A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Freeport vs. Quepos for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Freeport or Quepos?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Freeport and Quepos 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: Freeport or Quepos?

Freeport

When you picture the Bahamas you likely picture the beaches, resorts and playgrounds of Nassau. Just to the northwest of this tourist paradise is a tropical city founded on industry. Freeport began as mostly swampland and is now the second most populous city in the Bahamas.

This city is less of a tourist attraction - a place where you'll find the true Bahaman culture mixed in with some relaxing spots to help you unwind and get into your island vacation.

Quepos

Quepos is both a district and the capital of Aguirre canton in the Puntareanas Province of Costa Rica. The town is quite small, and the district has a population of about 22,000 people. Quepos is a popular tourist destination in Costa Rica due to its close proximity to Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific Coast. The town's economy is centered around tourism and there is no shortage of bars and restaurants in the area. The town also has a lively nightlife for such a small community.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Costa Rica.


Which place is cheaper, Quepos or Freeport?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Freeport is $244, while the average daily cost in Quepos is $117. 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 Freeport and Quepos in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Freeport $141
    Quepos $77
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Freeport $282
    Quepos $154
Compare Hotels in Freeport and Quepos

Looking for a hotel in Freeport or Quepos? 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.

Hotels in Freeport


Hotels in Quepos


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: Freeport Hotel Prices and Quepos Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Freeport $59
    Quepos $9.56

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Freeport

Also for Freeport, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Shared Round Trip Limousine Transfer to the Port Lucaya Market: $150
  • Roundtrip Airport Transfers Grand Lucayan Resort Freeport: $30
  • Round-trip Airport Transfers to Castaway Resorts, Freeport: $30
  • Round-Trip Airport Transfer Viva Club Fortuna Freeport: $30
  • Round-Trip Airport Transfer Between Freeport Airport and Pelican Bay Resort : $30
  • Private Transfer from Grand Bahama Airport (FPO) to Freeport Port: $29
  • Private Transfer from Freeport Port to Grand Bahama Airport (FPO): $29
  • Private Transfer from FPO to Old Bahama Bay resort : $233
  • Private Transfer from FPO to Freeport hotels or resorts: $167
  • Private Round Trip Transfer from Freeport Airport to Hotel: $133
  • Old Bahama Bay to Grand Bahama Airport (FPO) - Private Transfer: $193
  • Grand Bahama Airport: One-Way Transfer to Freeport Hotels: $139

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Quepos

Also for Quepos, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfer - San Jose Airport & Manuel Antonio/Quepos : $300
  • One-Way Private Transfer from Quepos - Manuel Antonio to Monteverde: $276
  • Manuel Antonio & Quepos one way transfer to SJO hotels - Airport up to 5 people.: $274
  • Private transfer from SJ Airport to Manuel Antonio and vice versa: $230
  • Transfer from Manuel Antonio to SJO Airport and surroundings : $209
  • Private Transfer from Manuel Antonio to Nauyaca Waterfalls (Round Trip): $199
  • One-Way Private Transfer from Uvita to Quepos - Manuel Antonio: $140
  • Private Transfer From San Jose Airport To Manuel Antonio Beach: $125
  • Private Transfer from Quepos Cruise Port to San Jose City Hotels: $91
  • Shuttle Transfer from Manuel Antonio to San Jose: $60

Is it cheaper to fly into Freeport or Quepos?

Prices for flights to both Quepos and Freeport 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 day
    Freeport $64
    Quepos $30

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Freeport

For Freeport, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Around Town/Bahamian Cooking Experience: $175

Typical Food Prices in Quepos

For Quepos, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Lunch
    $15
  • Seafood Dinner (for 1)
    $20

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Quepos

For Quepos, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Night Jungle Tour with Dinner (Rainmaker Park): $59
  • 3 Hour Cooking Class and Medical Plants Garden: $77
  • Cooking Class & Medicinal Plants Garden Manuel Antonio: $77
  • Night Mangrove Safari Boat Tour with Dinner | Manuel Antonio: $79

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Freeport $40
    Quepos $17
Typical Entertainment Prices in Freeport

For Freeport, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • 10 Dive Package
    $300
  • 4 Hr. Kayak Tour
    $70
  • 1/2 Day Snorkel Trip
    $75

Tours and Activities in Freeport

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Freeport.

  • 4 Hour Private Sandy Cay Experience with Snorkeling - Adults Only: $275
  • Bahamas Sea Scooter Snorkeling Adventure: $120
  • Clear Kayak Tour: $120
  • CocoNutz Cruisers Electric Bicycle Tour: $123
  • East End Private Day Trip Experience Tour : $200
  • Freeport Shore Excursion: Garden of the Groves and City Tour: $81
  • Grand Bahama Agricultural Family Farm Tour: $120
  • Mamma Gal East End Native Experience : $85
  • Mamma Gal Native Experience : $70
  • Rumbo Tour : $90
  • Snorkel/Swim with the Turtles Experience: $250
  • Tour of Coral Vita and breach brak at Banana bay beach club: $51

Tours and Activities in Quepos

For Quepos, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 10 in 1 Tour! Zip Lines, Rappels, Tarzan Swing, Waterfalls & More: $130
  • 2-Hour Boat Tour in Quepos: $55
  • ATV Tour Half Day Trip From Manuel Antonio: $90
  • All Inclusive Catamaran Eco Adventure from Manuel Antonio: $83
  • All-Inclusive Catamaran Eco Adventure with Lunch: $93
  • All-Inclusive Full-Day Nauyaca Waterfall and Beach Town Tour: $142
  • Beach Day Experience in Manuel Antonio: $20
  • Birding at El Rey. (Marshes,rice fields,canals) Private Birding Tour : $120
  • Birdwatching Tour: $130
  • Catamaran Adventure From Manuel Antonio: $116
  • Chocolate Tour Manuel Antonio: $60
  • Chocolate and Coffee Tour Manuel Antonio: $62

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Freeport $30
    Quepos $15

Sample the Local Flavors in Freeport

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Freeport:

  • Brewery & Taste with Beach & Shop at Largest Market on Freeport 4-hrs : $75


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Freeport and Quepos, we can see that Freeport is more expensive. And not only is Quepos much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Freeport is in Caribbean Islands and Quepos 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 Quepos would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Quepos 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 Freeport would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Freeport than you might in Quepos.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Freeport Expensive? and Is Quepos Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Freeport or Quepos?

Freeport has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Quepos. When comparing the sizes of Freeport and Quepos, 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.