A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers La Plata vs. Santa Elena for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit La Plata or Santa Elena?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between La Plata and Santa Elena can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: La Plata or Santa Elena?

La Plata

Just over an hour from Buenos Aires, the bustling university city of La Plata is notable for being South America's first planned city. Indeed, also known as the City of Diagonal, La Plata's intricate grid system includes diagonal streets that run through it, contributing to easy navigation but confusing intersections.La Plata is the Capital of the Province of Buenos Aires, the main Argentine state, so you will find lots of elaborate government buildings alongside leafy green plazas in this laid back as well as active city. La Plata is a happening university town with a population of over 700,000. You can walk the width of it in under an hour, stopping at trendy craft beer bars, local music joints, and great restaurants along the way. Also, football is a religion in Argentina and if you're looking for some local atmosphere, La Plata is the place to go! Two of Argentina's biggest football teams, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata and Estudiantes de La Plata challenge each other each year. If you are around during that special day for the city, you will witness thousands of fans wearing the relevant colours heading off to watch the match and parade by calle 7.

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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Buenos Aires, The Best 2-Week Tours from Buenos Aires, The Best G Adventures Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Costa Rica.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between La Plata and Santa Elena, we can see that Santa Elena is more expensive. And not only is La Plata much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since La Plata is in South America 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 La Plata would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in La Plata 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 Santa Elena would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santa Elena than you might in La Plata.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is La Plata Expensive? and Is Santa Elena Expensive?.

When is the best time to visit La Plata or Santa Elena?

La Plata has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Santa Elena experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.

Should I visit La Plata or Santa Elena in the Summer?

Both Santa Elena and La Plata are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. Plenty of visitors come to Santa Elena because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.

In the summer, La Plata is cooler than Santa Elena. Typically, the summer temperatures in La Plata in January average around 25°C (77°F), and Santa Elena averages at about 28°C (82°F)in July.

La Plata usually receives more sunshine than Santa Elena during summer. La Plata gets 191 hours of sunny skies, while Santa Elena receives 164 hours of full sun in the summer.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Santa Elena. In January, La Plata usually receives less rain than Santa Elenain July. La Plata gets 86 mm (3.4 in) of rain, while Santa Elena receives 164 mm (6.5 in) of rain each month for the summer.

Should I visit La Plata or Santa Elena in the Autumn?

Both Santa Elena and La Plata during the autumn are popular places to visit. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Santa Elena year-round.

In April, La Plata is generally much colder than Santa Elenain October. Daily temperatures in La Plata average around 18°C (65°F), and Santa Elena fluctuates around 27°C (81°F).

In the autumn, La Plata often gets less sunshine than Santa Elenain October. La Plata gets 156 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Santa Elena receives 169 hours of full sun.

Santa Elena gets a good bit of rain this time of year. La Plata usually gets less rain in April than Santa Elenain October. La Plata gets 85 mm (3.3 in) of rain, while Santa Elena receives 254 mm (10 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit La Plata or Santa Elena in the Winter?

The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both La Plata and Santa Elena. Santa Elena attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.

La Plata is much colder than Santa Elena in the winter. The daily temperature in La Plata averages around 12°C (53°F) in July, and Santa Elena fluctuates around 27°C (81°F)in January.

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Santa Elena this time of the year. La Plata usually receives less sunshine than Santa Elena during winter. La Plata gets 102 hours of sunny skies, while Santa Elena receives 264 hours of full sun in the winter.

In July, La Plata usually receives more rain than Santa Elenain January. La Plata gets 57 mm (2.2 in) of rain, while Santa Elena receives 8 mm (0.3 in) of rain each month for the winter.

Should I visit La Plata or Santa Elena in the Spring?

The spring brings many poeple to La Plata as well as Santa Elena. The warm climate attracts visitors to Santa Elena throughout the year.

In the spring, La Plata is much colder than Santa Elena. Typically, the spring temperatures in La Plata in October average around 18°C (64°F), and Santa Elena averages at about 29°C (85°F)in April.

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Santa Elena. In the spring, La Plata often gets less sunshine than Santa Elenain April. La Plata gets 167 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Santa Elena receives 255 hours of full sun.

La Plata receives a lot of rain in the spring. La Plata usually gets more rain in October than Santa Elenain April. La Plata gets 100 mm (3.9 in) of rain, while Santa Elena receives 28 mm (1.1 in) of rain this time of the year.

Typical Weather for Santa Elena and La Plata