Which place is cheaper, Cartagena or Isla de Ometepe?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Isla de Ometepe or Cartagena?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Isla de Ometepe 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: Isla de Ometepe or Cartagena?
Isla de Ometepe
Ometepe is a dramatically beautiful island in Lake Nicaragua in the country of Nicaragua. The island is the largest in the lake and is formed by two dramatic twin volcanoes that climb high from the water's surface. The two volcanoes are Concepcion and Maderas, and they are joined by an isthmus to make one island with an area of 276 square kilometers. The island is 31 kilometers long and between 5 and 10 kilometers wide. There are several small settlements on the island as well as a few coffee plantations. It is also one of the top sights in the country and makes for a unique travel destination.
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 2-Week Tours in Nicaragua, The Best Adventure Tours to Nicaragua, The Best Adventure Tours to Colombia, and The Best Eco Tours in Colombia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayIsla de Ometepe $34Cartagena $48
The average daily cost (per person) in Isla de Ometepe is $34, 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 Isla de Ometepe and Cartagena in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personIsla de Ometepe $13Cartagena $27
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomIsla de Ometepe $26Cartagena $54
Compare Hotels in Isla de Ometepe and Cartagena
Looking for a hotel in Isla de Ometepe 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.Isla de Ometepe $11Cartagena $7.64
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cartagena
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cartagena:
- Airport transfer to any hotel in Cartagena: $7.81
- Airport transfer to any hotel in Getsemani: $7.81
- Airport transfer to any hotel in Morros: $7.81
- Transfer from the Airport - Hotels in Marbella: $7.81
- Transfer aeropuerto-centro: $8.02
- Cartagena Airport: Private Arrival or Departure Transfer: $10
- Shared Transfer from the Airport to Cartagena City or Vice Versa: $10
- Airport transfer to any hotel in Manga: $11
- Cartagena:Transfer from the Airport - Hotels in the Bosque: $11
- Transfer from the Airport to Hotels in Laguito: $11
- Airport transfer to any hotel in Castillogrande: $11
- Bilingual Private Transfer In Cartagena : $12
Is it cheaper to fly into Isla de Ometepe or Cartagena?
Prices for flights to both Cartagena and Isla de Ometepe 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 dayIsla de Ometepe $13Cartagena $10
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: $43
- Local Flavors Food Tour with Native Chef: $50
- Cooking Class: Street food & Mojito making: $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
- Cooking class: Street Food & Mojito making: $60
- Street food tour: $61
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Isla de Ometepe $13Cartagena $22
Tours and Activities in Isla de Ometepe
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Isla de Ometepe are as follows:
- A great tour day for the ISLAND OF OMETEPE.: $80
Tours and Activities in Cartagena
Here are a few actual costs in Cartagena for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Emeralds Tour: $0.03
- Totumo Mud Volcano Experience: $0.21
- Cartagena de Indias: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- Artists' Quarter Getsemani Self-guided Tour: $6.31
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - The Great Battle: Fort of San Felipe: $6.99
- Old Town Highlights Self-guided Tour: $8.45
- Shared walking tour in the historic center: $9.02
- Tour the city on a rumba in a typical bus: $9.23
- Old Town & Getsemani Quarter Self-guided Tour: $9.52
- Self-Guided Audio Tour of San Diego Neighborhood Tour: $10
- Republican Architecture Self-Guided Audio Tour in Cartagena: $10
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: The Rise of the Wall City Part II: $10
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayIsla de Ometepe $8.85Cartagena $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 Lessons and Free Shots: $18
- Cartagena's Best Pub Crawl all included!: $23
- Cartagena Pub Crawl: Let's Party & Matching in Getsemaní: $24
- Nightlife Pub crawl in Cartagena: $71
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Isla de Ometepe and Cartagena, we can see that Cartagena is more expensive. And not only is Isla de Ometepe much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Isla de Ometepe is in Central America 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 Isla de Ometepe would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Isla de Ometepe 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 Cartagena would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cartagena than you might in Isla de Ometepe.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Isla de Ometepe Expensive? and Is Cartagena Expensive?.
When is the best time to visit Isla de Ometepe or Cartagena?
Both destinations experience a warmer climate with nice weather most of the year. Instead of summer and winter seasons, they usually have a rainy season and a dry season.
Should I visit Isla de Ometepe or Cartagena in the Summer?
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both Isla de Ometepe and Cartagena. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Isla de Ometepe year-round. Cartagena attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
Isla de Ometepe gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In July, Isla de Ometepe usually receives more rain than Cartagena. Isla de Ometepe gets 144 mm (5.7 in) of rain, while Cartagena receives 60 mm (2.4 in) of rain each month for the summer.
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Cartagena this time of the year. Isla de Ometepe usually receives less sunshine than Cartagena during summer. Isla de Ometepe gets 175 hours of sunny skies, while Cartagena receives 207 hours of full sun in the summer.
In the summer, Isla de Ometepe is around the same temperature as Cartagena. Typically, the summer temperatures in Isla de Ometepe in July average around 27°C (81°F), and Cartagena averages at about 29°C (84°F).
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyIsla de Ometepe 27°C (81°F)Cartagena 29°C (84°F)
Should I visit Isla de Ometepe or Cartagena in the Autumn?
The autumn brings many poeple to Isla de Ometepe as well as Cartagena. Isla de Ometepe attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. The warm climate attracts visitors to Cartagena throughout the year.
It's quite rainy in Cartagena. Isla de Ometepe receives a lot of rain in the autumn. Isla de Ometepe usually gets more rain in October than Cartagena. Isla de Ometepe gets 197 mm (7.8 in) of rain, while Cartagena receives 150 mm (5.9 in) of rain this time of the year.
In the autumn, Isla de Ometepe often gets more sunshine than Cartagena. Isla de Ometepe gets 195 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cartagena receives 175 hours of full sun.
In October, Isla de Ometepe is generally around the same temperature as Cartagena. Daily temperatures in Isla de Ometepe average around 27°C (81°F), and Cartagena fluctuates around 27°C (81°F).
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberIsla de Ometepe 27°C (81°F)Cartagena 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Isla de Ometepe or Cartagena in the Winter?
Both Cartagena and Isla de Ometepe are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Isla de Ometepe throughout the year. Plenty of visitors come to Cartagena because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In January, Isla de Ometepe usually receives less rain than Cartagena. Isla de Ometepe gets 4 mm (0.2 in) of rain, while Cartagena receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain each month for the winter.
It's quite sunny in Cartagena. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Isla de Ometepe. Isla de Ometepe usually receives less sunshine than Cartagena during winter. Isla de Ometepe gets 244 hours of sunny skies, while Cartagena receives 278 hours of full sun in the winter.
Isla de Ometepe is around the same temperature as Cartagena in the winter. The daily temperature in Isla de Ometepe averages around 26°C (79°F) in January, and Cartagena fluctuates around 27°C (81°F).
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryIsla de Ometepe 26°C (79°F)Cartagena 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Isla de Ometepe or Cartagena in the Spring?
Both Cartagena and Isla de Ometepe during the spring are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Isla de Ometepe because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Cartagena year-round.
Isla de Ometepe usually gets less rain in April than Cartagena. Isla de Ometepe gets 6 mm (0.2 in) of rain, while Cartagena receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain this time of the year.
In Cartagena, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Isla de Ometepe. In the spring, Isla de Ometepe often gets more sunshine than Cartagena. Isla de Ometepe gets 242 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cartagena receives 209 hours of full sun.
In the spring, Isla de Ometepe is around the same temperature as Cartagena. Typically, the spring temperatures in Isla de Ometepe in April average around 29°C (84°F), and Cartagena averages at about 28°C (82°F).
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilIsla de Ometepe 29°C (84°F)Cartagena 28°C (82°F)
Typical Weather for Cartagena and Isla de Ometepe
| Isla de Ometepe | Cartagena | |||
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| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 26°C (79°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Feb | 27°C (80°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Mar | 28°C (82°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Apr | 29°C (84°F) | 6 mm (0.2 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| May | 29°C (84°F) | 131 mm (5.2 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 50 mm (2 in) |
| Jun | 28°C (82°F) | 196 mm (7.7 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 70 mm (2.8 in) |
| Jul | 27°C (81°F) | 144 mm (5.7 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) |
| Aug | 27°C (81°F) | 151 mm (5.9 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) |
| Sep | 27°C (81°F) | 210 mm (8.3 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) |
| Oct | 27°C (81°F) | 197 mm (7.8 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 150 mm (5.9 in) |
| Nov | 31°C (88°F) | 54 mm (2.1 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) |
| Dec | 26°C (79°F) | 11 mm (0.4 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 30 mm (1.2 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.