The average price of a 7-day trip to Southern California is $1,821 for a solo traveler, $3,271 for a couple, and $6,131 for a family of 4. Southern California hotels range from $71 to $324 per night with an average of $119, while most vacation rentals will cost $210 to $510 per night for the entire home. Average worldwide flight costs to Ontario International Airport (ONT) are between $843 and $1,318 per person for economy flights and $2,645 to $4,136 for first class. Depending on activities, we recommend budgeting $64 to $101 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 Southern California, CA, US
On average, these will be the cheapest dates to fly to ONT and stay in a Southern California hotel:
- January 15th to March 4th
- April 16th to April 29th
- May 14th to May 27th
- August 13th to November 18th
The absolute cheapest time to take a vacation in Southern California is usually early to mid September.
Average Southern California Trip Costs
Average Solo Traveler
The average cost for one person to visit Southern California for a week is $1,629-$2,793($233-$399 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $64 to $101 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $533 to $1,120 for economy
Lodging: $108 to $161 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room
or $111 to $135 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Average Couple’s Trip
The average cost for a couple to visit Southern California for a week is $3,230-$5,016($461-$717 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $128 to $202 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,066 to $2,240 for economy
Lodging: $108 to $161 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room
or $111 to $135 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Average Family Vacation
The average cost for 4 people to visit Southern California for a week is $4,926-$9,240($704-$1,320 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $256 to $404 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $2,132 to $4,480 for economy
Lodging: $216 to $322 per night for two 2 or 3-star hotel rooms
or $167 to $189 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental
Traveling Cheap to Southern California
How cheap can you make a vacation to Southern California? The cheapest trip to Southern California is about $121 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 $57.
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 Southern California for a week is $848-$1,924($121-$275 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $27 to $54 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $533 to $1,120 for economy
Lodging: $57 to $71 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 Southern California for a week is $1,570-$3,422($224-$489 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $54 to $108 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,066 to $2,240 for economy
Lodging: $57 to $71 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 Southern California for a week is $3,092-$6,844($442-$978 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $108 to $216 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $2,132 to $4,480 for economy
Lodging: $114 to $142 per night for two 1-star hotel rooms
or $34 to $62 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental
Overall it is very difficult to travel to Southern California cheaply.
The Cost of a Luxury Southern California Trip
There is no true ceiling on the cost of a luxury trip, so our estimates are based on what most people do in Southern California.
Luxury Solo Traveler
The high-end price for one person to visit Southern California for a week is $3,311-$10,165($473-$1,452 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $134 to $212 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,359 to $2,867 for first class
Lodging: $169 to $324 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room
or $510 to $969 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Luxury Couple’s Trip
The high-end price for a couple to visit Southern California for a week is $5,608-$14,516($801-$2,074 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $268 to $424 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $2,718 to $5,734 for first class
Lodging: $169 to $324 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room
or $510 to $969 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Luxury Family Vacation
The high-end price for 4 people to visit Southern California for a week is $11,216-$26,704($1,602-$3,815 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $536 to $848 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $5,436 to $11,468 for first class
Lodging: $338 to $648 per night for two 4 or 5-star hotel rooms
or $816 to $1,550 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Southern California Hotel Prices
The cost of staying in Southern California is much higher than the average city. On average hotels are less expensive than vacation rentals. Luxury vacation rentals are more expensive in Southern California 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.
Southern California 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 Southern California 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 Southern California.
Flight Costs to Southern California
Averaging flights around the world, prices go from a high of $1,318 average in late July to a low of $843 in early to mid September. Median flight price is $743. These prices are based on millions of flights. For Southern California our data includes 767 originating airports, and 130 airlines. The area has average variance in price compared with other locations. Flying to Southern California from an airport like Krabi (KBV) in Krabi (Thailand) for an average $9,613 trip fare will obviously cost a lot more than from an airport like Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) in Phoenix, AZ (the United States) at an average of just $223.
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 Southern California, the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive week is about $475, so you can easily save about 56% 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 Southern California can easily cost $400 per person or more, while a standard nice meal might be about $27 per person. Private tours can cost $808 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.