Which place is cheaper, North Carolina or Florida?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Florida or North Carolina?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Florida and North Carolina. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Florida or North Carolina?
Florida
The state of Florida, known for sunshine, warm weather, beaches, and Disney World, has much to offer. Orlando and its world-famous parks such as Disney, Epcot, Universal Studios, MGM, Sea World, and more draw massive amounts of visitors every year, and for a good reason. Florida is more than just Disney, however, the state has many other attractions and cities worth visiting.
North Carolina
North Carolina is a diverse state in the southern United States. The state has a variety of landscapes, with mountains, forests, and beaches all represented. The state's elevation ranges from sea level to 6,684 feet on Mount Mitchell, which is the highest point in North America east of the Mississippi. There are large cosmopolitan cities like Charlotte, and there are quaint college towns like Chapel Hill. North Carolina is the nineth most populous state in the country and the economy is currently centered around engineering, energy, biotechnology, and finance. Historically, the state's economy developed from the tobacco, textile, and furniture making industries.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to United States of America, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Las Vegas, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Anchorage, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Los Angeles.
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Florida Prices
USA PricesNorth Carolina Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayFlorida $296North Carolina $215
The average daily cost (per person) in Florida is $296, while the average daily cost in North Carolina is $215. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Florida and North Carolina in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personFlorida $135North Carolina $112
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomFlorida $270North Carolina $224
Compare Hotels in Florida and North Carolina
Looking for a hotel in Florida or North Carolina? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Florida $46North Carolina $36
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Florida
Also for Florida, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Airport Departure Transfer To Sarasota (SRQ) Airport: $24
- Private Airport Arrival Transfer From Sarasota (SRQ) Airport: $24
- Private Transfer Miami Airport MIA or Port to Miami Hotel / Beach: $25
- Sarasota–Bradenton Intl. Airport (SRQ) to Sarasota - Arrival Private Transfer: $27
- Private Departure Transfer to Fort Myers Southwest Florida Airport RSW: $28
- Private Arrival Transfer from Fort Myers Southwest Florida Airport RSW: $28
- Private Transfer to Orlando Airport (MCO): $29
- Private Transfer from Orlando Airport (MCO): $29
- Private transfer: From Tampa to airport and vice versa : $30
- Private Transfer from Southwest Airport (RSW) to Fort Meyers: $31
- Naples to Southwest Florida Airport (RSW) - Departure Private Transfer: $31
- Southwest Airport (RSW) to Fort Meyers downtown - Arrival Private Transfer: $31
Is it cheaper to fly into Florida or North Carolina?
Prices for flights to both North Carolina and Florida change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayFlorida $104North Carolina $75
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Florida
For Florida, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- 1 Hour of Chocolate Pizza Making Class in Jacksonville: $20
- Italian Buffet Dinner Cruise Aboard the Barbara Lee Paddlewheeler: $40
- St. Johns River Lunch and Dinner Cruises in Sanford, Florida: $43
- Palafox Palete Food Tour: $50
- Historical Walking Food Tour in Calle 8 : $50
- Daytona Beach: Luau with Polynesian Dinner and Live Show: $53
- Polynesian Fire and Dinner Show Ticket in Daytona Beach: $53
- Fort Lauderdale Intracoastal & Dinner Cruise: $64
- Little Havana Street Food Tour with Enthusiastic Guide: $69
- Orlando Polynesian Fire Luau and Dinner Show Experience: $75
- A Taste of South Beach Food Tour: $75
- Pasta Making Cooking Class With Local Chef in Orlando: $75
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Florida $62North Carolina $25
Tours and Activities in Florida
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Florida.
- The Palmetto Pioneers: A Self-Guided Monticello Walking Tour: $5.00
- Little Havana Smartphone guided Audio App Solo Walking Tour: $6.75
- Ghost Hunt in Orlando: Quest Experience: $7.16
- Pensacola's Famous Ghosts Smartphone Guided App Walking Tour: $7.75
- Wynwood Art Walk Self-Guided Tour of Murals & Creativity: $7.99
- St Augustine Haunted History: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.99
- Historic Ybor City Self Guided Audio Tour: $7.99
- Hemingway's Key West Self Guided Walking Audio Tour: $8.00
- 20 Minutes Chocolate & Candy Factory Tour in Jacksonville: $8.00
- Key West Pirate Exploration Game and Tour: $8.99
- Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Miami: $9.55
- Self-Guided Haunted Ghost Walking Audio Tour in St. Augustine: $9.75
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayFlorida $31North Carolina $29
Sample the Local Flavors in Florida
Also in Florida, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Tampa Bar Hunt: Tampa Takeover Bar Crawl: $12
- Fort Lauderdale Bar Crawl: $15
- Saint Petersburg Bar Crawl: $15
- Naples Bar Crawl Experience: $15
- Orlando Bar Crawl: Orlando's Magical Nightlife Bar Crawl: $15
- Miami Florida Bar Crawl: $15
- Key West Bar Crawl: $15
- Tallahassee Bar Crawl: $15
- Walking Ghost Tour Pub Crawl - Boos with Booze : $20
- Walking Pub Tour : $21
- St Petersburg Distillery Tour and Tasting Experience: $25
- The Tour and Wine Tasting Experience at Aspirations Winery: $25
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Florida and North Carolina, we can see that Florida is more expensive. And not only is North Carolina much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to North Carolina would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in North Carolina and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Florida would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Florida than you might in North Carolina.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Florida Expensive? and Is North Carolina Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, Florida or North Carolina?
Florida has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of North Carolina. When comparing the sizes of Florida and North Carolina, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.