Should you visit Clearwater or Virginia Beach?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Clearwater and Virginia Beach. 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. So, let's dig into it.
Clearwater
Clearwater is a city in Florida's Tampa Bay area known for its sunny weather and gulf coast beaches. Its most famous beach (Clearwater Beach) is located on a barrier island with white sands and crystal waters - a perfect setting for activities such as fishing, sailing, kayaking, jet skiing, dolphin and sunset tours, parasailing, and more.
Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach sits on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay. It's a popular beach destination and has many of the characteristics of most southeastern beach towns. There are many activities that you can enjoy and there's a concrete boardwalk that runs parallel to the water for about three miles. The boardwalk is a fun place to walk or bicycle. The beach itself is wide and sandy and is a great place to soak up some sun. During the summer months and school holidays it can get quite crowded and you might struggle to find a place for your towel and beach chairs. There are also many beach side resorts that line the water front. Most have pools and hot tubs where you can relax and some hotels have indoor pools as well, which can be nice during the cool winter months.
Which city is cheaper, Virginia Beach or Clearwater?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Clearwater is $241, while the average daily cost in Virginia Beach is $104. 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. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Clearwater and Virginia Beach in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $208 for a double occupancy room in Clearwater.
The prices for places to stay in Virginia Beach can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is $60, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around $120.
Food
The average traveler spends about $38 per day in Clearwater for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
Food in Virginia Beach costs travelers about $25 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
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Food
Meals for one day
Clearwater $38
Virginia Beach $25
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Clearwater is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $177 per person, per day, on local transportation in Clearwater.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Virginia Beach than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $31 on transportation in Virginia Beach on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Clearwater
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Clearwater:
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Private Transfer from Clearwater Beach to Port Canaveral:
$658
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Private Transfer from Clearwater Beach to Orlando-Sanford (SFB) Airport:
$588
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Private Transfer from Clearwater Beach to Orlando (MCO) Airport:
$453
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St. Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) to St. Petersburg - Roundtrip Private Transfer:
$147
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Clearwater Beach to Tampa Airport (TPA) - Departure Private Transfer:
$83
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St. Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) to Clearwater Beach - Arrival Private Transfer:
$75
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St.Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) to Clearwater Beach -Roundtrip Private Transfer:
$72
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Clearwater Beach to St.Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) -Departure Private Transfer:
$37
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St. Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) to St. Petersburg - Arrival Private Transfer:
$37
Typical Local Transportation prices in Virginia Beach
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Virginia Beach:
Is it cheaper to fly into Clearwater or Virginia Beach?
Prices for flights to both Virginia Beach and Clearwater 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.
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in Virginia Beach, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $17 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Clearwater
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Clearwater are as follows:
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Adventure Boat in Clearwater Beach:
$23
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Beach Cruiser Bicycle:
$15
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Boeing 737 Flight Simulator Experience:
$154
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Calypso Queen Tropical Party Buffet Cruise:
$35
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Clearwater Beach Pier 60 Tour:
$199
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Clearwater Daytime Yacht Music Cruise with Optional Dining:
$22
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Clearwater Dolphin-Watching Tour:
$27
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Clearwater Encounters with Dolphins Tour:
$20
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Clearwater Evening Yacht Cruise with Optional Dining:
$22
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Dolphin Adventure at Clearwater Beach:
$32
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Dolphin Sightseeing Tour of Clearwater Beach with Free Ice Cream:
$21
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Fantastic Helicopter Tour- Tarpon Springs, Clearwater beaches & Caladesi Island:
$162
Tours and Activities in Virginia Beach
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Virginia Beach.
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Sunset Stand Up Paddleboard Tour of Linkhorn Bay:
$41
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Wetland Zip Tour:
$61
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Sunset Dolphin Kayak Tours:
$62
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Small Group Dolphin Kayak Eco-Tour:
$62
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RIDE ALONG GREEK GODS & AQUATISM *Certified Tours*:
$75
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Tour of Virginia Beach (half day), for GROUPS of 10-16:
$499
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Tour of Virginia Beach, for GROUPS of 10-16:
$831
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All-Inclusive, Autumn Weekend Tour for GROUPS of 10-16:
$5,901
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Virginia Beach, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $8.51.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Clearwater and Virginia Beach, we can see that Clearwater is more expensive. And not only is Virginia Beach much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Virginia Beach would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Virginia Beach 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 Clearwater would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Clearwater than you might in Virginia Beach.
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