Which place is cheaper, La Fortuna 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 La Fortuna?
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 La Fortuna. 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 La Fortuna?
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.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Eco Tours in Costa Rica.
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Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) Prices
Caribbean Netherlands PricesLa Fortuna Prices
Costa Rica Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayOranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $225La Fortuna $136
The average daily cost (per person) in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) is $225, while the average daily cost in La Fortuna is $136. 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 La Fortuna in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personOranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $92La Fortuna $56
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomOranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $184La Fortuna $112
Compare Hotels in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) and La Fortuna
Looking for a hotel in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) or La Fortuna? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $70La Fortuna $23
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 La Fortuna
Some specific examples of transportation prices in La Fortuna:
- Arenal La Fortuna to Liberia Airport (LIR) - Departure Transfer: $208
- Direct Transfer From La Fortuna to San Jose, English Speaking Driver: $166
- From San Jose Airport To Arenal - La Fortuna - PRIVATE TRANSFER: $295
- From San Jose: One way shared transfer to La Fortuna: $74
- La Fortuna Private Transfer to San Jose Airport: $231
- Private One Way Transfer from Arenal, La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio: $195
- Private One-Way Transfer from/to La Fortuna to Papagayo Peninsula: $289
- Private Transfer Fortuna to SJO Airport from 1 to 6 passengers: $220
- Private Transfer From Liberia Airport To Arenal La Fortuna: $295
- Private Transfer La Fortuna To Int. Airport Liberia From 1 to 6 passengers: $249
- Private Transfer La Fortuna To Juan Santamaria Airport From 7to10: $180
- Private Transfer La Fortuna to (SJO)Airport – 1–6 Passengers: $249
Is it cheaper to fly into Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) or La Fortuna?
Prices for flights to both La Fortuna 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) $89La Fortuna $52
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in La Fortuna
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in La Fortuna.
- Farm to Table Cooking Class: $45
- Typical Costa Rican Cooking Classes in La Fortuna: $48
- Costa Rica The Chela Cooking Experience: $60
- Ceviche & Empanadas Cooking Class: $77
- Horseback Riding and Cooking Class with Lunch: $80
- Cooking with a Costa Rican family: $80
- Cooking with a Costa Rican familiy: $90
- Rainforest Night Walk in La Fortuna with Authentic Dinner: $92
- Fresh From the Farm: Cooking Class at the Volcano: $105
- Rio Celeste & Hot Springs Dinner Experience: $130
- Arenal Volcano Hike plus Baldi Hot Springs and Dinner: $140
- Arenal Hanging Bridges with Hotsprings, Lunch and Dinner: $180
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $37La Fortuna $48
Tours and Activities in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius)
Here are a few actual costs in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Walking Tour of Basseterre: $26
- Scenic City Tour and Beach Escape: $40
- Panoramic Sightseeing Tour of St Kitts: $40
- St Kitts Top Sights Open Air Safari Tour with Beach Time: $45
- City Tour, Timothy Hill Lookout and South Friars Beach: $55
- Basseterre Plantation Half Day Tour: $60
- Full Island Private Tour: $60
- Rainforest Tours in St. Kitts: $62
- Rosevelt's Special Best of St. Kitts/Panoramic Tour: $67
- Full Island Panoramic Tour of St Kitts: $68
- Wingfield Rainforest Adventure Hike and Caribelle Batik stop: $70
- St. Kitts Rainforest Tour: $70
Tours and Activities in La Fortuna
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for La Fortuna are as follows:
- Arenal Volcano - Ecological Park Entrance Ticket: $17
- Skip-the-Line La Fortuna Waterfall Admission Ticket: $20
- La Fortuna Waterfall Admission Ticket: $20
- Café Experience in Bijagua: $25
- Arenal Park Self-Guided Experience: $27
- Tour of sloths, exotic birds, frogs.: $30
- Sloths and Monkeys Guided Tour in Arenal Nature Walk: $30
- Guaranteed Red eyed Tree Frog & Amphibians Tour: $30
- Don Olivo Chocolate Tour: $30
- Guaranteed Sloth Watching Tour: $30
- Rainforest Chocolate Tour: $32
- Rainforest Chocolate Tour from La Fortuna: $34
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayOranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $26La Fortuna $12
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 Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) and La Fortuna, we can see that Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) is more expensive. And not only is La Fortuna much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) is in Caribbean Islands and La Fortuna 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 Fortuna would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in La Fortuna 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 La Fortuna.
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 La Fortuna Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) or La Fortuna?
La Fortuna has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius). When comparing the sizes of Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) and La Fortuna, 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.