Which place is cheaper, Tamarindo or Port-au-Prince?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Port-au-Prince or Tamarindo?
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 Port-au-Prince and Tamarindo. 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: Port-au-Prince or Tamarindo?
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital city and most-populous city of Haiti. The metropolitan area is divided into several districts with access to a number of landmarks and museums, as well as a lively cultural scene.
Tamarindo
Tamarindo is a small beach town in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica on the Pacific Coast. This town is usually sought out by surfers, fishers, couples, and families. There are delicious restaurants, beautiful beaches, and friendly Tico's and Tica's (local Costa Rican nicknames) everywhere.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPort-au-Prince $28Tamarindo $121
The average daily cost (per person) in Port-au-Prince is $28, while the average daily cost in Tamarindo is $121. 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 Port-au-Prince and Tamarindo in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPort-au-Prince $22Tamarindo $50
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPort-au-Prince $44Tamarindo $100
Compare Hotels in Port-au-Prince and Tamarindo
Looking for a hotel in Port-au-Prince or Tamarindo? 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: Tamarindo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Port-au-Prince $4.73Tamarindo $69
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tamarindo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Tamarindo:
- Airport Transfer from Liberia Airport to Andaz Papagayo Hyatt (Round Trip): $163
- Airport Transfer from Liberia Airport to Secrets Papagayo Resort: $135
- Flamingo/Tamarindo to Liberia Airport(LIR)- Departure Transfer: $38
- From Hotel Transfer to Liberia Guanacaste Airport: $62
- Guanacaste Airport transfer to Jw Marriott Guanacaste: $130
- Liberia Airport Private Transfer To Gulf of Papagayo Costa Rica: $125
- Liberia Airport To Andaz Papagayo Resort, Private Transfer: $128
- Liberia Airport To Tamarindo Private Transfer: $55
- Monteverde: Transfer to Tamarindo: $65
- Playa Conchal & Flamingo From Liberia Airport, Transfer Service: $168
- Playa Grande to Liberia Airport (LIR) Departure Private Transfer: $31
- Private Airport Transfer from Liberia to Tamarindo beaches Areas & surrounding : $140
Is it cheaper to fly into Port-au-Prince or Tamarindo?
Prices for flights to both Tamarindo and Port-au-Prince 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 dayPort-au-Prince $3.69Tamarindo $32
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Tamarindo
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Tamarindo.
- Online Class on Zoom: Cooking Costa Rica Homemade Food: $35
- Traditional Cooking Class In Tamarindo: $95
- Traditional Cooking Class In Tamarindo: $95
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Port-au-Prince $0.76Tamarindo $17
Tours and Activities in Tamarindo
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Tamarindo are as follows:
- Sea turtle watching tour near playa grande: $44
- Tamarindo Estuary Tour: $44
- Tour of the Mangroves and Wetlands of Tamarindo by Boat: $45
- Night Turtle Nesting Tour from Tamarindo: $46
- Tamarindo Birdwatching Crocodiles and Monkey Tour: $50
- ATV Beach and Mountain Tour!: $62
- Hiking Tour of La Leona Waterfall with Lunch: $65
- Howler Monkey Mangrove Kayaking Tour: $65
- UTV Side By Side Off Road Tour Tamarindo Beach & Flamingo Beach: $65
- ATV and UTV Beach Tour from Tamarindo, Flamingo and Conchal Beach: $67
- Turtle Watching Tour: $70
- ATV Tour through the Flamingo Potrero and Brasilito Area: $70
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPort-au-Prince $0.20Tamarindo $14
Sample the Local Flavors in Tamarindo
Also in Tamarindo, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Tamarindo Bar Crawl Experience: $25
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Port-au-Prince and Tamarindo, we can see that Tamarindo is more expensive. And not only is Port-au-Prince much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Port-au-Prince is in Caribbean Islands and Tamarindo 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 Port-au-Prince would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Port-au-Prince 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 Tamarindo would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Tamarindo than you might in Port-au-Prince.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Port-au-Prince Expensive? and Is Tamarindo 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.