Travel Budget for Chapel Hill Visit Chapel Hill on a Budget or Travel in Style

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
North America / United States of America / The South / North Carolina /
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How much does it cost to travel to Chapel Hill?

You should plan to spend around $164 per day on your vacation in Chapel Hill. This is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors.

Past travelers have spent, on average for one day:

  • $49 on meals
  • $34 on local transportation
  • $189 on hotels

A one week trip to Chapel Hill for two people costs, on average, $2,300. This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

All of these average travel prices have been collected from other travelers to help you plan your own travel budget.

  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    $164
  • One Week Per person
    $1,150
  • 2 Weeks Per person
    $2,300
  • One Month Per person
    $4,928
  • One Week For a couple
    $2,300
  • 2 Weeks For a couple
    $4,599
  • One Month For a couple
    $9,856
This data comes from the travel budgets of real travelers - How it works. Put these numbers on your website.


How much does a one week, two week, or one month trip to Chapel Hill cost?

A one week trip to Chapel Hill usually costs around $1,150 for one person and $2,300 for two people. This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

A two week trip to Chapel Hill on average costs around $2,300 for one person and $4,599 for two people. This cost includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

Please note, prices can vary based on your travel style, speed, and other variables. If you're traveling as a family of three or four people, the price per person often goes down because kid's tickets are cheaper and hotel rooms can be shared. If you travel slower over a longer period of time then your daily budget will also go down. Two people traveling together for one month in Chapel Hill will often have a lower daily budget per person than one person traveling alone for one week.

A one month trip to Chapel Hill on average costs around $4,928 for one person and $9,856 for two people. The more places you visit, the higher the daily price will become due to increased transportation costs.




Independent Travel

Traveling Independently to Chapel Hill has many benefits including affordabilty, freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to control your own experiences.

All of the travel costs below are based on the experiences of other independent travelers.

Is Chapel Hill expensive to visit?

Prices in Chapel Hill are reasonable and comparable to your average travel destination. Hotels, food, and sightseeing are generally within normal price ranges.

Within North America, which is known to be an expensive region, Chapel Hill is a moderately priced destination compared to other places. The overall cost of travel here is fair for the region and comparable to Roanoke or Sedona.

For more details, and to find out if it's within your travel budget, see Is Chapel Hill Expensive?

How much money do I need for a trip to Chapel Hill?

The average Chapel Hill trip cost is broken down by category here for independent travelers. All of these Chapel Hill travel prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.


Category Cost
Accommodation 1 (Double Occupancy) $189
Local Transportation 1 $34
Food 2 $49
Entertainment 1 $17
Alcohol 2 $20 - 60
Accommodation Budget in Chapel Hill
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

The average price paid for one person for accommodation in Chapel Hill is $95. For two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room, the average price paid for a hotel room in Chapel Hill is $189. This cost is from the reported spending of actual travelers.


  • Accommodation1 Hotel or hostel for one person
    $95
  • Accommodation1 Typical double-occupancy room
    $189

Hotel Prices in Chapel Hill

Looking for a hotel in Chapel Hill? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options.

Find the best hotel for your travel style.

 

Actual Hotel Prices
The average hotel room price in Chapel Hill based on data provided by Kayak for actual hotel rooms is $176. (Prices in U.S. Dollars, before taxes & fees.)

Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world.


Recommended Properties


Transportation Budget in Chapel Hill
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The cost of a taxi ride in Chapel Hill is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $34 per person, per day, on local transportation in Chapel Hill.


  • Transportation1 Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    $34


Flights to Chapel Hill
How much does it cost to go to Chapel Hill? Naturally, it depends on the dates. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all airlines.

Rental Cars in Chapel Hill
The price of renting a car in Chapel Hill will depends on dates, the type of car, the location, and your age. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all car rental companies.



Food Budget in Chapel Hill
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • While meal prices in Chapel Hill can vary, the average cost of food in Chapel Hill is $49 per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Chapel Hill should cost around $19 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Chapel Hill is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.


  • Food2 Meals for one day
    $49


Entertainment Budget in Chapel Hill
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • Entertainment and activities in Chapel Hill typically cost an average of $17 per person, per day based on the spending of previous travelers. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.


  • Entertainment1 Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    $17

Recommended Activities


Alcohol Budget in Chapel Hill
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The average person spends about $40 on alcoholic beverages in Chapel Hill per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.


  • Alcohol2 Drinks for one day
    $40

Recommended


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Chapel Hill On a Budget
Chapel Hill is a college town in North Carolina that, together with Raleigh and Durham, makes up the Research Triangle area. The town is 28 miles northwest of Raleigh and 12 miles southwest of Durham. Chapel Hill dates back to 1819 when it was founded to support the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. With a population of just over 52,000, Chapel Hill has the vibe of a small college town with the amenities of a larger community. It's proximity to both Raleigh and Durham give it an economic boost that provides economic diversity and security.

Chapel Hill is a fairly liberal community with a large student population. There is a diverse population and many educational and cultural opportunities in the area.
Sights
Most of the sights and attractions in Chapel Hill are centered around the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The university is one of three that claims to be the oldest public university in the United States. It was chartered in 1789 and began enrolling students in 1795. The campus is quite beautiful and pleasant to walk around. You can also visit the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, which is the first planetarium to be built on a college campus. There are the typical planetarium shows as well as a live science demonstration and various other productions. The Carolina Basketball Museum is near the Dean Dome. The museum has exhibits about the history of Tar Heel basketball.

Other interesting sights in the area include the Ackland Art Museum, the North Carolina Botanical Garden, and the Horace Williams House. The Horace Williams House is a historic landmark with art exhibits, concerts and walking tours.
Neighborhoods
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is at the heart of the town. It can be divided into three regions. North campus has the two main quads of Polk Place and McCorkle Place as well as the Pit, Frank Porter Graham Student Union, and several libraries. Middle campus is where you'll find Fetzer Field and Woollen Gymnasium, Kenan Memorial Stadium, Carmichael Auditorium, and the School of Law. South campus is the location of the Dean Smith Center, the School of Medicine, UNC Hospitals, and the business school.

Franklin Street is the main commercial street that runs near the university. This is where you'll find the most interesting restaurants and a strong college culture. The town of Carrboro is to the west. This community has a lot of charm and hosts a weekly farmer's market every Saturday year around.

Activities
Chapel Hill hosts many different cultural and art events. UNC is home to top ranking women's and men's basketball teams and if you're in town during a game you'll see exactly how loyal the fans are in the area. Other activities include the Carrboro Farmer's Market and Varsity Theater, which is a historic movie theater on Franklin Street that opened in 1927.

Several independent bookstores in town include The Bookshop, Nice Price Books, and Flyleaf Books. Independent music stores in town include CD Alley, Carrboro Music, and The Music Loft.
Food and Dining
As a college town, Chapel Hill has many interesting places to eat. Franklin Street is the main commercial area near the university. This street has many restaurants including both cheap eateries and high end dining. There are the typical college eating spots with pizza, breweries, and Asian take-out available, but there are also quaint local eateries that make use of local produce. Ethnic foods are also abundant with Greek, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Turkish all available. If you're looking for a fancy, high end restaurant, your best options are A Southern Season and Top of the Hill.

Transportation
The closest airport is Raleigh-Durham International Airport which is about 20 minutes away in Morrisville. Once you're in Chapel Hill, there's a decent bus system that is run by the Chapel Hill Transit Authority. There are routes that connect Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and the UNC campus. Buses are most reliable on weekdays with lower frequencies at night and on weekends. If you hope to explore the area in any detail, a private vehicle is a must. If you happen to be in town during a football or basketball game, you should expect a frustrating amount of traffic and limited parking.


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We've been gathering travel costs from tens of thousands of actual travelers since 2010, and we use the data to calculate average daily travel costs for destinations around the world. We also systematically analyze the prices of hotels, hostels, and tours from travel providers such as Kayak, HostelWorld, TourRadar, Viator, and others. This combination of expenses from actual travelers, combined with pricing data from major travel companies, gives us a uniqe insight into the overall cost of travel for thousands of cities in countries around the world. You can see more here: How it Works.



1 Categories averaged on a per-item basis.
2 Categories averaged on a per-day basis.
For example, the Food2 daily average is for all meals for an entire day, while Entertainment1 is for each individual purchase. Thus, the overall daily average cost is not a summation of the individual categories.


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.
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