Which place is cheaper, Quebec 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 Quebec?
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 Quebec. 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 Quebec?
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.
Quebec
The culture and history of Europe is alive and well in North America. The largest province in Canada, Quebec, was a French colony from the time of Jacques Cartier in 1534 until 1760. Today, it is the only province in Canada where French is the official language. With the second largest population in the country, approximately 6.4 million, or 80% of the people speak French as their native language.
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 G Adventures Tours to Canada, and The Best 3-Day Tours from Vancouver.
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California Prices
USA PricesQuebec Prices
Canada Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCalifornia $284Quebec $193
The average daily cost (per person) in California is $284, while the average daily cost in Quebec is $193. 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 Quebec in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCalifornia $116Quebec $111
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCalifornia $232Quebec $222
Compare Hotels in California and Quebec
Looking for a hotel in California or Quebec? 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 $42Quebec $17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in California
Also for California, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Los Angeles Private Transfers to LAX: $300
- Los Angeles Airport Transfer and Transportation : $300
- Departure Private Transfer: Los Angeles to Ontario Airport ONT in Luxury Van: $299
- Departure Transfer: Los Angeles to Airport LAX by Luxury Car: $299
- Napa, CA to Sacramento Airport (SMF) - Departure Private Transfer : $294
- Sacramento Airport (SMF) to Napa, CA - Arrival Private Transfer: $294
- Los Angeles port to Long Beach - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $284
- Private Transfer from Santa Barbara Cruise Port to Los Angeles: $281
- Private Round-trip Airport Transfer: Long Beach Airport to & from Anaheim Hotels: $280
- Long Beach Airport (LGB) to Los Angeles port Round-Trip Transfer: $278
- Private Transfer: Ontario Airport ONT to Los Angeles in Business Car: $275
- Arrival Private Transfer SFO Airport to San Francisco City by SUV: $270
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Quebec
Also for Quebec, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- YQB Quebec City Airport Cruise Terminal Train Station Transfer: $108
- YQB Airport Transfer: $111
- Quebec city private transfer: $105
- Quebec Airport (YQB) to Downtown private transfer: $115
- Québec city to Québec Jean Lesage Airport (YQB) - Departure Private Transfer: $106
- Québec Jean Lesage Airport (YQB) to Québec city - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $212
- Québec Airport (YQB) to Le Terminal Quebec Port - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $209
- Private transfer from YQB (QUEBEC) Airport to downtown: $122
- Private Transfer from Quebec City to YQB airport: $111
- Private Transfer from Quebec City Hotels to Saguenay Cruise Port: $262
- Private Transfer from Québec City to Jean Lesage Airport (YQB): $96
- Private Transfer from Montreal Cruise Port to Montreal City: $99
Is it cheaper to fly into California or Quebec?
Prices for flights to both Quebec 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 $79Quebec $61
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 Quebec
For Quebec, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Quebecois Aperitif Food Tour in Quebec City: $61
- Beyond the Market Non-Touristy Food Tour by Spade & Palacio: $81
- Montreal Cooking Class - Learn to make Dim Sums: $84
- Jean-Talon Market & Little Italy Food Tour with 8 Tastings: $89
- Montreal Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $89
- Old Montreal Food & Drink Tour by Local Montreal Food Tours: $115
- Jewish Neighborhood Food Tour: $129
- Québec City: 3 or 5-Course Dinner Cruise with DJ & Dancing: $129
- Montreal Gourmet Dinner Cruise with DJ & Dancing: $129
- Montreal Cooking Class x Michelin-Trained Chef: $132
- Progressive Dinner on Grande-Allée and History Tour: $202
- Quebec City: Old Quebec 5-Course Gourmet Food Tour: $202
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.California $69Quebec $23
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
- 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
- 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
- North Beach & Little Italy Walking Tour: Food, History & Flavor: $86
- Old Town Walking Tour: $129
Tours and Activities in Quebec
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Quebec.
- Experience Montréal Axe Throwing Adventure: $29
- Magnificent Montmorency Falls E-Bike Tour: $166
- Private Québec City Highlights 3 Hour Walking Tour: $219
- The Ultimate Montreal Boat Tour – Fall Colors Apéro Edition : $23
- 1 Hour Downtown Montreal Tour: $24
- 1h-Relaxing day or sunset cruise in Montreal: $127
- 1hr Sunset Boat tour on the St Lawrence River Old Port Montreal: $23
- 4 Hour Scooter Rental in Quebec City Self Guided Urban Adventure: $95
- A Joyful Christmas: Private Walking Tour in Quebec: $983
- A Taste of History Walking Tour: $70
- APP Self-Guided Tours Quebec with Audioguide: $9.62
- AURA experience at Notre-Dame Basilica and guided cruise: $76
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCalifornia $21Quebec $17
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
- Palm Springs Bar Crawl: $15
- Santa Monica 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 Quebec
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Quebec:
- Quebec City: Honey and Distillery Tour with Tasting: $21
- Haunted Montreal Pub Crawl: $24
- Quebec City: Craft Brewery and Beer Tasting Tour: $50
- Quebec City: Island of Orleans Wine Tour: $94
- Wine Tasting on Ile d'Orleans: $96
- Quebec City: Montmorency Falls and Microbrewery eBike Tour: $107
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between California and Quebec, we can see that California is more expensive. And not only is Quebec much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Quebec would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Quebec 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 Quebec.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is California Expensive? and Is Quebec Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, California or Quebec?
California has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Quebec. When comparing the sizes of California and Quebec, 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.