Which place is cheaper, Cartagena or La Fortuna?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit La Fortuna or Cartagena?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for La Fortuna and Cartagena. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: La Fortuna or Cartagena?
La Fortuna
La Fortuna is in San Carlos, in the province of Alajuela. It is the closest town to Arenal Volcano, and the area is often simply refered to as Arenal. The volcano itself is active and has been constantly erupting since 1968. It erupts on average 41 times a day. This area of northern Costa Rica is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the country.
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 Adventure Tours to Costa Rica, The Best Eco Tours in Costa Rica, The Best Adventure Tours to Colombia, and The Best Eco Tours in Colombia.
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La Fortuna Prices
Costa Rica PricesCartagena Prices
Colombia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLa Fortuna $123Cartagena $55
The average daily cost (per person) in La Fortuna is $123, while the average daily cost in Cartagena is $55. 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 La Fortuna and Cartagena in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLa Fortuna $51Cartagena $27
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLa Fortuna $102Cartagena $54
Compare Hotels in La Fortuna and Cartagena
Looking for a hotel in La Fortuna 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: La Fortuna Hotel Prices and Cartagena Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.La Fortuna $21Cartagena $7.46
Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Fortuna
Some specific examples of transportation prices in La Fortuna:
- Transfer From Liberia Airport To Arenal La Fortuna San Carlos: $42
- Arenal La Fortuna to Liberia Airport (LIR) - Departure Transfer : $211
- From San Jose Airport To Arenal - La Fortuna - PRIVATE TRANSFER: $295
- From San Jose: One way shared transfer to La Fortuna: $74
- Guided Tour to Arenal Mistico Hanging Bridges with Transfer: $79
- La Fortuna Private Transfer to San Jose Airport : $231
- One Way Private Transfer - La Fortuna to your Selected Location: $128
- One-Way Private Transfer from La Fortuna (Arenal) to Liberia Guanacaste Airport: $241
- One-Way Private Transfer from La Fortuna (Arenal) to San Jose, CR Intl Airport: $218
- One-Way Transfer from La Fortuna to Monteverde through Arenal Lake: $57
- Private One-Way Transfer from/to La Fortuna to Papagayo Peninsula: $289
- Private Transfer Arenal / La Fortuna town to San Jose Airport (SJO): $200
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cartagena
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cartagena:
- Airport transfer to any hotel in Getsemani: $9.29
- Transfer from the Airport - Hotels in Marbella: $9.29
- Transfer airport - old city (walled city /center): $9.53
- Transfers from the Airport to Hotels in Cartagena: $10
- Airport Transfer to Cartagena Hotels: $10
- Transfer from Cartagena hotels to the airport: $10
- Airport transfer to any hotel in Manga: $10
- Private Transfer from Cartagena Airport (CTG): $11
- Private Transfer to Cartagena Airport (CTG): $11
- Private Airport Transfers in air conditioning buses: $12
- Airport Private Transfer to Hotel in the urban City : $12
- Transfer from the Airport to Hotels in Laguito: $12
Is it cheaper to fly into La Fortuna or Cartagena?
Prices for flights to both Cartagena and La Fortuna 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 dayLa Fortuna $47Cartagena $17
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in La Fortuna
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in La Fortuna.
- Farm to Table Cooking Class : $43
- Skip the Line: Mineral Hot Springs Full Day Ticket w/ Optional Lunch or Dinner: $47
- Typical Costa Rican Cooking Classes in La Fortuna: $48
- Costa Rican cuisine Cooking Class at Rancho Don Lelo: $54
- Costa Rica The Chela Cooking Experience : $55
- Costa Rican Cooking Class: $57
- Cooking Class "Cook Like a Local" La Fortuna: $63
- Private typical cooking class with a Costa Rican family: $70
- Rainforest Night Walk and Authentic Costa Rican Dinner from La Fortuna: $71
- Horseback Riding and Cooking Class with Lunch : $72
- Cooking and Salsa Dance Lesson Combo : $74
- Private cooking class in organic farm at La Fortuna: $75
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cartagena
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cartagena.
- Cartagena Fritters Cooking Class – by Lunático Experience: $23
- Street food tour Cartagena: $40
- Local Flavors Food Tour with Native Chef: $42
- Street Food Tour in Cartagena: $44
- Traditional cooking class in a restaurant in the historic center: $45
- Guided Street Food Tour with Tastings: $47
- Flavors of Colombia: Cooking Class with Chef Andrés: $52
- Private Dinner at a Local Chef's House in Cartagena: $52
- Cruise by the Bay with Dinner and Wine: $55
- Food Tour of the Old City Flavors and Culture: $59
- Dinner Cruise Along Cartagena's Bay: $60
- Cartagena Island Dinner (Island of Tierra Bomba): $60
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.La Fortuna $44Cartagena $21
Tours and Activities in La Fortuna
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for La Fortuna are as follows:
- La Fortuna Waterfall Admission Ticket: $20
- Skip-the-Line La Fortuna Waterfall Admission Ticket: $20
- Petting Zoo Interactive Farm Experience: $20
- Three hours walking tour around the deep Tropical Rain Forest: $20
- Café Experience in Bijagua : $25
- Frog Sanctuary Tour at Night : $29
- Birdwatching Tour in La Fortuna: $29
- Don Olivo Chocolate Tour: $30
- Excellent Wildlife Tour in Bijagua de Upala: $30
- Guaranteed Red eyed Tree Frog & Amphibians Tour: $30
- Guaranteed Sloth Watching Tour: $30
- Sloth and Monkey Wild Life Tour : $30
Tours and Activities in Cartagena
Here are a few actual costs in Cartagena for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Cartagena de Indias: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: Ghost of Downtown: Fear in the streets. : $10
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: The Rise of the Wall City Part II: $10
- Republican Architecture Self-Guided Audio Tour in Cartagena: $10
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - Legends of the Streets of Downtown : $10
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: Pirate Tales in Cartagena: $10
- Self Guided Audio Tour The Great Battle Fort of San Felipe: $11
- Shared Walking Tour of the Colonial Old Town: $11
- CITY TOUR OVERVIEW of the city Boots castle chiva: $11
- CITYTOUR of Cartagena Monuments, Walls and Castles : $11
- Historic Center & Getsemaní Shared Tour in Cartagena : $12
- Cartagena Sunset Walking Tour: $12
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLa Fortuna $11Cartagena $9.17
Sample the Local Flavors in La Fortuna
Also in La Fortuna, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Wine Tasting Experience : $135
Sample the Local Flavors in Cartagena
Also in Cartagena, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Open Bar Sunset Cruise with Bar Crawl After Party: $16
- Group Night Experience: Cartagena's Best Pub Crawl all included!: $21
- Pub Crawl with Dancing Lessons and Free Shots: $21
- Getsemaní Pub Crawl with Shots and Dance Class: $22
- Thursday Night Bar Crawl in Cartagena, Colombia: $24
- Cartagena Pub Crawl: Let's Party & Matching in Getsemaní: $24
- Saturday Night Bar Crawl in Cartagena, Colombia: $25
- Friday Night Bar Crawl in Cartagena, Colombia: $25
- Centro Histórico Bar Crawl with a Local Guide: $29
- Pub Crawl Only Locals Have Fun In The Walled City: $35
- Pub Crawl-Last Call For Alcohol-Cartagena Night Tour (Bar/Club) : $50
- Pub Crawl Nightlife in Cartagena : $60
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between La Fortuna and Cartagena, we can see that La Fortuna is more expensive. And not only is Cartagena much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since La Fortuna 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 Cartagena would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cartagena 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 Fortuna would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in La Fortuna than you might in Cartagena.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is La Fortuna Expensive? and Is Cartagena Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, La Fortuna or Cartagena?
Cartagena has a larger population, and is about 320 times larger than the population of La Fortuna. When comparing the sizes of La Fortuna and Cartagena, 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 La Fortuna 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 La Fortuna or Cartagena in the Summer?
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both La Fortuna and Cartagena. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to La Fortuna year-round. Cartagena attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
La Fortuna gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In July, La Fortuna usually receives more rain than Cartagena. La Fortuna gets 164 mm (6.5 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. La Fortuna usually receives less sunshine than Cartagena during summer. La Fortuna gets 164 hours of sunny skies, while Cartagena receives 207 hours of full sun in the summer.
La Fortuna is around the same temperature as Cartagena in the summer. The daily temperature in La Fortuna averages around 28°C (82°F) in July, and Cartagena fluctuates around 29°C (84°F).
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyLa Fortuna 28°C (82°F)Cartagena 29°C (84°F)
Should I visit La Fortuna or Cartagena in the Autumn?
The autumn brings many poeple to La Fortuna as well as Cartagena. La Fortuna attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. The warm climate attracts visitors to Cartagena throughout the year.
Also, December to April in La Fortuna is the dry season. Also, the hurricane season in La Fortuna is May to November. It's quite rainy in Cartagena. La Fortuna receives a lot of rain in the autumn. La Fortuna usually gets more rain in October than Cartagena. La Fortuna gets 254 mm (10 in) of rain, while Cartagena receives 150 mm (5.9 in) of rain this time of the year.
In the autumn, La Fortuna often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Cartagena. La Fortuna gets 169 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cartagena receives 175 hours of full sun.
In the autumn, La Fortuna is around the same temperature as Cartagena. Typically, the autumn temperatures in La Fortuna in October average around 27°C (81°F), and Cartagena averages at about 27°C (81°F).
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberLa Fortuna 27°C (81°F)Cartagena 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit La Fortuna or Cartagena in the Winter?
Both Cartagena and La Fortuna are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to La Fortuna throughout the year. Plenty of visitors come to Cartagena because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In January, La Fortuna usually receives less rain than Cartagena. La Fortuna gets 8 mm (0.3 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 La Fortuna. La Fortuna usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Cartagena during winter. La Fortuna gets 264 hours of sunny skies, while Cartagena receives 278 hours of full sun in the winter.
In January, La Fortuna is generally around the same temperature as Cartagena. Daily temperatures in La Fortuna average around 27°C (81°F), and Cartagena fluctuates around 27°C (81°F).
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryLa Fortuna 27°C (81°F)Cartagena 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit La Fortuna or Cartagena in the Spring?
Both Cartagena and La Fortuna during the spring are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to La Fortuna because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Cartagena year-round.
December to April is the dry season in La Fortuna. Keep in mind that May to November is the hurricane season in La Fortuna. La Fortuna usually gets more rain in April than Cartagena. La Fortuna gets 28 mm (1.1 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 La Fortuna. In the spring, La Fortuna often gets more sunshine than Cartagena. La Fortuna gets 255 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cartagena receives 209 hours of full sun.
La Fortuna is around the same temperature as Cartagena in the spring. The daily temperature in La Fortuna averages around 29°C (85°F) in April, and Cartagena fluctuates around 28°C (82°F).
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilLa Fortuna 29°C (85°F)Cartagena 28°C (82°F)
Typical Weather for Cartagena and La Fortuna
| La Fortuna | Cartagena | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 27°C (81°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Feb | 28°C (83°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Mar | 29°C (84°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Apr | 29°C (85°F) | 28 mm (1.1 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| May | 29°C (83°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 50 mm (2 in) |
| Jun | 28°C (82°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 70 mm (2.8 in) |
| Jul | 28°C (82°F) | 164 mm (6.5 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) |
| Aug | 26°C (79°F) | 289 mm (11.4 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) |
| Sep | 28°C (82°F) | 328 mm (12.9 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) |
| Oct | 27°C (81°F) | 254 mm (10 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 150 mm (5.9 in) |
| Nov | 27°C (81°F) | 121 mm (4.8 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) |
| Dec | 27°C (81°F) | 33 mm (1.3 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.