A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Belize City vs. Jaco for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Belize City or Jaco?

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

Should I visit Belize City or Jaco? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Belize City

Belize City is the largest city in Belize. It was once the capital of the country, but due to massive hurricane damage in 1961, the country decided to relocate it capital. With a population of 57,000 people, Belize City is located right at the mouth of the Haulover Creek.

This gorgeous tropical city experiences a monsoon climate – meaning there are warm and humid conditions throughout the course of the year. There is a wet season from May to January, so plan for a little bit of rain in that time.

Jaco

Jaco is a beach destination on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. This resort city is located in the county of Garabito in the Puntarenas province. It has a population of about 10,000 residents and a 2.5 mile long beach that is an excellent surfing destination.

Because Jaco is located on the coast, it's weather is influenced by the water. The climate is humid with a relative humidity of about 80%, but climbing to 90% in the month of June. The temperature is usually between 85 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit at night. There are distinct wet and dry seasons with August through early December being the rainy season and late December through early April being the dry season. Rain is irregular during the rest of the year.

Which city is cheaper, Jaco or Belize City?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Belize City is $70, while the average daily cost in Jaco is $56. 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 city. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Belize City and Jaco in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Belize City $39
    Jaco $36
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Belize City $78
    Jaco $72

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Belize City $4.61
    Jaco -

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Belize City

Also for Belize City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Tours&airport transfer: $128
  • Private Transfer: Belize Airports or Water Taxi Terminal to Hotel in San Ignacio: $96
  • Private Arrival Transfer: Belize International Airport to San Ignacio Hotels: $160
  • Helicopter Transfer to Grand Caribe Heliport, Ambergris Caye: $1,493
  • Belize Travelcation Airport Shuttle & Transfers: $28

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Jaco

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

  • Transfer from Jaco to Monteverde up to 5 passengers: $210
  • Transfer TO or FROM Jaco Beach Area to SJO Airport: $95
  • Private transfer from Jaco Beach to Hotels in San Jose or the Airport: $152
  • Private Departure Transfer: Jaco Beach to Juan Santamaría International Airport: $153
  • Jacó Private Transfer to San Jose Airport for 1 to 5 People: $146
  • Jaco to Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) - Departure Private Transfer: $112
  • Jaco Airport Transfers: $149

Is it cheaper to fly into Belize City or Jaco?

Prices for flights to both Jaco and Belize City 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
    Belize City $21
    Jaco $11

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Belize City

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

  • Private Mayan Cooking and Tasting Experience in Cayo: $70
  • See and Taste Belize Cave Tubing and Food Tour: $77
  • Belize Cultural Food Tour Altun Ha Ruin Included: $95
  • Mestizo Food Tour (Rum & Ruin Included): $125

Typical Food prices in Jaco

For Jaco, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Hermosa BeachLlunch
    $2.89
  • Taco Bar Dinner
    $6.61
  • Pizza & Smoothie Lunch
    $4.63
  • Ice Cream
    $4.34
  • Breakfast Taco Bar
    $2.45
  • Fruit Plate
    $2.17

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Jaco

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

  • Traveling Spoon Ceviche Private Online Cooking Class: $27
  • Online Costa Rican Cooking Class with cookbook author Melissa Guzman: $35
  • Costa Rican cooking class with cookbook author Melissa Guzman: $70

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Belize City $23
    Jaco $35

Tours and Activities in Belize City

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

  • 4-Day Aktun Tunichil Muknal and Lamanai City Tour: $560
  • 5-Day Belize Sea and Land Adventure: $799
  • 7-Night Tour Including The Orchid Garden Eco-Village Lodge and Ambergris Caye: $1,399
  • 9-Day Tour Including Tikal Islander and Ambergris Caye: $1,499
  • All Day Reef fishing tour with lunch from Belize City: $540
  • Altun Ha & Belize City Tour from Caye Caulker: $163
  • Altun Ha Cave Tubing and Zip line Tours from Belize City: $208
  • Altun Ha City v.i.v Tour: $79
  • Altun Ha Maya & Belize City Adventure: $85
  • Altun Ha Mayan Ruins and River Wallace and Manatee Watch Tour: $85
  • Altun Ha Mayan Site tour from Belize City: $70
  • Altun Ha and Belize City Tour from San Pedro: $180

Typical Entertainment prices in Jaco

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Jaco's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Dance Class
    $7.20
  • Surf Lesson
    $36
  • Bike Rental
    $7.20
  • Tortuga Island Tour
    $72
  • Massage
    $33

Tours and Activities in Jaco

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

  • 2 Hour ATV Adventure Through Costa Rican Jungle in Jaco: $71
  • 2hrs ATV & Crocodile COMBO Tour: $113
  • 3 Hour ATV Tour Through Costa Rican Rainforest: $90
  • 3 hrs ATV Tour: $87
  • 3hrs ATV & Monkey Mangrove COMBO Tour: $145
  • 3hrs ATV Plus Horseback Waterfall COMBO Tour: $159
  • 4x4 Land Cruiser Ride to the Waterfalls Tour: $33
  • 4x4 Rainforest Adventure Booze Safari: $98
  • 4x4 Rainforest Tour - Lunch & Waterfall Included: $95
  • ATV 2 Hour tour With Waterfall Experience: $70
  • ATV Full-Day Tour in Jaco: $186
  • ATV Tour in Jaco: $54

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Belize City $9.51
    Jaco $19

Typical Alcohol prices in Jaco

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Jaco:


  • Wine
    $11
  • Night at the Bar
    $20

About these numbers

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

Budget Your Trip

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Belize City vs. Jaco Travel Comparison

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