IN OTHER NEWS – A new study by a vacation rental marketplace found that Tallahassee ranks as the cheapest Florida vacation destination.
Release:
- Duck Key has been named the most expensive of Florida’s vacation destinations, with one night costing $716 per person.
- Tallahassee is the cheapest vacation destination, with one night costing $275 per person.
- The study analyzed the cost of accommodation, local transport, food and alcohol in 25 of Florida’s most popular vacation destinations.
According to a new study, the priciest and cheapest of Florida’s vacation destinations are Duck Key and Tallahassee, respectively.
Vacation rental marketplace FloridaRentals.com investigated which of Florida’s most popular vacation destinations are the cheapest and most expensive. They did this by examining the average cost of a double occupancy room, the average price of breakfast, lunch, and dinner at a budget restaurant, the average spend on alcoholic beverages, the average spend on local transport, and the average spend on tips and handouts. A total cost was then calculated, and each area was ranked from the cheapest to the most expensive.
Top five most expensive:
- Duck Key – total cost: $716
The island, in the Florida Keys, has been named the most expensive of Florida’s popular vacation destinations, with one night per person costing a total of $716.
The average cost for one night in a double-occupancy room is $560, which is the highest price of all the destinations. The average cost of a day’s meals is $45, and average alcohol costs for a day in Duck Key will cost you $12 – the cheapest in the ranking.
- Destin – total cost: $594
The Panhandle city is the second most expensive destination, with a one-night trip costing a total of $594 per person.
The average cost for one night in a double-occupancy room is $403, which is the second highest price in the ranking. The average cost of breakfast, lunch, and dinner is $51, and the average cost of local transport for a day is $50.
- Orlando – total cost: $554
The Theme Park Capital of the World is the third priciest of Florida’s most popular destinations, with the cost of a one-night stay per person totalling $554.
The average cost for a double-occupancy room is $174, which is below the average accommodation price in the ranking. The entertainment cost is what makes Orlando expensive, with a day’s worth of entertainment setting people back $204 on average.
| Destination | Accommodation ($) | Local transport ($) | Food ($) | Entertainment ($) | Alcohol ($) | Total ($) |
| Duck Key | 560 | 69 | 45 | 30 | 12 | 716 |
| Destin | 403 | 50 | 51 | 17 | 73 | 594 |
| Orlando | 174 | 66 | 65 | 204 | 45 | 554 |
| Big Pine Key | 380 | 56 | 42 | 42 | 14 | 534 |
| Key West | 350 | 51 | 68 | 33 | 24 | 526 |
- Big Pine Key – total cost: $534
The popular Florida Keys retreat has been named the fourth most expensive destination, with a one-night break costing a total of $380 per person.
The average cost for one night in a double-occupancy room is $380. The cost of a day’s meals is $42. Average local transport costs for a day in Big Pine Key will cost you $56.
- Key West – total cost: $526
Florida’s southernmost point concludes the top five of the most expensive popular Florida vacation destinations, with a one-night trip costing a total of $526 per person.
The average cost for one night in a double-occupancy room is $350. The cost of breakfast, lunch, and dinner at a budget restaurant is $68, and the average cost of alcohol for a day is $24.
Top five most affordable:
- Tallahassee – total cost: $275
Tallahassee is the largest city in the Florida Big Bend and Florida Panhandle region and is also the cheapest Florida vacation destination, with a one-night trip costing a total of $275 per person. The city has the cheapest entertainment at $12, with many of Tallahassee’s biggest attractions, like the Florida State Capitol, being free to visit.
- Everglades National Park – total cost: $287
The park is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and is the second most affordable tourist destination, with the cost of a one-night stay totalling $287 per person. The cost of accommodation in the park averages at $160 per night for a double occupancy room and has the cheapest food costs, with a day’s meals costing $31 on average.
- Cocoa Beach – total cost: $295
The third most budget-friendly destination is Cocoa Beach, with a one-night break costing a total of $465 per person. The area, known for its surfing culture, averages at $180 for a double-occupancy room for one night and its average entertainment costs are low at $16, with its main attractions being beaches which are free to visit.
| Destination | Accommodation ($) | Local transport ($) | Food ($) | Entertainment ($) | Alcohol ($) | Total ($) |
| Miami | 152 | 38 | 41 | 31 | 34 | 296 |
| Cape Canaveral | 181 | 35 | 43 | 17 | 19 | 295 |
| Cocoa Beach | 180 | 26 | 43 | 16 | 30 | 295 |
| Everglades National Park | 160 | 56 | 31 | 28 | 12 | 287 |
| Tallahassee | 104 | 33 | 47 | 12 | 79 | 275 |
- Cape Canaveral – total cost: $295
The Cape, also known as Space Coast owing to its thriving space industry, takes the penultimate place in the budget-conscious ranking, with a one-night stay costing a total of $295 per person. The average cost of a double-occupancy room is $181 per night and the average alcohol cost is lower than average at $19 for a one-night stay.
- Miami – total cost: $296
The coastal city in the Miami-Dade County rounds out the top five, with a one-night break costing a total of $296 per person. The Magic City is below average for all analyzed sectors apart from entertainment, with one day’s worth of entertainment costing an average of $31. An average double-occupancy room costs $152 for one night per person.
A spokesperson for FloridaRentals.com commented on the findings:
“With the cost of living having risen dramatically over recent years for many countries, many will still want a holiday abroad, but will be looking to spend less than they usually would. This study provides a clear insight into the cost of popular destinations to help guide tourists in their holiday decision making.
“Many of the most affordable destinations offer free activities and fun in the form of beaches or historic attractions. Even expensive attractions such as the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral offer free entertainment, with rocket launches being free to watch from public viewing spaces.”
