Which place is cheaper, Salento or Belize City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Belize City or Salento?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Belize City or Salento? 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.
Where Should I go: Belize City or Salento?
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.
Salento
Founded in 1850, Salento is one of the oldest towns in Quindio. This colonial Colombian town has retained much of its old world charm, with its colorful buildings, large square and, of course, the obligatory church. Because the main route between Cali and Bogota which used to pass through Salento was diverted, the town didn't develop as quickly as others in the Quindio region. This gave Salento the opportunity to evolve into a thriving community of craftsmen and artisans as well as remaining one of the region's most prolific coffee producers. Salento is located 24 km northeast of the departmental capital Armenia. However, unlike its colorful neighbor, Armenia itself has very little to offer tourists. Salento attracts those wishing to learn about the coffee regions and for those who simply admire breathtaking scenery, and especially the stunning Cocora Valley.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to Belize, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Belize, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Colombia, and The Best Adventure Tours to Colombia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBelize City $88Salento $33
The average daily cost (per person) in Belize City is $88, while the average daily cost in Salento is $33. 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 Belize City and Salento in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBelize City $49Salento $11
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBelize City $98Salento $22
Compare Hotels in Belize City and Salento
Looking for a hotel in Belize City or Salento? 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.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Belize City Hotel Prices and Salento Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Belize City $5.82Salento $14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Belize City
Also for Belize City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Belize city water taxi terminal to Airport transfer: $30
- We do transfers from airport to any where in Belize.: $49
- Transfer Belize city to bacalar: $50
- Private Transfer from Belize City Port to Belize Airport (BZE): $60
- Belize: Belize City to/from San Ignacio Shuttle Transfer: $68
- Belize City to/from Placencia/Hopkins Shuttle Transfer: $113
- Private Transfer from Belize City and Airport to Placencia: $150
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Salento
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Salento:
- Pereira Airport Private Transfer Service: $55
Is it cheaper to fly into Belize City or Salento?
Prices for flights to both Salento 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
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Food Meals for one dayBelize City $27Salento $9.56
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:
- Altun Ha Mayan Site & Food Tour: $80
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Salento
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Salento.
- Cooking Stories - Cocinando Historias: $46
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Belize City $29Salento $12
Tours and Activities in Belize City
For Belize City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Belize City Tour: $40
- Belizean Bits & Bites Food Tastings and City Tour in Belize: $50
- Hassle free Cave Tubing Adventure from Belize City with Lunch: $55
- Charlie's Cave Tubing Tour for cruisers (lunch included): $65
- Second largest Barrier Reef Adventure Snorkeling: $70
- Guided Cave Kayaking Tour with Pickup: $77
- Altun Ha Mayan Ruins and River Wallace and Manatee Watch Tour: $85
- Cave Tubing Experience from Belize City: $85
- Altun Ha Mayan Site tour from Belize City: $85
- Half-Day Altun Ha Temple & Belize City Tour: $86
- Turtle Garden Snorkeling Tour and Island Break : $90
- Howler Monkey Sanctuary Tour from Belize City: $90
Tours and Activities in Salento
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Salento are as follows:
- Book a Private Tourist Guide through the Coffee Region: $139
- Cocoa and Coffee Farm Tours from Pereira or Armenia: $185
- Cocora Valley and Salento Hike Tour: $79
- Cocora Valley and Salento Horseback Riding Day Tour: $137
- Cocora Valley, Salento and Coffee Farm Day Tour : $124
- Cocora, Salento and Filandia Tour: $100
- Coffe Experience: Daily departure from Salento: $89
- Coffee Farm and Salento Walking Tour with Lunch: $87
- Coffee Tour and Salento Walking Tour with lunch: $94
- Coffee tour in the heart of the coffee region: $28
- Filandia and Salento Coffee Towns Tour: $62
- Filandia and Salento Coffee Towns Tour: $105
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBelize City $12Salento $12
Sample the Local Flavors in Belize City
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Belize City:
- Belize: City Highlights Tour with Rum Distillery Visit: $49
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Belize City and Salento, we can see that Belize City is more expensive. And not only is Salento much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Belize City is in Central America and Salento is in South 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 Salento would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Salento 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 Salento.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Belize City Expensive? and Is Salento Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Belize City or Salento?
Belize City has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Salento. When comparing the sizes of Belize City and Salento, 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.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.