Should you visit Nags Head or Charleston?
Should I visit Nags Head or Charleston? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Nags Head
Nags Head is a popular tourist destination in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The town, with a population of almost 3,000, has many nice beaches and is also where you'll find Jockey's Ridge, which has the tallest active sand dune system in the eastern United States. It's also the most visited park within the North Carolina park system.
Charleston
Charleston is a beautiful, southern city and seaport town in South Carolina. It has a wonderful, historic downtown area that the city government works hard to maintain. Located on a peninsula that is created by two rivers, the city is a stunning setting with much character. It is a popular place to visit for its culture, architecture and cuisine. In recent years Charleston has gained popularity and it continues to grow as both a regional and international travel destination. With its rising popularity comes increasing costs. Travel costs continue to go up as restaurants and hotels raise their prices, particularly during the peak travel season and holiday periods.
Which city is cheaper, Charleston or Nags Head?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Nags Head is $119, while the average daily cost in Charleston is $136. 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 Nags Head and Charleston in more detail.
Accommodation
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $128 in Nags Head For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
A hotel room in Charleston is about $144 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Food
On average, meal and food prices in Nags Head cost around $33 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 $13.
On average, meal and food prices in Charleston cost around $46 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 $18.
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Food
Meals for one day
Nags Head $33
Charleston $46
Typical Food prices in Charleston
Some typical examples of dining costs in Charleston are as follows:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Charleston
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Charleston.
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Charleston Harbor: Luxury Dinner Cruise & Live Music:
$66
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Downtown Charleston Culinary Walking Food Tour:
$73
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Savor the Flavors of Charleston Walking Food Tour:
$75
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Charleston's Savor the Flavors of Upper King Street Walking Food Tour:
$75
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Charleston Chef's Kitchen Guided Walking Food Tour:
$75
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Private Tour: Secret Food Tours Charleston:
$129
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Undiscovered 1/2 Day Food, Wine & History Tour with Cooking Class:
$154
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3-Hour Secret Food Tour in Charleston w/ Private Tour Option:
$277
Local Transportation
To get around in Nags Head, the average visitor spends $32 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $26 per day to get around in Charleston.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Charleston
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Charleston:
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Private transfer: Charleston to Charleston Airport (CHS):
$622
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Charleston city to Charleston Airport (CHS) - Departure Private Transfer:
$124
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Private Departure Transfer to Charleston Airport (CHS):
$52
Is it cheaper to fly into Nags Head or Charleston?
Prices for flights to both Charleston and Nags Head 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
In Nags Head, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $11 per person, per day.
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $17 per person, per day in Charleston. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Typical Entertainment prices in Charleston
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Charleston are as follows:
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Patriots Point (for 2)
$60
Tours and Activities in Charleston
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Charleston are as follows:
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2-Hour Guided Kayaking Eco Tour in Charleston:
$48
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2-Hour Paddle Board Eco Tour of Charleston Lowcountry:
$48
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90-Minute Historic Walking Tour of Charleston:
$25
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Amazing Ladies of Charleston Walking Tour:
$35
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Best of Historic Charleston Walking Tour:
$35
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Boone Hall Plantation Admission & Tour with Transportation from Charleston:
$61
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Bruce Knows Insider Walking Tour of Downtown:
$26
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Car Service: Airport to / from Cruise Port:
$130
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Charleston Attraction & Tour Pass for 1, 2, or 3 Days:
$73
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Charleston Boo Hag & Brews Walking Ghost and Bar Tour:
$29
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Charleston Chicora Walking Tour:
$26
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Charleston City Bus Tour with Charleston Museum Admission:
$32
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Nags Head, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $9.71.
The average person spends about $28 on alcoholic beverages in Charleston per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in Charleston
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Charleston:
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Charleston Bar Hunt: Charleston Chase Bar Crawl:
$12
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Ghost Walking Tour and Pub Crawl in Haunted Charleston:
$27
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Haunted Pub Crawl of the Market:
$37
When comparing the travel costs between Nags Head and Charleston, we can see that Charleston 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.
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