Which place is cheaper, Jaco or Puerto Iguazu?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Puerto Iguazu or Jaco?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Puerto Iguazu or Jaco? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Puerto Iguazu or Jaco?
Puerto Iguazu
Puerto Iguazu is located in the northeastern part of Argentina at the border with Paraguay and Brazil. It is a tourist city and travel destination because of its close proximity to Iguazu Falls, which is only 18 kilometers away. Much of the city's infrastructure has grown to maintain the tourist crowds that come to see the falls. The town itself has a population of slightly over 80,000.
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 Tours for Seniors to Argentina, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Argentina, The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Costa Rica.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Iguazu $8.20Jaco $104
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Iguazu is $8.20, while the average daily cost in Jaco is $104. 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 Puerto Iguazu and Jaco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Iguazu $3.26Jaco $67
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Iguazu $6.52Jaco $134
Compare Hotels in Puerto Iguazu and Jaco
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Iguazu 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: Puerto Iguazu Hotel Prices and Jaco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Iguazu $2.52Jaco -
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Iguazu
Also for Puerto Iguazu, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer from Iguazú Airport to hotels on the Argentine side: $15
- Transfer In + Transfer Out IGR Airport Puerto Iguazú Hotels Selva de Iryapu: $145
- One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $8.00
- One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $11
- Puerto Iguazu Airport Shuttle Transfer: $8.34
- Puerto Iguazú Combo: Iguazu Falls 2 Day Tours + transfers: $98
- Iguazu Falls Saver Package! Both sides excursions & transfers : $79
- Iguazu Falls Argentina Airport Roundtrip Transfer to Hotels: $13
- Iguazú Falls Brazil & Argentina 3-Day In-Out Transfers: $52
- Argentine and Brazilian Falls with transfers: $57
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Jaco
Also for Jaco, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer to Jaco beach from San José or the airport one way: $245
- Transfer Private From Jaco to San José or Airport up to 5 passengers (one way) : $245
- Transfer FROM Jaco Beach TO SJO Airport OR RETURN (One Way): $70
- Private transfer from Jaco Beach to Hotels in San Jose or the Airport: $219
- Private Transfer - San Jose Airport & Los Sueños Resort/Marriot : $200
- Jaco/Monteverde to Liberia Airport (LIR) - Departure Transfer : $90
- Jaco or Playa Hermosa: Transfer to San Jose or Alajuela: $173
- From Tortuga Island Boat Tour with Lunch and Transfer: $135
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Iguazu or Jaco?
Prices for flights to both Jaco and Puerto Iguazu 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 dayPuerto Iguazu $3.01Jaco $21
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Puerto Iguazu
For Puerto Iguazu, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Iguazu Falls: The Argentine Experience Interactive Dinner: $59
- Argentine Experience: Immersive Dinner & Wine Pairing in Iguazú: $60
- Puerto Iguazú: Madero Tango Show with Optional Dinner: $76
- Experience Guamini Mision Dinner and Tango Show Selva Iriapu Hotels Exclusive: $110
- Rafain Steakhouse Dinner & Show: $117
- Dinner Show Rafain Steakhouse Gran Meliá Hotel Exclusive - Private Tour: $120
- Dinner Show Rafain Steakhouse from Puerto Iguazú Hotels Private Tour: $120
- From Foz do Iguaçu: Madero Tango with dinner: $123
- Foz do Iguaçu: Argentinean Cooking Class: $135
- Experience Guamini Mision Dinner and Tango Show Gran Meliá Iguazú Exclusive: $145
- Dinner Tango Show in Iguazú Falls: $145
- Churrascaria Rafain - Show and Dinner : $150
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$3.94
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Tsunami Sushi Dinner$18
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Taco Bar Dinner$9.01
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Pizza & Smoothie Lunch$6.31
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Ice Cream$5.92
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Breakfast Taco Bar$3.34
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Fruit Plate$2.96
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Jaco
For Jaco, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Costa Rican cooking class with cookbook author Melissa Guzman: $85
- Taste of Costa Rica: Traditional Food Tour in Jacó: $87
- Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna Waterfall, Hot Springs Combo Tour with Lunch & Dinner: $195
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Iguazu $2.69Jaco $60
Tours and Activities in Puerto Iguazu
For Puerto Iguazu, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 3hr Experience Learning to Make an Argentine Asado: $150
- Adventure at the Iguazú Fly Park: $80
- Argentina Iguazu Falls Bus Tour: $93
- Argentina: Full-Day Iguazu Falls and Great Adventure Tour: $144
- Argentine Falls Full-Day Guided Tour One of the 7 Wonders of the World: $31
- Argentinean Falls with Gran Aventura Boat Tour: $227
- Argentinian Iguazu Falls Full Day Tour: $31
- Bird Park & Iguassu Brazilian Side From Puerto Iguazú Hotels - Private Tour: $120
- Brazilian Side of Iguazu Falls Half-Day Sightseeing Tour : $41
- Brazilian Side of Iguazu Falls Tour from Puerto Iguazu: $55
- Brazilian Side of the Falls - All Tickets Included: $67
- City Tour Puerto Iguazú Gran Meliá Iguazú Exclusivo: $135
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$9.82
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Surf Lesson$49
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Bike Rental$9.82
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Tortuga Island Tour$98
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Massage$44
Tours and Activities in Jaco
For Jaco, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Jungle & River ATV Adventure, 2 hours / Jacó: $95
- Ocean views Zip Line Canopy Tour in Jaco Beach and Los Suenos : $71
- "Miro Jaco" & Jaco Beach Horseback Tour: $59
- 2 Hour ATV Jungle Adventure Jaco: $75
- 2 Hour Private Ranch Experience in Quebrada Amarilla: $120
- 2 Hours Private Guided Hiking Experience to El Miro in Jaco: $50
- 2 hour ATV Tour & Waterfalls + Chocolate Experience : $110
- 2 hour Double ATV Tour + Waterfalls in Jaco Beach : $99
- 3-Hour ATV Jungle Waterfall Adventure: $110
- 3-Hour ATV Jungle Waterfall Adventure: $95
- 4×4 Waterfalls and Jungle Experience: $80
- 4x4 Happy Jungle Booze Cruise: $115
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Iguazu $1.29Jaco $32
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$15
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Night at the Bar$27
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Iguazu and Jaco, we can see that Jaco is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Iguazu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Puerto Iguazu is in South America 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 Puerto Iguazu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Iguazu 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 Jaco would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Jaco than you might in Puerto Iguazu.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Puerto Iguazu Expensive? and Is Jaco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Iguazu or Jaco?
Puerto Iguazu has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Jaco. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Iguazu 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.