Travel Budget for Gainesville Visit Gainesville on a Budget or Travel in Style

Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
North America / United States of America / The South / Florida /

How much does it cost to travel to Gainesville?

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How much money will you need for your trip to Gainesville? You should plan to spend around $172 per day on your vacation in Gainesville, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, $56 on meals for one day and $32 on local transportation. Also, the average hotel price in Gainesville for a couple is $190. So, a trip to Gainesville for two people for one week costs on average $2,410. 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
    $172
  • One Week Per person
    $1,205
  • 2 Weeks Per person
    $2,410
  • One Month Per person
    $5,164
  • One Week For a couple
    $2,410
  • 2 Weeks For a couple
    $4,820
  • One Month For a couple
    $10,328
This data comes from the travel budgets of real travelers - How it works. Put these numbers on your website.

A vacation to Gainesville for one week usually costs around $1,205 for one person. So, a trip to Gainesville for two people costs around $2,410 for one week. A trip for two weeks for two people costs $4,820 in Gainesville. If you're traveling as a family of three or four people, the price 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 Gainesville can often have a lower daily budget per person than one person traveling alone for one week.



How expensive is Gainesville? How much money do I need for Gainesville?

How much does a trip to Gainesville cost? Is Gainesville expensive? The average Gainesville trip cost is broken down by category here. All of these Gainesville prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.

Accommodation Budget in Gainesville
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

The average price for one person for accommodation in Gainesville is $95. For two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room, the average price for a hotel room in Gainesville is $190.


  • Accommodation1 Hotel or hostel for one person
    $95
  • Accommodation1 Typical double-occupancy room
    $190

Hotels in Gainesville

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

Find the best hotel for your travel style.

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Transportation Budget in Gainesville
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The cost of a taxi ride in Gainesville is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $32 per person, per day, on local transportation in Gainesville.


  • Transportation1 Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    $32

Featured Services


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

Rental Cars in Gainesville
The price of renting a car in Gainesville 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 Gainesville
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • While meal prices in Gainesville can vary, the average cost of food in Gainesville is $56 per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Gainesville should cost around $22 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Gainesville is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.


  • Food2 Meals for one day
    $56

What did other people spend on Food in Gainesville?

Typical prices for Food in Gainesville are listed below. These actual costs are from real travelers and can give you an idea of the prices in Gainesville, but your costs will vary based on your travel style.


  • Diner Breakfast for Two
    $17
  • Lunch at Chop Stix (for 2)
    $24


Entertainment Budget in Gainesville
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • Entertainment and activities in Gainesville typically cost an average of $16 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.


  • Entertainment1 Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    $16

Featured Activities

What did other people spend on Entertainment in Gainesville?

Typical prices for Entertainment in Gainesville are listed below. These actual costs are from real travelers and can give you an idea of the prices in Gainesville, but your costs will vary based on your travel style.


  • Manatee Tour for Two
    $98
  • Tour Guide Tip
    $5.00


Tips and Handouts Budget in Gainesville
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The average price for Tips and Handouts in Gainesville is $1.00 per day. The usual amount for a tip in Gainesville is 10% - 20%.


  • Tips and Handouts1 For guides or service providers
    $1.00


Alcohol Budget in Gainesville
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The average person spends about $39 on alcoholic beverages in Gainesville per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.


  • Alcohol2 Drinks for one day
    $39


Last Updated: Nov 6, 2022
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Gainesville On a Budget
Gainesville Gainsville, Florida
Home to the University of Florida as well as Santa Fe College, the town of Gainesville has all of the shopping, entertainment, and restaurants that you could want in a college town - plus easy access to a number of outdoor adventures from canoeing, diving, and kayaking to birding, fishing, hiking, and biking. Some of the top features include the Butterfly Rainforest, the Florida Museum of Natural History, the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, and Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park.
Sights
The University of Florida alone brings visitors to Gainesville year after year. Home to the Florida Gator's, the University's Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (a.k.a "The Swamp") seats about 90,000 for those hoping to catch a football game. Other highlights on campus include the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Harn Museum of Art, Lake Alice, and university bat houses around the lake.

The Florida Museum of Natural History, located on the western outskirts of campus, explores the natural and human heritage of Florida, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Officially the state's natural history museum, the venue shows permanent exhibits which include Butterfly Rainforest: Where Science Takes Flight, Northwest Florida: Waterways & Wildlife, South Florida People & Environments, Florida Wildflower & Butterfly Garden, and the Fossil Plant Garden.

The Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, Florida's most diverse botanical garden, is another popular attraction covering 62 acres of 24 unique gardens. Some features include the state's largest Bamboo Garden, a Vinery, Palm Hammock, Water Garden, Rock Garden, Rose Garden, and the largest Herb Garden in the Southeast. Also worth mentioning is Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park - a sink hole about 120 feet deep that now sustains a small rainforest habitat.
Neighborhoods
Gainesville's downtown is centered on Main Street. Walking amidst the bustling avenues, you will find yourself along tree-lined streets draped enchantingly with Spanish moss. Yet, with the concentration of shops, restaurants, and theatres there is always something to do. Bo Diddley Plaza, for example, is a public space where live music performances often occur as well as a weekly Wednesday Farmer's Market where you can wander amongst the venders and have your own taste of local goods and produce. There are also plenty of boutiques and opportunities to shop around the Union Street Station Pedestrian Mall, while you also have the option to see a play or movie at the Hippodrome State Theatre. As far as dining goes there are a wide variety of options to satisfy every taste and budget, plus a number of bars to indulge in the nightlife.

Activities
In addition to experiencing the sights mentioned above, Gainesville is a home base for outdoor adventure and wildlife excursions. Just about any of the nearby parks and natural areas offer prime locations for canoeing or kayaking, hiking, biking, birding, fishing, and more. The Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is one such place, now designated as a National Natural Landmark. Here you will find a number of diverse habitats where alligators, wild horses, bison and over 260 species of birds live. There are eight trails which provide opportunities for hiking, biking, and horseback riding as well as locations for camping and ranger-led activities on weekends. There is also a 50-foot-high observation tower near the visitor center that provides a panoramic view of the preserve.

Beyond outdoor adventure, Gainesville is also host to a number of festivals throughout the year. The most popular is probably The Fest - one of America's premier independent music festivals concentrating mainly on punk, and featuring hundreds of bands over three days. Others include the Micanopy Fall Harvest Festival, Festival of Trees at Gainesville Woman's Club, Old Time Christmas in Historic High Springs, Hoggetowne Medieval Faire, Newberry Watermelon Festival, and the Gainesville Improv Festival.
Food and Dining
Walk downtown and you will surrounded by a sampling of cuisines from around the world. From casual cafes and southern classics to burgers, barbeque, pizza, Asian, Italian, Indian, Mediterranean, seafood, and more, Gainesville has a palette of flavors to fulfill any craving. The culinary scene is thriving with locally grown foods, one-of-a-kind restaurants, and craft breweries plus a number of local wineries located just outside of town. Some of the best dining options as rated on TripAdvisor include Embers Wood Grill, Satchel's Pizza, The Top, Harry's Seafood Bar & Grill, and Dragonfly Sushi & Sake Co Incorporated, amongst others.

Transportation
By plane, Gainesville Regional Airport is the closest public airport, located three miles northeast of Gainesville. The nearest major airports can be found in Jacksonville (Jacksonville International Airport, about 80 miles northwest of Gainesville) and Orlando (Orlando International Airport, about 122 miles southwest of Gainesville).

By car, Interstate 75 runs north and south to the west of Gainesville.

By bus, Greyhound bus Lines has regular service to Gainesville, running through Jacksonville, Ocala and Tallahassee. Redcoach USA offers a bus service from Atlanta and Orlando International airports, and Megabus offers a bus service from Tallahassee, Atlanta, and Orlando.


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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.


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Travel Tips

Florida Museum of Natural History

By Bryan in Entertainment
This museum is free! It's also great for kids. A variety of exhibits are available, as well as rotating exhibits (sometimes they charge an admission fee for these). Kids activities and events are also frequent. There's a cave, Native American history exhibits, and information about the land and plants. Craft sessions and family nights are also on the calendar of events.



Parking can be tricky - pay attention to the signs.

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