Which place is cheaper, Santa Elena or Piriapolis?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Piriapolis or Santa Elena?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Piriapolis or Santa Elena, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Piriapolis or Santa Elena?
Piriapolis
Piriapolis is a small beach town between Montevideo and Punta del Este in Uruguay. It is a more laid back version of Punta del Este with fewer fancy restaurants and clubs but it has perhaps more charm, with its grand old hotel and beachfront promenade backed by small mountains. The rather old-school coastal resort is vaguely reminiscent of a Mediterranean beach 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 Adventure Tours to Uruguay, The Best Cultural Tours in Uruguay, 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 dayPiriapolis $67Santa Elena $92
The average daily cost (per person) in Piriapolis is $67, 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 Piriapolis and Santa Elena in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPiriapolis $27Santa Elena $55
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPiriapolis $54Santa Elena $110
Compare Hotels in Piriapolis and Santa Elena
Looking for a hotel in Piriapolis 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.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Piriapolis Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Piriapolis $31Santa Elena $11
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
- One-Way Private Transfer: Monteverde to Quepos and Manuel Antonio: $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 Lake crossing from Monteverde To Arenal From 1 to 6 passengers: $249
Is it cheaper to fly into Piriapolis or Santa Elena?
Prices for flights to both Santa Elena and Piriapolis 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 dayPiriapolis $23Santa 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.Piriapolis $5.89Santa Elena $30
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
- Wildlife Tour in Curicancha : $25
- Monteverde Butterfly Gardens Tour: $26
- Guided Butterfly Conservatory Tour in Costa Rica: $26
- Adventure Day - Outdoor activities for Family and Friends Special Package.: $29
- Kinkajou Night Walk Tour: $30
- Monteverde: Kinkajou Forest Night Walking Tour: $30
- Night Adventures in Monteverde: $30
- CuriCancha Reserve Admission Ticket: $33
- Curicancha Birdwatching Tour: $34
- Guided walk Monteverde Biological Reserve-John's Nature Tours-: $35
- Monteverde Cloud Forest Tour: $35
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPiriapolis $8.11Santa Elena $6.22
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Piriapolis and Santa Elena, we can see that Santa Elena is more expensive. And not only is Piriapolis much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Piriapolis 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 Piriapolis would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Piriapolis 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 Piriapolis.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Piriapolis Expensive? and Is Santa Elena Expensive?.
When is the best time to visit Piriapolis or Santa Elena?
Piriapolis 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 Piriapolis or Santa Elena in the Summer?
Both Santa Elena and Piriapolis during the summer are popular places to visit. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Santa Elena year-round.
Piriapolis is cooler than Santa Elena in the summer. The daily temperature in Piriapolis averages around 23°C (73°F) in January, and Santa Elena fluctuates around 28°C (82°F)in July.
It's quite sunny in Piriapolis. In the summer, Piriapolis often gets more sunshine than Santa Elenain July. Piriapolis gets 296 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Santa Elena receives 164 hours of full sun.
Santa Elena gets a good bit of rain this time of year. Piriapolis usually gets less rain in January than Santa Elenain July. Piriapolis gets 75 mm (3 in) of rain, while Santa Elena receives 164 mm (6.5 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures January and JulyPiriapolis 23°C (73°F)Santa Elena 28°C (82°F)
Should I visit Piriapolis or Santa Elena in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Piriapolis and Santa Elena. Santa Elena attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
In the autumn, Piriapolis is much colder than Santa Elena. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Piriapolis in April average around 17°C (63°F), and Santa Elena averages at about 27°C (81°F)in October.
Piriapolis usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Santa Elena during autumn. Piriapolis gets 171 hours of sunny skies, while Santa Elena receives 169 hours of full sun in the autumn.
Santa Elena receives a lot of rain in the autumn. In April, Piriapolis usually receives less rain than Santa Elenain October. Piriapolis gets 84 mm (3.3 in) of rain, while Santa Elena receives 254 mm (10 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures April and OctoberPiriapolis 17°C (63°F)Santa Elena 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Piriapolis or Santa Elena in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Piriapolis as well as Santa Elena. The warm climate attracts visitors to Santa Elena throughout the year.
In July, Piriapolis is generally much colder than Santa Elenain January. Daily temperatures in Piriapolis average around 10°C (50°F), and Santa Elena fluctuates around 27°C (81°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Santa Elena. In the winter, Piriapolis often gets less sunshine than Santa Elenain January. Piriapolis gets 135 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Santa Elena receives 264 hours of full sun.
Piriapolis usually gets more rain in July than Santa Elenain January. Piriapolis gets 90 mm (3.5 in) of rain, while Santa Elena receives 8 mm (0.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures July and JanuaryPiriapolis 10°C (50°F)Santa Elena 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Piriapolis or Santa Elena in the Spring?
Both Santa Elena and Piriapolis are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. Plenty of visitors come to Santa Elena because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
Piriapolis is much colder than Santa Elena in the spring. The daily temperature in Piriapolis averages around 16°C (61°F) in October, and Santa Elena fluctuates around 29°C (85°F)in April.
It's quite sunny in Santa Elena. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Piriapolis. Piriapolis usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Santa Elena during spring. Piriapolis gets 248 hours of sunny skies, while Santa Elena receives 255 hours of full sun in the spring.
In October, Piriapolis usually receives more rain than Santa Elenain April. Piriapolis gets 85 mm (3.3 in) of rain, while Santa Elena receives 28 mm (1.1 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures October and AprilPiriapolis 16°C (61°F)Santa Elena 29°C (85°F)
Typical Weather for Santa Elena and Piriapolis
| Piriapolis | Santa Elena | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 23°C (73°F) | 75 mm (3 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) |
| Feb | 22°C (72°F) | 85 mm (3.3 in) | 28°C (83°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) |
| Mar | 20°C (68°F) | 79 mm (3.1 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) |
| Apr | 17°C (63°F) | 84 mm (3.3 in) | 29°C (85°F) | 28 mm (1.1 in) |
| May | 14°C (57°F) | 91 mm (3.6 in) | 29°C (83°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) |
| Jun | 11°C (52°F) | 90 mm (3.5 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) |
| Jul | 10°C (50°F) | 90 mm (3.5 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 164 mm (6.5 in) |
| Aug | 11°C (52°F) | 94 mm (3.7 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 289 mm (11.4 in) |
| Sep | 13°C (55°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 328 mm (12.9 in) |
| Oct | 16°C (61°F) | 85 mm (3.3 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 254 mm (10 in) |
| Nov | 19°C (66°F) | 87 mm (3.4 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 121 mm (4.8 in) |
| Dec | 21°C (70°F) | 67 mm (2.6 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) |
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.