Which place is cheaper, Puerto Varas or Quepos?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Quepos or Puerto Varas?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
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 Quepos and Puerto Varas can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Quepos or Puerto Varas?
Quepos
Quepos is both a district and the capital of Aguirre canton in the Puntareanas Province of Costa Rica. The town is quite small, and the district has a population of about 22,000 people. Quepos is a popular tourist destination in Costa Rica due to its close proximity to Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific Coast. The town's economy is centered around tourism and there is no shortage of bars and restaurants in the area. The town also has a lively nightlife for such a small community.
Puerto Varas
Puerto Varas is a city in Southern Chile, in the Los Lagos (Lakes) Region, Llanquihue Province. It is a charming town, only 23 km away from Puerto Montt and surrounded by the Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes as well as the impressive Llanquihue lake. In terms of landscape, accommodation and activities, Puerto Varas is well served! Kayak, paddle, canyoning, rock climbing, trekking, ski, fishing, you name it! If you decide to stop in that area, we recommend that you stay in Puerto Varas, as it provides the perfect starting point for many memorable excursions in the area.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to Costa Rica, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Costa Rica, The Best G Adventures Tours to Chile, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Santiago.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayQuepos $117Puerto Varas $109
The average daily cost (per person) in Quepos is $117, while the average daily cost in Puerto Varas is $109. 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 Quepos and Puerto Varas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personQuepos $77Puerto Varas $67
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomQuepos $154Puerto Varas $134
Compare Hotels in Quepos and Puerto Varas
Looking for a hotel in Quepos or Puerto Varas? 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: Quepos Hotel Prices and Puerto Varas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Quepos $9.56Puerto Varas $21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Quepos
Also for Quepos, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Manuel Antonio & Quepos one way transfer to SJO hotels - Airport up to 5 people.: $274
- One-Way Private Transfer from Quepos - Manuel Antonio to Monteverde: $276
- One-Way Private Transfer from Uvita to Quepos - Manuel Antonio: $140
- Private Transfer - San Jose Airport & Manuel Antonio/Quepos : $300
- Private Transfer From San Jose Airport To Manuel Antonio Beach: $125
- Private Transfer from Manuel Antonio to Nauyaca Waterfalls (Round Trip): $199
- Private Transfer from Quepos Cruise Port to San Jose City Hotels: $91
- Private transfer from SJ Airport to Manuel Antonio and vice versa: $230
- Shuttle Transfer from Manuel Antonio to San Jose: $60
- Transfer from Manuel Antonio to SJO Airport and surroundings : $209
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Varas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Varas:
- Transfer from Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt Airport: $50
- Transfer from Hotel in Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt Airport: $24
- Transfer to Puerto Montt Airport: $22
- Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt Airport - Departure Private Transfer: $21
Is it cheaper to fly into Quepos or Puerto Varas?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Varas and Quepos 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 dayQuepos $30Puerto Varas $25
Typical Food Prices in Quepos
For Quepos, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch$15
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Seafood Dinner (for 1)$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Quepos
For Quepos, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Night Jungle Tour with Dinner (Rainmaker Park): $59
- 3 Hour Cooking Class and Medical Plants Garden: $77
- Cooking Class & Medicinal Plants Garden Manuel Antonio: $77
- Night Mangrove Safari Boat Tour with Dinner | Manuel Antonio: $79
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Quepos $17Puerto Varas $19
Tours and Activities in Quepos
For Quepos, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Beach Day Experience in Manuel Antonio: $20
- Manuel Antonio National Park tour : $27
- Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tour: $28
- Manuel Antonio National Park Tour: $28
- Manuel Antonio Park Tour and its Amazing Wildlife and Beaches: $30
- Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tour: $30
- Manuel Antonio National Park Group Guided Tour: $30
- Guided Tour in Manuel Antonio National Park!: $35
- Manuel Antonio Jungle Night Tour with pick up included: $39
- Guided hiking Tour by the Mystic Ebano Rainforest in Costa Rica: $40
- Manuel Antonio: Manuel Antonio National Park Tour: $45
- Manuel Antonio Park Nature Guided Tour: $45
Tours and Activities in Puerto Varas
Here are a few actual costs in Puerto Varas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Adventure Fullday Tour Osorno Volcano and Saltos de Petrohue National Park: $150
- From Puerto Varas or Puerto Montt: Chiloé Island Tour: $60
- From Osorno Volcano & Petrohue Falls Day Tour: $49
- Full-Day Osorno Vulcano and Petrohue Falls Small-Group Tour: $80
- Half-Day Small-Group Rafting Experience in Petrohué River: $52
- Lake Llanquihue Bike Tour in Puerto Varas: $129
- Petrohue Falls and Osorno Volcano Bike Tour: $124
- Peulla Full Day Tour from Puerto Varas: $68
- Premium Half Day Shared Tour Sunset at Osorno Volcano: $130
- Premium Small-Group Half day Tour to Frutillar in Puerto Varas: $144
- Private Rock Climbing Experience in Northern Patagonia: $100
- Full-Day Tour Chiloe Island: Castro and Dalcahue : $62
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayQuepos $15Puerto Varas $6.51
When comparing the travel costs between Quepos and Puerto Varas, we can see that Quepos is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Quepos is in Central America and Puerto Varas is in South America, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Quepos Expensive? and Is Puerto Varas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Quepos or Puerto Varas?
Puerto Varas has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Quepos. When comparing the sizes of Quepos and Puerto Varas, 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.
When is the best time to visit Quepos or Puerto Varas?
Puerto Varas has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Quepos experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Quepos or Puerto Varas in the Summer?
Both Puerto Varas and Quepos during the summer are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Quepos because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In July, Quepos is generally much warmer than Puerto Varasin January. Daily temperatures in Quepos average around 28°C (82°F), and Puerto Varas fluctuates around 16°C (60°F).
In Puerto Varas, it's very sunny this time of the year. In the summer, Quepos often gets less sunshine than Puerto Varasin January. Quepos gets 164 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Puerto Varas receives 204 hours of full sun.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Quepos. Quepos usually gets more rain in July than Puerto Varasin January. Quepos gets 164 mm (6.5 in) of rain, while Puerto Varas receives 90 mm (3.5 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures July and JanuaryQuepos 28°C (82°F)Puerto Varas 16°C (60°F)
Should I visit Quepos or Puerto Varas in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Quepos and Puerto Varas. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Quepos year-round.
Quepos is much warmer than Puerto Varas in the autumn. The daily temperature in Quepos averages around 27°C (81°F) in October, and Puerto Varas fluctuates around 11°C (51°F)in April.
Quepos usually receives more sunshine than Puerto Varas during autumn. Quepos gets 169 hours of sunny skies, while Puerto Varas receives 104 hours of full sun in the autumn.
Puerto Varas receives a lot of rain in the autumn. Quepos gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In October, Quepos usually receives more rain than Puerto Varasin April. Quepos gets 254 mm (10 in) of rain, while Puerto Varas receives 143 mm (5.6 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures October and AprilQuepos 27°C (81°F)Puerto Varas 11°C (51°F)
Should I visit Quepos or Puerto Varas in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Quepos as well as Puerto Varas. Quepos attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
In the winter, Quepos is much warmer than Puerto Varas. Typically, the winter temperatures in Quepos in January average around 27°C (81°F), and Puerto Varas averages at about 7°C (45°F)in July.
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Quepos this time of the year. In the winter, Quepos often gets more sunshine than Puerto Varasin July. Quepos gets 264 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Puerto Varas receives 67 hours of full sun.
It's quite rainy in Puerto Varas. Quepos usually gets less rain in January than Puerto Varasin July. Quepos gets 8 mm (0.3 in) of rain, while Puerto Varas receives 229 mm (9 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures January and JulyQuepos 27°C (81°F)Puerto Varas 7°C (45°F)
Should I visit Quepos or Puerto Varas in the Spring?
Both Puerto Varas and Quepos are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Quepos throughout the year.
In April, Quepos is generally much warmer than Puerto Varasin October. Daily temperatures in Quepos average around 29°C (85°F), and Puerto Varas fluctuates around 11°C (51°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Quepos. Quepos usually receives more sunshine than Puerto Varas during spring. Quepos gets 255 hours of sunny skies, while Puerto Varas receives 151 hours of full sun in the spring.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Puerto Varas. In April, Quepos usually receives less rain than Puerto Varasin October. Quepos gets 28 mm (1.1 in) of rain, while Puerto Varas receives 121 mm (4.8 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures April and OctoberQuepos 29°C (85°F)Puerto Varas 11°C (51°F)
Typical Weather for Puerto Varas and Quepos
| Quepos | Puerto Varas | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 27°C (81°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) | 16°C (60°F) | 90 mm (3.5 in) |
| Feb | 28°C (83°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) |
| Mar | 29°C (84°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 99 mm (3.9 in) |
| Apr | 29°C (85°F) | 28 mm (1.1 in) | 11°C (51°F) | 143 mm (5.6 in) |
| May | 29°C (83°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) | 9°C (49°F) | 234 mm (9.2 in) |
| Jun | 28°C (82°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) | 8°C (46°F) | 224 mm (8.8 in) |
| Jul | 28°C (82°F) | 164 mm (6.5 in) | 7°C (45°F) | 229 mm (9 in) |
| Aug | 26°C (79°F) | 289 mm (11.4 in) | 8°C (46°F) | 209 mm (8.2 in) |
| Sep | 28°C (82°F) | 328 mm (12.9 in) | 9°C (47°F) | 146 mm (5.7 in) |
| Oct | 27°C (81°F) | 254 mm (10 in) | 11°C (51°F) | 121 mm (4.8 in) |
| Nov | 27°C (81°F) | 121 mm (4.8 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 110 mm (4.3 in) |
| Dec | 27°C (81°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 103 mm (4.1 in) |
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.