A Travel Price Comparison for United States of America Greenville vs. Santa Fe for Food, Attractions, Nightlife, and Families

Should you visit Greenville or Santa Fe?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Greenville and Santa Fe can help you decide which place is right for you.

Greenville

Greenville is a hospitable, southern, and welcoming city. It's also popular because of the museums, nightlife, and shopping. See Greenville travel costs.

Santa Fe

Santa Fe is a charming, artsy, and cultural historic town. Santa Fe offers plenty of beauty for visitors. As this is a very quaint destination, you'll find it has a special atmosphere. It's also popular because of the museums, skiing, and live music. See Santa Fe travel costs.

Greenville and Santa Fe: Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Popular museums and historical sights
  • Active nightlife
  • Family-friendly
Things to Consider
  • Less popular for food
  • Less popular with couples
  • Less walkable
Pros
  • Popular for skiing
  • Popular museums and historical sights
  • Popular for food and cuisine
  • Good music scene
  • Scenic old town
  • Good for hiking
  • Known for its beauty
  • Family-friendly
  • Good for couples and romance
  • Very walkable
Things to Consider
  • Less popular for nightlife


Is there more to do in Greenville or Santa Fe?

Tourists will generally find more to do in Santa Fe than Greenville. It is bigger and it has more sights, attractions, and activities for travelers. Santa Fe is very popular for its skiing, food, music, historical sights, hiking, shopping, impressive beauty, and quaint atmosphere, while Greenville attracts visitors for its nightlife. Santa Fe is more touristy than Greenville and is known for its strong arts scene, its Pueblo-style architecture, and its unique local cuisine. It is also well known for The Museum of New Mexico Complex. Greenville is famous for its outdoor spaces and its growing arts scene.

How is Greenville different from Santa Fe?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between Santa Fe and Greenville. Then, you can decide for yourself which place is better for your next trip.

Is Greenville or Santa Fe Better for Skiing?

Greenville
Santa Fe

Santa Fe is very good for skiing. However, Greenville is not a skiing destination.

Head to Santa Fe for some great skiing and other winter activities. There are a few good ski resorts not far from Santa Fe. Popular options include Taos Ski Valley, Ski Santa Fe, Pajarito Mountain Ski Area, and Sipapu Ski and Summer Resort.

Greenville is not a skiing destination.


Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Greenville or Santa Fe?

Greenville
Santa Fe

You'll find a number of nice museums and attractions in both Santa Fe and Greenville.

If you're looking for an educational opportunity, there are a decent number of museums and historical sights around Greenville. Museums focus on art, history, and science. Notable museums in town include the Greenville County Museum of Art, the Upcountry History Museum, and the Sigal Music Museum.

Santa Fe is a good place to visit if you're interested in museums or other recognizable sights. Head to the Museum of New Mexico Complex, which has four museums that give a great overview of the history of the area. Also make sure you visit the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.

Is the Food Better in Greenville or Santa Fe? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Greenville
Santa Fe

Santa Fe is a great historic town for its local flavors and cuisine. However, Greenville is not known for its local cuisine and restaurants.

Santa Fe has a number of nationally recognized food spots and restaurants. There are many local restaurants that use regional ingredients and offer great flavors. There are also cafes and bistros where you can enjoy breakfast or brunch. Local dishes include sopaipillas made with Native American fry bread, slow-cooked beans, and anything made with red and green chili peppers.

Greenville offers some easy restaurants to choose from. The food scene is growing and the farm-to-table movement is apparent here, but the city is still often overlooked by foodies in the area.

Is Greenville or Santa Fe Better for Nightlife?

Greenville
Santa Fe

Greenville is very good for its evening party scene. However, Santa Fe is not known for nightlife.

If you're looking for night time activities Greenville has a few options to choose from. Bars, breweries, and low key clubs are what drive the city's nightlife scene. There are both piano bars and live music venues that often lean towards the local country classics.

Most people don't head to Santa Fe specifically for the nightlife scene, but you can find a few options. While most of the town quiets down at night, the city has a few areas that stay active late into the night. Live music is popular and diverse. It often includes different genres such as the blues, country, salsa or bluegrass.


Is Greenville or Santa Fe Better for Music?

Greenville
Santa Fe

Santa Fe is very good for its music scene. However, Greenville is not a live music destination.

Music lovers will find a few good venues in Santa Fe. The town has an eclectic music scene that includes a mix of the blues, country, Latin American music, and bluegrass.

Greenville is not a live music destination.

Is Greenville or Santa Fe Better for its Old Town?

Greenville
Santa Fe

Santa Fe is a great historic town for its historic old town charm. However, Greenville does not have a historic old town.

There is a nice variety of sights in the old town of Santa Fe. As the 2nd oldest city in the United States, the old town historic district is filled with charm. The Pueblo-style buildings are brightly colored and there are churches throughout.

Greenville does not have a historic old town.

Is Greenville or Santa Fe Better for Hiking?

Greenville
Santa Fe

Santa Fe is very good for hiking. However, Greenville is not a hiking destination.

Many people include a hike when visiting Santa Fe. Because it's located right by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, there are many beautiful hikes right outside of town. Popular trails include the Picacho Peak Trail and the Nambe Lake Trail. Bandelier National also has many places to hike.

Greenville is not a hiking destination.


Is the Shopping Better in Greenville or Santa Fe?

Greenville
Santa Fe

Santa Fe is a great historic town for its shopping areas. Also, Greenville is not as popular, but is still a nice city for shopping.

Many visitors explore the shopping areas in Santa Fe. There are many unique shops and art galleries that feature local artists and craftsmen.

Greenville is a great destination for shopping. You'll find upscale shopping in the city's downtown and sprawling shopping malls in other neighborhoods. There are plenty of name brand stores where you can pick up the latest style.

Is Greenville or Santa Fe More Beautiful?

Greenville
Santa Fe

Santa Fe is very good for its scenery and beauty. However, Greenville is not a destination known for its beauty.

Santa Fe offers plenty of beauty for visitors. This cultural city has a unique beauty that is hard to find anywhere else.

Greenville is not a destination known for its beauty.

Is Greenville or Santa Fe Better for Families?

Greenville
Santa Fe

You'll find nice kid-friendly activities in either Greenville or Santa Fe.

Greenville offers lots of family activities. There are many local families in town, so you'll find all kinds of kid-friendly activities to enjoy. Paris Mountain State Park is a popular place where everyone can run around. Falls Park on the Reedy River also has walking trails and is in the city's historic district. There's also a children's theater and plenty of playgrounds around town.

Santa Fe is a family-friendly place to visit. There are a few kids' museums in Santa Fe including the Santa Fe Children's Museum and the Meow Wolf Art Complex. Kids also enjoy the botanical gardens at Museum Hill and Bandelier National Monument just outside of the city.


Is Greenville or Santa Fe Better for Couples?

Greenville
Santa Fe

Santa Fe is very good for couples. However, Greenville is not known for romance.

Santa Fe is a good historic town for couples to visit. There are many romantic inns around town, each with a lot of character. The town also has a lot of atmosphere that makes for a romantic getaway.

Greenville is not the best destination for a couple to visit. You can take the free trolley down Main Street and then enjoy a meal at one of the local restaurants.

Is Greenville or Santa Fe Better for Students?

Greenville
Santa Fe

Santa Fe is very good for its student-friendly activities. However, Greenville is not known for students.

It's common for students to visit Santa Fe. There are a few colleges and universities in town and students will appreciate the reasonable cost of living and outdoor activities nearby.

Greenville is a decent spot for students. Furman University has a pretty campus and is a nice place to visit.

Is Greenville or Santa Fe Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Greenville
Santa Fe

Greenville and Santa Fe both offer reasonable public transit to get you around.

Public transit is mostly limited in Greenville. There are free trolleys that make their way around the downtown neighborhoods.

Public transit is generally limited in Santa Fe. There is a bus system - the Santa Fe Trails Bus Service.


Is Greenville or Santa Fe a more walkable city?

Greenville
Santa Fe

Santa Fe is a great historic town for its ease of walking around. However, Greenville is not known for its walkability.

Santa Fe is a very walkable destination. The historic district is walkable and it's easy to visit most of the tourist sights in this area on foot.

Greenville is generally not very walkable. The downtown area is surprisingly walkable, but like most cities in the area, you need a car to make the most of your visit.

For even more information, also check out Is Greenville Worth Visiting? and Is Santa Fe Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in Santa Fe or Greenville?

How long in Greenville or Santa Fe?

In either Greenville or Santa Fe, you'll find plenty of activities to fill your time. Most visitors tend to spend more time in Santa Fe than Greenville because of the overall number of sights and activities. Usually, 1-2 days is a good amount of time for Greenville, and 2-5 days is enough time in Santa Fe.

Families should spend more time in Santa Fe than Greenville. Because of the many family-friendly attractions and fun things to do for kids in Santa Fe, it's a great place to visit with the whole family.

Couples should spend more time in Santa Fe than Greenville. You'll find plenty of romantic sights and fun activities in Santa Fe that are perfect for a weekend getaway or a longer couple's trip.

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Santa Fe than Greenville if your budget allows for it. With a larger number of budget-friendly sights, good nightlife, and active things to do, anyone traveling on a budget would have a good time in Santa Fe.


  • How many days in Greenville or Santa Fe? Ideal Length of Stay
    Greenville 1-2 
    Santa Fe 2-5

One day in Greenville or Santa Fe?

The city of Greenville offers nightlife and shopping. With all of its activities, you can easily fill one day here. It will give you the chance to have new experiences.

With live music and food around the cultural historic town of Santa Fe, there's plenty to do. Anyone can find something fun to do here. Make sure you visit the old town while you're here. But since there are so many activities, you'll likely want to spend more than one day exploring.

A weekend in Greenville or Santa Fe?

Greenville is a popular place that is full of things to see and experience. If you have a weekend, this city makes for a great vacation. While some people choose to spend more or less time in Greenville, a weekend is sufficent for most. Take your pick from the many activities offered here.

With food and shopping around the destination of Santa Fe, there's plenty to do. Most visitors spend time around the old town while in the area. It offers something for everyone. Many people spend a weekend here. In a weekend, you should have a good grasp of this historic town.


Five days in Greenville or Santa Fe?

Greenville is a popular choice for travelers. Five days is usually plenty of time to spend here with extra days to spare. With this much time, visitors often visit nearby destinations or take day trips. The entire region has so many activities, and you'll want time to do everything.

Santa Fe, a popular historic town, is full of activities for travelers. This is a popular place to visit for five days. Visiting the old town is also a must. In five days, you should have a good grasp of this historic town. Your budget might influence how long you stay.

A week in Greenville or Santa Fe?

Greenville is a great place to explore. One week is more than enough time to enjoy everything. Take some day trips to nearby places to fill the extra days. This city offers something for everyone.

Santa Fe is a popular place that is full of things to see and experience. One week is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.


For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to United States of America, The Best Tours for Seniors to United States of America, The Best Contiki Tours to United States of America, and The Best G Adventures Tours to United States of America.


Which place is cheaper, Santa Fe or Greenville?

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

  • Greenville Prices
    USA Prices
    Santa Fe Prices
    USA Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Greenville $0.00
    Santa Fe $190

The average daily cost (per person) in Greenville is $0.00, while the average daily cost in Santa Fe is $190. 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 Greenville and Santa Fe in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Greenville -
    Santa Fe $81
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Greenville $0.00
    Santa Fe $162
Compare Hotels in Greenville and Santa Fe

Looking for a hotel in Greenville or Santa Fe? 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 Greenville


Hotels in Santa Fe


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.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Greenville Hotel Prices and Santa Fe Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Greenville $158
    Santa Fe $61

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Greenville

Also for Greenville, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Greenville-Spartanburg Airport (GSP) to Greenville - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $174
  • Greenville-Spartanburg Airport (GSP) to Greenville - Arrival Private Transfer: $87
  • Greenville to Greenville-Spartanburg Airport (GSP) - Departure Private Transfer: $87

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Fe

Also for Santa Fe, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • New Mexico: Private Transfer from Santa Fe Regional Airport: $196

Is it cheaper to fly into Greenville or Santa Fe?

Prices for flights to both Santa Fe and Greenville 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
    Greenville $37
    Santa Fe $75
Typical Food Prices in Greenville

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Greenville:


  • Marble Slab Creamery (for 2)
    $9.00

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santa Fe

For Santa Fe, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • New Mexican Flavors Food Tour of the Santa Fe Plaza: $187
  • Wander New Mexico Food Tour - Downtown Plaza 'Sip & Savor': $209
  • Santa Fe Farmers Market & Railyard Food Tour: $213
  • Savor Wine Pairing Dinner: $234
  • Downtown Plaza "Sip and Savor" Half-day Food Tour: $239

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Greenville $25
    Santa Fe $17

Tours and Activities in Greenville

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Greenville.

  • Epic Royalty Themed Scavenger Hunt Adventure in Greenville: $10
  • Greenville Bites and Sights Lunch Tour: $95
  • Greenville City Segway Tour: $75
  • Greenville Craft Cocktail Tour: $120
  • Greenville Haunted Bar Tour: $35
  • 2-Hour Cocktail Tour: $109
  • 2-Hour Dessert Tour: $90
  • Bites and Sights Guided Walking Tour: $95
  • Downtown Helicopter Tour: $110
  • Helicopter Tour of Lake Robinson and Mountains: $275
  • Saturday Morning Breakfast Tour: $90
  • Scenic Helicopter Tour Over Swamp Rabbit Trail: $165

Tours and Activities in Santa Fe

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santa Fe.

  • 2 Hour Pottery Experience (Wheel or Hand-Building): $160
  • Allan Houser Sculpture Garden and Studio Tour: $35
  • Downtown Santa Fe Walking Wine, History, & Tapas Tour: $249
  • Murder Mystery Detective Experience in Santa Fe NM: $15
  • Plaza Sip, Savor, & History Walking Tour in Santa Fe: $189
  • Private 2.5h Walking Tour to Discover Santa Fe: $185
  • Private Festive Tour of Santa Fe’s Christmas Highlights: $349
  • Private Walking Tour of Santa Fe’s Historic Sites: $866
  • Railyard Sip, Savor, & History Walking Tour in Santa Fe: $159
  • Santa Fe Architectural Walking Tour: $136
  • Santa Fe Art and History Small Group Bike Tour: $135
  • Santa Fe Botanical Garden General Admission Ticket : $17

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Greenville -
    Santa Fe $9.68

Sample the Local Flavors in Santa Fe

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Santa Fe:

  • Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery Tour and Tasting: $18
  • Architectural Walking Tour & Wine Tasting: $135
  • Join in Wine Tours: $145


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Greenville and Santa Fe, we can see that Santa Fe is more expensive. And not only is Greenville much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Greenville would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Greenville 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 Santa Fe would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santa Fe than you might in Greenville.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Greenville Expensive? and Is Santa Fe Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Greenville or Santa Fe?

Santa Fe has a larger population, and is about 25% larger than the population of Greenville. When comparing the sizes of Greenville and Santa Fe, 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.