Skift Take
When the vacation rental site encourages you to eat like a local, they also mean you're going to need to cook and shop like one too.
The cost of feeding yourself and your family while traveling adds up quickly thanks to restaurant meals, room service, and tips. In an effort to persuade travelers to take another look at a vacation rental, HomeAway turned to the hamburger to illustrate the savings travelers can find if they have a place to cook their own meals.
The figures below are based on cities where HomeAway had a large inventory of properties that have grills, and include important burger elements such as lettuce, cheese, buns, and fries.
HomeAway’s Q2 earnings report in July pointed to strong growth over the last year with nearly double the income from the same period in 2012.
The full infographic is below the chart.
Cost of Burgers Cooked at Home Vs. Hotel Room Service
| City | Burgers for 4 – Total Cost | Average Cost of 4 Burgers, Fries, Gratuity | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gatlinberg/Pigeon Forge, TN | $13.66 | $41.23 | 66.87% |
| Destin, FL | $18.21 | $46.60 | 60.92% |
| Myrtly Beach, FL | $16.46 | $35.32 | 53.40% |
| Cape Cod, MA | $14.48 | $43.87 | 66.99% |
| Galveston, TX | $17.26 | $50.67 | 65.93% |
| Gulf Shores, AL | $20.15 | $46.47 | 56.64% |
| Key West, FL | $19.46 | $41.93 | 53.59% |
| Rehoboth Beach, DE | $19.97 | $40.65 | 50.88% |
| Miami Beach, FL | $19.12 | $79.33 | 75.90% |
| Austin, TX | $13.96 | $58.67 | 76.20% |
| San Francisco, CA | $17.48 | $72.00 | 75.72% |
| Brooklyn, NY | $17.86 | $64.00 | 72.09% |
| Chicago, IL | $13.17 | $44.67 | 70.51% |
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | $16.75 | $51.00 | 67.16% |
| Breckenridge, CO | $13.33 | $54.67 | 75.62% |
| Average | $16.75 | $51.40 | 65.90% |
For a full view of the cost of making burgers in each destination, view this Google Doc.
Dwell Newsletter
Get breaking news, analysis and data from the week’s most important stories about short-term rentals, vacation rentals, housing, and real estate.
Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch
Tags: homeaway, vacation rentals