Which place is cheaper, South Carolina or Florida?
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 Florida or South Carolina?
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 Florida and South Carolina. 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: Florida or South Carolina?
Florida
The state of Florida, known for sunshine, warm weather, beaches, and Disney World, has much to offer. Orlando and its world-famous parks such as Disney, Epcot, Universal Studios, MGM, Sea World, and more draw massive amounts of visitors every year, and for a good reason. Florida is more than just Disney, however, the state has many other attractions and cities worth visiting.
South Carolina
The U.S. state of South Carolina is a part of the American South-rich in all the culture, cuisine, and countryside that make up the region. From the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains to a stunning coastline with many charming towns in between, the landscape of South Carolina is full of things to do and see. There are many great opportunities to dive into the past while indulging in the culture that thrives today.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to United States of America, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Las Vegas, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Anchorage, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Los Angeles.
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Florida Prices
USA PricesSouth Carolina Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayFlorida $296South Carolina $242
The average daily cost (per person) in Florida is $296, while the average daily cost in South Carolina is $242. 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 Florida and South Carolina in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personFlorida $135South Carolina $96
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomFlorida $270South Carolina $192
Compare Hotels in Florida and South Carolina
Looking for a hotel in Florida or South Carolina? 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.Florida $46South Carolina $33
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Florida
Also for Florida, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Arrival Transfer from Fort Myers Southwest Florida Airport RSW: $28
- Private Departure Transfer to Fort Myers Southwest Florida Airport RSW: $28
- Private Transfer from Orlando Airport (MCO): $29
- Southwest Florida Airport (RSW) to Sanibel - Arrival Private Transfer: $31
- Private Transfer from Southwest Airport (RSW) to Naples: $31
- Sanibel to Southwest Florida Airport (RSW) - Departure Private Transfer: $31
- Fort Meyers downtown to Southwest Airport (RSW) - Departure Private Transfer: $31
- Marco Island to Southwest Airport (RSW) - Departure Private Transfer: $31
- Southwest Airport (RSW) to Fort Meyers downtown - Arrival Private Transfer: $31
- Miami Private Transfers: Airport, Cruise, Point-to-Point.: $33
- From Miami: Bus transfer to Orlando Theme Parks: $33
- Private Arrival Transfer - from Tampa Airport (TPA): $36
Hired Cars and Shuttles in South Carolina
Some specific examples of transportation prices in South Carolina:
- Charleston Airport (CHS) to Charleston city - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $268
- Kiawah/Seabrook Islands to Charleston Airport (CHS) – Departure Private Transfer: $208
- Greenville-Spartanburg Airport (GSP) to Greenville - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $174
- Folly Beach to Charleston Airport (CHS) - Departure Private Transfer: $147
- Charleston city to Charleston Airport (CHS) - Departure Private Transfer: $134
- Private Transfer from Charleston Airport (CHS) to Charleston Port: $134
- Greenville to Greenville-Spartanburg Airport (GSP) - Departure Private Transfer: $87
- Greenville-Spartanburg Airport (GSP) to Greenville - Arrival Private Transfer: $87
- Private Departure Transfer to Myrtle Beach Airport (MYR): $36
- Private Arrival Transfer from Myrtle Beach Airport MYR: $36
Is it cheaper to fly into Florida or South Carolina?
Prices for flights to both South Carolina and Florida 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 dayFlorida $104South Carolina $88
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Florida
For Florida, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- St. Johns River Lunch and Dinner Cruises in Sanford, Florida: $43
- Palafox Palete Food Tour: $50
- Daytona Beach: Luau with Polynesian Dinner and Live Show: $53
- Polynesian Fire and Dinner Show Ticket in Daytona Beach: $53
- Fort Lauderdale Intracoastal & Dinner Cruise: $64
- Little Havana Street Food Tour with Enthusiastic Guide: $69
- Orlando Polynesian Fire Luau and Dinner Show Experience: $75
- Taste of Little Havana Food Tour in Miami with Cuban Street Food: $75
- Mornings in the Market Food Tour: $75
- Fort Launderdale: Sushi Cooking Class With Local Chef: $75
- Sushi Making Cooking Class at a Local Brewery in Orlando: $75
- Immersive Sushi Cooking Class in Fort Lauderdale: $75
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in South Carolina
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in South Carolina.
- Riga Tony's Murder Mystery Dinner Show : $60
- Polynesian Fire Luau and Dinner Show Ticket in Myrtle Beach: $67
- Adventure Luau - Polynesian Dinner Show: $69
- Charleston Sunset Blues & BBQ Dinner Cruise: $72
- Hands-on Cooking Class in Charleston: $89
- Tastes Through Time - Charleston's Best Food Tour: $98
- Charleston Harbor Luxury Dinner Cruise with Live Music: $100
- Hilton Head Sunset Dinner Cruise: $106
- Charleston French Quarter or Brunch Food Tour with 7+ Tastings: $110
- Downtown Charleston Food Tour: $110
- Sunset Hibachi Dinner Cruise : $128
- Lowcountry Boil Dinner Cruise on Hilton Head: $148
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Florida $62South Carolina $25
Tours and Activities in Florida
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Florida.
- Little Havana Smartphone guided Audio App Solo Walking Tour: $6.75
- Pensacola's Famous Ghosts Smartphone Guided App Walking Tour: $7.75
- Wynwood Art Walk Self-Guided Tour of Murals & Creativity: $7.99
- Historic Ybor City Self Guided Audio Tour: $7.99
- St Augustine Haunted History: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.99
- Hemingway's Key West Self Guided Walking Audio Tour: $8.00
- 20 Minutes Chocolate & Candy Factory Tour in Jacksonville: $8.00
- Key West Pirate Exploration Game and Tour: $8.99
- Historic St Augustine Audio Self Guided App GPS Tour: $9.75
- Key West Smartphone guided Ghost Walking Tour App/GPS/EMF Reader: $9.75
- Ybor City Immigrant influence Smart Phone guided App (GPS) walking tour: $9.75
- Florida Key West Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour: $9.99
Tours and Activities in South Carolina
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for South Carolina are as follows:
- #1 Historical Horse Drawn Carriage Tour: $38
- 1 Hour Private Dolphin and Nature Tour: $300
- 1.5-Hour Charleston Harbor Cruise with Live Narration: $42
- 2 HR Dolphin Tour in North Myrtle Beach: $37
- 2 Hour Kayak Hilton Head Dolphin and Nature Tour: $49
- 2 Hours Shem Creek Safari Kayak Tour: $52
- 2-Hour Guided Kayak Eco Tour in Charleston: $54
- 2-Hour Guided Segway Tour of Huntington Beach State Park in Myrtle Beach: $69
- 2-Hour Hilton Head Guided Kayak Nature Tour: $47
- 2-Hour Private Hilton Head Dolphin Watching Cruise: $269
- 2-Hour Tiki Boat Tour in Folly Beach: $75
- 300 Years of War and Peacetime in Charleston: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayFlorida $31South Carolina $30
Sample the Local Flavors in Florida
Also in Florida, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Tampa Bar Hunt: Tampa Takeover Bar Crawl: $12
- Key West Bar Crawl: $15
- Fort Lauderdale Bar Crawl: $15
- Tallahassee Bar Crawl: $15
- Naples Bar Crawl Experience: $15
- Miami Florida Bar Crawl: $15
- Walking Ghost Tour Pub Crawl - Boos with Booze : $20
- Walking Pub Tour : $21
- The Tour and Wine Tasting Experience at Aspirations Winery: $25
- Orlando Haunts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $27
- Miami Bar Crawl: $29
- Pub Crawl Miami: $30
Sample the Local Flavors in South Carolina
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in South Carolina:
- Charleston Bar Hunt: Charleston Chase Bar Crawl: $13
- Charleston Women and Wine Tour: $34
- Charleston Haunted Pub Crawl: $35
- Bay Street Bastards Pub Crawl Shared Tour in Charleston : $35
- Haunted Pub Crawl for the Broken-Hearted: $35
- 108 Elemental Presents Spirits & Spirits: Pub Crawl w/ Adam Miles: $36
- Hilton Head's ONLY Distillery Experience: $55
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Florida and South Carolina, we can see that Florida is more expensive. And not only is South Carolina much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to South Carolina would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in South Carolina 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 Florida would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Florida than you might in South Carolina.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Florida Expensive? and Is South Carolina Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, Florida or South Carolina?
Florida has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of South Carolina. When comparing the sizes of Florida and South Carolina, 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.