Should you visit Nantucket or Bar Harbor?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Nantucket and Bar Harbor can help you decide which place is right for you.
Nantucket
Nantucket is both an island and a town in Massachusetts that is famous for its beautiful homes, scenic harbours, and historic lighthouses. It's a famous New England destination and is a popular vacation spot for the area's rich and famous. Although it's beloved by CEOs and executives, there are still plenty of options for the more casual visitors as well.
Bar Harbor
Bar Harbor is a seafront town located on Mount Desert Island just off the coast of Maine. The Wabanaki Indians who seasonally fished, hunted and gathered berries, clams, and other shellfish in the area, called it the ‘clam-gathering' or ‘clambake' place. Eventually the area was settled by Europeans who established industries in fishing, lumbering, shipbuilding, and agriculture. Its maritime scenery even attracted artists of the Hudson River School like Thomas Cole, and the area soon became a seasonal resort for the affluent, comparable to that of Newport, Rhode Island.
Which city is cheaper, Bar Harbor or Nantucket?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Nantucket is $280, while the average daily cost in Bar Harbor is $161. 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 Nantucket and Bar Harbor in more detail.
Accommodation
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $378 in Nantucket For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
The average price for accommodation for two people in Bar Harbor is $188. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
Food
The price of a meal in Nantucket can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $65 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $26 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
Food in Bar Harbor costs travelers about $45 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
Nantucket $65
Bar Harbor $45
Typical Food prices in Bar Harbor
Some typical examples of dining costs in Bar Harbor are as follows:
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West Street Cafe (for 4)
$70
Local Transportation
To get around in Nantucket, the average visitor spends $38 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.
The cost of a taxi ride in Bar Harbor is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $28 per person, per day, on local transportation in Bar Harbor.
Is it cheaper to fly into Nantucket or Bar Harbor?
Prices for flights to both Bar Harbor and Nantucket 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 Nantucket, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $27 per person, per day.
Entertainment and activities in Bar Harbor typically cost an average of $31 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Typical Entertainment prices in Bar Harbor
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Bar Harbor are as follows:
Tours and Activities in Bar Harbor
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bar Harbor are as follows:
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2-Hour Tall Ship Cruise from Bar Harbor:
$76
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3 Hour: ACADIA NATIONAL PARK TOUR Cadillac Mountain, Sand Beach & Thunder Hole:
$590
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Acadia National Park Self-Driving Audio Tour:
$2.50
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Bar Harbor, Maine: Culinary Walking Tour with Tastings:
$85
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Historical Guided Walking Tour:
$35
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Premium Narrated Bus Tour of Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park (3.5 Hours):
$65
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Savor Bar Harbor Culinary Walking Tour:
$109
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 Nantucket, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $28.
The average person spends about $24 on alcoholic beverages in Bar Harbor per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Nantucket and Bar Harbor, we can see that Nantucket is more expensive. And not only is Bar Harbor much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Bar Harbor would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Bar Harbor 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 Nantucket would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Nantucket than you might in Bar Harbor.
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