Which place is cheaper, La Fortuna 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 La Fortuna?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Punta Cana or La Fortuna? 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 La Fortuna?
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.
La Fortuna
La Fortuna is in San Carlos, in the province of Alajuela. It is the closest town to Arenal Volcano, and the area is often simply refered to as Arenal. The volcano itself is active and has been constantly erupting since 1968. It erupts on average 41 times a day. This area of northern Costa Rica is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the country.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Dominican Republic, The Best Adventure Tours to Dominican Republic, The Best Adventure Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Eco Tours in Costa Rica.
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Punta Cana Prices
Dominican Republic PricesLa Fortuna Prices
Costa Rica Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPunta Cana $170La Fortuna $123
The average daily cost (per person) in Punta Cana is $170, while the average daily cost in La Fortuna is $123. 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 La Fortuna in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPunta Cana $95La Fortuna $51
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPunta Cana $190La Fortuna $102
Compare Hotels in Punta Cana and La Fortuna
Looking for a hotel in Punta Cana or La Fortuna? 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 La Fortuna Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Punta Cana $6.39La Fortuna $21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Punta Cana
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Punta Cana:
- Private Transfers Punta Cana Airport & Hotels in Uvero Alto: $6.00
- Private Transfers Punta Cana Airport and Cap Cana Hotels: $6.00
- One Way Shared Transfer from Punta Cana : $9.34
- Private Transfers from Punta Cana : $13
- Private Punta Cana Airport Ground Transfers: $14
- Private Punta Cana Airport Transfers & Hotels : $14
- Transfer From Airport To Destination In Punta Cana: $14
- Affordable Punta Cana Airport Transfers, Taxis and Shuttles: $15
- Punta Cana Airport. Round Trip Transfers: $15
- Private Punta Cana Airport Transfers Hotels in Dominican Republic: $15
- Round trip Transfer from Punta Cana Airport To hotels in Dominican Republic: $15
- Private Round-Trip Airport Transfer from Punta Cana Airport (PUJ): $15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Fortuna
Some specific examples of transportation prices in La Fortuna:
- Transfer From Liberia Airport To Arenal La Fortuna San Carlos: $42
- Arenal La Fortuna to Liberia Airport (LIR) - Departure Transfer : $211
- From San Jose Airport To Arenal - La Fortuna - PRIVATE TRANSFER: $295
- From San Jose: One way shared transfer to La Fortuna: $74
- Guided Tour to Arenal Mistico Hanging Bridges with Transfer: $79
- La Fortuna Private Transfer to San Jose Airport : $231
- One Way Private Transfer - La Fortuna to your Selected Location: $128
- One-Way Private Transfer from La Fortuna (Arenal) to Liberia Guanacaste Airport: $241
- One-Way Private Transfer from La Fortuna (Arenal) to San Jose, CR Intl Airport: $218
- One-Way Transfer from La Fortuna to Monteverde through Arenal Lake: $57
- Private One-Way Transfer from/to La Fortuna to Papagayo Peninsula: $289
- Private Transfer Arenal / La Fortuna town to San Jose Airport (SJO): $200
Is it cheaper to fly into Punta Cana or La Fortuna?
Prices for flights to both La Fortuna 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 $64La Fortuna $47
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Punta Cana
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Punta Cana.
- Origen Tasting Adventure Dinner or Lunch of 8 Courses Dom Cuisine: $85
- Taste of DR Street Food Tour: $125
- Sunset Buggies Adventure with Dinner from Punta Cana: $130
- Punta Cana Night Tour Polaris Ride Dinner Music and Open Bar: $169
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in La Fortuna
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in La Fortuna.
- Farm to Table Cooking Class : $43
- Skip the Line: Mineral Hot Springs Full Day Ticket w/ Optional Lunch or Dinner: $47
- Typical Costa Rican Cooking Classes in La Fortuna: $48
- Costa Rican cuisine Cooking Class at Rancho Don Lelo: $54
- Costa Rica The Chela Cooking Experience : $55
- Costa Rican Cooking Class: $57
- Cooking Class "Cook Like a Local" La Fortuna: $63
- Private typical cooking class with a Costa Rican family: $70
- Rainforest Night Walk and Authentic Costa Rican Dinner from La Fortuna: $71
- Horseback Riding and Cooking Class with Lunch : $72
- Cooking and Salsa Dance Lesson Combo : $74
- Private cooking class in organic farm at La Fortuna: $75
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Punta Cana $30La Fortuna $44
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$51
Tours and Activities in Punta Cana
Here are a few actual costs in Punta Cana for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Punta Cana Souvenir Shopping Tour with Pickup: $4.80
- Shopping Tour in Punta Cana with Round Trip Transportation: $5.00
- Shopping Tour In Don Lucas Cigar Factory, Rum tasting, Cocoa factory, Souvenirs : $5.00
- Guided Shopping Tour - Rum tasting, chocolate factory, Cigar factory: $5.00
- Tour de Compras: Chocolate, Café y Artesanías en Punta Cana.: $5.00
- Punta Cana Souvenir Shopping Tour with Free Pickup: $6.00
- Tour of Souvenirs, Shopping in Punta Cana with Transportation Included: $10
- Punta Cana Shopping Tour with Transportation: $15
- Punta Cana Shopping Tour : $15
- ATV Buggy Adventure in Punta Cana with Cultural Experience: $24
- ATV Buggy Adventure to Macao Beach and Blue Water Cave: $25
- ATV & Buggy adventure in Punta Cana + Water Cave + Macao Beach: $25
Tours and Activities in La Fortuna
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for La Fortuna are as follows:
- La Fortuna Waterfall Admission Ticket: $20
- Skip-the-Line La Fortuna Waterfall Admission Ticket: $20
- Petting Zoo Interactive Farm Experience: $20
- Three hours walking tour around the deep Tropical Rain Forest: $20
- Café Experience in Bijagua : $25
- Frog Sanctuary Tour at Night : $29
- Birdwatching Tour in La Fortuna: $29
- Don Olivo Chocolate Tour: $30
- Excellent Wildlife Tour in Bijagua de Upala: $30
- Guaranteed Red eyed Tree Frog & Amphibians Tour: $30
- Guaranteed Sloth Watching Tour: $30
- Sloth and Monkey Wild Life Tour : $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPunta Cana $10La Fortuna $11
Sample the Local Flavors in Punta Cana
Also in Punta Cana, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Bar Crawl in Punta Cana: $35
Sample the Local Flavors in La Fortuna
Also in La Fortuna, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Wine Tasting Experience : $135
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Punta Cana and La Fortuna, we can see that Punta Cana is more expensive. And not only is La Fortuna much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Punta Cana is in Caribbean Islands and La Fortuna 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 La Fortuna would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in La Fortuna 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 La Fortuna.
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 La Fortuna Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Punta Cana or La Fortuna?
Punta Cana has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of La Fortuna. When comparing the sizes of Punta Cana and La Fortuna, 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.