Which place is cheaper, British Columbia or Alberta?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Alberta or British Columbia?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Alberta or British Columbia? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Alberta or British Columbia?
Alberta
If you ever wanted to visit a place where all the beauty of nature is centrally located, you will want to make a trip to Alberta, Canada. With part of the Canadian Rockies, the prairies and the wilderness of forests, Alberta has something for everyone. As the home to Canada's oil industry, this is also the richest province in the country.
British Columbia
The westernmost province in Canada, British Columbia, is four times the size of Great Britain with less than one tenth of the population. This is due to the vast mountain ranges just ready to be tackled including the Rockies, Selkirks and the Coastal Range. With vibrant cities and ambitious outdoor activities, British Columbia is ready for any traveler.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 3-Day Tours from Vancouver, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Vancouver, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Toronto, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Vancouver.
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Alberta Prices
Canada PricesBritish Columbia Prices
Canada Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAlberta $132British Columbia $178,409
The average daily cost (per person) in Alberta is $132, while the average daily cost in British Columbia is $178,409. 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 Alberta and British Columbia in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAlberta $66British Columbia $96,177
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAlberta $132British Columbia $
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192
Compare Hotels in Alberta and British Columbia
Looking for a hotel in Alberta or British Columbia? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Alberta $19British Columbia $13,297
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Alberta
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Alberta:
- Alberta Transfer: Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise, Calgary: $62
- Arrival Private Transfer: Calgary Airport YYC to Calgary in Luxury SUV: $141
- Arrival Private Transfer: Calgary Airport YYC to Calgary in Luxury Van: $141
- Arrival Transfer: Calgary Airport YYC to Calgary by Business Car: $118
- Banff Canmore to Calgary YYC Airport Transfer: $216
- Banff Lake Louise or Canmore and Calgary Private Shuttle Transfer: $60
- Black Car Airport Transfers in Bow Valley: $295
- Calgary Airport (YYC) to Banff Resorts - Arrival Private Transfer: $215
- Calgary Airport (YYC) to Calgary hotel or address - Arrival Private Transfer: $101
- Calgary Airport (YYC) to Calgary hotel or address - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $202
- Calgary Airport (YYC) to Lake Louise - Arrival Private Transfer: $207
- Calgary Airport (YYC) to Sunshine Village - Arrival Transfer: $213
Hired Cars and Shuttles in British Columbia
Some specific examples of transportation prices in British Columbia:
- Private Airport Transfer to/from Whistler one way: $92
- Vancouver Cruise Ship to/from YVR Airport.Hotel Private Transfer: $219
- Airport Transfer: $154
- Arrival Private Transfer Vancouver YVR or Cruise Port to Vancouver by Minibus: $172
- Arrival Private Transfer from Vancouver YVR or Cruise Port to Vancouver by SUV: $125
- Arrival Transfer: Vancouver Airport YVR - Vancouver by Luxury SUV: $139
- Calgary Airport Transfer to/from Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise: $43
- Canada Cruise Port to Vancouver Airport (YVR) - Private Transfer: $121
- Canada Place Cruise Port to Vancouver Arrival Private Transfer: $86
- Canada Place Cruise Port to Vancouver hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $121
- Cypress/Grouse Mountain to Vancouver Airport (YVR) - Transfer: $117
- Departure Private Transfer Vancouver to Vancouver YVR or Cruise Port by Minibus: $151
Is it cheaper to fly into Alberta or British Columbia?
Prices for flights to both British Columbia and Alberta 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
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Food Meals for one dayAlberta $47British Columbia $64,744
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Alberta
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Alberta.
- Sushi Cooking Class at a Local Distillery in Calgary: $62
- Pasta Cooking Class at a Local Distillery in Calgary: $63
- Morning Glory ~ Banff's 'Breakfast Bits' Food Tour: $66
- Bites and Sites of Canmore Walking Food Tour: $77
- Sips & Sweets - Canadian Evening Food Tour: $85
- Take a Bite of Banff ~ Canadian Rocky Mountain Food Tour: $87
- A Taste of Banff Food Tour: $106
- Half-Day Jasper Culture Food Tour: $119
- Iconic Eats of Calgary Food Tour: $129
- Banff Food Tour: Eat the Castle: $151
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in British Columbia
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in British Columbia.
- A Slice of Victoria Pizza and Craft Beer Walking Tour: $70
- Vancouver Delicious Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour: $75
- Mt Pleasant Food Tour from Vancouver: $81
- A Wok Around Food Tour of the Granville Island Public Market: $82
- Kelowna: #1 Rated Walking Food Tour with 7 Tastings and 4 Drinks: $84
- Hip & Hidden Chinatown + Old Town Food Tour Victoria: $88
- Vancouver Street Food Tour in Mount Pleasant Neighborhood: $92
- Vancouver Food Tour with 6 Tastings of Sushi, Poutine, Chocolate: $97
- Experience Gastown Vancouver's Elite Walking Food Tour: $99
- Granville Island Vancouver's Elite Walking Food Tour: $113
- Gastown Historic Walking Food Tour: $114
- Granville Island Market VIP Walking Food Tour : $115
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Alberta $13British Columbia $11,394
Tours and Activities in Alberta
Here are a few actual costs in Alberta for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Town of Banff Highlights 2 Hour Walking Tour | Gratuity-Based : $4.00
- Edmonton City Highlights 3 Hour Walking Tour | Gratuity-Based: $4.00
- Calgary City Highlights 3 Hour Walking Tour | Gratuity-Based : $5.00
- Downtown Calgary a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $6.63
- Smartphone Audio Driving Tour between Banff and Calgary: $8.05
- The Sights of Canmore: a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $8.07
- The Sights of Banff: a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $8.12
- Tunnel Mountain Trail: a Smartphone Audio Nature Tour : $8.12
- Edmonton Self Guided Audio Experience: $9.00
- Banff Cave & Hot Springs Audio Walking Tour (Not a Ticket): $9.99
- Scavenger Hunt Adventure in Edmonton by Crazy Dash: $10
- Jasper National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour: $13
Tours and Activities in British Columbia
Here are a few actual costs in British Columbia for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Gratuity-Based Vancouver City Highlights 3 Hour Walking Tour: $4.00
- Stanley Park Self Guided Walking Tour: $5.27
- Walking Tour Along Stanley Park's Seawall: $6.59
- Stanley Park Self Guided Bike Tour: $6.59
- Explore The History of People of the Safe Harbour in Walking Tour of Ucluelet: $6.59
- Discover Stanley Park: A Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $6.65
- Spy Escape in Vancouver: Outdoor Puzzle Adventure: $7.16
- Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tours of Stanley Park: $7.32
- Victoria Scavenger Hunt and City Highlights Walking Tour: $7.70
- Sea to Sky Highway: a Smartphone Audio Driving Tour: $8.05
- Victoria Harbour: a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $8.06
- Smartphone Audio Driving Tour between Kamloops & Revelstoke: $8.07
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAlberta $11British Columbia $4,353
Sample the Local Flavors in Alberta
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Alberta:
- Park Distillery Tour with Craft Spirits Tasting: $11
- Park Distillery Tour with Whisky Tasting: $18
- Calgary Brewery Tour: $88
- Edmonton Brewery Tour (10 person minimum group): $103
Sample the Local Flavors in British Columbia
Also in British Columbia, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Vancouver British Columbia Bar Crawl: $15
- Gastown Pub Crawl: $26
- Vancouver Craft Brewery Neighbourhood Walking Tour: $65
- Vancouver Craft Brewery Tour: $88
- Vancouver Behind-the-Scenes Brewery Tour: $92
- Private Wine Tour at Church and State Wines in Victoria BC Canada: $92
- North Vancouver Elite Walking Brewery Tour: $95
- Lake Country Scenic Wine Tour With Wine Tasting Experience: $103
- 4-Hour Okanagan Valley Wine Tasting. Wineries of East Kelowna Bench.: $107
- Half-Day West Kelowna Afternoon Wine tour: $110
- Kelowna Wine Tour by E-bike, Okanagan Valley Views and Lunch: $110
- Half-Day Victoria to Cowichan Valley Wine Tour with Tastings: $112
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Alberta and British Columbia, we can see that British Columbia is more expensive. And not only is Alberta much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Alberta would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Alberta 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 British Columbia would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in British Columbia than you might in Alberta.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Alberta Expensive? and Is British Columbia Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, Alberta or British Columbia?
British Columbia has a larger population, and is about 26% larger than the population of Alberta. When comparing the sizes of Alberta and British Columbia, 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.