- Study looked at the biggest US cities to discover most and least affordable travel destinations.
- Oklahoma City is the most affordable destination for US city breaks.
- New York City is the most expensive US vacation destination.
With travel restrictions meaning more Americans than ever are choosing to vacation close to home, travel experts have revealed the most affordable and most expensive US vacation destinations to inspire your next trip!
The study looked at the biggest cities in the country to discover which were the most affordable, based on factors such as food and drink, the cost of a hotel and transportation.
Top 10 most affordable destinations in the US
| Rank | City | Beer | Wine | Restaurant meal | Taxi (1km fare) | One-way local transport ticket | Nightly hotel price (weekend) | Vacation affordability score /10 |
| 1 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | $3.00 | $12.00 | $11.50 | $1.65 | $2.00 | $106 | 8.58 |
| 2 | Indianapolis, Indiana | $3.50 | $10.97 | $15.00 | $1.24 | $1.75 | $179 | 8.00 |
| 3 | Tucson, Arizona | $4.00 | $12.00 | $14.00 | $1.37 | $1.75 | $134 | 7.96 |
| 4 | Memphis, Tennessee | $4.50 | $10.00 | $15.00 | $1.49 | $1.75 | $172 | 7.87 |
| 5 | San Antonio, Texas | $3.60 | $12.00 | $15.00 | $1.52 | $1.50 | $161 | 7.77 |
| 6 | Houston, Texas | $5.00 | $12.00 | $15.00 | $1.44 | $1.25 | $136 | 7.73 |
| 7 | Fort Worth, Texas | $3.00 | $12.00 | $15.00 | $1.12 | $2.50 | $145 | 7.70 |
| 8 | Louisville, Kentucky | $5.50 | $10.00 | $15.00 | $1.43 | $1.75 | $162 | 7.67 |
| 9 | Orlando, Floria | $4.00 | $11.00 | $15.00 | $1.49 | $2.00 | $160 | 7.65 |
| 10 | Raleigh, North Carolina | $5.00 | $12.50 | $15.00 | $1.40 | $1.25 | $134 | 7.62 |
The study found Oklahoma City to be the most affordable destination for US city breaks. The city was the cheapest for half of the factors analyzed, costing just $3 for a beer, $11.50 for a meal in a restaurant, and $106 for a night in a hotel! If you’re fascinated by the Old West, then Oklahoma City is a must-visit, where you can visit the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, try your hand at roping and herding cattle and riding horses at a ranch, or take in a rodeo!
Indianapolis is another extremely affordable city to visit, ranking second place. Transportation is particularly cheap, with a one-way ticket on local transport costing just $1.75, and a 1km taxi fare averaging at $1.24. Followed by Tuscon, a popular choice for those wishing to visit the Saguaro National Park and one of the cheapest cities to visit!
Top 5 most expensive destinations in the US
| Rank | City | Beer | Wine | Restaurant meal | Taxi (1km fare) | One-way local transport ticket | Nightly hotel price (weekend) | Vacation affordability score /10 |
| 1 | New York City, New York | $7.81 | $15.00 | $20.00 | $1.86 | $2.75 | $309 | 2.56 |
| 2 | San Francisco, California | $7.50 | $15.00 | $20.00 | $1.86 | $3.00 | $231 | 3.07 |
| 3 | Boston, Massachussetts | $7.00 | $15.00 | $20.00 | $1.86 | $2.63 | $273 | 3.16 |
| 4 | Brooklyn, New York | $7.00 | $15.00 | $17.00 | $1.55 | $2.75 | $280 | 3.76 |
| 5 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | $5.00 | $15.00 | $15.00 | $3.42 | $2.50 | $244 | 3.94 |
As one of the most popular tourist destinations, not just in the US but in the world, it’s little surprise to see that New York City is also the most expensive US vacation destination, whilst neighboring Brooklyn ranks 4th place. NYC was the most expensive city for four of the six metrics looked at: a beer ($7.81), bottle of wine ($15), restaurant meal ($20), and hotel stay ($309 per night).
Another hugely popular city takes second place, with San Francisco matching New York when it comes to some prices and not far behind on most others. As well as being a very popular destination due to its landmarks and architecture, the city is also one of the highest-earning in the US, which also drives prices up for visitors.
