The average price of a 7-day trip to Santa Monica is $2,174 for a solo traveler, $3,905 for a couple, and $7,320 for a family of 4. Santa Monica hotels range from $131 to $437 per night with an average of $228, while most vacation rentals will cost $200 to $1000 per night for the entire home. Average worldwide flight costs to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) are between $666 and $1,156 per person for economy flights and $2,090 to $3,628 for first class. Depending on activities, we recommend budgeting $84 to $187 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 Santa Monica, CA, US
On average, these will be the cheapest dates to fly to LAX and stay in a Santa Monica hotel:
- January 15th to March 18th
- August 13th to December 9th (except the week of November 26th)
The absolute cheapest time to take a vacation in Santa Monica is usually early to mid September.
Average Santa Monica Trip Costs
Average Solo Traveler
The average cost for one person to visit Santa Monica for a week is $1,771-$3,536($253-$505 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $84 to $187 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $391 to $925 for economy
Lodging: $154 to $217 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room
or $132 to $162 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Average Couple’s Trip
The average cost for a couple to visit Santa Monica for a week is $3,300-$6,232($471-$890 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $168 to $374 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $782 to $1,850 for economy
Lodging: $154 to $217 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room
or $132 to $162 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Average Family Vacation
The average cost for 4 people to visit Santa Monica for a week is $5,182-$11,540($740-$1,649 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $336 to $748 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,564 to $3,700 for economy
Lodging: $308 to $434 per night for two 2 or 3-star hotel rooms
or $211 to $227 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental
Traveling Cheap to Santa Monica
How cheap can you make a vacation to Santa Monica? The cheapest trip to Santa Monica is about $116 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 $20 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 $108.
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 Santa Monica for a week is $812-$2,306($116-$329 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $43 to $85 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $391 to $925 for economy
Lodging: $108 to $131 per night for one 1-star hotel room
or $20 to $50 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Budget Couple’s Trip
The lowest cost for a couple to visit Santa Monica for a week is $1,504-$3,826($215-$547 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $86 to $170 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $782 to $1,850 for economy
Lodging: $108 to $131 per night for one 1-star hotel room
or $20 to $50 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Budget Family Vacation
The lowest cost for 4 people to visit Santa Monica for a week is $2,936-$7,652($419-$1,093 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $172 to $340 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,564 to $3,700 for economy
Lodging: $216 to $262 per night for two 1-star hotel rooms
or $28 to $70 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental
Overall it is very difficult to travel to Santa Monica cheaply.
The Cost of a Luxury Santa Monica Trip
There is no true ceiling on the cost of a luxury trip, so our estimates are based on what most people do in Santa Monica.
Luxury Solo Traveler
The high-end price for one person to visit Santa Monica for a week is $3,847-$15,222($550-$2,175 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $160 to $337 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $903 to $2,063 for first class
Lodging: $304 to $437 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room
or $1,000 to $1,800 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Luxury Couple’s Trip
The high-end price for a couple to visit Santa Monica for a week is $5,870-$19,644($839-$2,806 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $320 to $674 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,806 to $4,126 for first class
Lodging: $304 to $437 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room
or $1,000 to $1,800 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Luxury Family Vacation
The high-end price for 4 people to visit Santa Monica for a week is $11,740-$33,888($1,677-$4,841 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $640 to $1,348 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $3,612 to $8,252 for first class
Lodging: $608 to $874 per night for two 4 or 5-star hotel rooms
or $1,500 to $2,700 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Santa Monica Hotel Prices
The cost of staying in Santa Monica is much higher than the average city. On average hotels are less expensive than vacation rentals. Luxury vacation rentals are more expensive in Santa Monica 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.
Santa Monica 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 Santa Monica 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 Santa Monica.
Flight Costs to Santa Monica
Averaging flights around the world, prices go from a high of $1,156 average in late July to a low of $666 in early to mid September. Median flight price is $704. These prices are based on millions of flights. For Santa Monica our data includes 1,415 originating airports, and 237 airlines. The area has more variance in price compared with other locations. Flying to Santa Monica from an airport like Frankfurt Hahn (HHN) in Hahn (Germany) for an average $8,149 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 $115.
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 Santa Monica, the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive week is about $490, so you can easily save about 74% 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 Santa Monica can easily cost $640 per person or more, while a standard nice meal might be about $43 per person. Private tours can cost $1281 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.