A Travel Price Comparison for North Carolina Chapel Hill vs. New Bern for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Chapel Hill or New Bern?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Chapel Hill or New Bern? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill is a college town in North Carolina that, together with Raleigh and Durham, makes up the Research Triangle area. The town is 28 miles northwest of Raleigh and 12 miles southwest of Durham. Chapel Hill dates back to 1819 when it was founded to support the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. With a population of just over 52,000, Chapel Hill has the vibe of a small college town with the amenities of a larger community. It's proximity to both Raleigh and Durham give it an economic boost that provides economic diversity and security.

New Bern

New Bern is a town in the coastal region of North Carolina. The town, which has a population of about 30,000, is the county seat of Craven County. It sits at the confluence of the Trent and Neuse Rivers close to the North Carolina coast, although there is no coastline in town. The town makes a nice daytrip from Raleigh, which is 112 miles away, and Wilmington, which is 87 miles away. It's also 162 miles from Norfolk, Virginia.

Which city is cheaper, New Bern or Chapel Hill?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Chapel Hill is $131, while the average daily cost in New Bern is $112. 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 Chapel Hill and New Bern in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Chapel Hill $76
    New Bern $61
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Chapel Hill $152
    New Bern $122

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Chapel Hill $27
    New Bern $27

Is it cheaper to fly into Chapel Hill or New Bern?

Prices for flights to both New Bern and Chapel Hill 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
    Chapel Hill $39
    New Bern $33

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Chapel Hill $14
    New Bern $21

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Chapel Hill $32
    New Bern $24

About these numbers

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

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Chapel Hill vs. New Bern Travel Comparison

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