Which place is cheaper, Lake Titicaca (Puno) or La Fortuna?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for La Fortuna and Lake Titicaca (Puno). 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.
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.
Lake Titicaca, which directly translates to "puma stone" in Quechua, is located high in the Andes Mountains straddling Peru and Bolivia, with about 60% of the lake in Peru and 40% in Bolivia. Among the lake are three main islands, the most popular of which are the Uros Islands, also known as the floating islands, where the Uros people live on totora reeds that grow in the lake.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Costa Rica, The Best Eco Tours in Costa Rica, The Best Photography Tours in Peru, and The Best Jungle Trekking Tours in Peru.
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in La Fortuna is $104, while the average daily cost in Lake Titicaca (Puno) 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 Lake Titicaca (Puno) in more detail.
Looking for a hotel in La Fortuna or Lake Titicaca (Puno)? 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.
Some specific examples of transportation prices in La Fortuna:
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Lake Titicaca (Puno):
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lake Titicaca (Puno):
Prices for flights to both Lake Titicaca (Puno) 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.
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in La Fortuna.
Some typical examples of dining costs in Lake Titicaca (Puno) are as follows:
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for La Fortuna are as follows:
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Lake Titicaca (Puno) are as follows:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between La Fortuna and Lake Titicaca (Puno), we can see that La Fortuna is more expensive. And not only is Lake Titicaca (Puno) much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since La Fortuna is in Central America and Lake Titicaca (Puno) 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 Lake Titicaca (Puno) would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Lake Titicaca (Puno) 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 Lake Titicaca (Puno).
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 Lake Titicaca (Puno) Expensive?.
Lake Titicaca (Puno) has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of La Fortuna. When comparing the sizes of La Fortuna and Lake Titicaca (Puno), 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.