For many, California is a dream destination. You see it in films, books, songs and more. But for many, the high price tag that comes with a California dream vacation may make it seem out of reach. However, it’s not. We’re here to help you with some strategies for budgeting your trip and choosing destinations that will help you to keep your trip on budget. But don’t worry, we’ll also give you some suggestions of where to splurge to still have that idyllic California vacation. We break it all down below with a full California trip cost from our most recent trip.
How Much Does A California Trip Cost?
Expect a trip to California to cost around $225/person/day. This would be a mid-range vacation with mostly cheap hotels, lots of outdoor activities and delicious food – or at least that is how we would distribute those funds.
However, keep in mind that a California trip cost can vary widely depending on where in the state you want to go. Bigger cities and more popular tourist destinations are wildly expensive. So places like Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Napa and Big Sur are outrageously expensive. However, California is also huge and has lots of off the beaten path areas that are cheaper. So visits to Redwood National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Northern California, Sequoia National Park and Death Valley can be very budget friendly.
Paying For Things In California
Make sure to bring your credit cards to California. That is the most common method of payment. There are some smaller towns that prefer cash payments but credit is accepted almost everywhere. So we would suggest limiting the amount of cash you bring – to limit the amount of potential theft too.
Remember that tipping culture is prevalent in California. So for activities like guided tours make sure to tip your guide 15-20%. The same is true of servers at sit-down restaurants. These two industries rely heavily on tips and failure to tip is considered insulting.
However, virtually all other industries may also “suggest” tips for you when checking out – seriously there was a line for a tip at a store selling cheese and crackers. Tips in other service based industries are appreciated but not required – we generally just round up to the nearest dollar. If you are not from the U.S., you may not be used to this – but you really do not need to tip at stores, fast food places (including coffee shops) or hotels.
Also, make sure to factor in city taxes. Different cities have different tax rates and larger cities tend to be more heavily taxed. Tax is anywhere from 7-10%. Generally, this is assessed a checkout so prices listed don’t reflect this tax.
California Transportation Budget
First, you have to get to California. There are lots of major airports in California. Which means you can actually find a deal on a flight if you’re flexible. So track those flights! You can usually find domestic flights for under $500/person.
We think the best way to travel California is via a wonderful road trip. So you’ll need a car rental. Plan on paying around $50/day for a car rental.
Then, you’ll have to pay for gas. Expect to pay about $5/gallon for gas. Gas in California is usually higher than other areas in the U.S.
When you are in large cities – ditch the car and use ride shares. Parking in large cities is expensive. Expect to pay upwards of $40/day for parking. Taxis are also wildly expensive in California. Ride share apps usually offer a significant cost savings. You could also get around on your feet for free. The other option in large cities is to use public transit, the efficiency of which varies depending on city. So budget between $0-50/day for transportation in big cities.
Tips For Saving Money
The best tips we can give you for saving money on transportation is to get a small compact car. This will get you around all of the top California tourist destinations. The money savings come two-fold. First, you’ll save on your rental fee. Second, small cars get better gas milage and gas in California is EXPENSIVE – like the most expensive in the United States.
If you’d like to save on gas, lots of gas stations offer a cash discount. We found this discount to be between 8-10 cents/gallon.
Next, be flexible with your dates. California is a popular tourist destination with both international and local travelers. So if you are willing to travel during less popular times you can get better deals on flights and accommodations.
California Accommodations Budget
The average California hotel room costs about $240/night. Home rentals in California are slightly cheaper around $180/night. Campsites are even cheaper at around $45/night.
Make sure to book accommodations early if you want to save money. The nice AND cheap places are always the first to get booked.
Tips For Saving Money
We normally love suggesting camping as a way to save money. And that is still true in California, a majority of the time. However, camping in California is so much more expensive than anywhere else we’ve ever camped. Campsites also book up far in advance – like 6 months in advance. However, despite the need to pay the (comparatively) high price tag and book so far in advance, this is still the cheapest way to stay overnight in California.
There are also hostels in larger cities that you can stay in for $40-80/night. This is another economical way to travel.
However, when staying in a large cities, hotels will be the cheapest/most convenient option. You can often find good deals on hotels in business districts during the weekends and in tourist districts during the week. If you visit in the off season too, hotels will often throw in complimentary breakfast coupons.
Home rentals are also a way to reduce your California trip cost. This is a great option in smaller cities where housing prices aren’t as outrageous. Home rentals in San Francisco and Los Angeles are insanely expensive – don’t even bother.
California Food Budget
Food costs in California average about $48/person/day. We nailed that food cost on the head!
While we normally love to help people save money – we never recommend skimping on food. However, we like to skimp on 1-2 meals a day so that we can splurge on 1-2 meals a day. Sure we ate some picnic lunches a few days and had oatmeal for breakfast. But we also went wild in culinary capitals where meals were amazing.
Don’t forget to budget 15-20% for each sit-down meal for a tip.
Tips For Saving Money
We saved money on food in California a few ways. First, we tried to find accommodations that included breakfast. Second, when we exploring wild and remote areas, like Death Valley and Redwoods, we packed picnics. Shopping in grocery stores is much cheaper than eating out and can be very useful when visiting places with limited restaurants.
We also stayed in a few places with kitchens. Making your own dinners can be a way to save money. We spent $40 on groceries that paid for 6 breakfasts and 4 lunches for two people. Fruits and vegetables are very inexpensive in California, which is cheaper than most of the United States.
If you are eating out, consider sharing food. Most mid-range restaurants have large portions. So when we order out, we often eat one appetizer and one main dish and split them between the two of us.
California Activities Budget
Honestly, California has so many free things to do, you don’t need to budget a single dollar for activities. However, the average person spends $60/day on activities in California.
Tips For Saving Monday
The best way to save money on activities is to plan your California trip to places that have free or cheap activities. California is home to tons of National Parks. You can get an America The Beautiful Pass that will get you entry into ALL NATIONAL PARKS for a year for just $80. Once in the parks – you shouldn’t need to spend another dollar on entertainment.
However, wilderness areas aren’t the only places you can have a good time for close to nothing. Large cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco actually have tons to see for free! Don’t forget free walking tours of cities and – our favorite – people watching.
If you do want to spend money on fancy smancy attractions in big cities, look for bundle deals. Lots of cities have city passes that get you in to multiple popular attractions all for one slightly discounted price. However, make sure you will get your monies worth if you purchase a bundle. Often, they are only cost effective if you do all of the activities included.
Our Actual 2023 California Trip Cost – Adjusted For 2024
We spent 10 days in California in June. And we booked our trip last minute – clearly we can’t follow our own money saving advice. Here is what we would have spent to do the exact same trip in 2024, booking four months in advance:
- Accommodations – $1870
- Activities – $540 (though we spent far more on wine to take home)
- Transportation – $1700
- Food – $865
So for a grand total California trip cost of $4975, we spent 10 days road tripping. This is the most expensive trip we’ve taken in the United States at an average of about $500/day for two people. Okay, this is not the most budget friendly trip, but we think if you follow our tips above – which we didn’t always do – you can save a few dollars. If we had booked this farther in advance, we could have cut back about $300 in hotel expenses. Additionally, we would have eliminated about $150 of activities we did if we’d done a better job of planning ahead. So we think we could have had a comfortable 10 day California vacation for $4455.
We hope this has helped you to budget your own California vacation. We know that California wants you to “dream big” but we want your budget and your dreams to align. And we hope this has helped. For some suggested itineraries, check out our California travel page here.
