small-Group Canyon Road Art Tour:
$37
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Small-Group E-Bike Adventure Tour through Hidden Santa Fe:
$155
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The Best of Santa Fe Walking Tour:
$498
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Walk Granada's Skyline Tour:
$49
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Washington, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $15.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Santa Fe, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $7.74.
Sample the Local Flavors in Washington
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Washington:
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Epic Washington DC Bar Crawl: By Let’s Roam:
$12
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Haunted Washington D.C. Ghost and Pub Walking Tour:
$27
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DC: 'New York Times Journeys' Walking Tour with Beer, Cheese and Wine Tasting:
$120
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NOVA Private Custom Wine Tours & Tasting from DMV:
$645
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6 Hours Northern VA Wine Tour:
$920
Sample the Local Flavors in Santa Fe
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Santa Fe:
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Join-In Wine Tours:
$152
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White Water Rafting and Wine Tour:
$217
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Washington and Santa Fe, we can see that Washington is more expensive. And not only is Santa Fe much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Santa Fe would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santa Fe 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 Washington would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Washington than you might in Santa Fe.
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