Which place is cheaper, Montana 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 Montana?
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 Montana. 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 Montana?
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.
Montana
Often called Big Sky Country for its vast blue skies, Montana is a state in the northwestern United States characterized by beautiful sweeping scenery from the Rocky Mountains in the west to the flatter prairie regions of the east. Some of the top attractions include Glacier National Park, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Yellowstone, and of course the Rocky Mountains.
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 Bicycle Tours in United States of America, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in United States of America.
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California Prices
USA PricesMontana Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCalifornia $284Montana $153
The average daily cost (per person) in California is $284, while the average daily cost in Montana is $153. 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 Montana in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCalifornia $116Montana $49
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCalifornia $232Montana $98
Compare Hotels in California and Montana
Looking for a hotel in California or Montana? 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 $42Montana $65
Hired Cars and Shuttles in California
Also for California, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- World Cruise Center to Long Beach Airport(LGB)-Departure Transfer: $140
- World Cruise Center to Long Beach - Arrival Private Transfer: $62
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in San Francisco HTL-APT (SFO): $123
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in San Francisco APT-HTL (SFO): $122
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Los Angeles HTL-APT (LAX): $141
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Los Angeles APT-HTL (LAX): $96
- Transfer from Los Angeles City Center to LA Airport (LAX): $71
- The Best Transfer to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX): $199
- Snow Summit to Ontario Airport (ONT) - Departure Private Transfer: $159
- Shared ride Arrival Transfer John Wayne airport to Anaheim hotels: $36
- Shared Airport Departure Transfer Anaheim and Orange County to John Wayne Airport: $36
- Shared Airport Arrival Transfer: LAX International Airport to Anaheim, Buena Park or Garden Grove: $68
Is it cheaper to fly into California or Montana?
Prices for flights to both Montana 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 $79Montana $49
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in California
For California, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Santa Monica Delicious Donut Adventure and Walking Food Tour: $70
- Flavors of Venice Beach Food Tour By Junket: $74
- Melting Pot of the Mission District Food Tour: $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
- Mission District or North Beach & Chinatown Authentic Food Tours: $85
- North Park San Diego Walking Food Tour: $85
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.California $69Montana $38
Tours and Activities in California
For California, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2 Hour Private Tour in Malibu Majesty: $35
- Clear Kayak Paddle Tour at Cave Rock: $110
- Day Tour to Kings Canyon National Park: $275
- Electric Bike Tour De San Francisco: $100
- Experience American Football at Levi's Stadium: $191
- Explore San Francisco Napa Sacramento Oakland Black Exp Car Tour: $244
- Gaslamp Quarter to Little Italy Tour: $39
- Guided Hiking Tour in Big Bear with Sunset Champagne toast on Private Dock: $75
- Guided Meditation and Mountain Hike Tour in San Diego: $62
- Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Los Angeles Private Tour: $249
- Maritime Museum of San Diego Admission Ticket: $28
- Muir Woods and Sausalito Morning Tour Small-Group Half Day: $84
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCalifornia $21Montana $11
Sample the Local Flavors in California
Also in California, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Private Self Guided Tour and Bar Crawl in Chinatown San Francisco: $6.99
- Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt: Long Beach Boss Bar Crawl: $12
- Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt: Slammin' San Diego Bar Crawl: $13
- Palm Springs Bar Crawl: $15
- Scavenger Adventure and Lake Tahoe Bar Crawl: $15
- Santa Monica Bar Crawl: $15
- Vintner's Private Wine Tasting Experience: $20
- San Francisco Pub Crawl + Clubbing Experience: $27
- San Francisco 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
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between California and Montana, we can see that California is more expensive. And not only is Montana much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Montana would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Montana 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 California would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in California than you might in Montana.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is California Expensive? and Is Montana Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, California or Montana?
California has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of Montana. When comparing the sizes of California and Montana, 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.