A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Port-au-Prince vs. Charleston for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Port-au-Prince or Charleston?

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 Port-au-Prince and Charleston. 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: Port-au-Prince or Charleston?

Port-au-Prince

Port-au-Prince is the capital city and most-populous city of Haiti. The metropolitan area is divided into several districts with access to a number of landmarks and museums, as well as a lively cultural scene.

Charleston

Charleston is a beautiful, southern city and seaport town in South Carolina. It has a wonderful, historic downtown area that the city government works hard to maintain. Located on a peninsula that is created by two rivers, the city is a stunning setting with much character. It is a popular place to visit for its culture, architecture and cuisine. In recent years Charleston has gained popularity and it continues to grow as both a regional and international travel destination. With its rising popularity comes increasing costs. Travel costs continue to go up as restaurants and hotels raise their prices, particularly during the peak travel season and holiday periods.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Los Angeles, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to United States of America.


Which place is cheaper, Charleston or Port-au-Prince?

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

  • Port-au-Prince Prices
    Haiti Prices
    Charleston Prices
    USA Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Port-au-Prince $31
    Charleston $212

The average daily cost (per person) in Port-au-Prince is $31, while the average daily cost in Charleston is $212. 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 Port-au-Prince and Charleston in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Port-au-Prince $22
    Charleston $90
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Port-au-Prince $44
    Charleston $180
Compare Hotels in Port-au-Prince and Charleston

Looking for a hotel in Port-au-Prince or Charleston? 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 Port-au-Prince


Hotels in Charleston


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: Charleston Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Port-au-Prince $4.77
    Charleston $33

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Charleston

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Charleston:

  • Charleston Airport (CHS) to Charleston city - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $268
  • Charleston city to Charleston Airport (CHS) - Departure Private Transfer: $134
  • One Way Airport Transfer Service: $80
  • Folly Beach to Charleston Airport (CHS) - Departure Private Transfer: $147
  • From Boone Hall Plantation Entry with Transfers: $71
  • Kiawah/Seabrook Islands to Charleston Airport (CHS) – Departure Private Transfer: $208
  • Private Transfer from Charleston Airport (CHS) to Charleston Port: $134

Is it cheaper to fly into Port-au-Prince or Charleston?

Prices for flights to both Charleston and Port-au-Prince 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
    Port-au-Prince $6.45
    Charleston $100

Typical Food Prices in Charleston

Some typical examples of dining costs in Charleston are as follows:


  • Lunch in downtown Charleston for two
    $21
  • Breakfast
    $26

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Charleston

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Charleston.

  • Charleston Sunset Blues & BBQ Dinner Cruise: $72
  • Hands-on Cooking Class in Charleston: $89
  • Tastes Through Time - Charleston's Best Food Tour!: $96
  • Tastes Through Time - Charleston's Best Food Tour: $98
  • Charleston Harbor Luxury Dinner Cruise with Live Music: $100
  • Charleston French Quarter or Brunch Food Tour with 7+ Tastings: $110
  • Downtown Charleston Food Tour: $110
  • Small Group Food Tour – Savor the Flavors: $111
  • Savor the Flavors Upper King Street Food Tour: $111
  • Luxury Harbor Dinner Cruise: $111
  • Historic Downtown Food Tour: $112
  • 3-Hour Secret Food Tour: $116

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Port-au-Prince $0.76
    Charleston $22

Typical Entertainment Prices in Charleston

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Charleston are as follows:


  • Patriots Point (for 2)
    $60

Tours and Activities in Charleston

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Charleston are as follows:

  • Charleston Self-Guided Ghost Tour in 12 Languages: $5.00
  • Charleston's Haunted Ghost Tour - Solo Smart Phone Guided Tour: $6.75
  • Charleston Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $7.78
  • Charleston Self Guided Audio Experience: $9.00
  • Self-Guided "The French Quarter Charleston" Solo Walking Tour: $9.75
  • Charleston Self Guided Walking Tour: $9.75
  • Window into American History: A Self-guided Charleston Audio Tour: $9.99
  • Charleston Self Guided Ghost Tour in 12 Languages: $10
  • Charleston Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour: $13
  • South Carolina Audio Tour: Charleston Audio Tour Adventure: $15
  • 300 Years of War and Peacetime in A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
  • Charleston Water Taxi Cruise with Dolphin Sighting: $17

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Port-au-Prince $0.20
    Charleston $36

Sample the Local Flavors in Charleston

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

  • Charleston Bar Hunt: Charleston Chase Bar Crawl: $13
  • Striped Pig Distillery Tour and Tasting: $22
  • Spirits & Spirits Haunted Pub Crawl: $29
  • Charleston Women and Wine Tour: $34
  • Women and Wine Tour: $34
  • Charleston Haunted Pub Crawl: $35
  • Bay Street Bastards Pub Crawl: $35
  • Haunted Pub Crawl for the Broken-Hearted: $35
  • Bay Street Bastards Pub Crawl Shared Tour in Charleston : $35
  • Haunted Pub Crawl for the Broken-Hearted: $35
  • Speakeasy Sagas Prohibition Pub Crawl: $35
  • 108 Elemental Presents Spirits & Spirits: Pub Crawl w/ Adam Miles: $36


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Port-au-Prince and Charleston, we can see that Charleston is more expensive. And not only is Port-au-Prince much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Port-au-Prince is in Caribbean Islands and Charleston is in North America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Port-au-Prince would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Port-au-Prince 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 Charleston would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Charleston than you might in Port-au-Prince.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Port-au-Prince Expensive? and Is Charleston Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Port-au-Prince or Charleston?

Port-au-Prince has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Charleston. When comparing the sizes of Port-au-Prince and Charleston, 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.