Travel Budget for South Lake Tahoe Visit South Lake Tahoe on a Budget or Travel in Style

South Lake Tahoe, California, United States of America
North America / United States of America / The West / California /

How much does it cost to travel to South Lake Tahoe?

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How much money will you need for your trip to South Lake Tahoe? You should plan to spend around $94 per day on your vacation in South Lake Tahoe, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, $30 on meals for one day and $20 on local transportation. Also, the average hotel price in South Lake Tahoe for a couple is $86. So, a trip to South Lake Tahoe for two people for one week costs on average $1,322. 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
    $94
  • One Week Per person
    $661
  • 2 Weeks Per person
    $1,322
  • One Month Per person
    $2,833
  • One Week For a couple
    $1,322
  • 2 Weeks For a couple
    $2,644
  • One Month For a couple
    $5,665
This data comes from the travel budgets of real travelers - How it works. Put these numbers on your website.

A vacation to South Lake Tahoe for one week usually costs around $661 for one person. So, a trip to South Lake Tahoe for two people costs around $1,322 for one week. A trip for two weeks for two people costs $2,644 in South Lake Tahoe. If you're traveling as a family of three or four people, the price 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 South Lake Tahoe can often have a lower daily budget per person than one person traveling alone for one week.



How expensive is South Lake Tahoe? How much money do I need for South Lake Tahoe?

How much does a trip to South Lake Tahoe cost? Is South Lake Tahoe expensive? The average South Lake Tahoe trip cost is broken down by category here. All of these South Lake Tahoe prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.

Accommodation Budget in South Lake Tahoe
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

The average price for one person for accommodation in South Lake Tahoe is $43. For two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room, the average price for a hotel room in South Lake Tahoe is $86.


  • Accommodation1 Hotel or hostel for one person
    $43
  • Accommodation1 Typical double-occupancy room
    $86

Hotels in South Lake Tahoe

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

Find the best hotel for your travel style.

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Transportation Budget in South Lake Tahoe
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The cost of a taxi ride in South Lake Tahoe is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $20 per person, per day, on local transportation in South Lake Tahoe.


  • Transportation1 Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    $20


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

Rental Cars in South Lake Tahoe
The price of renting a car in South Lake Tahoe 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 South Lake Tahoe
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • While meal prices in South Lake Tahoe can vary, the average cost of food in South Lake Tahoe is $30 per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in South Lake Tahoe should cost around $12 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in South Lake Tahoe is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.


  • Food2 Meals for one day
    $30


Entertainment Budget in South Lake Tahoe
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • Entertainment and activities in South Lake Tahoe typically cost an average of $45 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.


  • Entertainment1 Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    $45

Featured Activities


Alcohol Budget in South Lake Tahoe
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The average person spends about $28 on alcoholic beverages in South Lake Tahoe per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.


  • Alcohol2 Drinks for one day
    $28


Last Updated: Oct 17, 2022
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South Lake Tahoe On a Budget
South Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe is the largest town on the famous Lake Tahoe that straddles the California-Nevada border in the Sierra Mountain Range. Located just south of Reno, Nevada and about 2 hours east of Sacramento, the Lake Tahoe area is easily accessible to many visitors.

Lake Tahoe is known for skiing and other winter sports, as well as plenty of warm weather activities such as hiking, swimming, boating, mountain biking, and more.

South Lake Tahoe has plenty of accommodations, restaurants, bars, and shopping. This is a good town to base yourself if you're looking to explore the area, as it has a large number of amenities.

Located on the Nevada side of South Lake Tahoe is the town of Stateline. Here you can find some casinos, as gambling is legal in Nevada.

If you're looking to go skiing or snowboarding, the Heavenly Ski Resort can be found on the southern edge of the town of South Lake Tahoe. Naturally, more ski resorts are located around the lake as well.

As swimming is also popular, several beach areas are on the southern section of the lake including the Regan Memorial City Beach, Lakeside Beach, Pope Beach, Emerald Bay State Park, and the Edgewood Resort area (on the Nevada side).



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.


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Travel Tips

Getting Around

By Bryan in Transportation
Getting around the town of South Lake Tahoe on foot can be easy if you stay at the right hotel. The casinos, although on the Nevada side, are within walking distance of some of the ski areas, shops, and restaurants on the California side. There are local buses around town and the Winter Heavenly Ski Resort also has a shuttle system to many of the hotels. If you want to go around the lake, you'll need your own car.

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