MTC comparison
San Francisco or Las Vegas for a January week?
Choose San Francisco for neighbourhoods, the bay and food; choose Las Vegas for resorts and shows. Desert outings such as the Grand Canyon are not part of the modelled examples: they are excluded and need their own budget. Both sets use the same dates, party and room basis and are priced in US dollars, so they can be read side by side.
Scope, dates and party
These are dated ground-cost illustrations for two adults sharing one room, six nights over seven days, 19–25 January 2027. Hotel prices are public room-table observations from 2 October 2026, not checkout quotes. Flights, visas, insurance and regional trips are excluded. They are not bookable and not year-round ranges or calculator defaults.
What is specific to this budget
- Hotel prices in both cities are gross table prices that say taxes and charges are included, counted once. In Las Vegas that includes resort fees; at the San Francisco Hilton a destination fee is unknown, not zero.
- Restaurants: San Francisco adds a disclosed 5% surcharge and an 8.625% sales-tax provision; Las Vegas adds an 8.375% sales-tax provision. Voluntary tips are excluded in both.
- Breakfast is credited only at Hampton in San Francisco. No Las Vegas breakfast is credited, because Treasure Island's offer terms were not confirmed.
Trade-offs
San Francisco's January weather is cool and can be wet; Las Vegas is dry with cold nights. The San Francisco offers allow free cancellation only within 24 hours of booking; Las Vegas terms vary from non-refundable to cancellation a few days before arrival.
Dated ground cost side by side
Basket A at each named hotel, same party and dates, flights excluded. Samples 1–3 follow each city's observed room-price order only; they are not matched quality tiers, and the hotels in a row are not equivalents. Scopes differ, so read the full itemised examples on each cost guide before deciding.
| Hotel sample | San Francisco | Las Vegas — Strip base |
|---|---|---|
| Sample 1 | Handlery Union Square2,836.84 USD202.63 USD per person per ground daySubtotal before any tax reserve: 2,836.84 USD (no reserve added). No separate tax reserve is added because the dated public table says taxes and charges are included; the displayed gross total is counted once. This is not a claim that every tax or fee is covered or that the checkout bill is reconciled: unlisted mandatory fees are unknown, not zero. All three offers allow free cancellation only within 24 hours of booking — not until arrival. Restaurant prices carry the disclosed 5% surcharge and an 8.625% sales-tax provision. Qualified illustration, not a checkout quote: hotel prices are dated public room-table observations in whole currency units; deposits and unlisted extras are unknown, not zero. Hotels are listed by observed room price alone, not quality. The observed price reflects a 7% discount displayed on 2 October 2026, which is not guaranteed. Deposits are unknown. Room only: all 14 breakfasts use the MTC allowance. | Excalibur2,499.86 USD178.56 USD per person per ground daySubtotal before any tax reserve: 2,499.86 USD (no reserve added). No separate tax reserve is added because the dated public table says taxes and charges are included; the displayed gross total is counted once. This is not a claim that every tax or fee is covered or that the checkout bill is reconciled: unlisted mandatory fees are unknown, not zero. Observed gross prices already include resort fees and taxes, so no second resort fee is added. Refundable deposits and card holds are not consumed costs and are excluded. No gambling, rental car, parking or Grand Canyon trip is included. Qualified illustration, not a checkout quote: hotel prices are dated public room-table observations in whole currency units; deposits and unlisted extras are unknown, not zero. Hotels are listed by observed room price alone, not quality. A Strip-area hotel, not Fremont Street/Downtown. The 50 USD per day incidental card authorization is a hold, not a consumed cost, and no fixed six-day hold is assumed. Room only: all 14 breakfasts use the MTC allowance. |
| Sample 2 | Hampton Inn San Francisco Downtown/Convention Center2,988.84 USD213.49 USD per person per ground daySubtotal before any tax reserve: 2,988.84 USD (no reserve added). No separate tax reserve is added because the dated public table says taxes and charges are included; the displayed gross total is counted once. This is not a claim that every tax or fee is covered or that the checkout bill is reconciled: unlisted mandatory fees are unknown, not zero. All three offers allow free cancellation only within 24 hours of booking — not until arrival. Restaurant prices carry the disclosed 5% surcharge and an 8.625% sales-tax provision. Qualified illustration, not a checkout quote: hotel prices are dated public room-table observations in whole currency units; deposits and unlisted extras are unknown, not zero. Hotels are listed by observed room price alone, not quality. A city hotel, not an SFO airport hotel. Its refundable 75 USD deposit is not a consumed cost and is excluded. Breakfast for two is included, so 12 breakfasts are credited once and two outside breakfasts are budgeted. | Horseshoe Las Vegas3,198.86 USD228.49 USD per person per ground daySubtotal before any tax reserve: 3,198.86 USD (no reserve added). No separate tax reserve is added because the dated public table says taxes and charges are included; the displayed gross total is counted once. This is not a claim that every tax or fee is covered or that the checkout bill is reconciled: unlisted mandatory fees are unknown, not zero. Observed gross prices already include resort fees and taxes, so no second resort fee is added. Refundable deposits and card holds are not consumed costs and are excluded. No gambling, rental car, parking or Grand Canyon trip is included. Qualified illustration, not a checkout quote: hotel prices are dated public room-table observations in whole currency units; deposits and unlisted extras are unknown, not zero. Hotels are listed by observed room price alone, not quality. A Strip-area hotel. Its 150 USD refundable deposit is excluded from the consumed budget. Room only: all 14 breakfasts use the MTC allowance. |
| Sample 3 | Hilton San Francisco Union Square3,431.84 USD245.13 USD per person per ground daySubtotal before any tax reserve: 3,431.84 USD (no reserve added). No separate tax reserve is added because the dated public table says taxes and charges are included; the displayed gross total is counted once. This is not a claim that every tax or fee is covered or that the checkout bill is reconciled: unlisted mandatory fees are unknown, not zero. All three offers allow free cancellation only within 24 hours of booking — not until arrival. Restaurant prices carry the disclosed 5% surcharge and an 8.625% sales-tax provision. Qualified illustration, not a checkout quote: hotel prices are dated public room-table observations in whole currency units; deposits and unlisted extras are unknown, not zero. Hotels are listed by observed room price alone, not quality. The hotel's current official amenities page states no destination-fee amount, while older listings conflict. The observed gross price is kept; whether any destination fee is added must be reconfirmed — it is unknown, not zero, and no guessed amount or food-and-beverage credit is used. Room only: all 14 breakfasts use the MTC allowance. | Treasure Island TI Las Vegas – Handwritten Collection3,493.86 USD249.56 USD per person per ground daySubtotal before any tax reserve: 3,493.86 USD (no reserve added). No separate tax reserve is added because the dated public table says taxes and charges are included; the displayed gross total is counted once. This is not a claim that every tax or fee is covered or that the checkout bill is reconciled: unlisted mandatory fees are unknown, not zero. Observed gross prices already include resort fees and taxes, so no second resort fee is added. Refundable deposits and card holds are not consumed costs and are excluded. No gambling, rental car, parking or Grand Canyon trip is included. Qualified illustration, not a checkout quote: hotel prices are dated public room-table observations in whole currency units; deposits and unlisted extras are unknown, not zero. Hotels are listed by observed room price alone, not quality. The dated offer mentions breakfast for two, but its eligibility and voucher terms were not confirmed, so NO breakfast is credited: all 14 breakfasts are budgeted until that is confirmed. A separate official free-breakfast promotion is member- and date-restricted and is not assumed. Its 100 USD refundable deposit is excluded. |
Compiled and totalled by My Travel Choices (MTC) from the dated sources credited with each example. Research estimates, not bookable offers. How we build these examples · Cite this guide
Next steps
- Place guide: San Francisco · Itemised cost guide: San Francisco
- Place guide: Las Vegas — Strip base · Itemised cost guide: Las Vegas — Strip base
- San Francisco trip cost guide
- Las Vegas — Strip base trip cost guide