Which place is cheaper, California or South Carolina?
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 South Carolina or California?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between South Carolina and California can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: South Carolina or California?
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.
California
California is the most populous state in the U.S. and is known for a variety of attractions such as Hollywood, warm beaches, the San Francisco bay area, Redwood trees, national parks, and stunning mountain vistas. With a variety of locations and activities to offer, California has become one of the premier travel destinations in the world.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to United States of America, The Best Wildlife Tours to United States of America, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in United States of America, and The Best Historical Tours in United States of America.
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South Carolina Prices
USA PricesCalifornia Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySouth Carolina $242California $284
The average daily cost (per person) in South Carolina is $242, while the average daily cost in California is $284. 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 South Carolina and California in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSouth Carolina $96California $116
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSouth Carolina $192California $232
Compare Hotels in South Carolina and California
Looking for a hotel in South Carolina or California? 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.South Carolina $33California $42
Hired Cars and Shuttles in South Carolina
Some specific examples of transportation prices in South Carolina:
- Private Transfer from Charleston Airport (CHS) to Charleston Port: $134
- Private Departure Transfer to Myrtle Beach Airport (MYR): $36
- Private Arrival Transfer from Myrtle Beach Airport MYR: $36
- Kiawah/Seabrook Islands to Charleston Airport (CHS) – Departure Private Transfer: $208
- 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
- Folly Beach to Charleston Airport (CHS) - Departure Private Transfer: $147
- Charleston city to Charleston Airport (CHS) - Departure Private Transfer: $134
- Charleston Airport (CHS) to Charleston city - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $268
Hired Cars and Shuttles in California
Also for California, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- San Francisco Airport Transfer to SFO City (Special Offer): $31
- Private Arrival Transfer from John Wayne Orange County Airport SNA: $32
- Los Angeles Airport LAX Transfer to Long Beach Hollywood Irvine: $33
- Private Departure Transfer San Fransisco City to SFO Airport: $34
- Shared ride Arrival Transfer John Wayne airport to Anaheim hotels: $36
- Shared Airport Departure Transfer Anaheim and Orange County to John Wayne Airport: $36
- Los Angeles to Los Angeles Airport (LAX) - Departure Private Transfer: $41
- Private Transfer Anaheim Resort From or To Los Angeles : $45
- Los Angeles Airport (LAX) to Anaheim - Arrival Private Transfer: $46
- Private Transfer- San Francisco Airport (SFO) to Cruise Terminal: $49
- Private Transfer from San Francisco Airport (SFO): $54
- Los Angeles Airport(LAX): Private Transfer to/from Disneyland: $55
Is it cheaper to fly into South Carolina or California?
Prices for flights to both California and South Carolina 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 daySouth Carolina $88California $79
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in California
For California, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Santa Monica Delicious Donut Adventure and Walking Food Tour: $70
- 2 Hour Ravioli Cooking Class With Local Chef in San Diego : $75
- Pirates Dinner Adventure Buena Park: $76
- Carlsbad Food Tour and Wine Tasting: $84
- San Francisco North Beach & Chinatown Food Tour with 5 Tastings: $85
- North Park San Diego Walking Food Tour: $85
- Downtown Los Angeles Food Tour: $89
- The Immigrant & Historic Businesses of Silver Lake Food Tour: $89
- Little Italy Food and Drink Walking Tour: Pizza, Pasta & Piazzas: $90
- San Francisco Food Tour: Ferry Building and Ferry Plaza Farmers Market: $95
- San Diego Gaslamp Food Tour with 6 Modern Californian Tastings: $95
- Encinitas Food Tour: $96
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.South Carolina $25California $69
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
Tours and Activities in California
For California, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- San Francisco Uncovered Self-Guided Adventure: $3.59
- Self-Guided Walking Tour in Los Angeles' Best-Kept Secrets: $3.59
- Self-Guided Golden Gate Bridge Bike or Walking App Tour: $5.00
- Self-Guided San Diego Walking or Bicycle Tour App: $5.00
- Missing Gem Quest Experience in Morgan Hill: $5.95
- Santa Monica Superhero Exploration Game and Tour: $5.96
- Avalon City: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- The Ghosts of San Francisco Haunted Audio App Walking Tour: $6.99
- Hollywood Boulevard’s Haunting History and Hidden Gems: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- Los Angeles Downtown Scavenger Hunt Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $7.20
- Pasadena Puzzle Adventure: Stop the Bomb!: $7.20
- LA Little Tokyo to Olvera St Smartphone (App/GPS) Walking Tour: $7.50
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySouth Carolina $30California $21
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
Sample the Local Flavors in California
Also in California, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt: Long Beach Boss Bar Crawl: $12
- Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt: Slammin' San Diego Bar Crawl: $13
- Scavenger Adventure and Lake Tahoe Bar Crawl: $15
- Palm Springs Bar Crawl: $15
- Santa Monica Bar Crawl: $15
- Vintner's Private Wine Tasting Experience: $20
- San Francisco Pub Crawl + Clubbing Experience: $27
- Paso Robles Aria (Syrah Dominant) Flight Wine Tasting : $30
- Paso Robles Sonata(Red Blend) Flight Wine Tasting : $30
- Hillcrest: LGBTQ+ Pub Crawl with Local Drag Queen: $35
- San Francisco Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl : $36
- LA Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $36
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between South Carolina and California, we can see that California 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 California would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in California 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 South Carolina Expensive? and Is California Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, South Carolina or California?
California has a larger population, and is about 9 times larger than the population of South Carolina. When comparing the sizes of South Carolina and California, 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.