Should you visit Fort Lauderdale or Virginia Beach?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Fort Lauderdale 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.
Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale is located on the Atlantic coast of Florida, not far from Miami, and is famous for its beaches and boating culture. An elaborate system of canals runs through the city, adding to the charm and coastal lifestyle. Plenty of restaurants, shops, watersports, and other things to do can be found here in addition to the beautiful beaches. The city is family-friendly and also caters to older travelers as well as younger generations. While it's not an inexpensive place to visit, the prices are on par with other cities in southeastern Florida. The beach is lined with high-rise condos and hotels that tend to be expensive, while a few blocks back from the shore you'll find plenty of nice houses along with shops, restaurants, and fun activities for all ages. And since Fort Lauderdale is part of the Miami metro area, you can easily get to all of the other beach areas, cities, and activities in the nearby metropolitan areas as well.
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 Fort Lauderdale?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Fort Lauderdale is $146, 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 Fort Lauderdale and Virginia Beach in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $154 for a double occupancy room in Fort Lauderdale.
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
Fort Lauderdale food costs typically run travelers around $39 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 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
Fort Lauderdale $39
Virginia Beach $25
Typical Food prices in Fort Lauderdale
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Fort Lauderdale:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Fort Lauderdale
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Fort Lauderdale.
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Mai-Kai Dinner and Polynesian Show:
$47
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All You Can Eat BBQ Dinner and Show at Tropical Isle with Sightseeing Cruise:
$60
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Fort Lauderdale is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $41 per person, per day, on local transportation in Fort Lauderdale.
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 Fort Lauderdale
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Fort Lauderdale:
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Private Transfer from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando-Sanford (SFB) Airport:
$851
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Private Transfer from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando (MCO) Airport:
$754
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Transfer from Fort Lauderdale Airport to Orlando:
$750
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Private Transfer from Fort Lauderdale to Port Canaveral:
$710
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Private Ft Lauderdale to Orlando Transfer up to 11-One Price-Mercedes Sprinter:
$699
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Party Bus Limo Sprinter Transfer Service things to do Miami Beach #dreamridellc:
$450
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Fort Lauderdale Transfer Luxury Suv:
$281
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Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) to Boynton Beach - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$274
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Private transfer from or to MIA , FLL airports and Miami & Lauderdale FL:
$250
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Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) to Delray Beach - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$246
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Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) to Doral - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$229
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Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) to Boca Raton - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$197
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 Fort Lauderdale or Virginia Beach?
Prices for flights to both Virginia Beach and Fort Lauderdale 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
Entertainment and activities in Fort Lauderdale typically cost an average of $12 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
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 Fort Lauderdale
Here are a few actual costs in Fort Lauderdale for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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1 Hour Central Park Guided Electric Bike Tour:
$49
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1-Hour Bike Tour of Hugh Taylor Birch State Park:
$47
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1-Hour Interactive Pirate Adventure Cruise in Fort Lauderdale (Family-Friendly):
$23
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2 Hour Fort Lauderdale Guided Electric Bike Tour:
$60
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2 Hour Venice Of America Jet Ski Adventure & Exploration Tour of Fort Lauderdale:
$225
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3 Hour All Inclusive 007 Millionaires Row Jet Ski Adventure Fort Lauderdale:
$307
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5-Day Miami+Key West+Palm Beach+Fort Lauderdale Tour (Miami Departure)(MIA5-A):
$579
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90-Minute Narrated Sightseeing Cruises:
$23
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90-Minute Snorkel & Seabob Underwater Guided Reef Tour in Fort Lauderdale:
$139
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Airport to Cruise Shuttle Private Group Transportation:
$580
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Beach Cruiser Bike Rentals in Fort Lauderdale:
$11
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Champagne Sunset Cruise Ft. Lauderdale:
$58
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
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Fort Lauderdale may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $27 per day on alcoholic beverages.
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.
Typical Alcohol prices in Fort Lauderdale
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Fort Lauderdale are as follows:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Fort Lauderdale and Virginia Beach, we can see that Fort Lauderdale 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 Fort Lauderdale would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Fort Lauderdale than you might in Virginia Beach.
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