Which place is cheaper, Cartagena or Eagle Beach?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Eagle Beach or Cartagena?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Eagle Beach or Cartagena, 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: Eagle Beach or Cartagena?
Eagle Beach
Aruba, only fifteen miles north of Venezuela, is a top Caribbean tourist destination. It's a small island, only 20 miles long and 6 miles wide, and is an autonomous dependency of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. One of the most popular and beautiful beaches on the island is Eagle Beach. It's a popular beach with the locals, and a common destination for many who are looking for a party. The beach is particularly crowded on Easter weekend. The sand is a sugary white and the waters are a stunning crystal blue color. The beach itself is quite flat and the ocean is so calm it's like swimming in a pool. There are a handful of palm trees if you're seeking shade, but otherwise it's the ideal place to soak up some rays. You'll find some shaded picnic areas as well if you're hoping to enjoy a casual lunch.
Cartagena
The capital of the Bolivar Department of Colombia, Cartagena is one of the most visited cities in the country. It sits on Colombia's northern coast by the Caribbean Sea. It's a port city with a population of almost 900,000, making it the fifth largest city in Colombia. The city has a rich history and was the first Spanish colony on the American continent. It was also one of the first sanctuaries for freed African slaves in the Americas.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Colombia, and The Best Eco Tours in Colombia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEagle Beach $341Cartagena $48
The average daily cost (per person) in Eagle Beach is $341, while the average daily cost in Cartagena is $48. 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 Eagle Beach and Cartagena in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEagle Beach $227Cartagena $27
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEagle Beach $454Cartagena $54
Compare Hotels in Eagle Beach and Cartagena
Looking for a hotel in Eagle Beach or Cartagena? 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: Cartagena Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Eagle Beach $33Cartagena $7.64
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Eagle Beach
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Eagle Beach:
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Round-trip Bus Ticket$2.22
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One Day Scooter Rental$40
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Eagle Beach
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Eagle Beach:
- 2 Ways Private Transfers: $45
- Aruba Island to Aruba Queen Airport (AUA) - Departure Transfer: $39
- Aruba Island to Aruba Queen Airport(AUA) Departure Transfer: $39
- Aruba Private Airport Transfer: Personalized Arrival: $31
- Aruba Private Van Airport Transfer (Max 5): $55
- Aruba Queen Airport(AUA) to Aruba Island - Round-Trip Transfer: $79
- Aruba Queen Beatrix Airport(AUA) to Aruba Island-Arrival Transfer: $39
- Platinium Aruba Transport - All Around Luxury Private Transfers: $90
- Private Airport Transfers in Aruba: $58
- Private One-Way Transfer from Aruba To Reina Beatrix Airport: $32
- Private Transfer from Aruba Queen Airport (AUA) to Aruba Island: $75
- Private Transfer from Oranjestad Cruise Port to Oranjestad city: $36
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cartagena
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cartagena:
- Private Transfer from Bocagrande to Port of Cartagena: $25
- 15. Transfer to SANTA MARTA from Cartagena Private or vice versa.: $290
- 18.Transfer (Rafael N-Hotel Decameron Baru Airport) or vice versa: $90
- Air Conditioning Bus transfer: $21
- Airport Transfer - Hotel Cartagena: $23
- Airport Transfer Hotel: $26
- Airport Transfers Cartagena: $38
- Arrival Private Transfer Cartagena Airport CTG to Cartagena City by Minibus: $129
- Arrival Private Transfer Cartagena Airport CTG to Cartagena City by Minivan: $93
- Baru: Rafael Nunez International Airport Private Transfer: $85
- Bilingual Private Transfer In Cartagena : $12
- Cartagena Airport(CTG) to Cartagena - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $48
Is it cheaper to fly into Eagle Beach or Cartagena?
Prices for flights to both Cartagena and Eagle Beach 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 dayEagle Beach $68Cartagena $10
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Eagle Beach
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Eagle Beach.
- Noord, Aruba: Exclusive Private Dinner aboard the Aqua Donut: $90
- Aruba Caribbean Dinner Sail Experience: $92
- Sunset Sail Cruise to Boca Catalina with BBQ Dinner: $110
- Sunset Sail: Aruba Dinner Cruise with Open Bar by Catamaran: $119
- Caribbean Cooking Class in Aruba: $160
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cartagena
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cartagena.
- Featured in NYTimes > Arepas and Dancing: Danceable Cooking Class in Cartagena: $32
- Cooking class of typical food at the beach and sunset view: $39
- Taste Cartagena Food tour: $40
- Street Food Tour in Cartagena: $42
- Guided Street Food Tour with Tastings: $44
- Local Flavors Food Tour with Native Chef: $50
- Cruise by the Bay with Dinner and Wine: $55
- Private Dinner at a Local Chef's House in Cartagena: $58
- Cartagena Gourmet: Cooking Class with a View, Elegance & Flavor: $59
- Street food tour: $61
- 2 hours Sibarita Express Dinner: $63
- Dinner cruise on Cartagena's bay with Sibarita Master: $70
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Eagle Beach $121Cartagena $22
Typical Entertainment Prices in Eagle Beach
Here are a few typical costs in Eagle Beach for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Full Day Bike Rental$25
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Kayak & Snorkeling Tour$98
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Horseback Riding Tour$70
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4 Hr Snorkel Trip$74
Tours and Activities in Eagle Beach
Here are a few actual costs in Eagle Beach for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Champagne and Diamond Shopping Experience in Aruba: $5.00
- Aruba Mangel Halto and Baby Beach Snorkeling Guided Tour: $37
- Scenic Aruba Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour: $40
- Aruba Downtown Historic and Cultural Walking Tour: $40
- Explore Aruba Party Bus Tour: $41
- Aruba Countryside Tour: $41
- The Whole Story Tour + A Ride: $45
- Half-Day Aruba Animal Sanctuary Guided Tour : $45
- Half-Day Aruba Island Tour from Oranjestad: $49
- Aruba Baby Beach Express Tour: $49
- Colorful Beach Bus Sightseeing Tour of Aruba: $54
- Aruba Jet Ski Rentals — Exciting Water Adventures Await: $58
Tours and Activities in Cartagena
Here are a few actual costs in Cartagena for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Emeralds Tour: $0.03
- Cartagena de Indias: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- Artists' Quarter Getsemani Self-guided Tour: $6.29
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - The Great Battle: Fort of San Felipe: $6.99
- Old Town Highlights Self-guided Tour: $8.42
- Shared walking tour in the historic center: $9.11
- Tour the city on a rumba in a typical bus: $9.33
- Old Town & Artists' Quarter Self-guided Tour: $9.48
- Self-Guided Audio Tour of Getsemaní Neighborhood: $10
- Emerald Museum and Factory Tour: $10
- Shared Walking Tour through the Historic Center of Cartagena: $10
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: The Rise of the Wall City Part II: $10
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEagle Beach $31Cartagena $9.39
Sample the Local Flavors in Cartagena
Also in Cartagena, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Pub Crawl with Dancing and Complimentary Drinks: $18
- Cartagena's Best Pub Crawl all included!: $23
- Cartagena Pub Crawl: Let's Party & Matching in Getsemaní: $24
- Nightlife Pub crawl in Cartagena: $72
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Eagle Beach and Cartagena, we can see that Eagle Beach is more expensive. And not only is Cartagena much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Eagle Beach is in Caribbean Islands and Cartagena is in South 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 Cartagena would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cartagena 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 Eagle Beach would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Eagle Beach than you might in Cartagena.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Eagle Beach Expensive? and Is Cartagena 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.