Should you visit Durham or Pittsburgh?
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 Pittsburgh 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.
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is a city in western Pennsylvania at the junction of 3 rivers. Set between the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers, and a mountain ridge called Mt Washington, Pittsburgh has a unique character that is evident from the moment you arrive. Juxtaposed with the rumbling freight trains and the iconic bridges are the Bladerunner-esque self-driving Uber vehicles, scanning the roads with spinning Lidar scanners. Its Gilded Age sites, including the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the Carnegie Museum of Art, and the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, speak to its history as an early-20th-century industrial capital. In the North Shore neighborhood are the modern Andy Warhol Museum, Heinz Field football stadium, and PNC Park baseball stadium. Experiencing periods of boom and bust since its founding, the city is in a boom now, and it's a fun place to visit, with top-notch museums, great gardens and parks, and amazing food.
Which city is cheaper, Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh is $145. 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 Pittsburgh 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.
The prices for places to stay in Pittsburgh can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is $85, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around $170.
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.
Pittsburgh food costs typically run travelers around $43 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Durham $35
Pittsburgh $43
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.
Pittsburgh's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend $18 per person, per day on transportation in Pittsburgh.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Durham
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Durham:
-
Private Transfer from Durham to Manchester Airport (MAN):
$407
-
Durham to Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU) - Departure Private Transfer:
$139
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pittsburgh
Also for Pittsburgh, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Pittsburgh Departure Private Transfer to Airport:
$69
-
Pittsburgh International Airport One Way Transfer:
$80
-
Pittsburgh City to Pittsburgh Airport (PIT) - Departure Private Transfer:
$93
-
Pittsburgh Airport (PIT) to Pittsburgh hotel/address - Arrival Private Transfer:
$93
-
Pittsburgh Airport (PIT) to Pittsburgh City - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$187
Is it cheaper to fly into Durham or Pittsburgh?
Prices for flights to both Pittsburgh 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.
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Pittsburgh can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around $30 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
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
Tours and Activities in Pittsburgh
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Pittsburgh.
-
Entrance Ticket to AT BLAQK House Collections:
$5.60
-
Pittsburgh to Logstown: Discover the area's settler history on an audio tour:
$5.99
-
Pittsburgh Scavenger Hunt Experience:
$11
-
2-Hr Pittsburgh Walking Tour:
$15
-
Evening Ghost Tour:
$27
-
Architecture and History Tour:
$29
-
Black & Ghost Tour:
$30
-
Beauty of the Burgh Bike Tour:
$49
-
Bike the Burgh Tour:
$49
-
Essential Pittsburgh Experience - The One Tour to Take:
$75
-
Sip of Pittsburgh Brew Tour:
$90
-
Pittsburgh Private Tours:
$94
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.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Pittsburgh, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $26.
Sample the Local Flavors in Pittsburgh
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Pittsburgh:
-
Wacky Pittsburgh Bar Crawl: By Let’s Roam:
$12
-
Pittsburgh Bar Hunt: Party Through Pittsburgh Bar Crawl:
$13
When comparing the travel costs between Durham and Pittsburgh, we can see that Pittsburgh is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in North America, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
Related Articles for Durham
Related Articles for Pittsburgh
