Which place is cheaper, Jaco or Kathmandu?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Kathmandu or Jaco?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Kathmandu and Jaco 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: Kathmandu or Jaco?
Kathmandu
Kathmandu is the capital and largest city in the country of Nepal. Its metropolitan area forms one large urban area that includes the area of Patan to the south. As of 2011 there were 2.5 million residents in the Kathmandu metropolis and over 3 million in the entire metropolitan area. Kathmandu is likely to be your entry point into Nepal and is a great place to pick up supplies and arrange the details for any treks you hope to do. Many travelers rush through Kathmandu, turned off by the pollution and crowds, but to skip Kathmandu is to miss a major cultural, financial, and influential part of what defines the country of Nepal. The city itself is quite fun to explore if you allow it enough time and an open mind.
Jaco
Jaco is a beach destination on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. This resort city is located in the county of Garabito in the Puntarenas province. It has a population of about 10,000 residents and a 2.5 mile long beach that is an excellent surfing destination.
Because Jaco is located on the coast, it's weather is influenced by the water. The climate is humid with a relative humidity of about 80%, but climbing to 90% in the month of June. The temperature is usually between 85 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit at night. There are distinct wet and dry seasons with August through early December being the rainy season and late December through early April being the dry season. Rain is irregular during the rest of the year.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Nepal, The Best 10-Day Tours in Nepal, The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Costa Rica.
-
Kathmandu Prices
Nepal PricesJaco Prices
Costa Rica Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKathmandu $55Jaco $133
The average daily cost (per person) in Kathmandu is $55, while the average daily cost in Jaco is $133. 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 Kathmandu and Jaco in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKathmandu $35Jaco $75
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKathmandu $70Jaco $150
Compare Hotels in Kathmandu and Jaco
Looking for a hotel in Kathmandu or Jaco? 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: Kathmandu Hotel Prices and Jaco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Kathmandu $6.09Jaco -
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Kathmandu
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Kathmandu:
-
Taxi Ride$1.32
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kathmandu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kathmandu:
- Yoga Experience Day Trip with Private Transfer From Kathmandu: $152
- Tribhuvan International Airport Transfer Service: $20
- Tribhuvan International Airport KTM Private Transfer to Kathmandu: $28
- Private Transfer: Kathmandu to Pokhara Hotels: $244
- Private Transfer: Kathmandu International Airport to Hotel: $25
- Private Transfer: Kathmandu Hotels to Domestic Airport Vehicle: $20
- Private Transfer: Kathmandu Domestic Airport to Hotel Vehicle: $20
- Private Transfer to Syabrubesi from Kathmandu or Pokhara: $170
- Private Sunrise or Sunset Tour of Dhulikhel with return transfers from Kathmandu: $144
- Private One-Way Transfer: Kathmandu to Pokhara/Chitwan/Lumbini: $80
- Private Luxury Car Transfer all over Nepal: $88
- Private Car Transfer from Kathmandu to Pokhara or Chitwan or Vv: $90
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Jaco
Also for Jaco, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Liberia Airport to Cobano Puntarenas: $63
- Private Transfer from Liberia Airport to Jaco Beach Puntarenas: $72
- Private Transfer SJO Airport to Jaco & Los Sueños – Safe Reliable: $80
- Jaco to Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) - Departure Private Transfer: $141
- Private transfer from jaco beach,dreams to airport 《》1 via: $150
- Private Transfer between SJO Airport, Jaco Beach and OTHERS: $160
- One-Way Private Transfer from Jaco to Juan Santa Maria Airport: $175
- Jaco/Monteverde to Liberia Airport (LIR) - Departure Transfer: $199
- Private transfer from Jaco Beach to Hotels in San Jose or the Airport: $219
- One-Way Private Transfer from Quepos - Manuel Antonio to Uvita: $249
Is it cheaper to fly into Kathmandu or Jaco?
Prices for flights to both Jaco and Kathmandu 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 dayKathmandu $13Jaco $40
Typical Food Prices in Kathmandu
Some typical examples of dining costs in Kathmandu are as follows:
-
Dessert$1.18
-
Dinner for Two$2.63
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kathmandu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kathmandu.
- Saturday Hidden Kathmandu Walk and Food Tour: $10
- Dinner with Cultural Show Kathmandu: $17
- Home Made Authentic Nepali Dinner (veg/non vegg): $18
- Cultural Stay in Kathmandu and experience dinner with family: $18
- Local Women Lead Nepali Cooking & Momo-Making Class: $20
- Authentic Private Nepali Cooking Class in Kathmandu: $23
- Cook and Eat: Cooking Class in Kathmandu near Thamel: $24
- Local Women Lead Nepali Cooking Class: $30
- Best Nepali Cooking Class in Thamel with Local Market Trip: $30
- Patan Food Tour Walking and Food Testing: $35
- Walking Food Tour in Hidden Local Eateries of Kathmandu: $36
- Kathmandu Kitchens Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $39
Typical Food Prices in Jaco
For Jaco, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
Hermosa BeachLlunch$4.39
-
Tsunami Sushi Dinner$20
-
Taco Bar Dinner$10
-
Pizza & Smoothie Lunch$7.02
-
Ice Cream$6.58
-
Breakfast Taco Bar$3.72
-
Fruit Plate$3.29
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Jaco
For Jaco, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Night Jungle Tour with Dinner (Rainmaker Park): $65
- Taste of Costa Rica: Traditional Food Tour in Jaco: $99
- TICO Private Walking Food Tour: $107
- Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna Waterfall, Hot Springs Combo Tour with Lunch & Dinner: $199
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Kathmandu $7.03Jaco $67
Typical Entertainment Prices in Kathmandu
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Kathmandu are as follows:
-
Monkey Temple for Two$1.32
-
Patan Durbar Square Entrance for Two$3.29
-
Swayambhunath Stupa$1.32
Tours and Activities in Kathmandu
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Kathmandu are as follows:
- 1 Day Gay Tour Nepal: $155
- 1 Day Kathmandu 7 UNESCO Heritage Tour: $70
- 1 Day Kathmandu Heritage 4 UNESCO Tour with Lunch: $99
- 1 Day Kathmandu Valley Sightseeing Tour: $35
- 1 Day Valley Rim Biking Tour in Kathmandu: $160
- 1 Night 2 Days Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour from Pokhara or Kathmandu: $141
- 1 Night 2 Days Daman Tour: $215
- 1 Nights 2 Days Private Nagarkot Tour Package from Kathmandu: $150
- 2 Day Kathmandu City with Nagarkot Sunrise, Changu Narayan and Bhaktapur Tour: $236
- 2 Day Kathmandu Sightseeing with Panauti, Namobuddha Tour from Kathmandu: $163
- 2 Day Poon Hill Trek with 2 Day Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour: $731
- 2 Days and 1 Night Chitwan Safari Tour: $125
Typical Entertainment Prices in Jaco
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Jaco's activities, tours, and tickets:
-
Dance Class$11
-
Surf Lesson$55
-
Bike Rental$11
-
Tortuga Island Tour$109
-
Massage$49
Tours and Activities in Jaco
For Jaco, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Self-Guided Uvita Whale Tail Tour: $7.04
- Jaco Beach: Downtown Walking Tour with Local American Guide: $9.00
- Carara National Park Tour: $31
- Carara National Park Guided Tour: $35
- Adventure in Los Chocuacos with all inclusive.: $36
- Jungle Crocodile Safari: Tarcoles River Crocodile Tour: $40
- Guided visit to Carara National Park (Ticket included): $45
- Jason Crocodile Tours: $49
- Chocolate Experience in Jaco Beach and Los Suenos: $50
- Guided City Bike Tour in Jaco Costa Rica: $59
- Coffee Farm Tour and Sugarcane Juicing: $60
- Jaco Horse Tours: $60
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayKathmandu $5.01Jaco $36
Sample the Local Flavors in Kathmandu
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Kathmandu:
- Kathmandu Nightlife and Pub Crawl Tour: $50
Typical Alcohol Prices in Jaco
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Jaco:
-
Wine$16
-
Night at the Bar$30
Sample the Local Flavors in Jaco
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Jaco:
- Bar Crawl in Downtown Jaco: $50
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kathmandu and Jaco, we can see that Jaco is more expensive. And not only is Kathmandu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Kathmandu is in Asia and Jaco 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 Kathmandu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kathmandu 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 Jaco would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Jaco than you might in Kathmandu.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kathmandu Expensive? and Is Jaco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Kathmandu or Jaco?
Kathmandu has a larger population, and is about 350 times larger than the population of Jaco. When comparing the sizes of Kathmandu and Jaco, 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.
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.