Which place is cheaper, Saint Thomas or La Serena?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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 Serena and Saint Thomas can help you decide which place is right for you.
La Serena is a charming town in Northern Chile. It is Chile's second-oldest city and the thriving capital of Region IV. With its beautiful architecture, its long golden shoreline, dignified stone churches, tree-shaded avenues and pretty plazas, La Serena has everything you could ask for!
Chileans on holidays flood in the city in January and February, though it is fairly peaceful outside the summer rush. Some of the city's architecture is from the colonial era, but most is actually neocolonial thanks to president Gabriel Gonzalez Videla, born in La Serena, and her 'Plan Serena' of the late 1940s.
Saint Thomas is a beautiful island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Together with St. John, St. Croix, and Water Island, it forms the unincorporated territory of the United States. The island is also home to the territorial capital and port of Charlotte Amalie. The island's population is just over 50,000, which is slightly less than half of the territory's total population.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Sightseeing Tours in Chile, and The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Chile.
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in La Serena is $87, while the average daily cost in Saint Thomas is $218. 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 Serena and Saint Thomas in more detail.
Looking for a hotel in La Serena or Saint Thomas? 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 typical examples of transportation costs in Saint Thomas are as follows:
Also for Saint Thomas, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
Prices for flights to both Saint Thomas and La Serena 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.
For Saint Thomas, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
For La Serena, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Saint Thomas.
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Saint Thomas:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between La Serena and Saint Thomas, we can see that Saint Thomas is more expensive. And not only is La Serena much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since La Serena is in South America and Saint Thomas is in Caribbean Islands, 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 Serena would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in La Serena 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 Saint Thomas would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Saint Thomas than you might in La Serena.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is La Serena Expensive? and Is Saint Thomas Expensive?.
La Serena has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Saint Thomas. When comparing the sizes of La Serena and Saint Thomas, 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.
La Serena has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Saint Thomas experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both La Serena and Saint Thomas. Saint Thomas attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
La Serena is much colder than Saint Thomas in the summer. The daily temperature in La Serena averages around 18°C (64°F) in January, and Saint Thomas fluctuates around 29°C (83°F)in July.
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Saint Thomas this time of the year. In La Serena, it's very sunny this time of the year. La Serena usually receives less sunshine than Saint Thomas during summer. La Serena gets 247 hours of sunny skies, while Saint Thomas receives 287 hours of full sun in the summer.
In January, La Serena usually receives less rain than Saint Thomasin July. La Serena gets 4 mm (0.2 in) of rain, while Saint Thomas receives 66 mm (2.6 in) of rain each month for the summer.
The autumn brings many poeple to La Serena as well as Saint Thomas. The warm climate attracts visitors to Saint Thomas throughout the year.
In the autumn, La Serena is much colder than Saint Thomas. Typically, the autumn temperatures in La Serena in April average around 15°C (59°F), and Saint Thomas averages at about 28°C (82°F)in October.
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Saint Thomas. In the autumn, La Serena often gets less sunshine than Saint Thomasin October. La Serena gets 159 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Saint Thomas receives 235 hours of full sun.
It's quite rainy in Saint Thomas. La Serena usually gets less rain in April than Saint Thomasin October. La Serena gets 3 mm (0.1 in) of rain, while Saint Thomas receives 146 mm (5.7 in) of rain this time of the year.
Both Saint Thomas and La Serena are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. Plenty of visitors come to Saint Thomas because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In July, La Serena is generally much colder than Saint Thomasin January. Daily temperatures in La Serena average around 12°C (54°F), and Saint Thomas fluctuates around 26°C (78°F).
It's quite sunny in Saint Thomas. La Serena usually receives less sunshine than Saint Thomas during winter. La Serena gets 160 hours of sunny skies, while Saint Thomas receives 240 hours of full sun in the winter.
In July, La Serena usually receives less rain than Saint Thomasin January. La Serena gets 3 mm (0.1 in) of rain, while Saint Thomas receives 43 mm (1.7 in) of rain each month for the winter.
Both Saint Thomas and La Serena during the spring are popular places to visit. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Saint Thomas year-round.
La Serena is much colder than Saint Thomas in the spring. The daily temperature in La Serena averages around 14°C (57°F) in October, and Saint Thomas fluctuates around 27°C (80°F)in April.
In Saint Thomas, it's very sunny this time of the year. In the spring, La Serena often gets less sunshine than Saint Thomasin April. La Serena gets 190 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Saint Thomas receives 272 hours of full sun.
La Serena usually gets less rain in October than Saint Thomasin April. La Serena gets 5 mm (0.2 in) of rain, while Saint Thomas receives 72 mm (2.8 in) of rain this time of the year.
La Serena | Saint Thomas | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
Jan | 18°C (64°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) | 26°C (78°F) | 43 mm (1.7 in) |
Feb | 18°C (64°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) | 26°C (78°F) | 39 mm (1.5 in) |
Mar | 17°C (63°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) |
Apr | 15°C (59°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) | 27°C (80°F) | 72 mm (2.8 in) |
May | 13°C (55°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 94 mm (3.7 in) |
Jun | 12°C (54°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) | 28°C (83°F) | 64 mm (2.5 in) |
Jul | 12°C (54°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) | 29°C (83°F) | 66 mm (2.6 in) |
Aug | 12°C (54°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 101 mm (4 in) |
Sep | 13°C (55°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) | 28°C (83°F) | 127 mm (5 in) |
Oct | 14°C (57°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 146 mm (5.7 in) |
Nov | 15°C (59°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 126 mm (4.9 in) |
Dec | 17°C (63°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) | 26°C (80°F) | 71 mm (2.8 in) |