Which place is cheaper, Jaco or Recife?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Recife or Jaco?
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 Jaco 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 Jaco?
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.
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 Eco Tours in Brazil, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Brazil, The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Costa Rica.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRecife $166Jaco $104
The average daily cost (per person) in Recife is $166, while the average daily cost in Jaco is $104. 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 Jaco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRecife $88Jaco $67
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRecife $176Jaco $134
Compare Hotels in Recife and Jaco
Looking for a hotel in Recife 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: Recife Hotel Prices and Jaco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Recife $8.47Jaco -
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Recife
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Recife:
- Shared Transfer from Recife to Cabo de Santo Agostinho: $33
- Airport to Porto de Galinhas Transfer: $65
- Airport to Maragogi Hotels Private Transfer: $85
- Recife Boat Tour with Transfers: $72
- Private Transfer from Recife to Tamandare Beach: $114
- Private Transfer from Recife to Serrambi Beach: $101
- Private Transfer from Recife to Olinda: $46
- Private Transfer from Recife to Carneiros Beach: $114
- Private Transfer from Olinda to Recife (REC) Airport: $46
- Private Transfer from Igarassu to Recife (REC) Airport : $101
- Instituto Ricardo Brennand with transfers from Recife: $41
- Departure Transfer from Olinda to Recife Airport: $100
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Jaco
Also for Jaco, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer FROM Jaco Beach TO SJO Airport OR RETURN (One Way): $70
- Jaco/Monteverde to Liberia Airport (LIR) - Departure Transfer : $90
- From Tortuga Island Boat Tour with Lunch and Transfer: $135
- Jaco or Playa Hermosa: Transfer to San Jose or Alajuela: $173
- Private Transfer - San Jose Airport & Los Sueños Resort/Marriot : $200
- Private transfer from Jaco Beach to Hotels in San Jose or the Airport: $219
- Transfer Private From Jaco to San José or Airport up to 5 passengers (one way) : $245
- Transfer to Jaco beach from San José or the airport one way: $245
Is it cheaper to fly into Recife or Jaco?
Prices for flights to both Jaco 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 $70Jaco $21
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$3.94
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Tsunami Sushi Dinner$18
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Taco Bar Dinner$9.01
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Pizza & Smoothie Lunch$6.31
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Ice Cream$5.92
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Breakfast Taco Bar$3.34
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Fruit Plate$2.96
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Jaco
For Jaco, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Costa Rican cooking class with cookbook author Melissa Guzman: $85
- Taste of Costa Rica: Traditional Food Tour in Jacó: $87
- Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna Waterfall, Hot Springs Combo Tour with Lunch & Dinner: $195
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Recife $11Jaco $60
Tours and Activities in Recife
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Recife are as follows:
- City Tour Recife with Catamaran included: $150
- Colonial North Coast beaches - Full-Day Tour: $35
- Olinda City Tour and Instituto Ricardo Brennand: $94
- Olinda Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.82
- Recife (Historic Centre) Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour: $7.65
- City Tour Recife & Olinda: $27
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$9.82
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Surf Lesson$49
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Bike Rental$9.82
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Tortuga Island Tour$98
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Massage$44
Tours and Activities in Jaco
For Jaco, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Jungle Crocodile Safari and Bird Watching Tour: $35
- Crocodile Man Tour THE ORIGINAL: $40
- Jason Crocodile Tours: $40
- Jaco Beach: 2-Hour Chocolate Experience Tour: $43
- Horseback Riding Pacific Experience in Tarcoles Garabito: $47
- 2 Hours Private Guided Hiking Experience to El Miro in Jaco: $50
- From Canopy Tour in Hacienda Nosavar: $50
- Guided visit to Carara National Park (Ticket included): $50
- "Miro Jaco" & Jaco Beach Horseback Tour: $59
- Jaco Horse Tours: $60
- Chocolate Experience: $62
- Jaco Horseback Riding Adventure Tours: $64
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRecife -Jaco $32
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$15
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Night at the Bar$27
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Recife and Jaco, we can see that Recife is more expensive. And not only is Jaco much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Recife is in South America 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 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 Jaco.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Recife Expensive? and Is Jaco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Recife or Jaco?
Recife has a larger population, and is about 360 times larger than the population of Jaco. When comparing the sizes of Recife 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.
When is the best time to visit Recife or Jaco?
Recife has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Jaco experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Recife or Jaco in the Summer?
Both Jaco and Recife during the summer are popular places to visit. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Jaco year-round.
In the summer, Recife is around the same temperature as Jaco. Typically, the summer temperatures in Recife in January average around 26°C (79°F), and Jaco averages at about 28°C (82°F)in July.
It's quite sunny in Recife. In the summer, Recife often gets more sunshine than Jacoin July. Recife gets 246 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Jaco receives 164 hours of full sun.
Jaco gets a good bit of rain this time of year. It rains a lot this time of the year in Recife. Recife usually gets less rain in January than Jacoin July. Recife gets 108 mm (4.3 in) of rain, while Jaco receives 164 mm (6.5 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures January and JulyRecife 26°C (79°F)Jaco 28°C (82°F)
Should I visit Recife or Jaco in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Recife and Jaco. Jaco attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
In April, Recife is generally around the same temperature as Jacoin October. Daily temperatures in Recife average around 26°C (79°F), and Jaco fluctuates around 27°C (81°F).
Recife usually receives more sunshine than Jaco during autumn. Recife gets 185 hours of sunny skies, while Jaco receives 169 hours of full sun in the autumn.
Jaco receives a lot of rain in the autumn. Recife gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In April, Recife usually receives more rain than Jacoin October. Recife gets 338 mm (13.3 in) of rain, while Jaco receives 254 mm (10 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures April and OctoberRecife 26°C (79°F)Jaco 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Recife or Jaco in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Recife as well as Jaco. The warm climate attracts visitors to Jaco throughout the year.
Recife is cooler than Jaco in the winter. The daily temperature in Recife averages around 24°C (76°F) in July, and Jaco fluctuates around 27°C (81°F)in January.
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Jaco. In the winter, Recife often gets less sunshine than Jacoin January. Recife gets 170 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Jaco receives 264 hours of full sun.
Recife receives a lot of rain in the winter. Recife usually gets more rain in July than Jacoin January. Recife gets 388 mm (15.3 in) of rain, while Jaco receives 8 mm (0.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures July and JanuaryRecife 24°C (76°F)Jaco 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Recife or Jaco in the Spring?
Both Jaco and Recife are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. Plenty of visitors come to Jaco because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In the spring, Recife is cooler than Jaco. Typically, the spring temperatures in Recife in October average around 25°C (77°F), and Jaco averages at about 29°C (85°F)in April.
It's quite sunny in Jaco. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Recife. Recife usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Jaco during spring. Recife gets 247 hours of sunny skies, while Jaco receives 255 hours of full sun in the spring.
In October, Recife usually receives more rain than Jacoin April. Recife gets 63 mm (2.5 in) of rain, while Jaco receives 28 mm (1.1 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures October and AprilRecife 25°C (77°F)Jaco 29°C (85°F)
Typical Weather for Jaco and Recife
| Recife | Jaco | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 26°C (79°F) | 108 mm (4.3 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) |
| Feb | 26°C (80°F) | 148 mm (5.8 in) | 28°C (83°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) |
| Mar | 26°C (80°F) | 257 mm (10.1 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) |
| Apr | 26°C (79°F) | 338 mm (13.3 in) | 29°C (85°F) | 28 mm (1.1 in) |
| May | 25°C (78°F) | 319 mm (12.5 in) | 29°C (83°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) |
| Jun | 25°C (77°F) | 378 mm (14.9 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) |
| Jul | 24°C (76°F) | 388 mm (15.3 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 164 mm (6.5 in) |
| Aug | 24°C (75°F) | 205 mm (8.1 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 289 mm (11.4 in) |
| Sep | 24°C (76°F) | 122 mm (4.8 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 328 mm (12.9 in) |
| Oct | 25°C (77°F) | 63 mm (2.5 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 254 mm (10 in) |
| Nov | 26°C (79°F) | 36 mm (1.4 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 121 mm (4.8 in) |
| Dec | 26°C (79°F) | 57 mm (2.2 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 33 mm (1.3 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.