Which place is cheaper, La Fortuna or Recife?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Recife or La Fortuna?
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 La Fortuna 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 La Fortuna?
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.
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 Eco Tours in Brazil, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Brazil, The Best Adventure Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Eco Tours in Costa Rica.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRecife $166La Fortuna $104
The average daily cost (per person) in Recife is $166, while the average daily cost in La Fortuna 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 La Fortuna in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRecife $88La Fortuna $51
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRecife $176La Fortuna $102
Compare Hotels in Recife and La Fortuna
Looking for a hotel in Recife 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: Recife Hotel Prices and La Fortuna Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Recife $8.47La Fortuna $21
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Fortuna
Some specific examples of transportation prices in La Fortuna:
- La Fortuna or Monteverde: One-Way Boat Transfer: $39
- Transfer From Liberia Airport To Arenal La Fortuna San Carlos: $42
- Private Transfer From Liberia Airport to Arenal La Fortuna: $42
- White Water Tubing Tour with Guide and Transfers: $55
- Scenic Transfer to Monteverde via Arenal Lake: $56
- One-Way Transfer from La Fortuna to Monteverde through Arenal Lake: $57
- Arenal lake boat transfer from to Monteverde from La Fortuna: $60
- Arenal La Fortuna to Liberia Airport (LIR) - Departure Transfer : $63
- Sloth Watching Tour with Transfer and Snacks: $68
- From Lake Arenal Kayaking Trip with Transfer: $90
- One Way Private Transfer - La Fortuna to your Selected Location: $128
- Direct Transfer From La Fortuna to San Jose, English Speaking Driver: $153
Is it cheaper to fly into Recife or La Fortuna?
Prices for flights to both La Fortuna 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 $70La Fortuna $27
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in La Fortuna
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in La Fortuna.
- 2 Hours Private Cooking Class in La Fortuna: $38
- Organic Farm Visit & Farm-to-Table Cooking Class: $45
- Cooking Class and Sugar Cane Experience: $45
- Typical Costa Rican Cooking Classes in La Fortuna: $48
- Costa Rica Cooking, El Fogon de Chela: $50
- Costa Rican cuisine Cooking Class at Rancho Don Lelo: $60
- Cooking Class "Cook Like a Local" La Fortuna: $63
- Rainforest Night Walk and Authentic Costa Rican Dinner from La Fortuna: $65
- 3-Hour Costa Rican Cooking Class with Dinner: $68
- Private typical cooking class with a Costa Rican family: $70
- Private cooking class in organic farm at La Fortuna: $75
- Ceviche & Empanadas Cooking Class: $77
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Recife $11La Fortuna $44
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 La Fortuna
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for La Fortuna are as follows:
- Two Destinations Tour - La Fortuna Top Destinations : $20
- Skip-the-Line La Fortuna Waterfall Admission Ticket: $20
- Arenal Volcano Hike Experience (not guide included): $23
- Arenal Observatory Trails Admission Ticket: $29
- San Carlos: The Art of Chocolate Making Tour at Don Olivo: $30
- 1-Hour Private Sloth Tour in the Rainforest from Costa Rica: $30
- Private Sloth and Monkey Wildlife Tour: $30
- Rainforest Chocolate Tour: $30
- arenal fortuna city tour: $30
- Don Olivo Chocolate Tour: $30
- Sloth Tour: $30
- Night tour through the Tropical Forest at Tifakara : $32
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRecife -La Fortuna $11
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Recife and La Fortuna, we can see that Recife is more expensive. And not only is La Fortuna much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Recife is in South America 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 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 La Fortuna.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Recife Expensive? and Is La Fortuna Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Recife or La Fortuna?
Recife has a larger population, and is about 490 times larger than the population of La Fortuna. When comparing the sizes of Recife 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.
When is the best time to visit Recife or La Fortuna?
Recife has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but La Fortuna experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Recife or La Fortuna in the Summer?
Both La Fortuna and Recife are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. Plenty of visitors come to La Fortuna because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
Recife is around the same temperature as La Fortuna in the summer. The daily temperature in Recife averages around 26°C (79°F) in January, and La Fortuna fluctuates around 28°C (82°F)in July.
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Recife. Recife usually receives more sunshine than La Fortuna during summer. Recife gets 246 hours of sunny skies, while La Fortuna receives 164 hours of full sun in the summer.
It rains a lot this time of the year in La Fortuna. It's quite rainy in Recife. In January, Recife usually receives less rain than La Fortunain July. Recife gets 108 mm (4.3 in) of rain, while La Fortuna receives 164 mm (6.5 in) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures January and JulyRecife 26°C (79°F)La Fortuna 28°C (82°F)
Should I visit Recife or La Fortuna in the Autumn?
Both La Fortuna and Recife during the autumn are popular places to visit. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to La Fortuna year-round.
In the autumn, Recife is around the same temperature as La Fortuna. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Recife in April average around 26°C (79°F), and La Fortuna averages at about 27°C (81°F)in October.
In the autumn, Recife often gets more sunshine than La Fortunain October. Recife gets 185 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while La Fortuna receives 169 hours of full sun.
La Fortuna 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 La Fortunain October. Recife gets 338 mm (13.3 in) of rain, while La Fortuna receives 254 mm (10 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures April and OctoberRecife 26°C (79°F)La Fortuna 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Recife or La Fortuna in the Winter?
The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Recife and La Fortuna. La Fortuna attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
In July, Recife is generally cooler than La Fortunain January. Daily temperatures in Recife average around 24°C (76°F), and La Fortuna fluctuates around 27°C (81°F).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in La Fortuna this time of the year. Recife usually receives less sunshine than La Fortuna during winter. Recife gets 170 hours of sunny skies, while La Fortuna receives 264 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 La Fortunain January. Recife gets 388 mm (15.3 in) of rain, while La Fortuna receives 8 mm (0.3 in) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures July and JanuaryRecife 24°C (76°F)La Fortuna 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Recife or La Fortuna in the Spring?
The spring brings many poeple to Recife as well as La Fortuna. The warm climate attracts visitors to La Fortuna throughout the year.
Recife is cooler than La Fortuna in the spring. The daily temperature in Recife averages around 25°C (77°F) in October, and La Fortuna fluctuates around 29°C (85°F)in April.
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in La Fortuna. 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 La Fortunain April. Recife gets 247 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while La Fortuna receives 255 hours of full sun.
Recife usually gets more rain in October than La Fortunain April. Recife gets 63 mm (2.5 in) of rain, while La Fortuna receives 28 mm (1.1 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures October and AprilRecife 25°C (77°F)La Fortuna 29°C (85°F)
Typical Weather for La Fortuna and Recife
| Recife | La Fortuna | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.