Which city is cheaper, Durham or New Orleans?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
A Travel Price Comparison for United States of America New Orleans vs. Durham for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons
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Should you visit New Orleans or Durham?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between New Orleans and Durham can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: New Orleans or Durham?
New Orleans
New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, and it is a cultural city that is the home of jazz, unique cuisine, and Mardi Gras in the U.S. It was established in 1718 and is one of the oldest cities in the country. The culture of the city has a mix of French, Creole, African American, Caribbean, Irish, Haitian, German and Vietnamese. There's an energy and atmosphere that is unlike any place else.
Durham
Durham is a city in central North Carolina with about 230,000 residents. Together with Raleigh and Chapel Hill, it forms the Research Triangle area. Durham is often referred to as the "City of Medicine" and is home to the famous Duke University.
Durham's history is rooted in tobacco. The Duke family established American Tobacco, which controlled 90% of all cigarette production in the US during the second half of the 19th century. The family donated money to Trinity College, which changed its name to Duke University in 1924.
Today much of Durham's economy is centered around the university and Research Triangle Park. The area has many technology and pharmaceutical jobs and the economy continues to grow.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayNew Orleans $191Durham $130
The average daily cost (per person) in New Orleans is $191, while the average daily cost in Durham is $130. 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 New Orleans and Durham in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personNew Orleans $100Durham $73
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomNew Orleans $200Durham $146
Compare Hotels in New Orleans and Durham
Looking for a hotel in New Orleans or Durham? 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.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: New Orleans Hotel Prices and Durham Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.New Orleans $41Durham $26
Typical Local Transportation prices in New Orleans
Some typical examples of transportation costs in New Orleans are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in New Orleans
Also for New Orleans, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared Departure Transfer: Hotel or Cruise Port to New Orleans Airport: $20
- Shared Departure Transfer: Hotel or Cruise Port to New Orleans Airport: $26
- Private Transfer from New Orleans Airport to Hotel or Port: $32
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel or Cruise Port to MSY: $40
- Shared Roundtrip Transfer: Hotel or Cruise Port to New Orleans Airport: $40
- New Orleans Departure Chauffeur Driven Airport Transfer: $48
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel or Cruise to MSY by Executive Sedan: $48
- Private Arrival Transfer: MSY to Hotel or Cruise Port by Executive SUV: $50
- Luxury Transfer from New Orleans International Airport to Downtown Hotels: $59
- Private Roundtrip Transfer: New Orleans Airport to Hotel or Cruise Port: $64
- Departure Private Transfer New Orleans to New Orleans MSY or Port - Business Car: $67
- Private Departure Transfer to Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport MSY: $72
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Durham
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Durham:
- Private Transfer from Durham to Manchester Airport (MAN): $407
- Durham to Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU) - Departure Private Transfer: $139
Is it cheaper to fly into New Orleans or Durham?
Prices for flights to both Durham and New Orleans 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 dayNew Orleans $36Durham $35
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in New Orleans
For New Orleans, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- New Orleans Cooking Class: $34
- New Orleans Lunch & Lesson: Cajun & Creole Cooking Class: $35
- French Quarter Food Tour: $42
- New Orleans Food Tour: $44
- Steamboat Natchez Evening Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option: $50
- Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Cruise with Optional Dinner: $52
- Dinner at Tujague's Restaurant in New Orleans: $68
- New Orleans French Quarter Food Tour: $69
- French Quarter Food Tour: $75
- New Orleans' Lower Garden Food Tour: $75
- French Quarter Food Tour: $75
- Lower Garden District Food Tour: $75
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.New Orleans $44Durham $21
Typical Entertainment prices in New Orleans
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for New Orleans's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Zoo & Aquarium Tickets (2)$75
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Riverboat Cruise$70
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French Quarter City Tour$100
Tours and Activities in New Orleans
For New Orleans, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- New Orleans City Park Private Tour and Exploration Game: $3.72
- Your new addiction! The best women’s shoe shopping experience in NOLA!: $5.00
- Struttin' Down Royal Street Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap: $5.34
- New Orleans Esplanade Ridge: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.34
- Metairie Cemetery Stories Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap: $5.34
- A Walk in the Park: City Park New Orleans Audio Tour: $5.34
- Walking the Tremé: A Self-guided Audio Tour of New Orleans: $5.34
- Bywater Stroll: Explore the Evolving Neighbourhood on an Audio Walking Tour: $5.40
- Beyond the French Quarter: New Orleans Off the Beaten Path Audio Tour: $5.40
- New Orleans Virtual Self-Paced Guided City Tour: $5.99
- One Hour Saint Louis Cemetery Number One Walking Tour: $10
- Skip the Line: Historic House Tour Ticket: $10
Tours and Activities in Durham
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Durham are as follows:
- Trolley Pub Public Tour of Durham: $41
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayNew Orleans $48Durham $27
Sample the Local Flavors in New Orleans
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in New Orleans:
- New Orleans Bar Hunt: New Orleans Ballin' Bar Crawl: $12
- Big Easy Ghost and Vampire Pub Crawl: $20
- Haunted Pub Crawl in New Orleans: $22
- New Orleans Haunted Pub Crawl: $25
- Haunted New Orleans Ghost and Pub Walking Tour: $27
- NOLA Distillery Tour: $28
- Pub Crawl & Historical Chronicles Walking Tour: $30
- Haunted Pub Tour: $35
- Frenchmen Street Live Music Pub Crawl: $48
- Frenchmen Street VIP Live Music Pub Crawl: $49
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between New Orleans and Durham, we can see that New Orleans is more expensive. And not only is Durham much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Durham would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Durham 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 New Orleans would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in New Orleans than you might in Durham.
When is the best time to visit New Orleans or Durham?
Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.
Should I visit New Orleans or Durham in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to New Orleans as well as Durham. Many visitors come to New Orleans in the summer for the music scene and the family-friendly experiences.
In July, New Orleans is generally around the same temperature as Durham. Temperatures in New Orleans average around 82°F (28°C), and Durham stays around 79°F (26°C).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Durham. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in New Orleans this time of the year. In the summer, New Orleans often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Durham. New Orleans gets 264 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Durham receives 259 hours of full sun.
It's quite rainy in Durham. New Orleans receives a lot of rain in the summer. New Orleans usually gets more rain in July than Durham. New Orleans gets 5.9 inches (149 mm) of rain, while Durham receives 5.1 inches (129 mm) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyNew Orleans 82°F (28°C)Durham 79°F (26°C)
Should I visit New Orleans or Durham in the Autumn?
Both Durham and New Orleans are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. Most visitors come to New Orleans for the shopping scene and the music scene during these months.
New Orleans is a little warmer than Durham in the autumn. The temperature in New Orleans is usually 69°F (21°C) in October, and Durham stays around 61°F (16°C).
It's quite sunny in Durham. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in New Orleans. New Orleans usually receives more sunshine than Durham during autumn. New Orleans gets 240 hours of sunny skies, while Durham receives 211 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In October, New Orleans usually receives more rain than Durham. New Orleans gets 3 inches (77 mm) of rain, while Durham receives 2.8 inches (71 mm) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberNew Orleans 69°F (21°C)Durham 61°F (16°C)
Should I visit New Orleans or Durham in the Winter?
Both Durham and New Orleans during the winter are popular places to visit. The winter months attract visitors to New Orleans because of the shopping scene and the cuisine.
It's quite cold in Durham in the winter. In the winter, New Orleans is much warmer than Durham. Typically, the winter temperatures in New Orleans in January are around 51°F (11°C), and Durham is about 40°F (5°C).
In the winter, New Orleans often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Durham. New Orleans gets 158 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Durham receives 162 hours of full sun.
It rains a lot this time of the year in New Orleans. New Orleans usually gets more rain in January than Durham. New Orleans gets 5.2 inches (131 mm) of rain, while Durham receives 3.2 inches (82 mm) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryNew Orleans 51°F (11°C)Durham 40°F (5°C)
Should I visit New Orleans or Durham in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both New Orleans and Durham.
In April, New Orleans is generally a little warmer than Durham. Temperatures in New Orleans average around 68°F (20°C), and Durham stays around 60°F (16°C).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Durham this time of the year. In New Orleans, it's very sunny this time of the year. New Orleans usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Durham during spring. New Orleans gets 254 hours of sunny skies, while Durham receives 251 hours of full sun in the spring.
New Orleans gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In April, New Orleans usually receives more rain than Durham. New Orleans gets 4.5 inches (114 mm) of rain, while Durham receives 3.1 inches (78 mm) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilNew Orleans 68°F (20°C)Durham 60°F (16°C)
Typical Weather for Durham and New Orleans
| New Orleans | Durham | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 51°F (11°C) | 5.2 inches (131 mm) | 40°F (5°C) | 3.2 inches (82 mm) |
| Feb | 54°F (12°C) | 5.8 inches (147 mm) | 43°F (6°C) | 3.3 inches (84 mm) |
| Mar | 62°F (16°C) | 5 inches (126 mm) | 52°F (11°C) | 3.4 inches (87 mm) |
| Apr | 68°F (20°C) | 4.5 inches (114 mm) | 60°F (16°C) | 3.1 inches (78 mm) |
| May | 75°F (24°C) | 4.3 inches (110 mm) | 68°F (20°C) | 3.3 inches (84 mm) |
| Jun | 80°F (27°C) | 5.9 inches (151 mm) | 76°F (24°C) | 3.7 inches (93 mm) |
| Jul | 82°F (28°C) | 5.9 inches (149 mm) | 79°F (26°C) | 5.1 inches (129 mm) |
| Aug | 82°F (28°C) | 6.2 inches (157 mm) | 78°F (26°C) | 4.9 inches (125 mm) |
| Sep | 78°F (26°C) | 5.5 inches (140 mm) | 73°F (23°C) | 3.8 inches (96 mm) |
| Oct | 69°F (21°C) | 3 inches (77 mm) | 61°F (16°C) | 2.8 inches (71 mm) |
| Nov | 61°F (16°C) | 4.8 inches (122 mm) | 53°F (11°C) | 2.8 inches (72 mm) |
| Dec | 55°F (13°C) | 5.7 inches (146 mm) | 44°F (7°C) | 3.1 inches (78 mm) |
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