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

Should you visit Brasilia or Tamarindo?

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

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Brasilia and Tamarindo can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Brasilia or Tamarindo?

Brasilia

The capital city of Brazil, Brasilia is a uniquely-planned city that was constructed in four years from 1956-1960 in the shape of a large bird or airplane. Renowned for its modern architecture, the city listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and attracts architecture aficionados worldwide.

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.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Brazil, The Best 2-Week Tours in Brazil, The Best Luxury Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica.


Which place is cheaper, Tamarindo or Brasilia?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Brasilia is $83, 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 Brasilia and Tamarindo in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Brasilia $35
    Tamarindo $50
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Brasilia $70
    Tamarindo $100
Compare Hotels in Brasilia and Tamarindo

Looking for a hotel in Brasilia 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.

Hotels in Brasilia


Hotels in Tamarindo


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: Brasilia Hotel Prices and Tamarindo Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Brasilia $22
    Tamarindo $69

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tamarindo

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Tamarindo:

  • Airport Transfer from Liberia Airport to Andaz Papagayo Hyatt (Round Trip): $163
  • Flamingo/Tamarindo to Liberia Airport(LIR)- Departure Transfer: $38
  • From Hotel Transfer to Liberia Guanacaste Airport: $62
  • Guanacaste Airport transfer to Jw Marriott Guanacaste: $130
  • Liberia Airport Private Transfer To Gulf of Papagayo Costa Rica: $125
  • Liberia Airport To Tamarindo Private Transfer: $55
  • Monteverde: Transfer to Tamarindo: $65
  • Playa Conchal & Flamingo From Liberia Airport, Transfer Service: $168
  • Playa Grande to Liberia Airport (LIR) Departure Private Transfer: $31
  • Private Airport Transfer from Liberia to Tamarindo beaches Areas & surrounding : $140
  • Private Liberia airport transfer: $200
  • Private Transfer - Liberia Airport & Riu Hotel: $120

Is it cheaper to fly into Brasilia or Tamarindo?

Prices for flights to both Tamarindo and Brasilia 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
    Brasilia $32
    Tamarindo $32

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Tamarindo

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

  • Online Class on Zoom: Cooking Costa Rica Homemade Food: $35
  • Traditional Cooking Class In Tamarindo: $95

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Brasilia $19
    Tamarindo $17

Tours and Activities in Tamarindo

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

  • Costa Rica: tour in electric car (only best view locations): $2.00
  • Sea turtle watching tour near playa grande: $44
  • Tamarindo Estuary Tour: $44
  • Night Turtle Nesting Tour from Tamarindo: $46
  • Tamarindo Birdwatching Crocodiles and Monkey Tour: $50
  • ATV Beach and Mountain Tour!: $62
  • Tamarindo Estuary: Howler Monkey Mangrove Kayaking Tour: $65
  • Hiking Tour of La Leona Waterfall with Lunch: $65
  • ATV and UTV Beach Tour from Tamarindo, Flamingo and Conchal Beach: $67
  • ATV Tour through the Flamingo Potrero and Brasilito Area: $70
  • Zipline Canopy Tour from Guanacaste: $70
  • Tamarindo Kayaking Tour with Snorkeling at Captain Island: $75

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Brasilia $14
    Tamarindo $14


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Brasilia and Tamarindo, we can see that Tamarindo is more expensive. And not only is Brasilia much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Brasilia 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 Brasilia would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Brasilia 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 Brasilia.

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