The average price of a 7-day trip to San Diego is $1,886 for a solo traveler, $3,387 for a couple, and $6,350 for a family of 4. San Diego hotels range from $80 to $267 per night with an average of $126, while most vacation rentals will cost $250 to $610 per night for the entire home. Average worldwide flight costs to San Diego International Airport (SAN) are between $681 and $1,080 per person for economy flights and $2,137 to $3,389 for first class. Depending on activities, we recommend budgeting $56 to $127 per person per day for transportation and enjoying local restaurants.
See below for average, budget, and luxury trip costs. You can also look up flight costs from your airport for more tailored flight pricing.
The Cheapest Times to Visit San Diego, CA, US
On average, these will be the cheapest dates to fly to SAN and stay in a San Diego hotel:
- January 15th to March 4th
- April 16th to May 6th
- August 6th to November 18th
The absolute cheapest time to take a vacation in San Diego is usually mid to late September.
Average San Diego Trip Costs
Average Solo Traveler
The average cost for one person to visit San Diego for a week is $1,349-$3,044($193-$435 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $56 to $127 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $405 to $907 for economy
Lodging: $92 to $133 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room
or $171 to $208 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Average Couple’s Trip
The average cost for a couple to visit San Diego for a week is $2,698-$5,186($385-$741 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $112 to $254 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $810 to $1,814 for economy
Lodging: $92 to $133 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room
or $171 to $208 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Average Family Vacation
The average cost for 4 people to visit San Diego for a week is $4,292-$9,056($613-$1,294 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $224 to $508 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,620 to $3,628 for economy
Lodging: $184 to $266 per night for two 2 or 3-star hotel rooms
or $274 to $312 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental
Traveling Cheap to San Diego
How cheap can you make a vacation to San Diego? The cheapest trip to San Diego is about $104 per person per day for travelers willing to take standby flights, deal with inconvenience, and otherwise limit travel expenses. About 1% of rentals are available in the $0 to $100 range for an entire place, and vacation rentals can be booked for as low as $21 per night. These inexpensive rentals must be booked as early as possible and may not be in the most desirable areas. 1-star hotels are more likely to be available, with rooms starting at around $67.
Even cheaper trips are possible depending on where you live and whether you can drive. Check the cheapest times to fly for more saving ideas.
Budget Solo Traveler
The lowest cost for one person to visit San Diego for a week is $727-$1,779($104-$254 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $28 to $56 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $405 to $907 for economy
Lodging: $67 to $80 per night for one 1-star hotel room
or $21 to $41 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Budget Couple’s Trip
The lowest cost for a couple to visit San Diego for a week is $1,328-$3,078($190-$440 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $56 to $112 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $810 to $1,814 for economy
Lodging: $67 to $80 per night for one 1-star hotel room
or $21 to $41 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Budget Family Vacation
The lowest cost for 4 people to visit San Diego for a week is $2,578-$6,156($368-$879 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $112 to $224 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,620 to $3,628 for economy
Lodging: $134 to $160 per night for two 1-star hotel rooms
or $29 to $62 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental
Overall it is very difficult to travel to San Diego cheaply.
The Cost of a Luxury San Diego Trip
There is no true ceiling on the cost of a luxury trip, so our estimates are based on what most people do in San Diego.
Luxury Solo Traveler
The high-end price for one person to visit San Diego for a week is $2,760-$11,009($394-$1,573 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $101 to $267 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,045 to $2,186 for first class
Lodging: $168 to $267 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room
or $610 to $1,159 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Luxury Couple’s Trip
The high-end price for a couple to visit San Diego for a week is $4,512-$15,064($645-$2,152 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $202 to $534 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $2,090 to $4,372 for first class
Lodging: $168 to $267 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room
or $610 to $1,159 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Luxury Family Vacation
The high-end price for 4 people to visit San Diego for a week is $9,024-$26,654($1,289-$3,808 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $404 to $1,068 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $4,180 to $8,744 for first class
Lodging: $336 to $534 per night for two 4 or 5-star hotel rooms
or $976 to $1,739 per night for a preferred vacation rental
San Diego Hotel Prices
The cost of staying in San Diego is much higher than the average city. On average hotels are less expensive than vacation rentals. Luxury vacation rentals are more expensive in San Diego due to very high property costs. The graphs below show how much cost can vary depending on the type of experience you’re looking for.
San Diego Lodging Cost by Star Status
The average price for the class of hotel is on the (y) axis. The hotel class (out of 5 stars) is on the (x) axis.
Key
Prices are based on San Diego hotel averages and may not reflect current prices. In some cases, we extrapolate prices to estimate costs, and hotels with your desired star rating may not be available.
Vacation Rental Prices
The percent of vacation rentals in the price range is on the left (y) axis. Price range is on the bottom (x) axis.
Key
There are a healthy amount of vacation rentals serving all budgets in San Diego.
Flight Costs to San Diego
Averaging flights around the world, prices go from a high of $1,080 average in late July to a low of $681 in mid to late September. Median flight price is $695. These prices are based on millions of flights. For San Diego our data includes 886 originating airports, and 145 airlines. The area has more variance in price compared with other locations. Flying to San Diego from an airport like U-Tapao Pattaya International (UTP) in Utapao (Thailand) for an average $7,081 trip fare will obviously cost a lot more than from an airport like Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International (SJC) in San Jose, CA (the United States) at an average of just $128.
Average Flight Cost by Season
Key
Average Flight Cost by Day of Week
Key
The cheapest day to fly in is typically Tuesday, and the cheapest day to fly back is usually Tuesday. Click here to see data for the cost of flights from your airport. In San Diego, the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive week is about $399, so you can easily save about 59% simply by using our free flight guides and booking in advance.
Daily Expenses Budget
Daily vacation expenses vary more based on what you’re interested in doing. A fine dining restaurant with drinks around San Diego can easily cost $420 per person or more, while a standard nice meal might be about $28 per person. Private tours can cost $834 per day, but self-guided tours to see the outdoor sights can be free. Costs vary wildly, so recommendations are made based on the cost of living and averages we see for this type of vacation.