Which place is cheaper, Isla de Ometepe or Recife?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Recife or Isla de Ometepe?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Recife and Isla de Ometepe can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Recife or Isla de Ometepe?
Recife
One of the largest cities on Brazil's northeast coast, Recife is also the capital of the state of Pernambuco. The city gets its name from the Portuguese word for "reef," as it was built around a landscape of natural reef beaches. Many people visit to enjoy these beaches, experience the culture, and explore the history of this important Brazilian city.
Isla de Ometepe
Ometepe is a dramatically beautiful island in Lake Nicaragua in the country of Nicaragua. The island is the largest in the lake and is formed by two dramatic twin volcanoes that climb high from the water's surface. The two volcanoes are Concepcion and Maderas, and they are joined by an isthmus to make one island with an area of 276 square kilometers. The island is 31 kilometers long and between 5 and 10 kilometers wide. There are several small settlements on the island as well as a few coffee plantations. It is also one of the top sights in the country and makes for a unique travel destination.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in Brazil, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Brazil, The Best 2-Week Tours in Nicaragua, and The Best Adventure Tours to Nicaragua.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRecife $166Isla de Ometepe $34
The average daily cost (per person) in Recife is $166, while the average daily cost in Isla de Ometepe is $34. 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 Recife and Isla de Ometepe in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRecife $88Isla de Ometepe $13
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRecife $176Isla de Ometepe $26
Compare Hotels in Recife and Isla de Ometepe
Looking for a hotel in Recife or Isla de Ometepe? 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: Recife Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Recife $8.47Isla de Ometepe $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Recife
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Recife:
- Shared Transfer from Recife to Cabo de Santo Agostinho: $33
- Instituto Ricardo Brennand with transfers from Recife: $41
- Private Transfer from Olinda to Recife (REC) Airport: $46
- Private Transfer from Recife to Olinda: $46
- Airport to Porto de Galinhas Transfer: $65
- Recife Boat Tour with Transfers: $72
- Airport to Maragogi Hotels Private Transfer: $85
- Departure Transfer from Olinda to Recife Airport: $100
- Private Transfer from Recife to Serrambi Beach: $101
- Private Transfer from Igarassu to Recife (REC) Airport : $101
- Private Transfer from Recife to Carneiros Beach: $114
- Private Transfer from Recife to Tamandare Beach: $114
Is it cheaper to fly into Recife or Isla de Ometepe?
Prices for flights to both Isla de Ometepe and Recife 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 dayRecife $70Isla de Ometepe $13
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Recife $11Isla de Ometepe $13
Tours and Activities in Recife
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Recife are as follows:
- Recife (Historic Centre) Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour: $7.65
- Olinda Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.82
- City Tour Recife & Olinda: $27
- Colonial North Coast beaches - Full-Day Tour: $35
- Olinda City Tour and Instituto Ricardo Brennand: $94
- City Tour Recife with Catamaran included: $150
Tours and Activities in Isla de Ometepe
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Isla de Ometepe are as follows:
- A great tour day for the ISLAND OF OMETEPE.: $80
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRecife -Isla de Ometepe $8.85
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Recife and Isla de Ometepe, we can see that Recife is more expensive. And not only is Isla de Ometepe much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Recife is in South America and Isla de Ometepe 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 Isla de Ometepe would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Isla de Ometepe 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 Recife would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Recife than you might in Isla de Ometepe.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Recife Expensive? and Is Isla de Ometepe Expensive?.
When is the best time to visit Recife or Isla de Ometepe?
Recife has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Isla de Ometepe experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Recife or Isla de Ometepe in the Summer?
Both Isla de Ometepe and Recife are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. Plenty of visitors come to Isla de Ometepe because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In January, Recife is generally around the same temperature as Isla de Ometepein July. Daily temperatures in Recife average around 26°C (79°F), and Isla de Ometepe fluctuates around 27°C (81°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Recife. Recife usually receives more sunshine than Isla de Ometepe during summer. Recife gets 246 hours of sunny skies, while Isla de Ometepe receives 175 hours of full sun in the summer.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Isla de Ometepe. It's quite rainy in Recife. In January, Recife usually receives less rain than Isla de Ometepein July. Recife gets 108 mm (4.3 in) of rain, while Isla de Ometepe receives 144 mm (5.7 in) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures January and JulyRecife 26°C (79°F)Isla de Ometepe 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Recife or Isla de Ometepe in the Autumn?
Both Isla de Ometepe and Recife during the autumn are popular places to visit. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Isla de Ometepe year-round.
Recife is around the same temperature as Isla de Ometepe in the autumn. The daily temperature in Recife averages around 26°C (79°F) in April, and Isla de Ometepe fluctuates around 27°C (81°F)in October.
In the autumn, Recife often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Isla de Ometepein October. Recife gets 185 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Isla de Ometepe receives 195 hours of full sun.
Isla de Ometepe gets a good bit of rain this time of year. It rains a lot this time of the year in Recife. Recife usually gets more rain in April than Isla de Ometepein October. Recife gets 338 mm (13.3 in) of rain, while Isla de Ometepe receives 197 mm (7.8 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures April and OctoberRecife 26°C (79°F)Isla de Ometepe 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Recife or Isla de Ometepe in the Winter?
The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Recife and Isla de Ometepe. Isla de Ometepe attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
In the winter, Recife is around the same temperature as Isla de Ometepe. Typically, the winter temperatures in Recife in July average around 24°C (76°F), and Isla de Ometepe averages at about 26°C (79°F)in January.
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Isla de Ometepe this time of the year. Recife usually receives less sunshine than Isla de Ometepe during winter. Recife gets 170 hours of sunny skies, while Isla de Ometepe receives 244 hours of full sun in the winter.
Recife gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In July, Recife usually receives more rain than Isla de Ometepein January. Recife gets 388 mm (15.3 in) of rain, while Isla de Ometepe receives 4 mm (0.2 in) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures July and JanuaryRecife 24°C (76°F)Isla de Ometepe 26°C (79°F)
Should I visit Recife or Isla de Ometepe in the Spring?
The spring brings many poeple to Recife as well as Isla de Ometepe. The warm climate attracts visitors to Isla de Ometepe throughout the year.
In October, Recife is generally cooler than Isla de Ometepein April. Daily temperatures in Recife average around 25°C (77°F), and Isla de Ometepe fluctuates around 29°C (84°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Isla de Ometepe. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Recife this time of the year. In the spring, Recife often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Isla de Ometepein April. Recife gets 247 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Isla de Ometepe receives 242 hours of full sun.
Recife usually gets more rain in October than Isla de Ometepein April. Recife gets 63 mm (2.5 in) of rain, while Isla de Ometepe receives 6 mm (0.2 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures October and AprilRecife 25°C (77°F)Isla de Ometepe 29°C (84°F)
Typical Weather for Isla de Ometepe and Recife
| Recife | Isla de Ometepe | |||
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| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 26°C (79°F) | 108 mm (4.3 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) |
| Feb | 26°C (80°F) | 148 mm (5.8 in) | 27°C (80°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) |
| Mar | 26°C (80°F) | 257 mm (10.1 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
| Apr | 26°C (79°F) | 338 mm (13.3 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 6 mm (0.2 in) |
| May | 25°C (78°F) | 319 mm (12.5 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 131 mm (5.2 in) |
| Jun | 25°C (77°F) | 378 mm (14.9 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 196 mm (7.7 in) |
| Jul | 24°C (76°F) | 388 mm (15.3 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 144 mm (5.7 in) |
| Aug | 24°C (75°F) | 205 mm (8.1 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 151 mm (5.9 in) |
| Sep | 24°C (76°F) | 122 mm (4.8 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 210 mm (8.3 in) |
| Oct | 25°C (77°F) | 63 mm (2.5 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 197 mm (7.8 in) |
| Nov | 26°C (79°F) | 36 mm (1.4 in) | 31°C (88°F) | 54 mm (2.1 in) |
| Dec | 26°C (79°F) | 57 mm (2.2 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 11 mm (0.4 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.