Which place is cheaper, British Columbia or California?
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 California or British Columbia?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for California and British Columbia. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: California or British Columbia?
California
California is the most populous state in the U.S. and is known for a variety of attractions such as Hollywood, warm beaches, the San Francisco bay area, Redwood trees, national parks, and stunning mountain vistas. With a variety of locations and activities to offer, California has become one of the premier travel destinations in the world.
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 2-Week Tours in United States of America, The Best 3-Week Tours in United States of America, The Best Coach Bus Tours in Canada, and The Best Adventure Tours to Canada.
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California Prices
USA PricesBritish Columbia Prices
Canada Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCalifornia $284British Columbia $178,409
The average daily cost (per person) in California is $284, 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 California and British Columbia in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCalifornia $116British Columbia $96,177
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCalifornia $232British Columbia $
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192
Compare Hotels in California and British Columbia
Looking for a hotel in California 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.California $42British Columbia $13,297
Hired Cars and Shuttles in California
Also for California, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Long Beach to Los Angeles port- Departure Private Transfer: $141
- Los Angeles Private Transfer To or From Orange County North.: $73
- San Diego Airport (SAN) to Carlsbad, CA - Arrival Private Transfer: $66
- Airport Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco by Luxury SUV: $137
- Airport Transfer: San Francisco to Airport SFO by Luxury SUV: $137
- Anaheim Resort Area to Long Beach Airport (LGB) - Departure Private Transfer: $69
- Anaheim Resort Private Transfer to or from John Wayne Airport.: $56
- Anaheim to John Wayne Airport (SNA) - Departure Private Transfer: $63
- Anaheim to Los Angeles Airport Departure Private Transfer: $131
- Arrival Private Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco in Business Car: $130
- Arrival Private Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco in Luxury Car: $185
- Arrival Private Transfer: LAX Airport to Anaheim Resort Area: $214
Hired Cars and Shuttles in British Columbia
Some specific examples of transportation prices in British Columbia:
- White Rock to Vancouver Airport (YVR) - Departure Private Transfer: $108
- Whistler to Vancouver Scenic Seaplane Transfer: One Way: $210
- Victoria to Vancouver Scenic Seaplane Transfer: One Way: $289
- Victoria to Vancouver - Vancouver Airport (YVR) Drop Off - Coach Bus Transfer: $91
- Victoria to Vancouver - Coach Bus Transfer: $77
- Vancouver to Victoria - Vancouver Hotel Pickup - Coach Bus Transfer: $86
- Vancouver hotel/address to Vancouver Airport (YVR) - Departure Private Transfer: $61
- Vancouver Private Cruise Ship Transfer: $257
- Vancouver Cruise Transfers/ Pre & Post Cruise City Sightseeing Tour Private: $278
- Vancouver Airport Transfers to Whistler, Victoria and other tours: $220
- Vancouver Airport Private Transfer to Whistler: $133
- Vancouver Airport (YVR) to White Rock - Arrival Private Transfer: $108
Is it cheaper to fly into California or British Columbia?
Prices for flights to both British Columbia and California 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 dayCalifornia $79British Columbia $64,744
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in California
For California, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Flavors of Venice Beach Food Tour By Junket: $74
- Sushi Making Cooking Class at a Local Brewery in San Diego: $75
- 2 Hour Ravioli Cooking Class With Local Chef in San Diego : $75
- Pirates Dinner Adventure Buena Park: $76
- Tijuana Street Food Tour for Foodies: $79
- Pizza and Gelato Tour in San Diego: $80
- Carlsbad Food Tour and Wine Tasting: $84
- San Francisco North Beach & Chinatown Food Tour with 5 Tastings: $85
- North Park San Diego Walking Food Tour: $85
- Downtown Los Angeles Food Tour: $89
- San Diego Vegan Food Tour: $89
- The Immigrant & Historic Businesses of Silver Lake Food Tour: $89
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
- Experience Gastown Vancouver's Elite Walking Food Tour: $98
- Gastown Historic Walking Food Tour: $114
- Granville Island Market VIP Walking Food Tour : $114
- Vancouver Chinatown Tour and Dumpling-Making Cooking Class : $135
- Downtown Vancouver Walking Food Tour: VIP Asian Eats: $143
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.California $69British Columbia $11,394
Tours and Activities in California
For California, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Self-Guided Walking Tour in Los Angeles' Best-Kept Secrets: $3.57
- San Francisco Uncovered Self-Guided Adventure: $3.57
- Self-Guided Golden Gate Bridge Bike or Walking App Tour: $5.00
- Self-Guided San Diego Walking or Bicycle Tour App: $5.00
- Missing Gem Quest Experience in Morgan Hill: $5.95
- Mafia Heist at the Bay: Escape Adventure in San Francisco: $5.96
- Santa Monica Superhero Exploration Game and Tour: $5.96
- Hollywood Boulevard’s Haunting History and Hidden Gems: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- The Ghosts of San Francisco Haunted Audio App Walking Tour: $6.99
- Avalon City: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- Los Angeles Downtown Scavenger Hunt Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $7.16
- Pasadena Puzzle Adventure: Stop the Bomb!: $7.16
Tours and Activities in British Columbia
Here are a few actual costs in British Columbia for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 2 Hours Private Tour of City of Vancouver: $146
- Cruise Ship Terminal to Vancouver Airport Private Transport: $150
- Guided Bike /E-bike Tour in Whistler From Vancouver: $216
- Half-day Hike and Bike Tour in Vancouver: $128
- Spirit Of Vancouver Bike or Ebike Tour: $99
- Sunshine Coast Escape (Around Vancouver) Small Group Tour: $158
- Victoria 1-Day Tour From Vancouver: $190
- Victoria BC - Coast & Castle Tour by E-Bike: $109
- $99 Vancouver 2 Hours City Tour Private: $99
- 1 Day Victoria Tour with Butchart Gardens | from Vancouver: $190
- 1 day Whistler Tour from Vancouver Experience (chn&eng): $87
- 1.5 hour guided SUP tour on the pristine waters of Cowichan Lake: $43
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCalifornia $21British Columbia $4,353
Sample the Local Flavors in California
Also in California, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt: Long Beach Boss Bar Crawl: $12
- Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt: Slammin' San Diego Bar Crawl: $13
- Scavenger Adventure and Lake Tahoe Bar Crawl: $15
- Santa Monica Bar Crawl: $15
- Vintner's Private Wine Tasting Experience: $20
- Ultimate San Francisco Pub Crawl + Clubbing Experience: $27
- LA Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $29
- Paso Robles Aria (Syrah Dominant) Flight Wine Tasting : $30
- Paso Robles Sonata(Red Blend) Flight Wine Tasting : $30
- Hillcrest: LGBTQ+ Pub Crawl with Local Drag Queen: $35
- Drag Bar Crawl with Drink in Los Angeles : $39
- Walk with Spirits: A Haunted Pub Crawl in San Francisco: $44
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 Tour: $88
- 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
- East Kelowna Half-Day Guided Wine Tour With 4 Wineries: $117
- Lake Country Half Day Guided Wine Tour With 4 Wineries: $117
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between California and British Columbia, we can see that British Columbia is more expensive. And not only is California much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to California would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in California 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 California.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is California Expensive? and Is British Columbia Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, California or British Columbia?
California has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of British Columbia. When comparing the sizes of California 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.