Which place is cheaper, Tamarindo or Castries?
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 Castries or Tamarindo?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Castries 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.
Where Should I go: Castries or Tamarindo?
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 Luxury Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica.
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Castries Prices
Saint Lucia PricesTamarindo Prices
Costa Rica Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCastries $186Tamarindo $161
The average daily cost (per person) in Castries is $186, while the average daily cost in Tamarindo is $161. 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 Castries and Tamarindo in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCastries $100Tamarindo $56
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCastries $200Tamarindo $112
Compare Hotels in Castries and Tamarindo
Looking for a hotel in Castries 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.
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: Castries Hotel Prices and Tamarindo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Castries $25Tamarindo $77
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tamarindo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Tamarindo:
- Costa Rica Private Guanacaste Airport (LIR) Departure transfer: $5.00
- Private Transfer Liberia Airport to Waldorf Astoria Hotel: $16
- Private Transfer From Liberia Airport To Mangroove Hotel: $16
- Private Transfer from Liberia Airport to Secret Papagayo: $20
- Private Transfer Liberia Airport to Waldorf Astoria Hotel: $20
- Private Transfer from Liberia Airport to Hotel Luna Llena: $21
- Private Transfer From Liberia Airport to Swiss Captain: $22
- Private Transfer from Liberia Airport to Hotel Luna Llena: $22
- Private Transfer From Liberia Airport to Hotel Arco Iris: $22
- Private Transfer From Liberia Airport To Selina Tamarindo: $24
- Private Transfer From Liberia Airport To Capitan Suizo, Tamarindo: $24
- Private Transfer from Liberia/Tamarindo Guanacaste Airport: $24
Is it cheaper to fly into Castries or Tamarindo?
Prices for flights to both Tamarindo and Castries 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 dayCastries $66Tamarindo $62
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
- Tamarindo : Traditional Cooking Class: $95
- Discover Tamarindo's Blue Zone: Healthy Cooking Class: $154
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Castries $27Tamarindo $19
Tours and Activities in Tamarindo
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Tamarindo are as follows:
- UNICO Luxury 1-Hour Boat Tour and Flamingo: $30
- Paintball Experience near Tamarindo: $32
- Tamarindo Estuary Tour: $41
- Boat Sightseeing Tour of Las Baulas Marine Park, Mangroves and Nature: $42
- Tamarindo Estuary Boat Tour with Naturalist Guide: $45
- Boat adventure with wildlife viewing in Tamarindo: $45
- Mangrove Sightseeing Tour and Wildlife Experience: $45
- Mangrove tour, crocodiles , monkeys birds nature Boat or Kayak: $45
- Tamarindo Mangrove Tour: $46
- Night Turtle Nesting Tour from Tamarindo: $46
- Tamarindo Estuary Boat Tour: $47
- Tamarindo Birdwatching Crocodiles and Monkey Tour: $48
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCastries $11Tamarindo $16
Sample the Local Flavors in Tamarindo
Also in Tamarindo, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Tamarindo Bar Crawl – #1 Nightlife Experience: $20
- Puro Vino - Tamarindo's Wine Tour Ride: $85
When comparing the travel costs between Castries and Tamarindo, we can see that Castries 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. Even though Castries is in Caribbean Islands and Tamarindo is in Central America, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Castries Expensive? and Is Tamarindo Expensive?.
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.