A Travel Price Comparison for United States of America Gainesville vs. Virginia Beach for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Gainesville or Virginia Beach?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Gainesville or Virginia Beach, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Gainesville

Home to the University of Florida as well as Santa Fe College, the town of Gainesville has all of the shopping, entertainment, and restaurants that you could want in a college town - plus easy access to a number of outdoor adventures from canoeing, diving, and kayaking to birding, fishing, hiking, and biking. Some of the top features include the Butterfly Rainforest, the Florida Museum of Natural History, the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, and Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park.

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 Gainesville?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Gainesville is $135, 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. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Gainesville and Virginia Beach in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Gainesville $69
    Virginia Beach $60
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Gainesville $138
    Virginia Beach $120

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Gainesville $33
    Virginia Beach $31

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gainesville

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Gainesville:

  • Private Transfer from Gainesville to Orlando-Sanford (SFB) Airport: $676
  • Private Transfer from Gainesville to Port Canaveral: $658
  • Private Transfer from Gainesville to Orlando (MCO) Airport: $453

Typical Local Transportation prices in Virginia Beach

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Virginia Beach:


  • Beach Parking
    $10

Is it cheaper to fly into Gainesville or Virginia Beach?

Prices for flights to both Virginia Beach and Gainesville 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
    Gainesville $46
    Virginia Beach $25
Typical Food prices in Gainesville

Some typical examples of dining costs in Gainesville are as follows:


  • Diner Breakfast for Two
    $17
  • Lunch at Chop Stix (for 2)
    $24

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Gainesville $14
    Virginia Beach $17
Typical Entertainment prices in Gainesville

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Gainesville are as follows:


  • Manatee Tour for Two
    $98
  • Tour Guide Tip
    $5.00

Tours and Activities in Gainesville

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Gainesville are as follows:

  • Butterfly Rainforest at Florida Museum of Natural History Ticket: $14

Tours and Activities in Virginia Beach

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

  • Haunted Walking Ghost Tour: $22
  • Sunset Stand Up Paddleboard Tour of Linkhorn Bay: $41
  • Wetland Zip Tour: $61
  • Sunset Dolphin Kayak Tours: $62
  • Small Group Dolphin Kayak Eco-Tour: $62
  • RIDE ALONG GREEK GODS & AQUATISM *Certified Tours*: $75
  • Tour of Virginia Beach (half day), for GROUPS of 10-16: $499
  • Tour of Virginia Beach, for GROUPS of 10-16: $831
  • All-Inclusive, Autumn Weekend Tour for GROUPS of 10-16: $5,901

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Gainesville $39
    Virginia Beach $8.51

About these numbers

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Gainesville and Virginia Beach, we can see that Gainesville 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 Gainesville would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Gainesville than you might in Virginia Beach.

Budget Your Trip

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Gainesville vs. Virginia Beach Travel Comparison

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