Is it cheaper to vacation at the Outer Banks, the Jersey Shore, Dublin, or Mexico? We investigated.

People have been bragging about their trips to the Outer Banks since I moved to the Shore three decades ago. Quieter, cheaper, more laid back, more of a relaxing vacation than anything you’ll find in, say, Sea Isle.

Last summer, with an increasingly unaffordable Jersey Shore spawning a subculture of people swearing by other places, we looked at the cost of vacationing in Hawaii and Paris, along with Margate. Deals could be had.

» READ MORE: Is it cheaper to spend a week in Paris, Hawaii or down the Shore? We investigated.

This summer, as gas prices are on the rise, the appeal of an eight-hour drive to North Carolina might give even a priced-out Margatian pause.

Is it worth the drive to get to Duck, N.C.? What about flying to Dublin? Has the “We’re going to Europe instead” crowd thinned out?

We priced options for a family of four and targeted a week in July, the 11th to the 18th.

Rental inventory at the Jersey Shore is rapidly depleting, said Duane Watlington, the CEO and founder of Vacation Rentals Jersey Shore LLC. As of April 1, Long Beach Island is 83% booked for the eight summer weeks, June 27-Aug. 22, he said.

But Watlington said rental prices were looking better, with “Most listings ... the same price or up to 10% lower for weekly rentals due to the soft market we had in 2025.”

Everything is relative, of course. Available rentals for that week on LBI can range from a four-bedroom Harvey Cedars charmer at $11,000 to a cozy two-bedroom Beach Haven duplex available Friday to Friday for just $3,000.

The real value, Watlington advised, is in September, with rentals as much as half the price of peak summer weeks, a warm ocean, and the joys of “locals summer.”

Data from HomeToGo showed that Sea Isle City rentals ranged from $6,745 to a whopping $18,828, with an average of $9,389.10 for available properties during that peak July week.

Bethany Beach, Del., ($5,537.59) and Duck, N.C., ($5,361.90) had similar average weekly rentals. Ocean City averaged $6,321.53 for that week, according to Berger Realty data.

Watlington said the median price on LBI for a July or August rental is $7,000 per week, with a range of $1,000 to (yikes) $55,000 week.

Paul Ferdinand of Rainbow Voyages in Philadelphia found little available in Dublin during July, “regardless of price.”

He advised switching to early August, and came up with a very competitive trip, detailed below.

Mezgaron James of YouBeEverywhere Travel suggested Mazatlán, Mexico, which she said combines the charm of a Jersey Shore boardwalk with the luxury of a hotel on Mexico’s Pacific coast.

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In the end, results were undeniable: The total cost of the more adventurous destinations like Ireland or Mexico was comparable, or even less, than a typical weekly rental at the Shore.

Here are the details.

Outer Banks rentals trend toward the larger side, so the trick might be to vacation with that other family whose kids like your kids.

Here’s one property, known as the Beached Buffalo, five houses from the beach in the town of Corolla (accent on the first syllable, not like the car), that rents for a prime week in July for $5,597.

Myles Wood, of Shoreline OBX, said his company includes a friendly $250 credit for beach gear rental during your stay.

Jersey Shore veteran renters, used to having to (literally) bring their own sheets, find this extremely attractive.

“One of the things we aim to do if someone comes down, everything’s taken care of,” Wood said.

Rental prices have crept up a bit, he notes, but said those priced out of buying a beach house in New Jersey will be pleasantly surprised to see a lower bar of entry, like this Duck beach cottage listed at $650,000.

Sample food: At Aqua, $34 gets you Chef Cory Bryant’s Shrimp and Grits, with smoked pork belly lardons, sun-dried tomatoes, and a creamy lobster sauce.

Vibe: Personal space-y. Says Wood: “Our beaches are wide enough and plentiful enough. You get a slice of personal heaven.”

What’s free? Beaches and parking, oh my.

Drawbacks: No true boardwalk scene. Long, and increasingly expensive, drive for a week’s vacation.

Paul Ferdinand of Philly’s Rainbow Voyages, who sent us on a glorious, if theoretical, trip to Hawaii last year as a Jersey Shore alternative, recommended Dublin in August..

He said Americans will find Ireland “wallet-friendly,” and Dublin a perfect home base for, among other things, art, boutiques, pubs, and day trips.

» READ MORE: Get dispatches and advice from Down the Shore

He found a “stylish one-bedroom apartment” for four at the Dublin City Center location of the Staycity chain that will rent for a week for $1,996. If it’s just for two, he recommends the Hoxton Hotel for its “tasteful decor and fawning service,” which will run about $2,029 mid-August, “a steal for that hotel group,” he said.

Airfare round-trip from Philly on Aer Lingus Irish Airlines will run you around $929 per person, including a seat assignment, checked bag, and in-flight meal.

Vibe: Sea Isle meets James Joyce. Cliffs!

Sample food: Three-course menu at Vintage Kitchen in Dublin for 72 euros features the Skeaghanore duck with miso, sprouting broccoli, sweet potato, and samphire (sea beans).

What’s free? At the Guinness Storehouse, take the basic tour where mom and dad get a free stout.

Drawbacks: Peak Dublin Bay temps are about 59 degrees.

Brian Logue, of the Anchor Group in Ocean City, notes that Ocean City has had some record sale prices. But that hasn’t affected rental prices, he said. “The upside for tenants is that rental prices have not kept up with value.”

He’s not sold on the North Carolina alternative.

“From experience, I have clients who love the Outer Banks,” he said. “But unless you have your own plane, it’s eight hours in the car each way.”

He thinks people may think they want an alternative to their ancestral Shore destinations, but in the end, they really don’t.

“There’s not a boardwalk,” he said of the Outer Banks. “The things that make Ocean City ‘America’s Greatest Family Resort,’ it doesn’t exist there. It doesn’t have that nostalgic Jersey feel.”

In Ocean City, five grand will get you a week in July at this three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath Ocean City townhouse on Wesley Avenue.

Vibe: America’s greatest family resort, not as many rides as there used to be, nostalgia.

Sample food: Manco’s, Alex’s, Bakeria1010, Preps, Kohr Brothers.

What’s free? Walk the boardwalk to your heart’s content, but each person will need a $35 seasonal beach tag ($30 before June 1).

Drawbacks: You’ll have a lot of company everywhere you go.

Maria Sacco Handle, of the Shore House Team, said the snowy winter has spurred interest in Jersey Shore rentals. She said prices have stayed “fairly steady,” with some early booking incentives that will disappear as the season approaches.

“Believe it or not, we love a snowy winter at the Jersey Shore — it reminds everyone how amazing a week at the beach will feel,“ she said. “My advice to anyone thinking about renting this summer: Don’t sit on the fence — the best weeks always go first.”

A typical week in Brigantine in July comes out as about the same as the Outer Banks, minus the cost of driving and plus the cost of a beach tag ($15 per week per person).

In a time-honored Jersey Shore tradition, you’ll have to bring your own bed linens or rent them (no Outer Banks-y credit included).

A four-bedroom, two-bath charming blue rental house in Brigantine’s “A zone,” in the middle of the island, is listed for $5305, a bargain by current Jersey Shore standards.

Sample food: Spicy tuna with Caribbean jerk seasoning at La Scala Beach House will run you $25.

Vibe: With one way on and off, Brigantine is its own insular vibe. All-terrain vehicle holders can go tailgate at the cove.

What’s free? Hmm. An early morning around the island bike ride, as always.

What’s not? Linens! BYO.

Perks: The Borgata is just a short hop over the bridge, and you can visit some stranded marine mammals at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center. Also, golf.

“This was the first thing that popped in my mind,” said Philadelphia travel agent Mezgaron James.

She’s referring to Mazlatán, Mexico, a resort town on Mexico’s Pacific coast. “A lot of people don’t know they have the longest boardwalk in the world, a 13-mile boardwalk. It’s a place that’s untouched.”

James priced out seven nights in our target week, July 11 to 18, at Costa de Oro Beach Hotel, including round-trip tickets on American Airlines from Philadelphia for ... $4,000.

“It’s family-friendly,” James said. “There’s a lot of things to do. It’s still lively like the Jersey Shore, but you’ll see a nice mix of people, fishermen hauling the morning’s catch, people bicycling and jogging, catch a coffee and pastry. There’s zip-lining. There’s open air taxis.”

The hotel provides direct access to the beach at no extra cost.

“It’s actually a four-star hotel with a pool right by the beach,” she said.

Sample food: I’m ordering the Zarandeado fish, a whole grilled fish available at multiple places.

Vibe: The 13-mile boardwalk will meet all your Jersey needs.

What’s free? Beaches.

Drawbacks: Check with the U.S. Department of State’s travel advisory to see about impacts from any nearby (but not in tourist areas, typically) cartel violence.

Inquirer staff writer Chris A. Williams contributed to this article.