A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Antananarivo vs. San Jose for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Antananarivo or San Jose?

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

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Antananarivo and San Jose can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Antananarivo or San Jose?

Antananarivo

Antananarivo is the capital of Madagascar; it is also sometimes referred to as Tana. This city is the cultural and political center of Madagascar as a whole. There are multiple universities, museums, and other social venues in the city, as well as a national rugby team. This city has a very apparent French influence.

San Jose

San Jose is the capital city of Costa Rica and is likely to be your first and last stop in a visit to the country. The city is situated in the Central Valley and is surrounded by beautiful mountains and valleys, making for a beautiful flight in. The city has an elevation of 1200 meters and sits on a plateau with a beautiful backdrop of lush green forest. Half of the people in Costa Rica reside in the country's capital city. You are likely to stay only a day or two, but there are a handful of things to do and see including museums and markets. You will also find many embassies, as well as the University of Costa Rica in San Jose.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to Madagascar, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Madagascar, The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Costa Rica.


Which place is cheaper, San Jose or Antananarivo?

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 Antananarivo is $87, while the average daily cost in San Jose is $103. 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 Antananarivo and San Jose in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Antananarivo $28
    San Jose $49
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Antananarivo $56
    San Jose $98
Compare Hotels in Antananarivo and San Jose

Looking for a hotel in Antananarivo or San Jose? 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 Antananarivo


Hotels in San Jose


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: Antananarivo Hotel Prices and San Jose Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Antananarivo $13
    San Jose $19

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Antananarivo

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Antananarivo:

  • Private Airport Transfert Ivato Antananarivo: $35
  • Private Airport Transfert Ivato Antananarivo: $93
  • Cheap Transfer from Airport to your Hotel in Antananarivo: $16

Typical Local Transportation Prices in San Jose

Some typical examples of transportation costs in San Jose are as follows:


  • Taxi from SJO
    $25
  • Local Bus
    $2.72

Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Jose

Also for San Jose, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Costa Rica SJO Airport TO Downtown Hotel Private Transfer Shuttle: $25
  • Private Transfer from San Jose to La Fortuna de Arenal: $46
  • San Jose to Juan Santamaria Intl. Airport (SJO) – Departure Private Transfer: $49
  • Private Transfer from San Jose Airport One Way: $56
  • Juan Santamaria Intl Airport (SJO) to San Jose - Private Transfer: $68
  • Shared transfer to Manuel Antonio: $70
  • San Jose Airport Private Transfer to Jacó 1 to 4 People: $72
  • Private Transfer: Liberia International Airport from|to Hotels: $81
  • Private Transfer from San Jose Hotels to San Jose Airport: $95
  • OneWay Private Transfer - San Jose Airport to your selected location: : $99
  • Private One Way Transfer from San José (Airport SJO) to Manuel Antonio, Quepos : $110
  • Private roundtrip transfers from SJO Intl Airport to downtown Hotels: $110

Is it cheaper to fly into Antananarivo or San Jose?

Prices for flights to both San Jose and Antananarivo 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
    Antananarivo $47
    San Jose $31

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Antananarivo

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

  • Cooking And Cuisine Tasting From Tana-Malagasy Fine Foodie Madagascar Tour: $245

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Jose

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

  • Bites and Sights Walking Food Tour including Markets: $34
  • San Jose By Night tour Farm to Table Dinner & Cocktail Class: $59
  • Bites and Sights Walking Food Tour and National Museum : $65
  • Half-Day San Jose Evening Bus Tour with Dinner and Pickup: $78
  • Dinner with Private Show in Tiquicia Traditional Nights : $95
  • City Tour and Dinner at the Best Lookout in San Jose: $149

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Antananarivo $22
    San Jose $21

Tours and Activities in Antananarivo

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

  • 4-Hours Night Tour of Antananarivo: $158
  • 9-Day Adventure from Antananarivo to Isalo Park & Tulear: $1,784
  • Antananarivo : Custom Walking Tour With A Guide (Private Tour): $34
  • Antananarivo : Day tour to Mantasoa Lake: $165
  • Antananarivo Like a Local: Customized Guided Tour: $25
  • Andasibe Mantadia National Park 3-Day Tour: $484
  • Guided Tour and sunset in queen's palace: $62
  • Lemurs Park & City Tour: $300
  • Private Walking Tour with a Local Guide: $30
  • Antanavario: Private custom tour with a local guide: $23
  • Day - Tour Ampefy: $142
  • From Road trip Day tour to Ampefy Village: $175

Tours and Activities in San Jose

For San Jose, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Entrance Ticket to the Farm of Hacienda Orosi: $11
  • Hiking Experience in El Quetzal Private Reserve: $26
  • Sarapiqui Frog Tour: $30
  • Private Guided Tour of Cheese in Canaan de Rivas: $30
  • Hacienda Alsacia Starbucks Coffe Tour: $31
  • Poas Volcano National Park - Admission Ticket: $32
  • San Jose Highlights Walking Tour with a Guide: $32
  • 2-Hour Orosi Nocturnal Tour: $33
  • San Jose Walking Nature Tour: Sloths, Birds and Trees: $35
  • Skip the Line: Rescate Wildlife Rescue Centre General Admission Ticket: $35
  • Hacienda Doka Coffee Experience Tour : $35
  • La Ceiba Waterfalls Tour and Mountain Exploration : $40

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Antananarivo $9.01
    San Jose $16

Sample the Local Flavors in San Jose

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in San Jose:

  • Bar Crawl in Downtown San Jose: $37
  • Wine Tour and Tasting: $85


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Antananarivo and San Jose, we can see that San Jose is more expensive. And not only is Antananarivo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Antananarivo is in Africa and San Jose 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 Antananarivo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Antananarivo 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 San Jose would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Jose than you might in Antananarivo.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Antananarivo Expensive? and Is San Jose Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Antananarivo or San Jose?

Antananarivo has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of San Jose. When comparing the sizes of Antananarivo and San Jose, 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.