Which place is cheaper, Virginia or Hawaii?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Hawaii or Virginia?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Hawaii or Virginia? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Hawaii or Virginia?
Hawaii
Located towards the center of the Pacific Ocean and the northeast corner of Polynesia, Hawai'i is the 50th state of the United States of America. It is a major tourist destination for travelers from around the world and as such, its economy is very dependent on the tourist dollar. Historically, the state had strong whaling, sugar and pineapple industries, but today tourism and the military make up a significant part of the economy. The state includes many islands that spread over 1,500 miles, but there are eight main islands which have a diversity of natural beauty and interesting landscapes. The islands offer visitors many impressive features from the beautiful beaches to the lush interior. There is a lot of hiking, snorkeling and scuba diving available throughout the islands. The capital of the state is Honolulu, which is also the largest city. Both Hawaiian and English are spoken throughout.
Virginia
One of the original thirteen British colonies, Virginia is a place of rich history and varied environments. You might explore the historic settlement of Colonial Williamsburg, dive into the current culture of its major cities, or get lost in nature along the coast or in the scenic landscape of the Appalachian Mountains. There's a little something for everyone.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Camping Tours in United States of America, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in United States of America, The Best Polar Tours & Cruises in United States of America, and The Best Walking Tours in United States of America.
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Hawaii Prices
USA PricesVirginia Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHawaii $393Virginia $185
The average daily cost (per person) in Hawaii is $393, while the average daily cost in Virginia 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 Hawaii and Virginia in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHawaii $214Virginia $80
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHawaii $428Virginia $160
Compare Hotels in Hawaii and Virginia
Looking for a hotel in Hawaii or Virginia? 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.
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
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Hawaii $37Virginia $49
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Hawaii
Also for Hawaii, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared Arrival Transfer: Maui Airport to Hotel: $17
- Shared Departure Transfer: Hotel to Maui Kahului Airport: $17
- Departure Transfer: Airport Shuttle Honolulu and Waikiki or Cruise Terminal: $18
- Arrival Transfer: Airport Shuttle Honolulu and Waikiki or Cruise Terminal: $18
- Maui Kahului Airport (OGG) to Maui hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $20
- Private Transfer from Honolulu / Waikiki hotels to Honolulu Port: $21
- Private Transfer from Honolulu Airport (HNL) to Honolulu Port: $21
- Private Transfer from Honolulu Port to Honolulu / Waikiki hotels: $21
- Shared Departure Transfer from Waikiki Hotels to Honolulu Airport: $23
- Shared Arrival Transfer from Honolulu Airport to Waikiki Hotels: $25
- Honolulu Airport HNL to Honolulu/Waikiki Arrival Private Transfer: $25
- Honolulu / Waikiki to Honolulu Airport (HNL) - Departure Private Transfer: $25
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Virginia
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Virginia:
- Richmond City to Richmond Airport (RIC) - Departure Private Transfer: $173
- Richmond Airport (RIC) to Richmond city - Arrival Private Transfer: $173
- Private transfer to or from Reston and Ronald Reagan National Airport: $230
- Private Transfer To or From Reston and Dulles International Airport: $205
- Private Departure Transfer to Charlottesville Airport (CHO): $50
- Private Arrival Transfer from Charlotteville Airport (CHO): $50
- Bamville Transportation (Private & Airport Transfers): $275
- Airport Transfers to or from Charlottesville Albemarle Airport: $80
- Airport Transfer to or from Mclean, VA and Reagan Airport(DCA): $215
- Airport Transfer to or from Mclean, VA and Dulles Airport: $225
Is it cheaper to fly into Hawaii or Virginia?
Prices for flights to both Virginia and Hawaii 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
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Food Meals for one dayHawaii $128Virginia $60
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Hawaii
For Hawaii, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Food Tour of Kaua'i: $125
- Explore Waimea Town on a Walking Food Tour: $129
- Walking Food Tour of Hanalei, Kauaʻi: $129
- Honolulu: Pacific Star Sunset Dinner Cruise and Show: $139
- Friday Fireworks Dinner Sail from the Hilton Hawaiian Village: $144
- Maui Farm to Taco: A Farm to Table Cooking Class: $149
- Maui Ma'alaea Sunset Prime Rib or Fresh Island Fish Dinner Cruise: $150
- Honolulu: Off The Beaten Path Food Tour: $150
- Maui Premium Sunset Dinner Cruise from Ka’anapali Beach: $166
- Maui: Coast of Ka'anapali Beach Sunset Dinner Sail: $167
- Big Island: Farm to Table Cooking Class at Kulaniapia Falls: $169
- Corner Store Kauai Cooking Class: $174
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Virginia
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Virginia.
- Speak Easy Murder Mystery Dinner Show at Kings Creek Williamsburg: $55
- City Cruises Norfolk: Buffet Dinner Cruise: $84
- The Carytown Food Tour with Discover Richmond Tours: $90
- Church Hill Food Tour with Discover Richmond Tours: $90
- Delicious Pizza & Ice Cream Tour of Richmond: $94
- Arts District Food Tour in Richmond with Discover Richmond: $100
- Richmond's Historic Market Food Tour with 5 Authentic Tastings: $109
- The UVA Corner Food Tour: Private Walking Food Tour in Charlottesville: $228
- The Downtown Mall Food Tour: $228
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Hawaii $38Virginia $24
Tours and Activities in Hawaii
For Hawaii, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Honolulu Scavenger Hunt & Highlights Self-Guided Walking Tour: $4.71
- Honolulu Downtown Walking Tour: $5.00
- Legends of Waikiki Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour of Honolulu: $6.99
- Walk The Deck of The USS Arizona Virtual Reality Experience: $6.99
- Explore the USS Arizona Today Virtual Reality Experience: $6.99
- Official Diamond Head Self-Guided Narrated Hiking Tour: $8.99
- Downtown Honolulu Self Guided Walking Audio Tour: $9.99
- Official Pearl Harbor Commander's Self-Guided Multimedia Tour: $12
- Historic Walking Tour in Kihei Maui with Local Guide: $12
- Maui Beach Parks Self-Guided Driving Tour: $15
- Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour in Honolulu: $15
- Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour of Waikiki: $15
Tours and Activities in Virginia
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Virginia are as follows:
- 1 Hour Christmastide Walking Tour in Virginia Past and Present: $25
- 2-Hour Private Guided The best of Williamsburg Walking Tour: $278
- 3-Hour E-Bike Sightseeing and Breweries Tour in Roanoke: $109
- Blue Ridge Parkway Self-Guided Audio Tour Bundle: $24
- Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia Self-Guided Audio Tour: $13
- Buried Beneath the Boardwalk: Neptune Ghouls and Ghost Tours: $24
- Buried Beneath the Boardwalk: Neptune Ghouls and Ghost Tours: $26
- Busch Gardens Williamsburg Admission Ticket: $72
- Candle Making Experience at Sugared Mango: $55
- Chains, Coffins, & Curses: Charlottesville Ghost Tours: $26
- Christmas on the Homefront: A 1-Hour World War II Character Tour: $25
- Church Hill Chillers Ghost Tour: $27
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayHawaii $19Virginia $19
Sample the Local Flavors in Hawaii
Also in Hawaii, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Royal Hawaiian Spirits Distillery: Liquor Tasting: $19
- Kō Hana Hawaiian Rum Distillery Tour and Tasting for One: $25
- Koʻolau Distillery Whiskey Tour in Kailua, Hawai'i: $25
- Oahu: Kō Hana Agricole Rum Distillery Tour and Tasting: $35
- Winery Oeno Island Style Wine Tasting: $39
- Oahu: Dole Plantation and Ko Hana Distillery with Rum Tasting: $104
- Twilight Wine Tasting by Sea and Sunset Cruise in Honolulu: $119
- Oahu: Kō Hana Rum Deep Dive Distillery Tour with Tasting: $150
- V.I.P Dole, Rum Distillery, N.Shore, Haleiwa Circle island tour: $241
- North Shore, Kailua Distillery Brewery V.I.P circle island tour: $241
Sample the Local Flavors in Virginia
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Virginia:
- An Electrifying Bar Crawl in Richmond: $15
- Awesome Bar Crawl in Norfolk: $15
- Williamsburg Ghosts and Brews Haunted Pub Crawls: $29
- Richmond Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $30
- The Murder Tour and Pub Crawl: $48
- Richmond Craft Brewery Crawl By Junket: $69
- Brewery Tour of Richmond, VA: $90
- Special 6 hours premium Wine Tours for 2 or 3 people: $130
- Private Charlottesville Area Wine Tour: $270
- 5 Hour Historic Thomas Jefferson Wine Tour: $270
- Private Wine Tours Transportation, starting from 3 people & more: $280
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Hawaii and Virginia, we can see that Hawaii is more expensive. And not only is Virginia much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Virginia would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Virginia 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 Hawaii would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Hawaii than you might in Virginia.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Hawaii Expensive? and Is Virginia Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, Hawaii or Virginia?
Virginia has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of Hawaii. When comparing the sizes of Hawaii and Virginia, 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.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.