Which place is cheaper, Jaco or Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius)?
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 Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) or Jaco?
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 Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) and Jaco. 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: Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) or Jaco?
Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius)
An island of the Caribbean Netherlands, St. Eustatius, sometimes called Statia, is a small, relatively unknown destination to the greater tourist areas of the Caribbean. As a result, however, it is its own treasure consisting of a dormant volcano known as the Quill and featuring a lush rainforest, narrow volcanic beaches, many dive sites, and a quaint harbor town.
Jaco
Jaco is a beach destination on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. This resort city is located in the county of Garabito in the Puntarenas province. It has a population of about 10,000 residents and a 2.5 mile long beach that is an excellent surfing destination.
Because Jaco is located on the coast, it's weather is influenced by the water. The climate is humid with a relative humidity of about 80%, but climbing to 90% in the month of June. The temperature is usually between 85 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit at night. There are distinct wet and dry seasons with August through early December being the rainy season and late December through early April being the dry season. Rain is irregular during the rest of the year.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Costa Rica.
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Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) Prices
Caribbean Netherlands PricesJaco Prices
Costa Rica Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayOranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $225Jaco $131
The average daily cost (per person) in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) is $225, while the average daily cost in Jaco is $131. 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 Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) and Jaco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personOranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $92Jaco $74
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomOranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $184Jaco $148
Compare Hotels in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) and Jaco
Looking for a hotel in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) or Jaco? 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: Jaco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $70Jaco -
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius)
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius):
- St. Kitts Beach Transfers Round trip: $67
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Jaco
Also for Jaco, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Direct transfer from jaco beach to airport or vice versa: $160
- Jaco / Los Sueños Marriott Hotels to SJO Airport Private Transfer: $140
- Jaco to Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) - Departure Private Transfer: $142
- Jaco/Monteverde to Liberia Airport (LIR) - Departure Transfer: $202
- One-Way Private Transfer from Jaco to Juan Santa Maria Airport: $175
- One-Way Private Transfer from Quepos - Manuel Antonio to Uvita: $249
- Private Transfer - San Jose Airport & Los Sueños Resort/Marriot: $204
- Private Transfer SJO Airport to Jaco & Los Sueños – Safe Reliable: $80
- Private Transfer from Liberia Airport to Playa Jaco Puntarenas: $72
- Private transfer from Jaco Beach to Hotels in San Jose or the Airport: $219
Is it cheaper to fly into Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) or Jaco?
Prices for flights to both Jaco and Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) 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 dayOranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $89Jaco $40
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius)
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius).
- St.Kitts Downtown Basseterre Walking Food Tour: $75
Typical Food Prices in Jaco
For Jaco, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Hermosa BeachLlunch$4.34
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Tsunami Sushi Dinner$19
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Taco Bar Dinner$9.92
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Pizza & Smoothie Lunch$6.95
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Ice Cream$6.51
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Breakfast Taco Bar$3.68
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Fruit Plate$3.26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Jaco
For Jaco, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Night Jungle Tour with Dinner (Rainmaker Park): $65
- Night Walk Tour and Jungle Dinner in Jaco: $89
- Taste of Costa Rica: Traditional Food Tour in Jaco: $99
- TICO Private Walking Food Tour: $103
- Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna Waterfall, Hot Springs Combo Tour with Lunch & Dinner: $195
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $37Jaco $66
Tours and Activities in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius)
Here are a few actual costs in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 3 Hours Private Royal Highlight Tour in St. Kitts: $260
- ATV Tour of St Kitts: $110
- An Exciting, Scenic and Historical Island Tour: $160
- Basseterre Plantation Half Day Tour: $60
- Best of St. Kitts Highlight Tour and Beach: $280
- Best of St. Kitts Highlight Tour.: $250
- City Tour, Timothy Hill Lookout and South Friars Beach: $55
- Coastal Boat Tour on St. Kitts and Nevis with Snorkeling: $135
- Exotic Island Tour from Basseterre: $78
- Full Island Panoramic Tour of St Kitts: $68
- Full Island Private Tour: $60
- Half-Day Island Adventure of St Kitts: $95
Typical Entertainment Prices in Jaco
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Jaco's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Dance Class$11
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Surf Lesson$54
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Bike Rental$11
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Tortuga Island Tour$108
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Massage$49
Tours and Activities in Jaco
For Jaco, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Self-Guided Uvita Whale Tail Tour: $7.12
- Cold Plunge Experience in Jaco: $35
- Jungle Crocodile Safari and Bird Watching tour/Tarcoles River CR: $40
- Adventure in the jungle river and crocodiles: $45
- Tarcoles River Crocodile Adventure Tour: $45
- Tour National Park Carara Birds and Monkeys and More: $46
- Chocolate Experience in Jaco Beach and Los Suenos: $50
- Guided City Bike Tour in Jaco Costa Rica: $59
- Exclusive Massage Experience in Playa Jaco Costa Rica: $59
- Uvita Chocolate Tour: $60
- Coffee Farm Tour and Sugarcane Juicing: $60
- Jaco Party Safari Tractor Tour with Waterfall – Day & Night: $60
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayOranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $26Jaco $35
Typical Alcohol Prices in Jaco
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Jaco:
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Wine$16
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Night at the Bar$30
Sample the Local Flavors in Jaco
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Jaco:
- Bar Crawl in Downtown Jaco: $50
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) and Jaco, we can see that Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) is more expensive. And not only is Jaco much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) is in Caribbean Islands and Jaco 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 Jaco would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Jaco 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 Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) than you might in Jaco.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) Expensive? and Is Jaco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) or Jaco?
Jaco has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius). When comparing the sizes of Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) and Jaco, 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.