Which place is cheaper, Bonaire or Rapid City?
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 Rapid City or Bonaire?
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 Rapid City and Bonaire can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Rapid City or Bonaire?
Rapid City
Rapid City is a large city in western South Dakota that is considered the gateway to the Black Hills National Forest. Rapid City is often used as a base for all types of outdoor activities, including tours to the infamous Mount Rushmore and surrounding parks. The city has a budding art scene and offers the perfect combination of a metropolitan city surrounded by stunning natural scenery. Rapid City experiences the best weather from June-September with temperatures in the 70's and 80's Fahrenheit. Temperatures drop to the low 20's F in the winter and the area receives the most rain pour in April and May.
Bonaire
An island municipality of the Netherlands, Bonaire resides in the Caribbean, east of Central America and north of Venezuela. It is a part of the ABC Islands together with Aruba and Curaçao, and is best known as a tropical vacation destination with many great dive spots, beaches, lagoons, and wildlife.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to United States of America, and The Best Tours for Seniors to United States of America.
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Rapid City Prices
USA PricesBonaire Prices
Caribbean Netherlands Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRapid City $133Bonaire $299
The average daily cost (per person) in Rapid City is $133, while the average daily cost in Bonaire is $299. 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 Rapid City and Bonaire in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRapid City $60Bonaire $155
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRapid City $120Bonaire $310
Compare Hotels in Rapid City and Bonaire
Looking for a hotel in Rapid City or Bonaire? 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.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Rapid City Hotel Prices and Bonaire Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Rapid City $53Bonaire $65
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bonaire
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bonaire:
- Private Transfers between Bonaire airport and any local address : $40
- Private Transfer from Kralendijk Port to Bonaire Airport (BON): $59
- Private Transfer from Kralendijk Cruise Port to Kralendijk city : $59
- Airport Transfer Return Included: $80
Is it cheaper to fly into Rapid City or Bonaire?
Prices for flights to both Bonaire and Rapid City 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 dayRapid City $41Bonaire $101
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rapid City
For Rapid City, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Roller Coaster Tickets with Dinner and Show in Rapid City: $81
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bonaire
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bonaire.
- Dinner at Sea: $95
- Discover the Flavors of Bonaire with the Bonaire Snack Food Tour: $130
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Rapid City $26Bonaire $40
Tours and Activities in Rapid City
For Rapid City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Mount Rushmore Self-Guided Audio Tour Guide : $15
- Mount Rushmore Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour: $15
- Black Hills Self Guided Driving Audio Tour: $20
- Mount Rushmore Theodore Roosevelt and Badlands Self-Guided Tour: $33
- Pinnacle Zipline Tour in Keystone: $125
- Guided Tour with Journey Museum Admission: $148
- Rapid City Shared Tour: $148
- From Mt. Rushmore Memorial Tour: $148
- Mount Rushmore Memorial Shared Tour from Rapid City, South Dakota: $148
- Black Hills Tour with Monument Tour: $179
- From Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup Tour: $185
- Mt Rushmore Night Ceremony and Tour - with Tunnels and Stargazing: $189
Tours and Activities in Bonaire
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bonaire are as follows:
- 2 Hours Private Kitesurfing Adventure: $265
- 4 Hours Open Air Party Bus Tour with Beach Stop in Caribbean: $39
- 4 hour Individual Island Tour for 1 to 12 persons: $180
- Aquaspace Sunset Sail and Snorkel Tour on Bonaire with Diner: $130
- Bonaire Cave Tour: Walk, Climb & Swim: $75
- Bonaire CaveTour Climb, Snorkel & Explore the Hidden Gems : $83
- Bonaire Essentials Island Tour: $49
- Bonaire Landsailing Adventures: $79
- Bonaire Shore Excursion: The Bonaire Highlights Tour: $83
- Bonaire island adventure: $110
- Discover Scuba Diving Experience: $164
- North & South Highlights Guided Group Tour: $100
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRapid City $6.93Bonaire $33
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Rapid City and Bonaire, we can see that Bonaire is more expensive. And not only is Rapid City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Rapid City is in North America and Bonaire is in Caribbean Islands, 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 Rapid City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Rapid City 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 Bonaire would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bonaire than you might in Rapid City.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Rapid City Expensive? and Is Bonaire Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Rapid City or Bonaire?
Rapid City has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Bonaire. When comparing the sizes of Rapid City and Bonaire, 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.