Which place is cheaper, Santa Elena or Kingston?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Kingston or Santa Elena?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Kingston or Santa Elena, 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: Kingston or Santa Elena?
Kingston
Kingston is Jamaica's capital city with a population of about 579,000. For being located on an island, Kingston is a very large city with several different zip codes. Not only is Kingston the cultural capital of the country, but also the commercial one as well.
Santa Elena
Santa Elena is a cute town, and the closest to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. It's one of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica, and is a great place to experience the cloud forest and see some of country's unique wildlife.
In the Monteverde Cloud Forest you have a good chance of seeing rare quetzals which are the national bird of Costa Rica. Other common animals include white-faced capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, orange-kneed tarantulas, any of 8-9 species of hummingbirds, and sloth.
Santa Elena is about 1,400 meters above sea level and has a humid and damp environment. The average yearly temperature is 64 degrees Fahrenheit and the average rainfall is 3,000 millimetres. Humidity can be anywhere between 74% and 97%.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Costa Rica.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKingston $109Santa Elena $92
The average daily cost (per person) in Kingston is $109, while the average daily cost in Santa Elena is $92. 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 Kingston and Santa Elena in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKingston $64Santa Elena $55
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKingston $128Santa Elena $110
Compare Hotels in Kingston and Santa Elena
Looking for a hotel in Kingston or Santa Elena? 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: Kingston Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Kingston $30Santa Elena $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kingston
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kingston:
- From Montego Bay Airport (MBJ): Private Transfer to Kingston: $388
- Private Arrival or Departure Transfer: Norman Manley Airport to Montego Bay: $286
- Tropical Off-Road ATV Tour with Lunch and Transfer: $280
- Norman Manley Airport Private Round-trip Transfer to Kingston : $254
- Private Transfer Kingston Airport (KIN) To & From Sandals South Coast : $240
- Port Antonio Hotel Private Roundtrip Airport Transfer from Kingston Airport(KIN): $235
- NMIA & Kingston transfer to Negril: $225
- Kingston Airport Private Transfer to Riu Ocho Rios: $200
- Private Transfer Kingston Airport to Jewel Grande Montego Bay: $187
- Private Transfer Kingston Airport to Hilton Rose Hall: $187
- Kingston Private Airport Transfer to Accommodation in Montego Bay: $170
- Kingston : Private Airport Transfer to Montego Bay: $170
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Elena
Also for Santa Elena, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Direct transfer from Monteverde to San Jose, English Speaking Driver: $179
- One Way Private Transfer from Monteverde - Liberia: $276
- Peñas Blancas to Liberia Airport (LIR) Departure Private Transfer: $38
- Private Transfer From Monteverde To La Fortuna From 1 to 6 passengers: $270
- Private Transfer From Monteverde to San Jose With 2 Stops: $212
- Shuttle Transfer Lake crossing from Monteverde To Arenal: $27
Is it cheaper to fly into Kingston or Santa Elena?
Prices for flights to both Santa Elena and Kingston 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 dayKingston $27Santa Elena $24
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santa Elena
For Santa Elena, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Night Walk in Monteverde with Dinner Included: $55
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Kingston $13Santa Elena $30
Tours and Activities in Kingston
Here are a few actual costs in Kingston for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Dunn's River Falls Party Cruise, Blue Hole with Snorkeling, free beverages: $174
- 4x4 Jeep Safari & Blue Hole Adventure from Ocho Rios: $158
- Appleton Estate Rum Tour and Tasting from Ocho Rios: $232
- Authentic Jamaican Food Experience: $140
- Blue Hole and Sightseeing Tour from Ocho Rios: $99
- Blue Lagoon and Canoeing Ride Experience Portland Jamaica : $210
- Blue Mountains Coffee Private Tour from Kingston: $180
- Bob Marley Museum Tour Skip the Line Tickets: $45
- Bob Marley Museum Tour from Kingston: $83
- Bob Marley Museum Tour from Runaway Bay: $258
- Bob Marley Museum and Devon House Kingston Day Tour: $322
- Bob Marley Museum and Devon House Kingston Day Tour: $373
Tours and Activities in Santa Elena
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santa Elena.
- Selvatura Park: Herpetarium Tour in Monteverde: $22
- Monteverde Cloud Forest Tour: $25
- Wildlife Tour in Curicancha : $25
- Monteverde Butterfly Gardens Tour: $26
- Guided Butterfly Conservatory Tour in Costa Rica: $26
- Night Adventures in Monteverde: $27
- Adventure Day - Outdoor activities for Family and Friends Special Package.: $29
- Kinkajou Night Walk Tour: $30
- Monteverde: Kinkajou Forest Night Walking Tour: $30
- CuriCancha Reserve Admission Ticket: $33
- Natural History Tour - Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve: $35
- Guided walk Monteverde Biological Reserve-John's Nature Tours-: $35
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKingston $11Santa Elena $6.22
Sample the Local Flavors in Kingston
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Kingston:
- Ocho Rios Pub Crawl and Sightseeing Tour from Ocho Rios: $185
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kingston and Santa Elena, we can see that Kingston is more expensive. And not only is Santa Elena much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Kingston is in Caribbean Islands and Santa Elena 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 Santa Elena would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santa Elena 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 Kingston would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Kingston than you might in Santa Elena.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kingston Expensive? and Is Santa Elena Expensive?.
When is the best time to visit Kingston or Santa Elena?
Both destinations experience a warmer climate most of the year. Instead of summer and winter seasons, they usually have a rainy season and a dry season. Although in the rainy season, it doesn't necessarily rain every day.
Should I visit Kingston or Santa Elena in the Summer?
Both Santa Elena and Kingston during the summer are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Kingston because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Santa Elena year-round.
Santa Elena gets a good bit of rain this time of year. Kingston usually gets less rain in July than Santa Elena. Kingston gets 40 mm (1.6 in) of rain, while Santa Elena receives 164 mm (6.5 in) of rain this time of the year.
It's quite sunny in Kingston. In the summer, Kingston often gets more sunshine than Santa Elena. Kingston gets 254 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Santa Elena receives 164 hours of full sun.
Kingston is around the same temperature as Santa Elena in the summer. The daily temperature in Kingston averages around 29°C (83°F) in July, and Santa Elena fluctuates around 28°C (82°F).
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyKingston 29°C (83°F)Santa Elena 28°C (82°F)
Should I visit Kingston or Santa Elena in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Kingston and Santa Elena. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Kingston year-round. Santa Elena attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
Santa Elena receives a lot of rain in the autumn. Kingston gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In October, Kingston usually receives less rain than Santa Elena. Kingston gets 167 mm (6.6 in) of rain, while Santa Elena receives 254 mm (10 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
In Kingston, it's very sunny this time of the year. Kingston usually receives more sunshine than Santa Elena during autumn. Kingston gets 229 hours of sunny skies, while Santa Elena receives 169 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In the autumn, Kingston is around the same temperature as Santa Elena. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Kingston in October average around 28°C (82°F), and Santa Elena averages at about 27°C (81°F).
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberKingston 28°C (82°F)Santa Elena 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Kingston or Santa Elena in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Kingston as well as Santa Elena. Kingston attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. The warm climate attracts visitors to Santa Elena throughout the year.
Kingston usually gets more rain in January than Santa Elena. Kingston gets 18 mm (0.7 in) of rain, while Santa Elena receives 8 mm (0.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Santa Elena. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Kingston this time of the year. In the winter, Kingston often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Santa Elena. Kingston gets 257 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Santa Elena receives 264 hours of full sun.
In January, Kingston is generally around the same temperature as Santa Elena. Daily temperatures in Kingston average around 26°C (79°F), and Santa Elena fluctuates around 27°C (81°F).
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryKingston 26°C (79°F)Santa Elena 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Kingston or Santa Elena in the Spring?
Both Santa Elena and Kingston are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Kingston throughout the year. Plenty of visitors come to Santa Elena because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In April, Kingston usually receives around the same amount of rain as Santa Elena. Kingston gets 27 mm (1.1 in) of rain, while Santa Elena receives 28 mm (1.1 in) of rain each month for the spring.
It's quite sunny in Santa Elena. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Kingston. Kingston usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Santa Elena during spring. Kingston gets 251 hours of sunny skies, while Santa Elena receives 255 hours of full sun in the spring.
Kingston is cooler than Santa Elena in the spring. The daily temperature in Kingston averages around 26°C (80°F) in April, and Santa Elena fluctuates around 29°C (85°F).
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilKingston 26°C (80°F)Santa Elena 29°C (85°F)
Typical Weather for Santa Elena and Kingston
| Kingston | Santa Elena | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 26°C (79°F) | 18 mm (0.7 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) |
| Feb | 26°C (79°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) | 28°C (83°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) |
| Mar | 26°C (80°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) |
| Apr | 26°C (80°F) | 27 mm (1.1 in) | 29°C (85°F) | 28 mm (1.1 in) |
| May | 28°C (82°F) | 100 mm (3.9 in) | 29°C (83°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) |
| Jun | 28°C (83°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) |
| Jul | 29°C (83°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 164 mm (6.5 in) |
| Aug | 29°C (83°F) | 81 mm (3.2 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 289 mm (11.4 in) |
| Sep | 29°C (83°F) | 107 mm (4.2 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 328 mm (12.9 in) |
| Oct | 28°C (82°F) | 167 mm (6.6 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 254 mm (10 in) |
| Nov | 28°C (82°F) | 61 mm (2.4 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 121 mm (4.8 in) |
| Dec | 27°C (80°F) | 31 mm (1.2 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 33 mm (1.3 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.