The average price of a 7-day trip to San Francisco is $2,348 for a solo traveler, $4,217 for a couple, and $7,906 for a family of 4. San Francisco hotels range from $82 to $357 per night with an average of $147, while most vacation rentals will cost $280 to $610 per night for the entire home. Average worldwide flight costs to Metropolitan Oakland International Airport (OAK) are between $872 and $1,729 per person for economy flights and $2,736 to $5,426 for first class. Depending on activities, we recommend budgeting $51 to $136 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 Francisco, CA, US
On average, these will be the cheapest dates to fly to OAK and stay in a San Francisco hotel:
- January 15th to March 18th
- August 6th to November 18th
The absolute cheapest time to take a vacation in San Francisco is usually mid to late September.
Average San Francisco Trip Costs
Average Solo Traveler
The average cost for one person to visit San Francisco for a week is $1,589-$3,822($227-$546 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $51 to $136 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $524 to $1,556 for economy
Lodging: $118 to $155 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room
or $179 to $219 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Average Couple’s Trip
The average cost for a couple to visit San Francisco for a week is $3,166-$6,676($452-$954 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $102 to $272 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,048 to $3,112 for economy
Lodging: $118 to $155 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room
or $179 to $219 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Average Family Vacation
The average cost for 4 people to visit San Francisco for a week is $4,940-$12,006($706-$1,715 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $204 to $544 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $2,096 to $6,224 for economy
Lodging: $236 to $310 per night for two 2 or 3-star hotel rooms
or $269 to $329 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental
Traveling Cheap to San Francisco
How cheap can you make a vacation to San Francisco? The cheapest trip to San Francisco is about $125 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 $73.
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 Francisco for a week is $874-$2,496($125-$357 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $32 to $64 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $524 to $1,556 for economy
Lodging: $73 to $82 per night for one 1-star hotel room
or $21 to $61 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Budget Couple’s Trip
The lowest cost for a couple to visit San Francisco for a week is $1,622-$4,500($232-$643 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $64 to $128 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,048 to $3,112 for economy
Lodging: $73 to $82 per night for one 1-star hotel room
or $21 to $61 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Budget Family Vacation
The lowest cost for 4 people to visit San Francisco for a week is $3,196-$9,000($457-$1,286 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $128 to $256 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $2,096 to $6,224 for economy
Lodging: $146 to $164 per night for two 1-star hotel rooms
or $34 to $98 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental
Overall it is very difficult to travel to San Francisco cheaply.
The Cost of a Luxury San Francisco 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 Francisco.
Luxury Solo Traveler
The high-end price for one person to visit San Francisco for a week is $3,256-$13,822($465-$1,975 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $92 to $272 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,514 to $4,232 for first class
Lodging: $183 to $357 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room
or $610 to $1,281 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Luxury Couple’s Trip
The high-end price for a couple to visit San Francisco for a week is $5,414-$19,958($773-$2,851 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $184 to $544 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $3,028 to $8,464 for first class
Lodging: $183 to $357 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room
or $610 to $1,281 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Luxury Family Vacation
The high-end price for 4 people to visit San Francisco for a week is $10,828-$35,302($1,547-$5,043 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $368 to $1,088 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $6,056 to $16,928 for first class
Lodging: $366 to $714 per night for two 4 or 5-star hotel rooms
or $854 to $1,793 per night for a preferred vacation rental
San Francisco Hotel Prices
The cost of staying in San Francisco is much higher than the average city. On average hotels are less expensive than vacation rentals. Luxury vacation rentals are more expensive in San Francisco 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 Francisco 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.
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Prices are based on San Francisco 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.
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There are a healthy amount of vacation rentals serving all budgets in San Francisco.
Flight Costs to San Francisco
Averaging flights around the world, prices go from a high of $1,729 average in late July to a low of $872 in mid to late September. Median flight price is $929. These prices are based on millions of flights. For San Francisco our data includes 1,132 originating airports, and 162 airlines. The area has more variance in price compared with other locations. Flying to San Francisco from an airport like Avalon (AVV) in Avalon (Australia) for an average $12,150 trip fare will obviously cost a lot more than from an airport like Phoenix – Mesa Gateway (AZA) in Phoenix, AZ (the United States) at an average of just $176.
Average Flight Cost by Season
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Average Flight Cost by Day of Week
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The cheapest day to fly in is typically Wednesday, 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 Francisco, the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive week is about $857, so you can easily save about 98% 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 Francisco can easily cost $480 per person or more, while a standard nice meal might be about $32 per person. Private tours can cost $960 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.