Which place is cheaper, San Diego or Xi'an?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Xi'an or San Diego?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Xi'an and San Diego can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Xi'an or San Diego?
Xi'an
Xi'an is an ancient city in the Shaanxi Province in China. Today it is most notable as the location of the Terracotta Warriors, but for visitors who choose to linger, there is so much more to see and do in the area. The city itself is more than 3,000 years old and for about one thousand years, through 13 dynasties and 73 emperors, it was the capital. Because of its rich history there are many historical ruins and a strong culture in the city. Today the city is a pleasant place to visit, although much of it's influence and power has dwindled. The city has both cosmopolitan and modern areas as well as historic and culturally rich areas. The neighborhoods are diverse and by exploring the city in depth you can learn a little more about what China really has to offer.
San Diego
For many visitors and locals alike, San Diego is a paradise. Located in southern California, not far from Los Angeles, it has the perfect climate, wonderful beaches, and a culturally rich environment. It's surrounded by beautiful landscape and has a strong focus on wildlife conservation and eco-friendly living. Home to about 1.3 million residents, it is California's second largest city. It also has many universities, a large tech industry, and a thriving economy. Despite its size, many people perceive San Diego as a slower, more relaxed city with a pleasant vibe away from the chaos of a large city.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in China, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in China, The Best G Adventures Tours to United States of America, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Las Vegas.
-
Xi'an Prices
China PricesSan Diego Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayXi'an $105San Diego $233
The average daily cost (per person) in Xi'an is $105, while the average daily cost in San Diego is $233. 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 Xi'an and San Diego in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personXi'an $61San Diego $115
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomXi'an $122San Diego $230
Compare Hotels in Xi'an and San Diego
Looking for a hotel in Xi'an or San Diego? 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 Diego Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Xi'an $12San Diego $23
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Xi'an
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Xi'an:
- Xi'an: 5-Day Guided Tour with Meals and Transfers: $574
- Xi'an Airport to Hotel: Private Transfer for up to 40 pax: $300
- Xian Terracotta Warriors and City Wall Tour with Airport Transfer: $254
- From Xian: Terracotta Army and City Wall Tour with Airport Transfer: $245
- Xian Highlights Private Tour With Airport Transfer: $245
- Essential Xian Tour with Airport Train Station or Hotel Transfer: $229
- Xi'an Layover: Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum With Airport Transfer: $229
- Xian Private Day Tour with Airport Transfer: Terracotta Warriors and City Wall: $225
- Xian Terracotta Warriors Tour with Airport Transfer: $216
- Xian Terracotta Warriors Museum Tour with Airport Transfer: $214
- Xian City Wall and Big Wild Goose Pagoda Tour With Airport Transfer: $206
- Terracotta Warriors Museum Tour with Airport Pickup or Drop-off Transfer: $199
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Diego
Also for San Diego, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- San Diego Airport (SAN) to Carlsbad, CA - Arrival Private Transfer: $66
- Departure Private Transfer: San Diego to San Diego Airport SAN in Business Car: $113
- Private Arrival Transfer - from San Diego Airport (SAN) by SUV: $89
- Private Transfer Airport Tijuana/Valle de Guadalupe (Ensenada) or back.: $165
- Private Transfer from San Diego (SAN) Airport to San Diego City: $88
- Private Transfer from San Diego City Hotels to San Diego Port : $71
- Private Transfer from San Diego City to San Diego (SAN) Airport: $88
- Private Transfer from Tijuana Airport (TIJ): $39
- Private Transfer from Tijuana to Ensenada and Valle de Guadalupe: $140
- Private Transfer to Tijuana Airport (TIJ): $39
- Roundtrip Private Transfer from Tijuana Airport (TIJ): $77
- San Diego Airport (SAN) to Hot Springs/Ocotillo, CA - Arrival Private Transfer: $66
Is it cheaper to fly into Xi'an or San Diego?
Prices for flights to both San Diego and Xi'an 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
-
Food Meals for one dayXi'an $22San Diego $77
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Xi'an
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Xi'an.
- Xi’an：City Wall Multi-Entry or Night Food Tour with Show: $21
- Xi'An: Tang Dynasty Show Ticket w/ Transfer or Dinner: $33
- Top 3 Xian Sites to Terracotta Army & Dinner Show w/ Options: $35
- Xi'an Tang Dynasty Show Ticket Optional Dumplings or Royal Dinner: $37
- Skip the Line: Xi'an Tang Dynasty Show Ticket & Dumpling Dinner or Royal Banquet: $37
- Xian Tang Dynasty Show -Optional Dumpling Dinner or Royal Banquet: $38
- Xi'an: Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show with Dinner Option: $40
- Xi'an Homemade Food Cooking Dumplings / BIANGBIANGNoodles: $58
- Xi’an: Market Tour and Cooking Class with Local Family: $59
- Xi'an Vegetarian Food Tour: $60
- Xi'an Muslim Quarter Walking Food Tour: $61
- Private Xi'an Food Tour: $65
Typical Food Prices in San Diego
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to San Diego:
-
Mexican Lunch for Two$27
-
Breakfast at Starbucks$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Diego
For San Diego, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- 2-Hour Ravioli Cooking Class With Local Chef: $75
- 2 Hour Ravioli Cooking Class With Local Chef in San Diego : $75
- 2-Hour Pasta Cooking Class at a Local Brewery: $75
- Pizza and Ice Cream Walking Tour: $80
- Old Town Tequila and Tacos Walking Food Tour: $84
- San Diego Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour with Tastings: $85
- North Park San Diego Walking Food Tour: $85
- Vegan Food Tour: $89
- Gaslamp Quarter Food Tour: $89
- Little Italy Food and Drink Walking Tour: Pizza, Pasta & Piazzas: $90
- Christmas Day Buffet Brunch or Dinner Cruise: $95
- Christmas Eve Buffet Brunch or Dinner Cruise: $95
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Xi'an $36San Diego $48
Tours and Activities in Xi'an
Here are a few actual costs in Xi'an for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Group Tour to the Terra-cotta Warriors Museum & Lunch : $65
- Private Half Day Tour to The Terracotta Warriors Museum: $88
- 1 Day Beijing to Xi'an Terracotta Warriors Tour by Air: $779
- 1 Day Private Tour to Terracotta Army & Huaqing Pool, No Shopping: $129
- 1 Day Xian Group Tour: Terracotta Warriors & City Wall: $138
- 1 day Adventure Tour of Mount Hua in Xi'an: $85
- 1 day Xi'an Culture and History Discovery Mini Group tour: $112
- 1-Day Xi'an City Highlights and Hanyangling Museum Private Tour: $100
- 1-Day Xi'an Terracotta Warriors Museum and Banpo Neolithic Village Museum Tour: $100
- 2 Day Private Terracotta Warriors and Mount Huashan Tour: $265
- 2 Days Beijing Xian Private Tour by Bullet Trains with Hotel: $287
- 2 Days Xian Customized Tour for Terracotta Warriors and More: $235
Typical Entertainment Prices in San Diego
For San Diego, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
-
San Diego Zoo$15
-
Sea World Parking$12
Tours and Activities in San Diego
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Diego.
- Self-guided Bike Tour App - Audio + Written: $5.00
- Self-Guided San Diego Walking or Bicycle Tour App: $5.00
- Pies & Pickaxes: A Historic Walking Tour of Julian, CA: $7.99
- Tijuana Downtown Self Guided Walking Tour: $9.75
- A Seaside Stroll: La Jolla's Hidden Treasures Self-Guided Tour: $9.99
- Discover San Diego’s Little Italy on a Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.99
- Sights of San Diego Harbor: a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $11
- San Diego Natural History Museum Ticket: $12
- Whaley House Museum Self-Guided Tour: $14
- Scavenger Hunt Adventure in San Diego by Zombie Scavengers: $20
- Private Walking Tour and Gaslamp Adventure in San Diego: $20
- Ultimate La Jolla Self-Guided Driving & Walking Audio Tour Bundle: $21
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayXi'an $7.34San Diego $21
Sample the Local Flavors in Xi'an
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Xi'an:
- Xi'an Bar Crawl: Drink, Gaming, Snacks & Meet with Locals: $29
Sample the Local Flavors in San Diego
Also in San Diego, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt: Slammin' San Diego Bar Crawl: $13
- Downtown Bar Crawl Party Pass: $25
- History Tour Pub Crawl of Famous Gaslamp Quarter: $30
- Hillcrest: LGBTQ+ Pub Crawl with Local Drag Queen: $35
- Hillcrest Drag Queen 5 Bar Crawl with Shots: $45
- Brewery Tour with Tastings and Food Pairings: $85
- $99 Valle de Guadalupe Wine Tours - DayTrip to baja from San Diego: $123
- Little Italy Wine Tasting Walking Tour: $125
- Cruise & Booze Brewery tours : $149
- Baja Tour Guide wine tour: $169
- Valle de Guadalupe Wine Tour: $249
- Luxury Private Wine Tasting Tour to Guadalupe Valley from San Diego: $269
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Xi'an and San Diego, we can see that San Diego is more expensive. And not only is Xi'an much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Xi'an is in Asia and San Diego 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 Xi'an would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Xi'an 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 Diego would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Diego than you might in Xi'an.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Xi'an Expensive? and Is San Diego Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Xi'an or San Diego?
Xi'an has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of San Diego. When comparing the sizes of Xi'an and San Diego, 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.