Which place is cheaper, David 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 David?
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 David. 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 David?
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.
David
In the Pacific West of Panama, David is the capital city of Chiriqui province. The city's population of almost 150,000 is among the wealthiest in the country. There is a well established middle class and unemployment remains low in the area. The area has grown rapidly in recent years with growing commercial and banking sectors. The city is well connected to the rest of the country by the Pan American Highway.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Costa Rica, The Best Eco Tours in Costa Rica, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Panama, and The Best Budget Tours to Panama.
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La Fortuna Prices
Costa Rica PricesDavid Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLa Fortuna $138David $39
The average daily cost (per person) in La Fortuna is $138, while the average daily cost in David is $39. 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 David in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLa Fortuna $57David $12
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLa Fortuna $114David $24
Compare Hotels in La Fortuna and David
Looking for a hotel in La Fortuna or David? 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 David Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.La Fortuna $23David $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Fortuna
Some specific examples of transportation prices in La Fortuna:
- Private Transfer Liberia Airport to Nuevo Arenal: $43
- Private Transfer from Liberia Airport to Arenal San Carlos: $43
- Private Transfer from Liberia Airport to Tabacón Arenal: $43
- Transfer From Liberia Airport To Arenal La Fortuna San Carlos: $48
- Private Transfer From Liberia Airport to Arenal La Fortuna: $48
- Shared Transfer from La Fortuna to Liberia Airport: $50
- Transfer From Liberia Airport To Arenal La Fortuna San Carlos: $54
- White Water Tubing Tour with Guide and Transfers: $65
- From One way shared transfer to Monteverde: $74
- From San Jose: One way shared transfer to La Fortuna: $74
- Guided Tour to Arenal Mistico Hanging Bridges with Transfer: $79
- La Fortuna/Arenal to San Jose Airport (SJO) Private VIP Transfer: $95
Is it cheaper to fly into La Fortuna or David?
Prices for flights to both David 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 $53David $17
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in La Fortuna
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in La Fortuna.
- Traditional cooking lesson with a local family: $37
- Sloth Tour in La Fortuna and Tortillas Cooking Class: $38
- Traditional cooking class with Tica family: $40
- 2 Hours Private Cooking Class in La Fortuna: $45
- Farm to Table Cooking Class: $45
- Typical Costa Rican Cooking Classes in La Fortuna: $48
- Organic Farm Visit & Farm-to-Table Cooking Class: $50
- Costa Rican Cooking Class: $57
- Costa Rica The Chela Cooking Experience: $60
- 3-Hour Costa Rican Cooking Class with Dinner: $68
- Arenal Boat Tour & Pirate Hot Springs Dinner: $69
- Sloth Tour with Cane Juice and Cooking Class: $70
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.La Fortuna $49David $4.37
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
- PRIVATE EXCLUSIVE GUARANTEED Sloth Watching Tour: $23
- 3 Hours Rainforest Experience in Arenal: $24
- Café Experience in Bijagua: $25
- Arenal Park Self-Guided Experience: $27
- La Fortuna Night Walk: Sloths, Frogs & Wildlife Tour: $29
- Sunrise Birdwatching Tour on a Private Reserve: $29
- Sloths and Monkeys Guided Tour in Arenal Nature Walk: $30
- Tour of stingless bees and healing honey tasting: $30
- ARENAL FORTUNA CITY TOUR .: $30
- Tour of sloths, exotic birds, frogs.: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLa Fortuna $12David -
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
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between La Fortuna and David, we can see that La Fortuna is more expensive. And not only is David much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to David would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in David 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 David.
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 David Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, La Fortuna or David?
David has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of La Fortuna. When comparing the sizes of La Fortuna and David, 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.