Which place is cheaper, Tamarindo or Arica?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Arica and Tamarindo. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
A mixture of coastline, desert and high Andean plateau, Arica is a seaside resort town, known for its surfing beaches located at the tip of Northern Chile. Arica boasts that it is "the land of the eternal spring," but its temperate climate and beaches are not the only reason to visit this small city. Arica's tourism is still principally geared toward domestic visitors and those from southern Peru and La Paz, who flock to its beaches mid-December through February. It is very easy to spend a few days in Arica in the sand, or seeing the sights in town, at a slow pace but the city also offers plenty of fun activities and exciting day trips.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Chile, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Chile, The Best Luxury Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica.
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Arica is $79, while the average daily cost in Tamarindo is $121. 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 Arica and Tamarindo in more detail.
Looking for a hotel in Arica or Tamarindo? 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.
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.
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Arica are as follows:
Also for Arica, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Tamarindo:
Prices for flights to both Tamarindo and Arica 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.
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Tamarindo.
For Arica, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Tamarindo are as follows:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Arica and Tamarindo, we can see that Tamarindo is more expensive. And not only is Arica much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Arica is in South America and Tamarindo 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 Arica would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Arica 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 Tamarindo would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Tamarindo than you might in Arica.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Arica Expensive? and Is Tamarindo Expensive?.