Which place is cheaper, La Fortuna or Eagle Beach?
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 Eagle Beach or La Fortuna?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Eagle Beach or La Fortuna, 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 La Fortuna?
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.
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 Adventure Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Eco Tours in Costa Rica.
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Eagle Beach Prices
Aruba PricesLa Fortuna Prices
Costa Rica Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEagle Beach $391La Fortuna $136
The average daily cost (per person) in Eagle Beach is $391, while the average daily cost in La Fortuna is $136. 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 La Fortuna in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEagle Beach $227La Fortuna $56
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEagle Beach $454La Fortuna $112
Compare Hotels in Eagle Beach and La Fortuna
Looking for a hotel in Eagle Beach 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: La Fortuna Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Eagle Beach $33La Fortuna $23
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:
- Aruba Airport Private Transfers (ONE-WAY): $25
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from Aruba Reina Beatrix Airport (AUA)- Aruba: $25
- Round Trip Aruba Airport Transfer: $26
- Aruba Private Airport Transfer one way: $26
- Aruba Private Airport Transfer: Personalized Arrival: $31
- Private Transfer from Aruba Queen Airport (AUA) to Aruba Island: $35
- Aruba Airport Transfers (ROUND-TRIP): $38
- Aruba Queen Beatrix Airport(AUA) to Aruba Island-Arrival Transfer: $39
- Aruba Island to Aruba Queen Airport (AUA) - Departure Transfer: $39
- Aruba Island to Aruba Queen Airport(AUA) Departure Transfer: $39
- Round-Trip Aruba Airport Express Transfer: $51
- Private Transfer from Oranjestad Port to Oranjestad Airport (AUA): $54
Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Fortuna
Some specific examples of transportation prices in La Fortuna:
- Arenal La Fortuna to Liberia Airport (LIR) - Departure Transfer: $208
- Direct Transfer From La Fortuna to San Jose, English Speaking Driver: $165
- From San Jose Airport To Arenal - La Fortuna - PRIVATE TRANSFER: $295
- From San Jose: One way shared transfer to La Fortuna: $74
- Guided Tour to Arenal Mistico Hanging Bridges with Transfer: $79
- La Fortuna Arenal Volcano Hotels to SJO Airport Private Transfer: $195
- La Fortuna Private Transfer to San Jose Airport: $231
- One Way Private Transfer - La Fortuna to your Selected Location: $100
- Private Airport Transfer to La Fortuna and Arenal: $180
- Private One Way Transfer from Arenal, La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio: $195
- Private One-Way Transfer from/to La Fortuna to Papagayo Peninsula: $289
- Private Transfer Arenal / La Fortuna town to San Jose Airport (SJO): $219
Is it cheaper to fly into Eagle Beach or La Fortuna?
Prices for flights to both La Fortuna 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 $117La Fortuna $52
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: Aruba Dinner Cruise with Open Bar by Catamaran: $119
- Tropical Sailing Experience with BBQ Lunch or BBQ Dinner in Aruba: $135
- Caribbean Cooking Class in Aruba: $160
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in La Fortuna
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in La Fortuna.
- Traditional cooking class with Tica family: $43
- Arenal Volcano Hike Hot Springs and Dinner with Transportation: $45
- Farm to Table Cooking Class: $45
- Typical Costa Rican Cooking Classes in La Fortuna: $48
- Costa Rican Cooking Class: $57
- Costa Rica The Chela Cooking Experience: $60
- Costa Rican cuisine Cooking Class at Rancho Don Lelo: $60
- Private typical cooking class with a Costa Rican family: $70
- Cooking Class "Cook Like a Local" La Fortuna: $70
- Ceviche & Empanadas Cooking Class: $77
- Horseback Riding and Cooking Class with Lunch: $80
- Cooking with a Costa Rican family: $80
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Eagle Beach $121La Fortuna $48
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
- Best of Aruba weekend open bus Tours: $39
- Scenic Aruba Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour: $40
- Explore Aruba Party Bus Tour: $41
- Explore Aruba Iconic Sights Kukoo Island Bus Tour: $45
- Aruba Downtown Historic and Cultural Walking Tour: $45
- Aruba Countryside Tour: $49
- Aruba Jet Ski Rentals — Exciting Water Adventures Await: $58
- Aruba Sunset Sail Cruise aboard The Dolphin Catamaran: $59
- Aruba Semi-Submarine Cruise from Oranjestad: $60
- Half day Tour: $60
Tours and Activities in La Fortuna
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for La Fortuna are as follows:
- Arenal Volcano - Ecological Park Entrance Ticket: $17
- Skip-the-Line La Fortuna Waterfall Admission Ticket: $20
- La Fortuna Waterfall Admission Ticket: $20
- Arenal Park Self-Guided Experience: $27
- Guaranteed Sloth Watching Tour: $30
- Guaranteed Red eyed Tree Frog & Amphibians Tour: $30
- Excellent Wildlife Tour in Bijagua de Upala: $30
- Don Olivo Chocolate Tour: $30
- Tour of sloths, exotic birds, frogs.: $30
- Ticket to Rio Celeste Waterfall & Tenorio Volcano National Park: $32
- Rainforest Chocolate Tour: $32
- Rainforest Chocolate Tour from La Fortuna: $34
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEagle Beach $31La Fortuna $12
Sample the Local Flavors in Eagle Beach
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Eagle Beach:
- Aruba Happy Hour Party Bus Pub Crawl: $82
Sample the Local Flavors in La Fortuna
Also in La Fortuna, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Wine Tasting Experience: $135
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Eagle Beach and La Fortuna, we can see that Eagle Beach is more expensive. And not only is La Fortuna much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Eagle Beach is in Caribbean Islands 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 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 La Fortuna.
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 La Fortuna 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.