How much does a trip to Santa Barbara Cost?
The Cost of a Trip to Santa Barbara
When it comes to exploring Santa Barbara, travelers typically find themselves budgeting between $71 and $311 per day for solo adventures and $142 to $623 if you're traveling as a couple. Now, that's a broad range, but the typical trip, on average, is $162 per person per day. This average cost covers sightseeing, accommodation, meals, and transportation, all from our large repository of travel expenses from previous visitors. Keep in mind, though, your personal spending might vary a bit based on your own level of luxury, travel style, and chosen activities. However, if you're visiting the highlights with some savvy planning, chances are your spending will vibe right around this average cost. For more details, check out the breakdown of expenses by category, plus the breakdown on accommodation and activity prices below.
How much money should you budget for your trip to Santa Barbara?
Budget travelers to Santa Barbara often spend around $71 per day. This usually includes a stay at a hostel and meals at affordable restaurants around town. Many budget travelers also prefer free activities over those that cost too much money. If you have a bit more money to spend, you should budget around $162 per day. This average includes a mid-range hotel and more meals in restaurants, along with a higher budget for entertainment and activities. Luxury travelers should plan to spend around $311 a day which includes higher-end accommodations, restaurants, tours, and activities. For more details, see our average travel costs for Santa Barbara here.
Average Daily Costs, Per Person, by Category
| Budget | Mid-Range | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation1 | $39 | $88 | $169 |
| Local Transportation1 | $18 | $42 | $81 |
| Food2 | $20 | $46 | $89 |
| Entertainment1 | $12 | $27 | $53 |
| Alcohol2 | $5 | $12 | $22 |
How much does a weekend trip to Santa Barbara cost?
Travelers spend, on average, $487 per person on a three-day trip to Santa Barbara. This includes sightseeing, hotels, food, and local transportation. You can stick close to this average price by staying at mid-range hotels and eating at mid-level restaurants, while also paying for some entry tickets to popular attractions. If you wish to travel cheaper, it's possible to find lower-cost accommodations, eat at less expenive restaurants, and find more free activities. It's also common for many visitors to have a much higher travel budget, as many high-end hotels and restaurants can be found around town.
The Santa Barbara Courthouse
How much does a five day trip to Santa Barbara cost?
With five days in Santa Barbara, you can expect to spend about $812 total, not including transportation to and from the city. It's possible to stay close to this daily average by booking mid-range hotels, eating at normal restaurants, and paying for some entry tickets to popular attractions. It's possible to find lower-cost accommodations, eat at less expenive restaurants, and find more free activities if you want to spent less money.
How much does a one week trip to Santa Barbara cost?
Most visitors spend between $497 and $2,179 for a one week trip to Santa Barbara, with the average being $1,137. This includes sightseeing, local transportation, food, and hotels. One week is enough time to have a more in-depth experience in Santa Barbara. Also, one week allows you to be more flexible with your time and money, so you can potentially save money on some aspects of your trip while spending more on others.
Hostel Prices in Santa Barbara
With more than 1 hostels in Santa Barbara, the average price is $54 per night for a dorm bed. The cheapest hostel costs $54 and the most expensive is $54. Usually popular with younger travelers, hostels are a great way to save money while also being social. But not all hostels are the same, and we've analyzed the prices of both dorms and private rooms to find the average prices and best places to stay. You can see more details about the hostel prices in Santa Barbara here.
Here are a few sample prices from popular hostels in Santa Barbara.
- $54 for a dorm bed at ITH Santa Barbara Beach Hostel in Santa Barbara
Hotel Prices in Santa Barbara
The average price for a hotel room in Santa Barbara is $253 per night. This average is based on our detailed analysis of available hotels in the area. If you want to save money, or if you're planning a more luxurious trip, it's important to look at hotel prices based on the overall star-rating as well as guest reviews. Also, prices can vary by location and amenities. You can see more details from our analysis of hotel prices in Santa Barbara here, and below is a breakdown of hotel prices by star-rating.
Hotels by star rating in Santa Barbara
| Rating | Number of Hotels | Average Hotel Price |
|---|---|---|
| 5 stars | 2 | $780 |
| 4 stars | 9 | $333 |
| 3 stars | 26 | $307 |
| 2 stars | 23 | $193 |
| 1 star | 1 | $144 |
Should you do a tour in Santa Barbara?
You'll find a wide range of guided tours in Santa Barbara and many visitors enjoy the convenience of having an expert guide leading them through the chosen activity. Tours range in price from $30 for the Santa Barbara Trolley Tour to $275 for the Wine Country Van Tour in Santa Ynez Valley.
- Taco Tour Santa Barbara: $125
- Private Santa Barbara History and Architecture Walking Tour: $99
- Sea Lion Kayak Tour - Santa Barbara Harbor: $72
- Epic Zipline Tour Over The Santa Ynez Valley: $139
- Santa Barbara's Original Afternoon Winery Tour: $159
- Santa Barbara Sunset Kayaking Tour: $85
- 5 STARS: "Where The Locals Go!" Nature-History Tour: $95
- Private Helicopter Tour in Santa Barbara: $149
More for Santa Barbara
If you're planning a trip to Santa Barbara, California, check out these other informative travel guides.
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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