The average price of a 7-day trip to San Luis Obispo is $1,955 for a solo traveler, $3,511 for a couple, and $6,582 for a family of 4. San Luis Obispo hotels range from $77 to $349 per night with an average of $105, while most vacation rentals will cost $240 to $600 per night for the entire home. Average worldwide flight costs to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) are between $576 and $815 per person for economy flights and $1,807 to $2,557 for first class. Depending on activities, we recommend budgeting $65 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 Luis Obispo, CA, US
On average, these will be the cheapest dates to fly to SBA and stay in a San Luis Obispo hotel:
- January 8th to March 4th
- April 16th to May 13th
- August 13th to November 18th (except the week of October 15th)
The absolute cheapest time to take a vacation in San Luis Obispo is usually late January.
Average San Luis Obispo Trip Costs
Average Solo Traveler
The average cost for one person to visit San Luis Obispo for a week is $1,366-$2,952($195-$422 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $65 to $136 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $383 to $668 for economy
Lodging: $88 to $149 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room
or $182 to $222 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Average Couple’s Trip
The average cost for a couple to visit San Luis Obispo for a week is $2,590-$4,866($370-$695 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $130 to $272 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $766 to $1,336 for economy
Lodging: $88 to $149 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room
or $182 to $222 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Average Family Vacation
The average cost for 4 people to visit San Luis Obispo for a week is $4,408-$8,478($630-$1,211 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $260 to $544 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,532 to $2,672 for economy
Lodging: $176 to $298 per night for two 2 or 3-star hotel rooms
or $291 to $333 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental
Traveling Cheap to San Luis Obispo
How cheap can you make a vacation to San Luis Obispo? The cheapest trip to San Luis Obispo is about $137 per person per day for travelers willing to take standby flights, deal with inconvenience, and otherwise limit travel expenses. About 0% of rentals are available in the $0 to $100 range for an entire place, and vacation rentals can be booked for as low as $180 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 $62.
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 Luis Obispo for a week is $958-$2,394($137-$342 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $29 to $58 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $383 to $668 for economy
Lodging: $62 to $77 per night for one 1-star hotel room
or $180 to $220 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Budget Couple’s Trip
The lowest cost for a couple to visit San Luis Obispo for a week is $1,544-$3,468($221-$495 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $58 to $116 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $766 to $1,336 for economy
Lodging: $62 to $77 per night for one 1-star hotel room
or $180 to $220 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Budget Family Vacation
The lowest cost for 4 people to visit San Luis Obispo for a week is $3,088-$6,276($441-$897 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $116 to $232 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,532 to $2,672 for economy
Lodging: $124 to $154 per night for two 1-star hotel rooms
or $252 to $330 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental
Overall it is very difficult to travel to San Luis Obispo cheaply.
The Cost of a Luxury San Luis Obispo 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 Luis Obispo.
Luxury Solo Traveler
The high-end price for one person to visit San Luis Obispo for a week is $3,288-$11,503($470-$1,643 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $117 to $258 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,149 to $1,777 for first class
Lodging: $220 to $349 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room
or $600 to $1,320 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Luxury Couple’s Trip
The high-end price for a couple to visit San Luis Obispo for a week is $5,256-$15,086($751-$2,155 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $234 to $516 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $2,298 to $3,554 for first class
Lodging: $220 to $349 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room
or $600 to $1,320 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Luxury Family Vacation
The high-end price for 4 people to visit San Luis Obispo for a week is $10,512-$26,212($1,502-$3,745 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $468 to $1,032 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $4,596 to $7,108 for first class
Lodging: $440 to $698 per night for two 4 or 5-star hotel rooms
or $900 to $1,980 per night for a preferred vacation rental
San Luis Obispo Hotel Prices
The cost of staying in San Luis Obispo is much higher than the average city. On average hotels are less expensive than vacation rentals. Luxury vacation rentals are more expensive in San Luis Obispo 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 Luis Obispo 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 Luis Obispo 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 Luis Obispo.
Flight Costs to San Luis Obispo
Averaging flights around the world, prices go from a high of $815 average in late July to a low of $576 in late January. Median flight price is $527. These prices are based on millions of flights. For San Luis Obispo our data includes 291 originating airports, and 81 airlines. The area has average variance in price compared with other locations. Flying to San Luis Obispo from an airport like Shevchenko (SCO) in Aktau (Kazakhstan) for an average $6,991 trip fare will obviously cost a lot more than from an airport like Salt Lake City International (SLC) in Salt Lake City, UT (the United States) at an average of just $189.
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 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 Luis Obispo, the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive week is about $240, so you can easily save about 42% 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 Luis Obispo can easily cost $430 per person or more, while a standard nice meal might be about $29 per person. Private tours can cost $869 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.