A Travel Price Comparison for North Carolina Asheville vs. Durham for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Asheville or Durham?

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 Asheville and Durham. 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.

Asheville

Asheville is a beautiful mountain town between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains. It's a popular tourist destination in western North Carolina that attracts hikers, shoppers, and adventurers alike. It's the largest city in the area and is famous for it's liberal mindset and large art community. Local crafts are frequently available for sale in the downtown shops.

Durham

Durham is a city in central North Carolina with about 230,000 residents. Together with Raleigh and Chapel Hill, it forms the Research Triangle area. Durham is often referred to as the "City of Medicine" and is home to the famous Duke University.

Durham's history is rooted in tobacco. The Duke family established American Tobacco, which controlled 90% of all cigarette production in the US during the second half of the 19th century. The family donated money to Trinity College, which changed its name to Duke University in 1924.

Today much of Durham's economy is centered around the university and Research Triangle Park. The area has many technology and pharmaceutical jobs and the economy continues to grow.

Which city is cheaper, Durham or Asheville?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Asheville is $106, while the average daily cost in Durham is $130. 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 city. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Asheville and Durham in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Asheville $71
    Durham $73
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Asheville $142
    Durham $146

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Asheville $11
    Durham $26

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Durham

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Durham:

  • Durham to Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU) - Departure Private Transfer: $139
  • Private Transfer from Durham to Manchester Airport (MAN): $407

Is it cheaper to fly into Asheville or Durham?

Prices for flights to both Durham and Asheville 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Asheville $26
    Durham $35
Typical Food prices in Asheville

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Asheville:


  • Biltmore Estate Entrance Fee
    $60

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Asheville $13
    Durham $21
Typical Entertainment prices in Asheville

Here are a few typical costs in Asheville for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Massage
    $40

Tours and Activities in Asheville

Here are a few actual costs in Asheville for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Asheville tip-based sightseeing Walking Tour with Donut & Spirits/Beer Tastings: $5.00
  • Asheville Scavenger Hunt: Downtown Asheville Adventure: $12
  • Asheville Scavenger Hunt Adventure: $21
  • Asheville Night-Time Walking Ghost Tour: $21
  • Asheville Night-Time Guided Walking Ghost Tour (1 or 1.5-Hour Options Available): $21
  • 1-Hour Haunted Walking Ghost Tour: $22
  • Asheville Literary Tour: $30
  • Asheville Insider Guided Walking Tour: $30
  • Asheville Private Guided Bird Watching Tour: $41
  • North Carolina Arboretum Running Tour in Asheville: $45
  • French Broad River Kayak Tour in Asheville: $55
  • 2-Hour Guided Segway Tour of Asheville: $68

Tours and Activities in Durham

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Durham are as follows:

  • Trolley Pub Public Tour of Durham: $41

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Asheville $13
    Durham $27

Sample the Local Flavors in Asheville

Also in Asheville, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Downtown Asheville Guided Brewery Walking Tour: $38
  • Private Adventure Brews Cruise Brewery Tours in Asheville (Up To 5 Breweries): $1,013

About these numbers

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Asheville and Durham, we can see that Durham is more expensive. And not only is Asheville much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Asheville would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Asheville 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 Durham would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Durham than you might in Asheville.

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Asheville vs. Durham Travel Comparison

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