A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers California vs. Prince Edward Island for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit California or Prince Edward Island?

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 Prince Edward Island. 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 Prince Edward Island?

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.

Prince Edward Island

Known as simply "PEI" or "the island," Prince Edward Island is full of spectacularly red sandy beaches and dunes. The high levels of iron in the soil of this Canadian destination give the shores their rusty, prominent color. As the locals so cleverly out it, "there are no white dogs in PEI."

Prince Edward Island is Canada's only island province, and is also the setting to Lucy Montgomery's classic novel Anne of Green Gables.

As an island, this area isn't always easily accessible by car. To drive to Prince Edward Island, you'll have to use the iconic Confederation Bridge that crosses the Northumberland Strait between New Brunswick and PEI. This short, ten-minute drive can be a fun event on its own – complete with scenic viewing stations on the New Brunswick side. There is a hefty toll to pay when returning to the mainland. There are several express shuttles or car ferries available, as well.

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 2-Week Tours from Toronto, and The Best 10-Day Tours from Vancouver.


Which place is cheaper, Prince Edward Island or California?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

  • California Prices
    USA Prices
    Prince Edward Island Prices
    Canada Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    California $284
    Prince Edward Island $170

The average daily cost (per person) in California is $284, while the average daily cost in Prince Edward Island is $170. 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 Prince Edward Island in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    California $116
    Prince Edward Island $84
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    California $232
    Prince Edward Island $168
Compare Hotels in California and Prince Edward Island

Looking for a hotel in California or Prince Edward Island? 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.

Hotels in California


Hotels in Prince Edward Island


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
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    California $42
    Prince Edward Island $17

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: $142
  • Los Angeles Private Transfer To or From Orange County North.: $73
  • Private One Way Transfer to San Francisco Airport: $147
  • Private Transfer from SFO to San Francisco: $125
  • San Diego Airport (SAN) to Carlsbad, CA - Arrival Private Transfer: $66
  • Airport Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco by Luxury SUV: $138
  • Airport Transfer: San Francisco to Airport SFO by Luxury SUV: $138
  • Anaheim Resort Private Transfer to or from John Wayne Airport.: $56
  • Anaheim to Los Angeles Airport Departure Private Transfer: $132
  • Arrival Private Transfer SFO Airport to San Francisco City by SUV: $270
  • Arrival Private Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco in Business Car: $131
  • Buena Park to Los Angeles Airport (LAX) - Departure Private Transfer: $78

Is it cheaper to fly into California or Prince Edward Island?

Prices for flights to both Prince Edward Island 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    California $79
    Prince Edward Island $59

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
  • 2 Hour Ravioli Cooking Class With Local Chef in San Diego : $75
  • Pirates Dinner Adventure Buena Park: $76
  • 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
  • The Immigrant & Historic Businesses of Silver Lake Food Tour: $89
  • Little Italy Food and Drink Walking Tour: Pizza, Pasta & Piazzas: $90
  • San Francisco Food Tour: Ferry Building and Ferry Plaza Farmers Market: $95
  • San Diego Gaslamp Food Tour with 6 Modern Californian Tastings: $95
  • Encinitas Food Tour: $96

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Prince Edward Island

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Prince Edward Island.

  • Charlottetown Small Group Harbor Walking Food Tour : $73
  • Sunset Dinner Cruise on North America's LARGEST Solar Boat! (6PM): $139

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    California $69
    Prince Edward Island $33

Tours and Activities in California

For California, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • San Francisco Uncovered Self-Guided Adventure: $3.59
  • Self-Guided Walking Tour in Los Angeles' Best-Kept Secrets: $3.59
  • 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
  • Santa Monica Superhero Exploration Game and Tour: $5.96
  • Avalon City: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
  • The Ghosts of San Francisco Haunted Audio App Walking Tour: $6.99
  • Hollywood Boulevard’s Haunting History and Hidden Gems: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
  • Pasadena Puzzle Adventure: Stop the Bomb!: $7.20
  • Los Angeles Downtown Scavenger Hunt Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $7.20
  • LA Little Tokyo to Olvera St Smartphone (App/GPS) Walking Tour: $7.50

Tours and Activities in Prince Edward Island

Here are a few actual costs in Prince Edward Island for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Self Guided Audio Driving Tour of the North Shore of PEI: $13
  • 1.5hr Harbour Experience on North America's LARGEST solar boat!: $58
  • 2 HR Kitchen Party Cruise on North America's LARGEST Solar Boat!: $87
  • 2 Hour E-Bike Tour of Charlottetown: $84
  • Charlottetown Audio Walking Tour : $9.56
  • Charlottetown Food Walking Tour : $71
  • Charlottetown Small Group Walking Tour With Province House: $43
  • Charlottetown Walking Tour: $20
  • Charlottetown waterfront SOLAR PartyBike food & drink experience!: $58
  • City Tour of Historic Charlottetown Prince Edward Island : $295
  • Downtown Charlottetown: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $12
  • E-Bike Day Tour From Cavendish to Rustico: $144

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    California $21
    Prince Edward Island $14

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
  • Palm Springs Bar Crawl: $15
  • Vintner's Private Wine Tasting Experience: $20
  • San Francisco Pub Crawl + Clubbing Experience: $27
  • 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
  • San Francisco Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl : $36
  • LA Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $36

Sample the Local Flavors in Prince Edward Island

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Prince Edward Island:

  • Charlottetown Bar Crawl Birthplace of Confederation: $15


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between California and Prince Edward Island, we can see that California is more expensive. And not only is Prince Edward Island much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Prince Edward Island would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Prince Edward Island 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 Prince Edward Island.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is California Expensive? and Is Prince Edward Island Expensive?.


Which has a larger population, California or Prince Edward Island?

California has a larger population, and is about 260 times larger than the population of Prince Edward Island. When comparing the sizes of California and Prince Edward Island, 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.