Which place is cheaper, Santa Elena or Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park)?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) and Santa Elena can help you decide which place is right for you.
Situated in the Golfo Dulce, Puerto Jiminez has grown from a logging and gold mining town in the 1960s to become the largest town on Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula. Today, it serves as a main gateway to Corcovado National Park, a last stopping point before visitors enter the park. Puerto Jiminez also has a lively night life, a beach, and easy access to a number of outdoors activities.
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 Luxury Tours to Costa Rica, The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica, The Best Tours for Seniors to Costa Rica, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Costa Rica.
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) is $115, 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 Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) and Santa Elena in more detail.
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) 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.
Also for Santa Elena, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
Prices for flights to both Santa Elena and Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) 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.
Some typical examples of dining costs in Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) are as follows:
For Santa Elena, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) are as follows:
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santa Elena.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) and Santa Elena, we can see that Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) is more expensive. And not only is Santa Elena much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) 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 Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) Expensive? and Is Santa Elena Expensive?.