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

Tamarindo, Provincia de Guanacaste, Costa Rica

How much does it cost to travel to Tamarindo?

You should plan to spend around $121 (₡61,344) per day on your vacation in Tamarindo. This is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors.

Past travelers have spent, on average for one day:

  • $32 (₡16,411) on meals
  • $69 (₡34,923) on local transportation
  • $100 (₡50,612) on hotels

A one week trip to Tamarindo for two people costs, on average, $1,698 (₡858,813). This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

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
    $121
    61,344
  • One Week Per person
    $849
    429,406
  • 2 Weeks Per person
    $1,698
    858,813
  • One Month Per person
    $3,638
    1,840,313
  • One Week For a couple
    $1,698
    858,813
  • 2 Weeks For a couple
    $3,396
    1,717,625
  • One Month For a couple
    $7,277
    3,680,626
This data comes from the travel budgets of real travelers - How it works. Put these numbers on your website.


How much does a one week, two week, or one month trip to Tamarindo cost?

A one week trip to Tamarindo usually costs around $849 (₡429,406) for one person and $1,698 (₡858,813) for two people. This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

A two week trip to Tamarindo on average costs around $1,698 (₡858,813) for one person and $3,396 (₡1,717,625) for two people. This cost includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

Please note, prices can vary based on your travel style, speed, and other variables. If you're traveling as a family of three or four people, the price per 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 Tamarindo will often have a lower daily budget per person than one person traveling alone for one week.

A one month trip to Tamarindo on average costs around $3,638 (₡1,840,313) for one person and $7,277 (₡3,680,626) for two people. The more places you visit, the higher the daily price will become due to increased transportation costs.




Independent Travel

Traveling Independently to Tamarindo has many benefits including affordabilty, freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to control your own experiences.

All of the travel costs below are based on the experiences of other independent travelers.

Is Tamarindo expensive to visit?

Prices in Tamarindo are reasonable and comparable to your average travel destination. Hotels, food, and sightseeing are generally within normal price ranges.

Within Central America, Tamarindo is a very expensive destination compared to other places. It is in the top 10% of cities in Central America for its travel costs. There are only a few cities as expensive as Tamarindo in the region, such as Quepos or San Pedro.

For more details, and to find out if it's within your travel budget, see Is Tamarindo Expensive?

How much money do I need for a trip to Tamarindo?

The average Tamarindo trip cost is broken down by category here for independent travelers. All of these Tamarindo travel prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.


Category Cost
Accommodation 1 (Double Occupancy) 50,612 ($100)
Local Transportation 1 34,923 ($69)
Food 2 16,411 ($32)
Entertainment 1 8,661 ($17)
Alcohol 2 3,529 - 10,586 ($7 - 21)
Accommodation Budget in Tamarindo
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

The average price paid for one person for accommodation in Tamarindo is $50 (₡25,306). For two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room, the average price paid for a hotel room in Tamarindo is $100 (₡50,612). This cost is from the reported spending of actual travelers.


  • Accommodation1 Hotel or hostel for one person
    $50
    25,306
  • Accommodation1 Typical double-occupancy room
    $100
    50,612

Hotel Prices in Tamarindo

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

Find the best hotel for your travel style.

 

Actual Hotel Prices
The average hotel room price in Tamarindo based on data provided by Kayak for actual hotel rooms is $181. (Prices in U.S. Dollars, before taxes & fees.)

Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world.


Recommended Properties


Transportation Budget in Tamarindo
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The cost of a taxi ride in Tamarindo is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $69 (₡34,923) per person, per day, on local transportation in Tamarindo.


  • Transportation1 Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    $69
    34,923

Recommended Services


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

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

Calculated from travelers like you

  • While meal prices in Tamarindo can vary, the average cost of food in Tamarindo is $32 (₡16,411) per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Tamarindo should cost around $13 (₡6,564) per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Tamarindo is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.


  • Food2 Meals for one day
    $32
    16,411

Recommended


Entertainment Budget in Tamarindo
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • Entertainment and activities in Tamarindo typically cost an average of $17 (₡8,661) per person, per day based on the spending of previous travelers. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.


  • Entertainment1 Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    $17
    8,661

Recommended Activities


Alcohol Budget in Tamarindo
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The average person spends about $14 (₡7,057) on alcoholic beverages in Tamarindo per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.


  • Alcohol2 Drinks for one day
    $14
    7,057

Recommended


Tamarindo On a Budget
Tamarindo Tamarindo Beach, Costa Rica
Tamarindo is a small beach town in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica on the Pacific Coast. This town is usually sought out by surfers, fishers, couples, and families. There are delicious restaurants, beautiful beaches, and friendly Tico's and Tica's (local Costa Rican nicknames) everywhere.
Sights
The first thing you'll want to see in Tamarindo is the beach. It's about three kilometers long and is backed by some of Costa Rica's National Parks. The water is unbelievably warm and clear, with white sand on the beach. You will most likely see (or at least hear) the famous Howler Monkeys in the trees that line the beach. These monkeys are all over the country, and can be aggressive so don't get to close to them! You could possibly even see some sea turtles; they have been known to lay their eggs in the northern part of the shore.

There is a saltwater estuary in Tamarindo within the wildlife refuge. You can take a tour along the canals and hopefully spot some ospreys and herons, or maybe even the crocodiles that live in the area.
Neighborhoods
Tamarindo is part of the province of Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica. Tamarindo is the largest town in the region, but there are a couple other large towns in the province. Liberia is one of them, and it is the regional administrative and economic capital. There is a large international airport there bringing many foreigners into Costa Rica. Another area in the Guanacaste region is Rincon de la Vieja National Park. There you can hike atop a volcano and swim amongst beautiful waterfalls in the national park. A famous beach in the region is called Playa Conchal, where there is a luxurious resort on the shore of the crystal clear water and white sand beaches. You can also camp on this beach if the large resorts aren't your preference.

Activities
Tamarindo is known for fishing, surfing, snorkeling, diving, zip lining, and much more. You can also just sit back and relax on the beach with a good book if that is what an ideal vacation sounds like to you. For amazing tours of Tamarindo and the Guanacaste region as a whole, Native's Way Guanacaste is a great company to check out. They can take you on tours of the National Parks, zip lining, surfing, paddle boarding, and transportation to get you to all of these places.

Surfing is a very popular activity in Tamarindo. You can get lessons and rent gear at multiple different places on the beach, however, for beginners, remember that this beach is known for surfing so the water can get over crowded at times. Scuba diving and snorkeling are great activities while in Tamarindo. There is actually a beach about 20 minutes outside the town that offers a great place for both of these activities called Hacienda Pinilla. Go Fish Costa Rica is a great company that can take you out fishing; they are located on Tamarindo Beach. For those looking to really relax while in Tamarindo, Yoga Massage Therapy is a must do. This company pairs massage therapy with yoga to heal and relax you in a whole new way. They are located in Plaza Conchal.
Food and Dining
You can find traditional Costa Rican food (rice, beans, plantains, etc.), great places for seafood, and even a German bakery in the town of Tamarindo. There are many places that serve extremely fresh seafood and produce as well. A couple restaurants to visit are Longboards BBQ, which has American music and sports playing at the restaurant. Le Petit Cafe serves everything from home baked goods to Jamaican jerk chicken. Pipos Dogs are arguably the best hot dogs in town, and they are open very late. Tamarindo has incredible fresh fruit as well, including papaya, pineapple, mango, and bananas, so make sure that you try it.

Transportation
The closest international airport is in Liberia, which is about 45 minutes outside of Tamarindo. From Liberia, you can take a taxi, shuttle, or bus into town. If you are coming from San Jose, you can take a bus for $12 but just know that it takes about 7 hours. Renting a car is also an option; there are several agencies for rental cars in the larger cities. Costa Rica is fairly easy to drive around for international travelers, however, at night, it can be a bit dangerous as the roads are very dark and have lots of potholes. Once in the town, you can basically get everywhere on foot. It isn't too big of a place, and you'll want to walk around so that you can stop at surf shops or at nice areas of the beach. You can also rent scooters if you aren't up for walking. As always, you can hail a taxi if you'd like. There are beach info kiosks all around that can offer information on getting a taxi or renting a scooter.


Related:

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Related:

Looking for a party hostel in Costa Rica or Cancun? Looking for a budget hostel in Mexico or Costa Rica?

We've been gathering travel costs from tens of thousands of actual travelers since 2010, and we use the data to calculate average daily travel costs for destinations around the world. We also systematically analyze the prices of hotels, hostels, and tours from travel providers such as Kayak, HostelWorld, TourRadar, Viator, and others. This combination of expenses from actual travelers, combined with pricing data from major travel companies, gives us a uniqe insight into the overall cost of travel for thousands of cities in countries around the world. You can see more here: How it Works.



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. Thus, the overall daily average cost is not a summation of the individual categories.