Which place is cheaper, La Serena or Recife?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Recife or La Serena?
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 Serena 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 Serena?
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 Serena
La Serena is a charming town in Northern Chile. It is Chile's second-oldest city and the thriving capital of Region IV. With its beautiful architecture, its long golden shoreline, dignified stone churches, tree-shaded avenues and pretty plazas, La Serena has everything you could ask for!
Chileans on holidays flood in the city in January and February, though it is fairly peaceful outside the summer rush. Some of the city's architecture is from the colonial era, but most is actually neocolonial thanks to president Gabriel Gonzalez Videla, born in La Serena, and her 'Plan Serena' of the late 1940s.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in Brazil, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Brazil, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Chile, and The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Chile.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRecife $166La Serena $87
The average daily cost (per person) in Recife is $166, while the average daily cost in La Serena is $87. 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 Serena in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRecife $88La Serena $42
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRecife $176La Serena $84
Compare Hotels in Recife and La Serena
Looking for a hotel in Recife or La Serena? 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 Serena Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Recife $8.47La Serena $20
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
Is it cheaper to fly into Recife or La Serena?
Prices for flights to both La Serena 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 Serena $27
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Recife $11La Serena $24
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
Tours and Activities in La Serena
For La Serena, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Full Day History and Flavors Tour in the Elqui Valley: $50
- La Serena and Coquimbo City Tour (SIB): $66
- La Serena and Coquimbo Guided City Tour: $76
- Full day Tour to Elqui Valley : $80
- Elqui Valley Full Day Tour: magical towns, pisco and mountains: $85
- Elqui Valley Tour from La Serena: $120
- La Serena & Coquimbo City Tour - Short excursion for cruise ships: $128
- Tour to the internationally renowned Pangue Observatory: $139
- Tour to Valle del Encanto Archeology, Petroglyphs, Flora, Fauna and Springs: $140
- Dama Island or Chañaral Navigation Tour Humboldt Penguin Reserve: $140
- Elqui Valley: Pisco Tour, Wine, Beer: $174
- Elqui Valley and Vicuña Private Tour Including Lunch: $183
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRecife -La Serena $22
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Recife and La Serena, we can see that Recife is more expensive. And not only is La Serena much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to La Serena would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in La Serena 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 Serena.
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 Serena Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Recife or La Serena?
Recife has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of La Serena. When comparing the sizes of Recife and La Serena, 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 Serena?
Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the southern hemisphere, summer is in January and winter is in July.
Should I visit Recife or La Serena in the Summer?
Both La Serena and Recife during the summer are popular places to visit.
In January, Recife is generally a little warmer than La Serena. Daily temperatures in Recife average around 26°C (79°F), and La Serena fluctuates around 18°C (64°F).
In La Serena, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Recife. In the summer, Recife often gets around the same amount of sunshine as La Serena. Recife gets 246 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while La Serena receives 247 hours of full sun.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Recife. Recife usually gets more rain in January than La Serena. Recife gets 108 mm (4.3 in) of rain, while La Serena receives 4 mm (0.2 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JanuaryRecife 26°C (79°F)La Serena 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Recife or La Serena in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Recife and La Serena.
Recife is much warmer than La Serena in the autumn. The daily temperature in Recife averages around 26°C (79°F) in April, and La Serena fluctuates around 15°C (59°F).
Recife usually receives more sunshine than La Serena during autumn. Recife gets 185 hours of sunny skies, while La Serena receives 159 hours of full sun in the autumn.
Recife gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In April, Recife usually receives more rain than La Serena. Recife gets 338 mm (13.3 in) of rain, while La Serena receives 3 mm (0.1 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures AprilRecife 26°C (79°F)La Serena 15°C (59°F)
Should I visit Recife or La Serena in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Recife as well as La Serena.
In the winter, Recife is much warmer than La Serena. Typically, the winter temperatures in Recife in July average around 24°C (76°F), and La Serena averages at about 12°C (54°F).
In the winter, Recife often gets around the same amount of sunshine as La Serena. Recife gets 170 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while La Serena receives 160 hours of full sun.
Recife receives a lot of rain in the winter. Recife usually gets more rain in July than La Serena. Recife gets 388 mm (15.3 in) of rain, while La Serena receives 3 mm (0.1 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JulyRecife 24°C (76°F)La Serena 12°C (54°F)
Should I visit Recife or La Serena in the Spring?
Both La Serena and Recife are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities.
In October, Recife is generally much warmer than La Serena. Daily temperatures in Recife average around 25°C (77°F), and La Serena fluctuates around 14°C (57°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Recife. Recife usually receives more sunshine than La Serena during spring. Recife gets 247 hours of sunny skies, while La Serena receives 190 hours of full sun in the spring.
In October, Recife usually receives more rain than La Serena. Recife gets 63 mm (2.5 in) of rain, while La Serena receives 5 mm (0.2 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures OctoberRecife 25°C (77°F)La Serena 14°C (57°F)
Typical Weather for La Serena and Recife
| Recife | La Serena | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 26°C (79°F) | 108 mm (4.3 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) |
| Feb | 26°C (80°F) | 148 mm (5.8 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
| Mar | 26°C (80°F) | 257 mm (10.1 in) | 17°C (63°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
| Apr | 26°C (79°F) | 338 mm (13.3 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
| May | 25°C (78°F) | 319 mm (12.5 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
| Jun | 25°C (77°F) | 378 mm (14.9 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) |
| Jul | 24°C (76°F) | 388 mm (15.3 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
| Aug | 24°C (75°F) | 205 mm (8.1 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) |
| Sep | 24°C (76°F) | 122 mm (4.8 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) |
| Oct | 25°C (77°F) | 63 mm (2.5 in) | 14°C (57°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) |
| Nov | 26°C (79°F) | 36 mm (1.4 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) |
| Dec | 26°C (79°F) | 57 mm (2.2 in) | 17°C (63°F) | 3 mm (0.1 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.