Which place is cheaper, La Serena or Fortaleza?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Fortaleza or La Serena?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Fortaleza and La Serena can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Fortaleza or La Serena?
Fortaleza
A major city on Brazil's northeastern coast and the capital city of Ceara state, Fortaleza is best characterized by its city landscape lined with beaches and palm trees. It also features some great seafood as well as long-standing folk traditions in culture and dance.
La Serena
La Serena is a charming town in Northern Chile. It is Chile's second-oldest city and the thriving capital of Region IV. With its beautiful architecture, its long golden shoreline, dignified stone churches, tree-shaded avenues and pretty plazas, La Serena has everything you could ask for!
Chileans on holidays flood in the city in January and February, though it is fairly peaceful outside the summer rush. Some of the city's architecture is from the colonial era, but most is actually neocolonial thanks to president Gabriel Gonzalez Videla, born in La Serena, and her 'Plan Serena' of the late 1940s.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Brazil, The Best Budget Tours to Brazil, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Chile, and The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Chile.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayFortaleza $69La Serena $87
The average daily cost (per person) in Fortaleza is $69, while the average daily cost in La Serena is $87. 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 Fortaleza and La Serena in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personFortaleza $30La Serena $42
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomFortaleza $60La Serena $84
Compare Hotels in Fortaleza and La Serena
Looking for a hotel in Fortaleza or La Serena? 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: Fortaleza Hotel Prices and La Serena Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Fortaleza $21La Serena $20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Fortaleza
Also for Fortaleza, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer to Beach Park: $12
- Transfer leaving from the Fortaleza waterfront to Beach Park: $8.97
- Transfer from Fortaleza to Jericoacoara: $29
- Transfer Fortaleza to Jericoacoara: $300
- Transfer Fortaleza - Jericoacoara: $153
- Transfer 4x4 Regular Service Fortaleza - Jericoacoara: $75
- Transfer 4 X 4 Fortaleza to Jericoacoara or Jericoacoara to Fortaleza: $240
- Shared Transfer from Fortaleza to Jericoacoara: $104
- Shared Transfer from Fortaleza to Cumbuco: $49
- Shared Transfer from Fortaleza to Aquiraz: $88
- Shared Airport Transfer to Fortaleza Hotels: $9.58
- Roundtrip transfer from Pinto Martins Airport to Hotels in Fortaleza: $18
Is it cheaper to fly into Fortaleza or La Serena?
Prices for flights to both La Serena and Fortaleza 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 dayFortaleza $24La Serena $27
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Fortaleza $15La Serena $24
Tours and Activities in Fortaleza
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Fortaleza.
- Águas Belas Tour: $15
- 3 Beaches in 1 Day Tour Leaving Fortaleza: $13
- Beach Park Full-Day Trip Including Brief Tour of Fortaleza: $35
- Canoa Quebrada Beach Tour with Nettour: $20
- Canoe Quebrada Full Day Tour - Departure from Fortaleza by Vitorino Turismo: $19
- City Tour Fortaleza - Full Day Cumbuco Beach Tour by Nettour: $26
- City-Tour and Fortaleza (central market, cathedral, Fort, Theaters, encetur, P.ferreira: $56
- Cumbuco Beach Tour: $12
- Cumbuco Beach with City Tour from Fortaleza: $16
- Fortaleza City Tour : $26
- Fortaleza Like a Local: Customized Private Tour: $31
- 4-Hour City Car Tour: $266
Tours and Activities in La Serena
For La Serena, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Tour to the internationally renowned Pangue Observatory: $139
- Dama Island or Chañaral Navigation Tour Humboldt Penguin Reserve: $140
- Elqui Valley Full Day Tour: magical towns, pisco and mountains: $85
- Elqui Valley Grand-Tour: $189
- Elqui Valley Tour from La Serena: $120
- Elqui Valley and Vicuña Private Tour Including Lunch: $183
- Elqui Valley: Pisco Tour, Wine, Beer: $174
- Full Day History and Flavors Tour in the Elqui Valley: $50
- La Serena & Coquimbo City Tour - Short excursion for cruise ships: $128
- La Serena and Coquimbo City Tour (SIB): $66
- La Serena and Coquimbo Guided City Tour: $76
- La Serena and Coquimbo Private City Tour Including Lunch, Shore Excursion: $194
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayFortaleza $9.97La Serena $22
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Fortaleza and La Serena, we can see that La Serena is more expensive. And not only is Fortaleza much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Fortaleza would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Fortaleza 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 La Serena would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in La Serena than you might in Fortaleza.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Fortaleza Expensive? and Is La Serena Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Fortaleza or La Serena?
Fortaleza has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of La Serena. When comparing the sizes of Fortaleza and La Serena, 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.
When is the best time to visit Fortaleza or La Serena?
Both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. And since both cities are in the southern hemisphere, summer is in January and winter is in July.
Should I visit Fortaleza or La Serena in the Summer?
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both Fortaleza and La Serena.
In January, Fortaleza is generally much warmer than La Serena. Daily temperatures in Fortaleza average around 28°C (82°F), and La Serena fluctuates around 18°C (64°F).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in La Serena this time of the year. In Fortaleza, it's very sunny this time of the year. Fortaleza usually receives less sunshine than La Serena during summer. Fortaleza gets 221 hours of sunny skies, while La Serena receives 247 hours of full sun in the summer.
Fortaleza gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In January, Fortaleza usually receives more rain than La Serena. Fortaleza gets 119 mm (4.7 in) of rain, while La Serena receives 4 mm (0.2 in) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures JanuaryFortaleza 28°C (82°F)La Serena 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Fortaleza or La Serena in the Autumn?
The autumn brings many poeple to Fortaleza as well as La Serena.
Fortaleza is much warmer than La Serena in the autumn. The daily temperature in Fortaleza averages around 27°C (80°F) in April, and La Serena fluctuates around 15°C (59°F).
In the autumn, Fortaleza often gets around the same amount of sunshine as La Serena. Fortaleza gets 159 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while La Serena receives 159 hours of full sun.
Fortaleza receives a lot of rain in the autumn. Fortaleza usually gets more rain in April than La Serena. Fortaleza gets 356 mm (14 in) of rain, while La Serena receives 3 mm (0.1 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures AprilFortaleza 27°C (80°F)La Serena 15°C (59°F)
Should I visit Fortaleza or La Serena in the Winter?
Both La Serena and Fortaleza are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities.
In the winter, Fortaleza is much warmer than La Serena. Typically, the winter temperatures in Fortaleza in July average around 26°C (79°F), and La Serena averages at about 12°C (54°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Fortaleza. Fortaleza usually receives more sunshine than La Serena during winter. Fortaleza gets 256 hours of sunny skies, while La Serena receives 160 hours of full sun in the winter.
In July, Fortaleza usually receives more rain than La Serena. Fortaleza gets 95 mm (3.7 in) of rain, while La Serena receives 3 mm (0.1 in) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures JulyFortaleza 26°C (79°F)La Serena 12°C (54°F)
Should I visit Fortaleza or La Serena in the Spring?
Both La Serena and Fortaleza during the spring are popular places to visit.
In October, Fortaleza is generally much warmer than La Serena. Daily temperatures in Fortaleza average around 28°C (82°F), and La Serena fluctuates around 14°C (57°F).
It's quite sunny in Fortaleza. In the spring, Fortaleza often gets more sunshine than La Serena. Fortaleza gets 287 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while La Serena receives 190 hours of full sun.
Fortaleza usually gets more rain in October than La Serena. Fortaleza gets 13 mm (0.5 in) of rain, while La Serena receives 5 mm (0.2 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures OctoberFortaleza 28°C (82°F)La Serena 14°C (57°F)
Typical Weather for La Serena and Fortaleza
| Fortaleza | La Serena | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 28°C (82°F) | 119 mm (4.7 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) |
| Feb | 27°C (81°F) | 205 mm (8.1 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
| Mar | 27°C (80°F) | 323 mm (12.7 in) | 17°C (63°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
| Apr | 27°C (80°F) | 356 mm (14 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
| May | 27°C (80°F) | 256 mm (10.1 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
| Jun | 26°C (80°F) | 142 mm (5.6 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) |
| Jul | 26°C (79°F) | 95 mm (3.7 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
| Aug | 27°C (80°F) | 22 mm (0.9 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) |
| Sep | 27°C (81°F) | 23 mm (0.9 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) |
| Oct | 28°C (82°F) | 13 mm (0.5 in) | 14°C (57°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) |
| Nov | 28°C (82°F) | 12 mm (0.5 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) |
| Dec | 28°C (82°F) | 44 mm (1.7 in) | 17°C (63°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
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.