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

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Should you visit Wilmington or Virginia Beach?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Wilmington 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.

Wilmington

Wilmington is a port city in southeastern North Carolina. It's a great city to visit for it's nearby beaches, large historic district, and quaint atmosphere. The city has a population of about 115,000 and it's the eighth largest city in the state.

Wilmington is also home to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington as well as the EUE Screen Gems Studios. This is the largest domestic television and movie production facility outside of California. The studio, which opened in 1984, helped grow Wilmington into a major base for film and television production. The city has been the backdrop for many movies and tv shows including Iron Man 3, Sleepy Hollow, One Tree Hill, and Revolution.

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 Wilmington?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Wilmington is $163, 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 Wilmington and Virginia Beach in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Wilmington $96
    Virginia Beach $60
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Wilmington $192
    Virginia Beach $120

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Wilmington $38
    Virginia Beach $31

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 Wilmington or Virginia Beach?

Prices for flights to both Virginia Beach and Wilmington 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
    Wilmington $45
    Virginia Beach $25

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Wilmington $14
    Virginia Beach $17

Tours and Activities in Virginia Beach

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

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

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Wilmington $31
    Virginia Beach $8.51

About these numbers

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

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Wilmington vs. Virginia Beach Travel Comparison

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