The cost of vacationing on Cape Cod can depending on what time of year you decide to travel.
To explore Cape Cod on a budget, you may want to consider traveling early in the year or late fall , with cheaper flights than you find during the summer months. You can also save if you forego entertainment costs, take public transport/your own car, opt for a vacation rental, and eat at home.
In this guide, we’ll talk about where you should stay when visiting Cape Cod on a budget, the cheapest time to visit, and some tips on how to save money on your trip there. Read on to find out more!
Where to Stay in Cape Cod on a Budget
When traveling to Cape Cod on a budget, the cheapest accommodation option you have is RV camping, followed by vacation rentals, where you can also save by cooking at home some or all of your meals.
Hotel rooms are typically the most expensive option, but you may land some good deals if you stay vigilant and book in advance.
RV Camping
If you camp in your RV, your weekly costs would be as low as $75 if you opt to stay at Race Point Beach. If you need to rent an RV, your costs will still be lower than renting a vacation rental. The RV will be cheaper since it can double as transport, and you can cook your meals and save up on money there too! At the same time, you can enjoy the beauty of the beaches right from your vehicle.
Cape Cod Budget Vacation Rentals
If you’re not a big fan of camping, you can opt for a rental home. These are much cheaper than hotel rooms and provide more space, privacy, and your own kitchen.For example in the off-season, a 2-bedroom rental at Hyannis could cost around $110-120/night, but the average price is $147/night if you opt for a hotel room. With more amenities like your own kitchen, a lounge where you can relax, privacy, and a cheaper cost, vacation rentals are the better option than hotel living.
Cape Cod Budget Hotel Rooms
Hotel Rooms are the most expensive option. However, low-rated hotels cost less than highly rated ones. For example, the average price of a single hotel room rated at 1-star is approximately $80/night. 4 and 5-star hotels can cost somewhere between $320-400/night and thus aren’t very budget-friendly.
What’s the Cheapest Month to Visit?
The cheapest time to visit Cape Cod is early to mid-September because flight costs are around 80% lower than in March/April. Other affordable times to visit are January 15-March 25, April 16-May 6, and August 13-November 18.
Early fall is an excellent time to visit the Cape because it’s the off-season, which means that accommodation prices go down. On top of this, flights to Cape Cod in September are at the lowest cost, roughly 80% cheaper than in April and December.
How Much Does Cape Cod Cost for a Couple?
A couple at Cape Cod can expect to spend between $2500-$4700 per week, but around $1200-$2000 if you travel out of season budget your time and resources.
What’s the lowest you can expect to spend per day?
A budgeted couple’s trip base cost can be somewhere from $1200-$2000 per week and $185-$464 per day. If you drive around Cape Cod, make your food, and live in a cheap rental, your costs could range from $1200-$2000. If you decide to eat out occasionally, you’d be spending atleast $40/meal.
Costs of sightseeing can be an unforeseen expense on a vacation. If you opt to go to places with little to no admission fee and no parking fees, you could bring these costs down too.
How much can you realistically spend in a week?
According to the Liveability List, the cost of living on Cape Cod is 28.5% higher than the national average.
Realistically speaking, you may end up spending more on groceries than you do at home, even for the staples, before you splurge on vacation treats. Food, travel, and sightseeing could amount to more than you are accustomed to paying in less touristed areas.
A budget 1-bedroom rental may cost $115-$141 per night. Realistically only 1% of rentals are available within the $0-$100 price range. Additionally, they may be located in less favorable places. The trick is to start booking a month or two in advance so that you can take advantage of these low prices.
7 Money saving tips for Cape Cod
When going on a vacation, every little bit that you save counts. A few ways you can save money include opting for a vacation rental instead of hotel rooms. This way, you can also cook at home and save money from dining out. Additionally, you could use coupons and look for free activities or cost little to do, like visiting art galleries or biking, hiking, and going to free concerts.
1. Pick a Vacation Rental over a Hotel
You can rent a 3-bedroom vacation home for approximately $2000/week. That’s $286/night for six people.
Vacation homes also give you the advantage of having an entire home–along with a kitchen to cook meals–to yourself, as well as more privacy.
2. Share costs
Consider traveling with another family and split the costs of a vacation rental. That will also help you save money.
3. Visit During Shoulder Months
The shoulder season is the months of June and September.
House rates are lower during these months, towns are less crowded, and the weather can still as lovely as the peak months..
4. Cook your meals
A vacation rental allows you to have access to your kitchen, where you can make your meals and save a lot of money from eating out.The least amount of money you’d be spending per meal if you solely ate out would be $15-$20/person. For a family of four having three meals/day, this would amount to around $1400-$1600/week. Instead, by opting for a vacation rental equipped with its own kitchen, you could cook your meals.
5. Coupons are your Friend
Check restaurant, entertainment, and other venue sites that you plan to visit. Many provide offers, package deals or discount coupons, especially in the off-season so you can save on your trip and enjoy Cape Cod on a budget.
6. Free Fun
Look for activities that cost little to no money. The favorite past times of visitors to Cape Cod is going to the beaches or visiting the lighthouses, and these are all free during the off-season. Going hiking, biking, or checking out art galleries are low cost. You could also attend an outdoor concert on the beaches. While vacationing in Cape Cod on a budget, there is plenty of opportunity for some window-shopping in all the quaint little boutiques and markets on the Cape.
7. Bring your Bikes
Instead of spending money to rent a bike, just bring your own. And save that gas money by choosing to cycle to places instead of driving.
Not only will you save money, but it’s also a healthier option and helps protect the environment.
Conclusion
Cape Cod caters to people traveling on all kinds of budgets. If you travel in the lat fall months or early spring, you can end up saving more on lodging than if you traveled during peak times.
If you want to save on money, you should book early as possible to avail the cheapest offers. On top of this, taking your own transport could save you for the car rental.
Additionally, vacation rentals are a cheaper option compared to hotel rooms. They’re also equipped with kitchens so you can save up on eating out costs.
We hope this article helps you plan your vacation to visit Cape Cod on a budget.
