A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Addis Ababa vs. La Fortuna for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Addis Ababa or La Fortuna?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Addis Ababa or La Fortuna, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Addis Ababa or La Fortuna?

Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and also the nation's largest when ranked by its population of over three million. There are also more than 120 international missions and embassies in Addis Ababa, making the city a hub for international diplomacy concerning Africa. Other draws include its thriving marketplaces, spicy food, and rich coffee.

La Fortuna

La Fortuna is in San Carlos, in the province of Alajuela. It is the closest town to Arenal Volcano, and the area is often simply refered to as Arenal. The volcano itself is active and has been constantly erupting since 1968. It erupts on average 41 times a day. This area of northern Costa Rica is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the country.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Eco Tours in Costa Rica.


Which place is cheaper, La Fortuna or Addis Ababa?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Addis Ababa is $29, while the average daily cost in La Fortuna is $136. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Addis Ababa and La Fortuna in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Addis Ababa $16
    La Fortuna $56
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Addis Ababa $32
    La Fortuna $112
Compare Hotels in Addis Ababa and La Fortuna

Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa or La Fortuna? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Addis Ababa


Hotels in La Fortuna


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Addis Ababa Hotel Prices and La Fortuna Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Addis Ababa $2.82
    La Fortuna $23
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Addis Ababa

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Addis Ababa are as follows:


  • Short Taxi Ride
    $0.19

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Addis Ababa

Also for Addis Ababa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Addis Ababa Airport pickup and Transfer: $23
  • Addis Ababa Airport transfer and shuttle service(privet): $23
  • Bole International Airport to Addis Ababa Private Transfer: $30
  • City and Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa: $35
  • City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $40
  • Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer: $49
  • Private Addis Ababa Airport Transfer: $55
  • Private Transfer from Bole Airport Addis Ababa (ADD) to Addis Ababa: $153
  • 4 Hours Addis Airport Transfer with Ethiopian Cultural Tour: $299

Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Fortuna

Some specific examples of transportation prices in La Fortuna:

  • Puerto Viejo de Limon: Transfer to La Fortuna de Arenal: $400
  • Private Transfer From Liberia Airport To Arenal La Fortuna: $295
  • From San Jose Airport To Arenal - La Fortuna - PRIVATE TRANSFER: $295
  • Private One-Way Transfer from/to La Fortuna to Papagayo Peninsula: $289
  • Private Transfer Liberia Airport to Bijagua: $285
  • Private Transfer Service From Liberia Airport To Arenal - La Fortuna: $285
  • Private Transfer from Arenal La Fortuna to San Jose Airport: $255
  • Private Transfer La Fortuna to (SJO)Airport – 1–6 Passengers: $249
  • Private Transfer from La Fortuna to Juan Santa Maria Airport: $249
  • Private Transfer La Fortuna To Int. Airport Liberia From 1 to 6 passengers: $249
  • Private Transfer: La Fortuna Costa Rica: $235
  • La Fortuna Private Transfer to San Jose Airport: $231

Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or La Fortuna?

Prices for flights to both La Fortuna and Addis Ababa change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Addis Ababa $11
    La Fortuna $52
Typical Food Prices in Addis Ababa

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Addis Ababa:


  • Slice of Cake
    $0.04

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Addis Ababa

For Addis Ababa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Addis Eats Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $49
  • Berbere Bites Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $49
  • Totot Cultural Feast & Rhythm Show With Dinner: $54
  • Flavors of Ethiopia: Hands-On Cooking Class in Addis Ababa: $55
  • Food tour in Addis Ababa with airport pick-up.: $56
  • Addis Ababa Ethiopian cooking class Airport & hotel pick up: $68
  • Yod Abyssinia Cultural Night: Dinner, Music, and Dance: $70
  • Half Day Food Tour Addis Ababa With Airport pickUp And Drop-Off: $75
  • Food tours in Addis Ababa tastever with lunch: $76
  • Private City Tour with Folkloric Dinner: $77
  • Addis abeba Full Cooking class.: $90
  • Cooking class in Addis Ababa: $95

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in La Fortuna

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in La Fortuna.

  • Farm to Table Cooking Class: $45
  • Typical Costa Rican Cooking Classes in La Fortuna: $48
  • Costa Rica The Chela Cooking Experience: $60
  • Ceviche & Empanadas Cooking Class: $77
  • Horseback Riding and Cooking Class with Lunch: $80
  • Cooking with a Costa Rican family: $80
  • Cooking with a Costa Rican familiy: $90
  • Rainforest Night Walk in La Fortuna with Authentic Dinner: $92
  • Fresh From the Farm: Cooking Class at the Volcano: $105
  • Rio Celeste & Hot Springs Dinner Experience: $130
  • Arenal Volcano Hike plus Baldi Hot Springs and Dinner: $140
  • Arenal Hanging Bridges with Hotsprings, Lunch and Dinner: $180

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Addis Ababa $2.91
    La Fortuna $48

Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Addis Ababa.

  • Traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony Tour: $30
  • 5 hours Addis Ababa Layover city tour: $36
  • Layover in Addis Ababa 5 hours tour: $38
  • Sightseeing Walking Tour: $40
  • Open-bus Tour and Cycling: $41
  • Local Food Open Market, City Tours & More.: $42
  • 4 Hours Addis Ababa Cultural Discovery Tour: $42
  • Merkato Addis Ababa Guided Tour: $42
  • Mercato Market Guided Tour with Coffee Tasting: $43
  • Addis Ababa DayTours with Hotel/Airport pick up and drop off: $45
  • Entoto hill and Mercato Market layover tour: $45
  • Best of Addis Privet Guided city Tour: $46

Tours and Activities in La Fortuna

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for La Fortuna are as follows:

  • 12-Cable Zipline Canopy Tour Over Waterfalls: $115
  • 2-in-1 Arenal Coffee and Chocolate Tour: $75
  • 3-Hour Arenal Lake Flexi Pass Adventure In Costa Rica: $73
  • 7 Nights Costa Rica Fully Guided Adventure: $1,850
  • 7-Cable Zipline Adventure: Fly Over La Fortuna Waterfall: $84
  • 7-Cable Zipline Canopy Tour Over La Fortuna Waterfall: $95
  • A day of Arenal Adventure 1968 and Spring: $96
  • ATV Tour near Arenal Volcano, Jungle, and River Crossing: $165
  • ATV adventure Tour in La Fortuna: $105
  • Adventure Pass: $167
  • Arenal 12 Zipline Cables Experience Fly over La Fortuna Waterfall: $107
  • Arenal 1968 Trail Park Admission Ticket: $40

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Addis Ababa $2.40
    La Fortuna $12

Sample the Local Flavors in Addis Ababa

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Addis Ababa:

  • Pub-crawl Tour ( locally crafted beer and wine tasting ): $58
  • Night Tour Addis Ababa beer and wine tasting: $65

Sample the Local Flavors in La Fortuna

Also in La Fortuna, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Wine Tasting Experience: $135


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Addis Ababa and La Fortuna, we can see that La Fortuna is more expensive. And not only is Addis Ababa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Addis Ababa is in Africa and La Fortuna is in Central America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Addis Ababa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Addis Ababa and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in La Fortuna would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in La Fortuna than you might in Addis Ababa.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Addis Ababa Expensive? and Is La Fortuna Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or La Fortuna?

Addis Ababa has a larger population, and is about 920 times larger than the population of La Fortuna. When comparing the sizes of Addis Ababa and La Fortuna, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.