Which place is cheaper, Punta del Este or Recife?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Recife or Punta del Este?
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 Punta del Este 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 Punta del Este?
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.
Punta del Este
Punta del Este with its many beaches, elegant seaside homes, yacht harbor, high-rise apartment buildings, pricey hotels, ardent night scene and glitzy restaurants is a chic beach resort town in Uruguay. Many tourists come from Brazil and Argentina, on the other side of the Rio de la Plata, to get some nice sun and lay on the beach for a weekend getaway. Punta del Este is more expensive than other areas in Uruguay and has been called the Monaco of South America. Tourist season varies wildly from totally deserted in the winter to very crowded in the summer.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Jungle Trekking Tours in Brazil, The Best Luxury Tours to Brazil, The Best Cultural Tours in Uruguay, and The Best Adventure Tours to Uruguay.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRecife $166Punta del Este $98
The average daily cost (per person) in Recife is $166, while the average daily cost in Punta del Este is $98. 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 Punta del Este in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRecife $88Punta del Este $55
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRecife $176Punta del Este $110
Compare Hotels in Recife and Punta del Este
Looking for a hotel in Recife or Punta del Este? 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 Punta del Este Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Recife $8.47Punta del Este $22
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Recife
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Recife:
- Private Transfer from Recife to Carneiros Beach: $114
- Private Transfer from Recife to Tamandare Beach: $114
- Private Transfer from Recife to Serrambi Beach: $101
- Private Transfer from Igarassu to Recife (REC) Airport : $101
- Departure Transfer from Olinda to Recife Airport: $100
- Airport to Maragogi Hotels Private Transfer: $85
- Recife Boat Tour with Transfers: $72
- Airport to Porto de Galinhas Transfer: $65
- Private Transfer from Recife to Olinda: $46
- Private Transfer from Olinda to Recife (REC) Airport: $46
- Instituto Ricardo Brennand with transfers from Recife: $41
- Shared Transfer from Recife to Cabo de Santo Agostinho: $33
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Punta del Este
Also for Punta del Este, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Montevideo city to Montevideo Cruise Port: $29
- Montevideo hotels to Carrasco International Airport (MVD) - Departure Transfer: $49
- Montevideo Hotels to Carrasco Airport MVD Departure Transfer: $49
- Private Transfer from Montevideo City to Montevideo Cruise Port: $54
- Private Transfer to Punta del Este Airport: $60
- Punta del Este Airport Private Transfer: $60
- Private Transfer from Montevideo hotels to Punta Del Este Port: $72
- Private Transfer from Punta Del Este Port to Montevideo hotels: $72
- Private Transfer from Montevideo to Punta Del Este Cruise Port: $85
- Private Transfer from Punta Del Este Cruise Port to Montevideo: $85
- Private Transfer - Punta Del Este Port to Carrasco Airport (MVD): $85
Is it cheaper to fly into Recife or Punta del Este?
Prices for flights to both Punta del Este 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 $70Punta del Este $31
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Recife $11Punta del Este $11
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: $7.83
- Recife (Historic Centre) Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour: $7.66
- City Tour Recife & Olinda: $27
Tours and Activities in Punta del Este
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Punta del Este.
- La Vista 360 ticket de admisión: $11
- Skip the Line: Casapueblo Museum Admission Ticket in Punta del Este: $15
- Guided Tour of the Winery Viña Edén: $18
- Punta del Este Classic City Tour with Sunset in Casapueblo: $30
- Guided Tour of Vineyards: $33
- Half-Day City Tour: $47
- Half Day City Tour in Punta del Este: $47
- Punta del Este City Tour for Cruisers: $50
- Punta del Este, City Tour: $50
- Bike Tour Peninsula - Punta del Este: $65
- City Tour Punta del Este: $95
- Private - Punta del Este City Tour for Cruisers: $120
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRecife -Punta del Este $7.70
Sample the Local Flavors in Punta del Este
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Punta del Este:
- Wine Tasting: $42
- Half Day Private Canelones Wine Tour from Montevideo : $157
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Recife and Punta del Este, we can see that Recife is more expensive. And not only is Punta del Este much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Punta del Este would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Punta del Este 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 Punta del Este.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Recife Expensive? and Is Punta del Este Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Recife or Punta del Este?
Recife has a larger population, and is about 200 times larger than the population of Punta del Este. When comparing the sizes of Recife and Punta del Este, 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 Punta del Este?
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 Punta del Este in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Recife as well as Punta del Este.
In the summer, Recife is a little warmer than Punta del Este. Typically, the summer temperatures in Recife in January average around 26°C (79°F), and Punta del Este averages at about 23°C (73°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Punta del Este. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Recife this time of the year. In the summer, Recife often gets less sunshine than Punta del Este. Recife gets 246 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Punta del Este receives 296 hours of full sun.
Recife receives a lot of rain in the summer. Recife usually gets more rain in January than Punta del Este. Recife gets 108 mm (4.3 in) of rain, while Punta del Este receives 75 mm (3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JanuaryRecife 26°C (79°F)Punta del Este 23°C (73°F)
Should I visit Recife or Punta del Este in the Autumn?
Both Punta del Este and Recife are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities.
In April, Recife is generally much warmer than Punta del Este. Daily temperatures in Recife average around 26°C (79°F), and Punta del Este fluctuates around 17°C (63°F).
Recife usually receives more sunshine than Punta del Este during autumn. Recife gets 185 hours of sunny skies, while Punta del Este receives 171 hours of full sun in the autumn.
It's quite rainy in Recife. In April, Recife usually receives more rain than Punta del Este. Recife gets 338 mm (13.3 in) of rain, while Punta del Este receives 84 mm (3.3 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures AprilRecife 26°C (79°F)Punta del Este 17°C (63°F)
Should I visit Recife or Punta del Este in the Winter?
Both Punta del Este and Recife during the winter are popular places to visit.
Recife is much warmer than Punta del Este in the winter. The daily temperature in Recife averages around 24°C (76°F) in July, and Punta del Este fluctuates around 10°C (50°F).
In the winter, Recife often gets more sunshine than Punta del Este. Recife gets 170 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Punta del Este receives 135 hours of full sun.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Recife. Recife usually gets more rain in July than Punta del Este. Recife gets 388 mm (15.3 in) of rain, while Punta del Este receives 90 mm (3.5 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JulyRecife 24°C (76°F)Punta del Este 10°C (50°F)
Should I visit Recife or Punta del Este in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Recife and Punta del Este.
In the spring, Recife is much warmer than Punta del Este. Typically, the spring temperatures in Recife in October average around 25°C (77°F), and Punta del Este averages at about 16°C (61°F).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Punta del Este this time of the year. In Recife, it's very sunny this time of the year. Recife usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Punta del Este during spring. Recife gets 247 hours of sunny skies, while Punta del Este receives 248 hours of full sun in the spring.
In October, Recife usually receives less rain than Punta del Este. Recife gets 63 mm (2.5 in) of rain, while Punta del Este receives 85 mm (3.3 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures OctoberRecife 25°C (77°F)Punta del Este 16°C (61°F)
Typical Weather for Punta del Este and Recife
| Recife | Punta del Este | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 26°C (79°F) | 108 mm (4.3 in) | 23°C (73°F) | 75 mm (3 in) |
| Feb | 26°C (80°F) | 148 mm (5.8 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 85 mm (3.3 in) |
| Mar | 26°C (80°F) | 257 mm (10.1 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 79 mm (3.1 in) |
| Apr | 26°C (79°F) | 338 mm (13.3 in) | 17°C (63°F) | 84 mm (3.3 in) |
| May | 25°C (78°F) | 319 mm (12.5 in) | 14°C (57°F) | 91 mm (3.6 in) |
| Jun | 25°C (77°F) | 378 mm (14.9 in) | 11°C (52°F) | 90 mm (3.5 in) |
| Jul | 24°C (76°F) | 388 mm (15.3 in) | 10°C (50°F) | 90 mm (3.5 in) |
| Aug | 24°C (75°F) | 205 mm (8.1 in) | 11°C (52°F) | 94 mm (3.7 in) |
| Sep | 24°C (76°F) | 122 mm (4.8 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) |
| Oct | 25°C (77°F) | 63 mm (2.5 in) | 16°C (61°F) | 85 mm (3.3 in) |
| Nov | 26°C (79°F) | 36 mm (1.4 in) | 19°C (66°F) | 87 mm (3.4 in) |
| Dec | 26°C (79°F) | 57 mm (2.2 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 67 mm (2.6 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.