Which place is cheaper, Salt Lake City or San Juan?
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 San Juan or Salt Lake City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit San Juan or Salt Lake City? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: San Juan or Salt Lake City?
San Juan
If you've ever set foot on a Caribbean cruise, you've probably spent a bit of time in San Juan, Puerto Rico. However, maybe you should consider spending more than just a port day in this beautiful and historically rich city.
As the capital and largest city in all of Puerto Rico, San Juan is home to approximately 400,000 people. Established in 1521, it is also the second oldest European-founded settlement in the Americas.
As this city fuses a historic paradise with modern day energy, it has absolutely everything to offer. Intellectual wanderers, beach bums, rainforest adventurers and radical surfers will all find plenty to do in San Juan.
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City is the capital city of Utah and one of the largest cities in the southwest region of the US. Salt Lake sits on the border between the Rocky Mountains and Great Basin regions, making it the perfect place for outdoor activities. The city's natural beauty and resources even became the focal point for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Salt Lake experiences all four seasons, with the most popular times to visit being summer and winter. Summer, June-August, sees little rain and temperatures in the high 80's Fahrenheit. Winter, December-March, has temperatures in the 30's Fahrenheit and gets the perfect amount of snow for winter sports.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Bicycle Tours in United States of America, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in United States of America.
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San Juan Prices
Puerto Rico PricesSalt Lake City Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySan Juan $218Salt Lake City $282
The average daily cost (per person) in San Juan is $218, while the average daily cost in Salt Lake City is $282. 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 San Juan and Salt Lake City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSan Juan $124Salt Lake City $119
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSan Juan $248Salt Lake City $238
Compare Hotels in San Juan and Salt Lake City
Looking for a hotel in San Juan or Salt Lake City? 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: San Juan Hotel Prices and Salt Lake City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.San Juan $14Salt Lake City $45
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Juan
Also for San Juan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer in Puerto Rico with Minivan from Airport: $280
- Transfer from San Juan to Ponce or Ponce to San Juan: $125
- Transfer SJU Airport to Ponce and Juana Diaz. Hotels and Airbnb Vice Versa 1 Way: $260
- Transfer SJU Airport to Dorado. Hotels and Airbnb. Vice Versa One Way Trip.: $140
- Single ATV Adventure: Private Hacienda Experience with Transfer: $195
- San juan Puerto Rico PrivateTransfers Airport,Hotels,Cruise Ports: $66
- San Juan hotels to San Juan PR Cruise Port - Departure Transfer: $30
- San Juan Puerto Rico Private Transfers: $105
- San Juan Puerto Rico Cruise Port to San Juan hotels - RoundTrip Private Transfer: $120
- San Juan Port to San Juan Airport (SJU) - Departure Private Transfer: $60
- San Juan One-way Transfer - Cruise, SJU, Hotels, Airbnb: $30
- San Juan Airport (SJU) to San Juan - Arrival Private Transfer: $28
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Salt Lake City
Also for Salt Lake City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Salt Lake City Airport (SLC) to Park City hotel or address: $286
- Private Transfer from SLC to Park City UT : $286
- Private Transfer from Salt Lake City Airport (SLC) to Salt Lake City : $132
- Salt Lake City to Salt Lake City Airport (SLC) - Departure Private Transfer: $48
- Salt Lake City Airport (SLC) to Salt Lake City - Arrival Private Transfer: $48
- Private Transfer: Hotels to SLC Airport: $45
- Private Departure Transfer to Salt Lake City Airport SLC: $36
Is it cheaper to fly into San Juan or Salt Lake City?
Prices for flights to both Salt Lake City and San Juan 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 daySan Juan $62Salt Lake City $86
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Juan
For San Juan, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Authentic Flavors of San Juan Food Tour: $165
- FlyDining: Sunset & City Lights Dinner Over Old San Juan: $165
- Morning Old San Juan Food Tour: $169
- Cooking and Connecting with a Local in Puerto Rico: $173
- Savor the Sunset: Old San Juan Walking Food Tour: $179
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.San Juan $49Salt Lake City $28
Typical Entertainment Prices in San Juan
For San Juan, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Horseback Riding Tour$40
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Full Day Snorkeling Trip$100
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1 Hr Windsurfing Lesson$75
Tours and Activities in San Juan
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Juan.
- Culebra Swim with Turtles Adventure and Flamenco Beach by Ferry: $130
- El Yunque Rainforest Tour Half Day Earlybird/ Small Groups: $85
- Full-Day Tour: El Yunque, Luquillo Beach, Bio Bay Night Kayaking: $155
- Puerto Rican Food Experience: $99
- "Exclusive Tour": VIP Rum Tasting at San Juan Artisan Distillers: $150
- "Yo Soy de PfknR" Bad Bunny Party Bus Experience: $145
- 1 Hour Historical UTV Tour in San Juan: $200
- 2 Tours in 1 Day: Rainforest Waterslides & Beach Tour w/Transport: $60
- 3 Tours in 1 Day: Old San Juan, Rainforest, Beach with Transport: $75
- 30-Minute Freestyle Jet Ski Adventure in the Bay: $100
- ATV Double Rider Adventure Near San Juan - Hacienda Campo Rico: $221
- ATV Single Rider Adventure Near San Juan - Hacienda Campo Rico: $149
Tours and Activities in Salt Lake City
For Salt Lake City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 4-Day Yellowstone&Mount Rushmore Tour from Salt Lake City: $1,348
- 45 Minute Great Salt Lake Boat Tour: $39
- 8-Day Tour: LA, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone & Las Vegas: $1,399
- Antelope Island Wildlife Expedition Great Salt Lake Adventure: $99
- Bonneville Salt Flats Adventure: $149
- From 6-Day Yellowstone and Grand Teton Tour: $3,884
- From Bonneville Salt Flats Guided Tour: $149
- From Private Goblin Valley State Park Tour: $1,475
- From Yellowstone & Grand Teton 5-Day Tour: $1,368
- From Salt Lake Private Experience to Bonneville Salt Flats: $179
- Gourmet Dining Experience : $215
- Grand Teton,Yellowstone National Park 3-Day Tour from SLC: $1,016
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySan Juan $12Salt Lake City $17
Sample the Local Flavors in San Juan
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in San Juan:
- Old San Juan Bar Crawl: Experience Local Hotspots: $65
- The Pinones Pub crawl Bar crawl : $70
- Local Puerto Rican Rum Distillery Tour - Ron Pepon: $90
- Puerto Rico's First and Only Craft Beer Brewery Tour! : $99
Sample the Local Flavors in Salt Lake City
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Salt Lake City:
- Spirits of the Wasatch Distillery Tour: $20
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Juan and Salt Lake City, we can see that Salt Lake City is more expensive. And not only is San Juan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since San Juan is in Caribbean Islands and Salt Lake City 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 San Juan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Juan 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 Salt Lake City would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Salt Lake City than you might in San Juan.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is San Juan Expensive? and Is Salt Lake City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, San Juan or Salt Lake City?
San Juan has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Salt Lake City. When comparing the sizes of San Juan and Salt Lake City, 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.