Which place is cheaper, Santa Elena or Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius)?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) or Santa Elena?
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 Santa Elena. 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 Santa Elena?
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.
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 G Adventures Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Costa Rica.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayOranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $188Santa Elena $92
The average daily cost (per person) in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) is $188, while the average daily cost in Santa Elena is $92. 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 Santa Elena in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personOranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $92Santa Elena $55
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomOranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $184Santa Elena $110
Compare Hotels in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) and Santa Elena
Looking for a hotel in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) or Santa Elena? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $70Santa Elena $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius)
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius):
- ST Kitts private Luxury Air Port Transfer: $300
- Catamaran Party Cruise to Nevis from St Kitts with Transfer from Frigate Bay: $150
- St. Kitts Hotel Transfers: $80
- International Airport/Private Jet Terminal Transfers: $67
- Private Transfer from St. Kitts Airport to Park Hyatt: $55
- Late Night & Early Morning Transfers (Reconfirm 48hrs): $53
- Private Airport Transfers to Park Hyatt & water taxi: $45
- St. Kitts & Nevis Airport Hotel & Boat Shared/Private Transfers: $45
- Shared or Private St Kitts Airport Roundtrip Transfer : $32
- Beach Transfer Frigate Bay Beach: $26
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Elena
Also for Santa Elena, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Direct transfer from Monteverde to San Jose, English Speaking Driver: $179
- One Way Private Transfer from Monteverde - Liberia: $276
- Peñas Blancas to Liberia Airport (LIR) Departure Private Transfer: $38
- Private Transfer From Monteverde To La Fortuna From 1 to 6 passengers: $270
- Private Transfer From Monteverde to San Jose With 2 Stops: $212
- Shuttle Transfer Lake crossing from Monteverde To Arenal: $27
Is it cheaper to fly into Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) or Santa Elena?
Prices for flights to both Santa Elena 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) $51Santa Elena $24
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santa Elena
For Santa Elena, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Night Walk in Monteverde with Dinner Included: $55
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $37Santa Elena $30
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 Hour St. Kitts Open Air Safari Exotic Tour: $75
- 3 Hours Private Royal Highlight Tour in St. Kitts: $260
- 3.5hr Private Power Catamaran Snorkel and Beach Experience: $155
- 5hr Private Powered Catamaran Snorkel and Beach Experience with Lunch: $178
- A Scenic, Historical and Guided Rainforest Tour: $80
- ATV Tour of St Kitts: $110
- Basseterre Food and Walking Tour: $77
- Basseterre Plantation Private Half Day Tour: $60
- Best of St. Kitts Highlight Tour.: $250
- Best of St. Kitts Private Half Day Tour: $240
- Best of St. Kitts Tour: $135
- Capital City Tour and Beach Splash: $49
Tours and Activities in Santa Elena
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santa Elena.
- Selvatura Park: Herpetarium Tour in Monteverde: $22
- Monteverde Cloud Forest Tour: $25
- Wildlife Tour in Curicancha : $25
- Monteverde Butterfly Gardens Tour: $26
- Guided Butterfly Conservatory Tour in Costa Rica: $26
- Night Adventures in Monteverde: $27
- Adventure Day - Outdoor activities for Family and Friends Special Package.: $29
- Kinkajou Night Walk Tour: $30
- Monteverde: Kinkajou Forest Night Walking Tour: $30
- CuriCancha Reserve Admission Ticket: $33
- Natural History Tour - Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve: $35
- Guided walk Monteverde Biological Reserve-John's Nature Tours-: $35
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayOranjestad (Sint Eustatius) $26Santa Elena $6.22
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) and Santa Elena, we can see that Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) is more expensive. And not only is Santa Elena much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius) is in Caribbean Islands 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 Santa Elena would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santa Elena 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 Santa Elena.
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 Santa Elena Expensive?.
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.