Which place is cheaper, La Fortuna or Cancun?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Cancun or La Fortuna?
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 Cancun and La Fortuna can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Cancun or La Fortuna?
Cancun
In the northeast corner of the Mexican Caribbean, Cancun is one of Mexico's most popular destinations. The area that is now Cancun was actually selected specifically by the Mexican government for development as a tourist destination. The area was chosen because it has fourteen miles of beautiful white beaches, nearby Mayan ruins, and turquoise blue water with nearby snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities. Prior to its development as a tourist destination, there were few inhabitants in the area.
La Fortuna
La Fortuna is in San Carlos, in the province of Alajuela. It is the closest town to Arenal Volcano, and the area is often simply refered to as Arenal. The volcano itself is active and has been constantly erupting since 1968. It erupts on average 41 times a day. This area of northern Costa Rica is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the country.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Playa del Carmen, The Best 2-Week Tours from Cancun, The Best Adventure Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Eco Tours in Costa Rica.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCancun $148La Fortuna $104
The average daily cost (per person) in Cancun is $148, while the average daily cost in La Fortuna is $104. 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 Cancun and La Fortuna in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCancun $98La Fortuna $51
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCancun $196La Fortuna $102
Compare Hotels in Cancun and La Fortuna
Looking for a hotel in Cancun or La Fortuna? 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: Cancun Hotel Prices and La Fortuna Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cancun $18La Fortuna $21
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cancun
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cancun:
-
Taxi Around Town$1.68
-
Airport Shuttle (for 2)$14
-
Ferry to Isla de Mujeres (for 2)$17
-
Local Bus (for 2)$2.04
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cancun
Also for Cancun, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Cancun Airport Small-Group Transfer to Cancun Hotels: $8.00
- Cancun Airport private transfer to Cancun hotel zone: $15
- Shared Transfer from Cancun Airport: $15
- Shared Transfer from Cancun Airport : $15
- Private Transfer in Cancun: $17
- Shared Round-Trip Transfer To/From Cancun International Airport: $19
- Shared Transfer to Cancun Downtown or Hotel Zone: $20
- transfers between hotels in Cancun hotel strip: $20
- Private transfer to Cancun Airport from hotels in Cancun Area: $23
- Chetumal to Chetumal Airport (CTM) - Departure Private Transfer : $24
- Cancun Hotel Zone Private Transfer From and To Cancun Airport: $25
- Cancun Hotel Zone Private Transfer From & To Cancun Airport: $25
Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Fortuna
Some specific examples of transportation prices in La Fortuna:
- VIP Private Transfer from La Fortuna (Arenal Volcano) to Tamarindo Beach: $299
- Transfer from Arenal or La Fortuna to Monteverde up to 5 passengers. (One Way): $295
- Transfer TO or FROM San Jose city to Arenal - Fortuna Area. Private: $210
- Transfer International ATO to Fortuna or return one way: $250
- San Jose Airport: Private transfer from/to La Fortuna: $226
- Puerto Viejo de Limon: Transfer to La Fortuna de Arenal: $400
- Private transfer from SJO Airport to La Fortuna / Van A/C & WiF: $199
- Private Transfer to/from Liberia Airport to La Fortuna Area (Arenal Volcano): $213
- Private Transfer from la Fortuna to Puerto Viejo & Cahuita Limon: $299
- Private Transfer from San Jose Airport to La Fortuna: $225
- Private Transfer from La Fortuna to Nosara: $278
- Private Transfer from La Fortuna to Liberia Intl Airport LIR area: $215
Is it cheaper to fly into Cancun or La Fortuna?
Prices for flights to both La Fortuna and Cancun 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 dayCancun $29La Fortuna $27
Typical Food Prices in Cancun
For Cancun, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
Lunch for Two$21
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cancun
For Cancun, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Captain Hook: Pirate Show and Dinner Cruise in Cancun: $46
- Mayan Chichen Itza And Pirate Dinner Two Day Experience: $57
- The Ultimate Cancun Taco & Street Mexican Food Tour: $59
- Dinner Show with Pirates! (2x1 Price): $62
- (2x1 price) Pirate Night! Dinner, Fun and Show: $63
- (2x1 price) Dinner Show and Pirates Experience : $63
- (2x1 price)Pirate Adventure! Open Bar, Dinner and Show : $63
- Cancun Street Food Tour with Food Stalls, Local Market and Murals: $64
- Dinner Show on a Pirate Ship from Cancun with Open Bar: $65
- Guided Cancun Local Mexican Food Tour: $78
- Cancun Authentic Downtown Food Tour: Tacos and Local Flavors: $78
- Mexican Cooking Class with fresh Local Market ingredients selection and transpor: $79
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in La Fortuna
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in La Fortuna.
- 2 Hours Private Cooking Class in La Fortuna: $38
- Organic Farm Visit & Farm-to-Table Cooking Class: $45
- Cooking Class and Sugar Cane Experience: $45
- Typical Costa Rican Cooking Classes in La Fortuna: $48
- Costa Rica Cooking, El Fogon de Chela: $50
- Costa Rican cuisine Cooking Class at Rancho Don Lelo: $60
- Cooking Class "Cook Like a Local" La Fortuna: $63
- Rainforest Night Walk and Authentic Costa Rican Dinner from La Fortuna: $65
- 3-Hour Costa Rican Cooking Class with Dinner: $68
- Private typical cooking class with a Costa Rican family: $70
- Private cooking class in organic farm at La Fortuna: $75
- Ceviche & Empanadas Cooking Class: $77
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cancun $35La Fortuna $44
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cancun
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cancun's activities, tours, and tickets:
-
Seasick Pills$0.60
-
Whale Shark Tour (for 2)$102
Tours and Activities in Cancun
For Cancun, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- ATV Jungle Adventure with Ziplines, Cenote Transportation Included: $8.00
- Visit to 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen + Shopping Tour: $8.20
- Amazing jungle tour adventure speed boat in cancun : $13
- Guided Walking Tour of the Punta Cancun Lighting Tower: $14
- Half Day National Reef Park Snorkel Adventure in Puerto Morelos: $15
- Hop-on Hop-off City Tour Cancun: $17
- Best ATV & Mavericks Experience in Cancun + Cenote + Zip Lines : $20
- Explore Tulum, Coba, Cenote, Playa del Carmen full day 4x1 tour: $22
- ATV, Ziplines and Cenote swim full experience from Cancún : $25
- Adrenaline day in Cancun, Atvs, Ziplines and Cenote experience in the best park!: $25
- Zipline, Cenote and ATV Adventure with Pickup: $25
- Top Isla Mujeres Catamaran Tour with Snorkel Open Bar and Buffet lunch: $26
Tours and Activities in La Fortuna
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for La Fortuna are as follows:
- Arenal Volcano Hike Experience (not guide included): $23
- La Fortuna's 3 Essentials Private Tour: $280
- Rio Celeste Tubing Experience: $54
- Sky Adventures Arenal : Zipline - Sky Tram & Sky Walk (guided): $260
- 1-Hour Private Sloth Tour in the Rainforest from Costa Rica: $30
- 12 cable Zipline Canopy Tour Over Waterfalls!: $101
- 2-Hour Chachagua Rainforest - Birdwatching Tour: $60
- 2-in-1 Arenal Combo Tour: River Safari Float and La Fortuna Waterfall: $170
- 2-in-1 Arenal Volcano Combo Tour: La Fortuna Waterfall and Volcano Hike: $170
- 6 Course Tropical Rainforest Foodie Adventure: $199
- 7 Nights Costa Rica Fully Guided Adventure: $2,000
- 7 cable Zipline Canopy Tour Over La Fortuna Waterfall!: $80
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayCancun $13La Fortuna $11
Sample the Local Flavors in Cancun
Also in Cancun, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Social Pub Crawl in Cancun: $38
- Brewery Tour / Craft Beer Tasting Cancun Mexico: $116
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cancun and La Fortuna, we can see that Cancun is more expensive. And not only is La Fortuna much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cancun is in North America and La Fortuna 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 La Fortuna would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in La Fortuna 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 Cancun would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cancun than you might in La Fortuna.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cancun Expensive? and Is La Fortuna Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cancun or La Fortuna?
Cancun has a larger population, and is about 180 times larger than the population of La Fortuna. When comparing the sizes of Cancun and La Fortuna, 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.