Which place is cheaper, San Jose or Cabarete?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Cabarete or San Jose?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Cabarete or San Jose, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Cabarete or San Jose?
Cabarete
Nestled on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, Cabarete is a vibrant beach town known for its stunning coastline, world-class water sports, and lively nightlife. Originally a small fishing village, Cabarete has transformed into a hub for travelers seeking both adventure and relaxation.
Traveling to Cabarete on a budget is entirely feasible with a bit of planning. Accommodation options range from budget-friendly hostels to affordable hotels and guesthouses. Eating on a budget is easy in Cabarete, with numerous local eateries and street vendors serving delicious Dominican dishes at reasonable prices. Look for "comedores," small local restaurants where you can enjoy meals like "la bandera" (rice, beans, and meat) for under $5. Public transportation in Cabarete is both affordable and convenient. The local "guaguas" (minibuses) and "motoconchos" (motorcycle taxis) are inexpensive ways to get around.
San Jose
San Jose is the capital city of Costa Rica and is likely to be your first and last stop in a visit to the country. The city is situated in the Central Valley and is surrounded by beautiful mountains and valleys, making for a beautiful flight in. The city has an elevation of 1200 meters and sits on a plateau with a beautiful backdrop of lush green forest. Half of the people in Costa Rica reside in the country's capital city. You are likely to stay only a day or two, but there are a handful of things to do and see including museums and markets. You will also find many embassies, as well as the University of Costa Rica in San Jose.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Dominican Republic, The Best Adventure Tours to Dominican Republic, The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Costa Rica.
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Cabarete Prices
Dominican Republic PricesSan Jose Prices
Costa Rica Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCabarete $181San Jose $113
The average daily cost (per person) in Cabarete is $181, while the average daily cost in San Jose is $113. 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 Cabarete and San Jose in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCabarete $74San Jose $54
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCabarete $148San Jose $108
Compare Hotels in Cabarete and San Jose
Looking for a hotel in Cabarete or San Jose? 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: Cabarete Hotel Prices and San Jose Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cabarete $42San Jose $21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cabarete
Also for Cabarete, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfers from Santo Domingo Airport to cabarete, sosua: $250
- Transfers from Samana Airport to cabarete, sosua: $250
- Transfers from Jarabacoa to cabarete, sosua: $75
- Transfers from Cabarete to Santiago Airport: $50
- Sosua/Cabarete to Puerto Plata Airport (POP) - Departure Transfer: $59
- Punta Cana Airport PUJ to Puerto Plata Roundtrip Private Transfer: $45
- Punta Cana Airport PUJ to Puerto Plata -Arrival Private Transfer: $22
- Puerto Plata: Private Airport Transfer to/from Cabarete: $40
- Puerto Plata Airport Transfer to Sosua: $30
- Cibao Airport (STI) to Sosua/Cabarete - Arrival Private Transfer: $40
Typical Local Transportation Prices in San Jose
Some typical examples of transportation costs in San Jose are as follows:
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Taxi from SJO$28
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Local Bus$3.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Jose
Also for San Jose, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfers to Occidental Papagayo - Secrets Resort, Round-Trip: $130
- Transfer from San Jose to Arenal-La Fortuna San Carlos: $48
- Transfer from SJO Airport or surrounding to Manuel Antonio: $229
- Transfer TO or FROM SJO Airport to Esterillos - Bejuco Not Shared: $240
- Transfer SJO Airport to Caldera Puntarenas Docks Cruises & Hotels: $145
- Transfer 1 to 6 Pax Juan Santamaria Airport to SJO Hotels: $65
- Shared transfer to Manuel Antonio: $70
- Scenic Coach Transfers San José to Arenal AM & back at 19:00 hrs: $58
- San Jose to Puerto Viejo de Limon: Private Transfer: $299
- San Jose to Juan Santamaria Intl. Airport (SJO) – Departure Private Transfer: $58
- San Jose to Fortuna - Arenal: Private Transfer: $200
- San Jose Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) to Monteverde - Arrival Private Transfer: $218
Is it cheaper to fly into Cabarete or San Jose?
Prices for flights to both San Jose and Cabarete 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 dayCabarete $72San Jose $34
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Jose
For San Jose, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Bites and Sights Walking Food Tour including Markets: $35
- Street Food Tour in San Jose with a Local Guide: $35
- San Jose By Night: Farm to Table Dinner & Cocktail Class: $49
- Tropical Cooking Classes: $52
- San José Market-to-Table Tour: Cooking Class with a Local Chef: $58
- Half-Day San Jose Evening Bus Tour with Dinner and Pickup: $80
- San Jose By Night: Sights & Culture Tour with Local Dinner: $80
- Dinner + Typical dance show at the best viewpoint in San José: $92
- City Tour and Dinner at the Best Lookout in San Jose: $149
- Arenal Volcano Full-Day Combo Tour with Lunch and Dinner: $185
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cabarete $53San Jose $23
Tours and Activities in Cabarete
For Cabarete, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 10-Hour Guided Tour of Samana and Bacardi Island Los Haitises: $130
- 27 Waterfalls: Zip 'n Splash Adventure with Horse Ride: $125
- 4 Wheel Adventure: $127
- Buggie & atv adventure Jungle Adventure: $80
- Combo Monkeys & plantation & city tours amber cove and Taino bay: $108
- Damajagua Waterfalls Adventure from Puerto Plata: $75
- Deep Caves in Cabarete with Guided Tour and Swimming: $35
- Excursions 3 in 1 Monkey Home Waterfalls And City Tours: $169
- Full-Day Tour to Punta Rucia and Cayo Arena with Snorkeling: $89
- Jamáo al Norte: Hidden River Kayak Adventure & Nature Escape: $250
- Monkeyland and Zipline Adventure from Puerto Plata: $90
- Private Deep-Sea Fishing Adventure in Puerto Plata: $759
Tours and Activities in San Jose
For San Jose, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2 in 1 Volcano Irazu + San Jose City Tour: $187
- 3 Hour Painting Experience in Uvita: $80
- 3-Hour Downtown San Jose Walking Tour: $40
- AWA Water Museum - Waterfall Adventure (Organic Food Experience): $98
- Action Packed Class 4 Rafting Adventure: $95
- Adventure Zip Lining at the Cloud Forest from San José: $149
- Arcade and Mini Bowling Experience: $78
- Arenal Combo Experience: Canopy & Rapell + Thermals: $65
- Arenal Hanging Bridges and Hot Springs Private Tour from San Jose: $295
- Arenal Volcano & Baldi Hot Springs one day tour from San Jose: $199
- Arenal Volcano & Hot Springs Full-Day Tour from San José: $197
- Arenal Volcano & Hot Springs Private Tour from San José: $284
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCabarete $17San Jose $18
Sample the Local Flavors in San Jose
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in San Jose:
- San Jose Exclusive Bar Crawl with Drinks and Club Entrys: $28
- Wine Tour and Tasting: $95
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cabarete and San Jose, we can see that Cabarete is more expensive. And not only is San Jose much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cabarete is in Caribbean Islands and San Jose 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 San Jose would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Jose 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 Cabarete would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cabarete than you might in San Jose.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cabarete Expensive? and Is San Jose Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cabarete or San Jose?
San Jose has a larger population, and is about 80 times larger than the population of Cabarete. When comparing the sizes of Cabarete and San Jose, 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.