Travel Budget for Columbus Visit Columbus on a Budget or Travel in Style

Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
North America / United States of America / The Midwest /
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How much does it cost to travel to Columbus?

You should plan to spend around $158 per day on your vacation in Columbus. This is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors.

Past travelers have spent, on average for one day:

  • $49 on meals
  • $50 on local transportation
  • $144 on hotels

A one week trip to Columbus for two people costs, on average, $2,206. This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

All of these average travel prices have been collected from other travelers to help you plan your own travel budget.

  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    $158
  • One Week Per person
    $1,103
  • 2 Weeks Per person
    $2,206
  • One Month Per person
    $4,726
  • One Week For a couple
    $2,206
  • 2 Weeks For a couple
    $4,411
  • One Month For a couple
    $9,453
This data comes from the travel budgets of real travelers - How it works. Put these numbers on your website.

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How much does a one week, two week, or one month trip to Columbus cost?

A one week trip to Columbus usually costs around $1,103 for one person and $2,206 for two people. This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

A two week trip to Columbus on average costs around $2,206 for one person and $4,411 for two people. This cost includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

Please note, prices can vary based on your travel style, speed, and other variables. If you're traveling as a family of three or four people, the price per person often goes down because kid's tickets are cheaper and hotel rooms can be shared. If you travel slower over a longer period of time then your daily budget will also go down. Two people traveling together for one month in Columbus will often have a lower daily budget per person than one person traveling alone for one week.

A one month trip to Columbus on average costs around $4,726 for one person and $9,453 for two people. The more places you visit, the higher the daily price will become due to increased transportation costs.




Independent Travel

Traveling Independently to Columbus has many benefits including affordabilty, freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to control your own experiences.

All of the travel costs below are based on the experiences of other independent travelers.

Is Columbus expensive to visit?

Prices in Columbus are reasonable and comparable to your average travel destination. Hotels, food, and sightseeing are generally within normal price ranges.

Within North America, which is known to be an expensive region, Columbus is a moderately priced destination compared to other places. The overall cost of travel here is fair for the region and comparable to Cody, Wyoming or Marathon.

For more details, and to find out if it's within your travel budget, see Is Columbus Expensive?

How much money do I need for a trip to Columbus?

The average Columbus trip cost is broken down by category here for independent travelers. All of these Columbus travel prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.


Category Cost
Accommodation 1 (Double Occupancy) $144
Local Transportation 1 $50
Food 2 $49
Entertainment 1 $46
Alcohol 2 $10 - 30
Accommodation Budget in Columbus
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

The average price paid for one person for accommodation in Columbus is $72. For two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room, the average price paid for a hotel room in Columbus is $144. This cost is from the reported spending of actual travelers.


  • Accommodation1 Hotel or hostel for one person
    $72
  • Accommodation1 Typical double-occupancy room
    $144

Hotel Prices in Columbus

Looking for a hotel in Columbus? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options.

Find the best hotel for your travel style.

 

Actual Hotel Prices
The average hotel room price in Columbus based on data provided by Kayak for actual hotel rooms is $120. (Prices in U.S. Dollars, before taxes & fees.)

Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world.


Recommended Properties


Transportation Budget in Columbus
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The cost of a taxi ride in Columbus is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $50 per person, per day, on local transportation in Columbus.


  • Transportation1 Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    $50

Recommended Services


Flights to Columbus
How much does it cost to go to Columbus? Naturally, it depends on the dates. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all airlines.

Rental Cars in Columbus
The price of renting a car in Columbus will depends on dates, the type of car, the location, and your age. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all car rental companies.



Food Budget in Columbus
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • While meal prices in Columbus can vary, the average cost of food in Columbus is $49 per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Columbus should cost around $20 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Columbus is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.


  • Food2 Meals for one day
    $49


Entertainment Budget in Columbus
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • Entertainment and activities in Columbus typically cost an average of $46 per person, per day based on the spending of previous travelers. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.


  • Entertainment1 Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    $46

Recommended Activities


Alcohol Budget in Columbus
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The average person spends about $20 on alcoholic beverages in Columbus per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.


  • Alcohol2 Drinks for one day
    $20


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Columbus On a Budget
Columbus Columbus, Ohio
The capital city of Ohio, Columbus sits at the meeting point of America's Rust Belt, Bible Belt, Appalachia, and the Plains. It is also home of Ohio State University, which is a major financial and economic force in the city. While not always famous for it's sights and attractions, visitors will be pleasantly surprised by what they find here.





Neighborhoods
Perhaps the more pedestrian friendly area in the city is High Street, which travels from the north near Clintonville to Merion Village in the south. You can also walk around much of the downtown area where you will find a large number of the city's attractions. If you're looking for a walking tour, consider the Columbus Landmarks Foundation which offers fairly comprehensive and informative tours of the area. For more ideas, check out this terrific guide covering things to do in Columbus.

Activities
Columbus plays host to some great festivals throughout the year, and if you're lucky enough to be in town for a festival, it's a great way to experience the city. Some popular options are the Asian Festival, the Columbus Arts Festival, the Columbus Jazz and Rib Fest, Festival Latino, the German Village Oktoberfest, and Good Guys Columbus.
Food and Dining
As a large city, you'll find plenty of restaurants around town that cater to all budgets and tastes. If you're looking for something cheap your best options are likely burger joints, Chinese take out, and the limitless fast food chains around town. Mid range restaurants will offer a great variety and a higher quality of food. Some good options include Japanese, Ethiopian, Italian, and German. If you're looking to splurge, there are some great high end restaurants around town, but do note that many will require a reservation if you're planning to dine on a weekend night. There are some great bars in town as well, many of which are in the university area. If you're looking for a place to grab a beer or listen to some life music, you should easily find some good venues.

Transportation
You'll likely need a car to navigate the city, although there is a bus system, COTA, which can take you to some of Columbus' highlights. Parking is generally available, although in some downtown areas you must pay to park.
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We've been gathering travel costs from tens of thousands of actual travelers since 2010, and we use the data to calculate average daily travel costs for destinations around the world. We also systematically analyze the prices of hotels, hostels, and tours from travel providers such as Kayak, HostelWorld, TourRadar, Viator, and others. This combination of expenses from actual travelers, combined with pricing data from major travel companies, gives us a uniqe insight into the overall cost of travel for thousands of cities in countries around the world. You can see more here: How it Works.



1 Categories averaged on a per-item basis.
2 Categories averaged on a per-day basis.
For example, the Food2 daily average is for all meals for an entire day, while Entertainment1 is for each individual purchase. Thus, the overall daily average cost is not a summation of the individual categories.


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.
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