Should you visit Durham or Fairfield?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Durham and Fairfield can help you decide which place is right for you.
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.
Fairfield
The city of Fairfield is in Solano County, California, in the Sacramento Valley area. It's a medium sized city that is home to the Travis Air Force Base. It's also halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento along Interstate 80. There are a handful of interesting activities in the area. Consider visiting either the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area or the Hill Slough Wildlife Area both of which have hiking, fishing, birdwatching, and boating opportunities. You can also take a tour of the Jelly Belly Factory which is in town, or tour the Anheuser-Busch Brewery which includes two complimentary beers and a limitless supply of pretzels. On Thursdays you can take a guided tour of the Travis Air Force Base. If you're interested in visited a working ranch, Rush Ranch is open to the public and can be a fun experience with an opportunity to visit with the animals.
Which city is cheaper, Fairfield or Durham?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Durham is $130, while the average daily cost in Fairfield 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 Durham and Fairfield in more detail.
Accommodation
Durham's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is $146. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is $73.
Travelers usually pay around $154 for a double occupancy room in Fairfield If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
On average, meal and food prices in Durham cost around $35 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around $14.
While meal prices in Fairfield can vary, the average travelers spends about $24 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Fairfield should cost around $9.60 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Fairfield is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
Durham $35
Fairfield $24
Typical Food prices in Fairfield
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Fairfield:
Local Transportation
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $26 per day to get around in Durham.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Durham
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Durham:
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Private Transfer from Durham to Manchester Airport (MAN):
$407
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Durham to Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU) - Departure Private Transfer:
$139
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Fairfield
Also for Fairfield, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Airport Transfer To OR From Fairfield in Sedan:
$197
Is it cheaper to fly into Durham or Fairfield?
Prices for flights to both Fairfield and Durham 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
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $21 per person, per day in Durham. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
In Fairfield, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $10 per person, per day.
Tours and Activities in Durham
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Durham are as follows:
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Trolley Pub Public Tour of Durham:
$41
Tours and Activities in Fairfield
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Fairfield.
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Private Whitewater Rafting Experience with San Francisco Pickup:
$692
Alcohol
The average person spends about $27 on alcoholic beverages in Durham per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Durham and Fairfield, we can see that Durham is more expensive. And not only is Fairfield much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Fairfield would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Fairfield 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 Fairfield.
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