Which place is cheaper, Jaco or Punta Cana?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Punta Cana or Jaco?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Punta Cana 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: Punta Cana or Jaco?
Punta Cana
Punta Cana, located on the easternmost tip of the Dominican Republic, is renowned for its stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant culture. This Caribbean paradise offers a diverse range of experiences that cater to all types of travelers, whether you're on a tight budget, seeking thrilling activities, exploring local cuisine, or figuring out the best ways to get around.
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 Adventure Tours to Dominican Republic, The Best Adventure Tours to Dominican Republic, The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Costa Rica.
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Punta Cana Prices
Dominican Republic PricesJaco Prices
Costa Rica Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPunta Cana $181Jaco $132
The average daily cost (per person) in Punta Cana is $181, while the average daily cost in Jaco is $132. 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 Punta Cana and Jaco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPunta Cana $101Jaco $75
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPunta Cana $202Jaco $150
Compare Hotels in Punta Cana and Jaco
Looking for a hotel in Punta Cana 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: Punta Cana Hotel Prices and Jaco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Punta Cana $6.80Jaco -
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Punta Cana
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Punta Cana:
- transfer vip from airports and hotels: $102
- private transfer standard and premium airport punta cana to hotels pta cana: $25
- Wyndham Alltra Punta Cana - Airport Transfer - Round Trip: $137
- VIP Uvero Alto Private Transfer Suburban from Punta Cana: $60
- VIP Transfer from Airport to Cap Cana Hotels: $149
- VIP Transfer Santo Domingo Las Americas Airport to Punta Cana: $153
- VIP Suburban Transfer from Punta Cana Airport to Bavaro Hotels: $130
- VIP SUV Airport Transfer from Punta Cana/Bavaro: $70
- VIP Private Transfers from Punta Cana Airport to Bayahibe: $97
- VIP Private Transfer Punta Cana Airport to Uvero Alto Resorts: $89
- VIP Luxury SUV Airport Transfer in Punta Cana – Private Service: $35
- VIP LIMO Transfer Punta Cana Airport- Bavaro Hotels Round Trip: $140
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Jaco
Also for Jaco, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Direct transfer from jaco beach to airport or vice versa: $160
- Jaco / Los Sueños Marriott Hotels to SJO Airport Private Transfer: $140
- Jaco to Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) - Departure Private Transfer: $142
- Jaco/Monteverde to Liberia Airport (LIR) - Departure Transfer: $202
- One-Way Private Transfer from Jaco to Juan Santa Maria Airport: $175
- One-Way Private Transfer from Quepos - Manuel Antonio to Uvita: $249
- Private Transfer - San Jose Airport & Los Sueños Resort/Marriot: $204
- Private Transfer SJO Airport to Jaco & Los Sueños – Safe Reliable: $80
- Private Transfer from Liberia Airport to Playa Jaco Puntarenas: $72
- Private transfer from Jaco Beach to Hotels in San Jose or the Airport: $219
Is it cheaper to fly into Punta Cana or Jaco?
Prices for flights to both Jaco and Punta Cana 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 dayPunta Cana $68Jaco $40
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Punta Cana
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Punta Cana.
- Punta Cana Buggy Ride, Dinner and Taino Party: $118
- Punta Cana Buggy Ride and Taino Party with Dinner: $139
- Sunset Buggies Adventure with Dinner from Punta Cana: $145
- Dinner in the Sky Experience in Punta Cana: $149
- Punta Cana Buggy Ride and Taino Party with Dinner: $230
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$4.38
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Tsunami Sushi Dinner$20
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Taco Bar Dinner$10
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Pizza & Smoothie Lunch$7.01
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Ice Cream$6.57
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Breakfast Taco Bar$3.71
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Fruit Plate$3.29
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Jaco
For Jaco, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Night Jungle Tour with Dinner (Rainmaker Park): $65
- Night Walk Tour and Jungle Dinner in Jaco: $89
- Taste of Costa Rica: Traditional Food Tour in Jaco: $99
- TICO Private Walking Food Tour: $103
- Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna Waterfall, Hot Springs Combo Tour with Lunch & Dinner: $195
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Punta Cana $32Jaco $67
Typical Entertainment Prices in Punta Cana
Here are a few typical costs in Punta Cana for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Dune Buggy Adventure$54
Tours and Activities in Punta Cana
Here are a few actual costs in Punta Cana for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 3 ADVENTURES: Sailing Catamaran Cruise - Hooka Diving - Snorkeling: $105
- 3 Hours Panoramic Tour in Punta Cana with Artisan Market: $35
- 3 hrs Glass Boat Tour in Punta Cana: $65
- 3-in-1 Activity-Buggy-Horse-Zipline-City Tours-Macao Beach: $85
- 4 Hour Punta Cana Fishing Tour: $97
- 4 Hours Tour in Round Mountain and Macao Beach From Uvero Alto: $150
- 4 on 1 Tour. (Included Buggy, Zip lines, Horseback & Atabey Park): $115
- 4-Hour ATV and Horseback Adventure in Uvero Alto: $130
- 4-Hour Glass Bottom Boat Experience in Punta Cana: $90
- 4X4 ATV adventure in Punta Cana to the cenote and Macao beach: $43
- 4x4 ATV Experience, Water Cave, Chocolate and Coffee Tasting: $57
- 5 activities in 1 Day, Buggies,Horseback Riding,Zipline.City Tour: $100
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$11
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Surf Lesson$55
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Bike Rental$11
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Tortuga Island Tour$109
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Massage$49
Tours and Activities in Jaco
For Jaco, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Self-Guided Uvita Whale Tail Tour: $7.12
- Cold Plunge Experience in Jaco: $35
- Jungle Crocodile Safari and Bird Watching tour/Tarcoles River CR: $40
- Adventure in the jungle river and crocodiles: $45
- Tarcoles River Crocodile Adventure Tour: $45
- Tour National Park Carara Birds and Monkeys and More: $46
- Chocolate Experience in Jaco Beach and Los Suenos: $50
- Guided City Bike Tour in Jaco Costa Rica: $59
- Exclusive Massage Experience in Playa Jaco Costa Rica: $59
- Uvita Chocolate Tour: $60
- Coffee Farm Tour and Sugarcane Juicing: $60
- Jaco Party Safari Tractor Tour with Waterfall – Day & Night: $60
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPunta Cana $11Jaco $35
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$16
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Night at the Bar$30
Sample the Local Flavors in Jaco
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Jaco:
- Bar Crawl in Downtown Jaco: $50
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Punta Cana and Jaco, we can see that Punta Cana is more expensive. And not only is Jaco much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Punta Cana is in Caribbean Islands 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 Jaco would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Jaco 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 Punta Cana would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Punta Cana than you might in Jaco.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Punta Cana Expensive? and Is Jaco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Punta Cana or Jaco?
Punta Cana has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Jaco. When comparing the sizes of Punta Cana 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.