A Travel Price Comparison for United States of America Florida vs. North Carolina for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Florida or North Carolina?

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 Florida and North Carolina. 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.

Where Should I go: Florida or North Carolina?

Florida

The state of Florida, known for sunshine, warm weather, beaches, and Disney World, has much to offer. Orlando and its world-famous parks such as Disney, Epcot, Universal Studios, MGM, Sea World, and more draw massive amounts of visitors every year, and for a good reason. Florida is more than just Disney, however, the state has many other attractions and cities worth visiting.

North Carolina

North Carolina is a diverse state in the southern United States. The state has a variety of landscapes, with mountains, forests, and beaches all represented. The state's elevation ranges from sea level to 6,684 feet on Mount Mitchell, which is the highest point in North America east of the Mississippi. There are large cosmopolitan cities like Charlotte, and there are quaint college towns like Chapel Hill. North Carolina is the nineth most populous state in the country and the economy is currently centered around engineering, energy, biotechnology, and finance. Historically, the state's economy developed from the tobacco, textile, and furniture making industries.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to United States of America, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Las Vegas, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Anchorage, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Los Angeles.


Which place is cheaper, North Carolina or Florida?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Florida is $251, while the average daily cost in North Carolina is $185. 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Florida and North Carolina in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Florida $132
    North Carolina $112
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Florida $264
    North Carolina $224
Compare Hotels in Florida and North Carolina

Looking for a hotel in Florida or North Carolina? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Florida


Hotels in North Carolina


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Florida $47
    North Carolina $36

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Florida

Also for Florida, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private transfer: From Tampa to airport and vice versa : $18
  • Transfer: Lake Buena Vista Area Hotels to Orlando Airport (MCO): $19
  • Private Departure Transfer to Fort Myers Southwest Florida Airport RSW: $32
  • Private Arrival Transfer from Fort Myers Southwest Florida Airport RSW: $32
  • Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal Transfers: $34
  • Private Transfer from Miami Airport to Hotel or Port of Miami: $35
  • Private Arrival Transfer - from Tampa Airport (TPA): $36
  • Fort Lauderdale to Miami Airport (MIA) - Departure Private Transfer: $38
  • Key West Cruise Port to Key West Airport (EYW) Private Transfer: $39
  • Private Transfer from Key West Int Airport to Key West Port: $39
  • Private Transfer from Key West Cruise Port to Key West hotels: $39
  • Delray Beach to Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) - Departure Private Transfer: $40

Is it cheaper to fly into Florida or North Carolina?

Prices for flights to both North Carolina and Florida 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
    Florida $62
    North Carolina $45

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Florida

For Florida, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • 1 Hour of Chocolate Pizza Making Class in Jacksonville: $18
  • The Outta Control Magic Comedy Dinner Show in Orlando: $38
  • Señor Frogs Lunch / Dinner Package: $50
  • Little Havana- Family Friendly Walking Food Tour : $52
  • Daytona Beach: Luau with Polynesian Dinner and Live Show: $53
  • Polynesian Fire and Dinner Show Ticket in Daytona Beach: $53
  • Wynwood Street Art, Culture, Donuts & Walking Food Tour: $65
  • Little Havana Street Food Tour with Enthusiastic Guide: $69
  • Sleuth's Mystery Dinner Show, Orlando: $69
  • Cuban Food Tour Of Little Havana: $70
  • Seville Stroll Food Tour: $72
  • Mango's LIVE!: Dinner and Show in Orlando: $72

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Florida $62
    North Carolina $25

Tours and Activities in Florida

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Florida.

  • Orlando’s Historical Highlights: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
  • 20 Minutes Chocolate & Candy Factory Tour in Jacksonville: $6.00
  • Haunted Miami: a Smartphone Audio Driving Tour : $6.05
  • Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour around Lake Eola in Orlando: $6.65
  • Orlando Self-Guided Historic App/GPS Audio Walking Tour: $6.75
  • St Augustine Haunted History: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
  • Sights of Downtown Miami: a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $7.99
  • Fort Lauderdale Riverwalk Self-guided Audio Walking Tour: $7.99
  • St. Augustine's Lost Souls: a Smartphone Audio Ghost Tour: $7.99
  • Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Miami: $8.82
  • Key West Sunset Bite, Sip & Stroll Audio Tour: $9.99
  • Unique Scavenger Hunt Experience in Miami by Wacky Walks: $10

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Florida $31
    North Carolina $29

Sample the Local Flavors in Florida

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

  • Tampa Bar Hunt: Tampa Takeover Bar Crawl: $12
  • Orlando Virtual Bar Crawl & Scavenger Hunt: $12
  • The Tour and Wine Tasting Experience at Aspirations Winery: $20
  • Walking Pub Tour : $21
  • The Original Haunted Pub Tour: $24
  • Miami Bar Crawl: $25
  • St. Augustine Haunted Pub Crawl: $30
  • Key West Haunted Pub Crawl Walking Tour: $30
  • Key West Haunted Pub Crawl and Ghost Tour: $32
  • Miami Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $35
  • the Fort Myers Beach Haunted Pub Crawl (a magical history tour): $35
  • Ft Lauderdale Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $37


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

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Florida Expensive? and Is North Carolina Expensive?.


Which has a larger population, Florida or North Carolina?

Florida has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of North Carolina. When comparing the sizes of Florida and North Carolina, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.