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

Central America / Comparisons /
Jump to  down-arrow

Should you visit Belize City or Tamarindo?

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

Should I visit Belize City or Tamarindo? 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.

Tamarindo

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.

Which city is cheaper, Tamarindo 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 Tamarindo is $71. 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 Tamarindo in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Belize City $39
    Tamarindo $29
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Belize City $78
    Tamarindo $58

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Belize City $4.61
    Tamarindo $40

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Belize City

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

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

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tamarindo

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Tamarindo:

  • Volcano Adventure Sisisi Transfers & Tours Costa Rica: $155
  • Transfer TO or FROM Tamarindo Area to SJO Airport: $325
  • Transfer Liberia to Tamarindo: $90
  • Private transfer from Tamarindo to Hotels in San Jose or the Airport: $265
  • Private Transfer to Tamarindo Beach from Liberia Airport: $100
  • Private Round-Trip Transfer: Liberia Airport to Tamarindo with Free Drinks: $89
  • Private Premium Transfer: From Tamarindo Zone: $85
  • Liberia Airport Private Transfer To Or From Tamarindo: $86

Is it cheaper to fly into Belize City or Tamarindo?

Prices for flights to both Tamarindo 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
    Tamarindo $19

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

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Belize City $23
    Tamarindo $10

Tours and Activities in Belize City

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

  • Historical Tour: $27
  • Belize City and Rum Factory Tour: $33
  • Downtown Belize City Tour (Rum Factory included): $37
  • Belize City Tour: $43
  • Kukumba Beach and Belize City Tour: $49
  • Cave Kayaking v.i.v.Tour: $60
  • Zipline Adventures from Belize City: $62
  • Belize Party Bus Ultimate Evening Experience Fridays Only: $64
  • Cave Kayaking for Cruise Ship Passengers: $65
  • Saint Herman's Cave Hiking and Blue Hole Tour from Belize City: $68
  • Altun Ha Mayan Site tour from Belize City: $70
  • Private Half-Day Tour in Altun-Ha: $70

Tours and Activities in Tamarindo

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

  • 2 Days & 2 Nights Diving Adventure: $1,750
  • 2.5 Hours Tamarindo ATV Snorkel Tour to Secluded Beaches: $77
  • 4 Hour Beach & Mountain Tamarindo ATV Adventure: $144
  • ATV Adventures: $85
  • ATV Tour at Tamarindo: $77
  • ATV Tour in Tamarindo: $92
  • ATV Zipline Tour from Tamarindo/Flamingo: $125
  • ATV and SUP Tour from Tamarindo Beach: $128
  • Afternoon Sailing Tour in Guanacaste: $85
  • Antares Sailing Adventures tour: $87
  • Arenal One Day Tour: $230
  • Blue Dolphin Sailing Adventure: $81

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Belize City $9.51
    Tamarindo $8.16

About these numbers

When comparing the travel costs between Belize City and Tamarindo, we can see that Tamarindo is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Central America, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

Budget Your Trip

Budget Your Trip has average travel costs for thousands of cities around the world, all provided by other travelers. You can also register to organize your spending by category and location with graphs, maps, charts, and tables.
Sign Up

More City Comparisons
San Pedro vs. Belize City
San Pedro vs. Tamarindo
San Ignacio vs. Belize City
San Ignacio vs. Tamarindo
Belize City vs. San Pedro La Laguna
Belize City vs. Flores
Belize City vs. Guatemala City
Belize City vs. Antigua Guatemala
Belize City vs. Roatan
Belize City vs. La Ceiba
Belize City vs. Copan
Belize City vs. San Juan del Sur
Belize City vs. Isla de Ometepe
Belize City vs. Managua
Belize City vs. Leon
Belize City vs. Granada
Belize City vs. San Jose
Belize City vs. Quepos
Belize City vs. Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park)
Belize City vs. Santa Elena
Belize City vs. Liberia
Belize City vs. Jaco
Belize City vs. La Fortuna
Belize City vs. Pedasi
Belize City vs. Panama City
Belize City vs. David
Belize City vs. Boquete
Belize City vs. Bocas del Toro
Share This Page
Pin This Page
Belize City vs. Tamarindo Travel Comparison

Some of the links on this website are sponsored or affiliate links which help to financially support this site. By clicking the link and making a purchase, we may receive a small commission, but this does not affect the price of your purchase.