Which place is cheaper, San Jose or Recife?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Recife or San Jose?
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 San Jose 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 San Jose?
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.
San Jose
San Jose is the capital city of Costa Rica and is likely to be your first and last stop in a visit to the country. The city is situated in the Central Valley and is surrounded by beautiful mountains and valleys, making for a beautiful flight in. The city has an elevation of 1200 meters and sits on a plateau with a beautiful backdrop of lush green forest. Half of the people in Costa Rica reside in the country's capital city. You are likely to stay only a day or two, but there are a handful of things to do and see including museums and markets. You will also find many embassies, as well as the University of Costa Rica in San Jose.
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 $166San Jose $90
The average daily cost (per person) in Recife is $166, while the average daily cost in San Jose is $90. 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 San Jose in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRecife $88San Jose $49
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRecife $176San Jose $98
Compare Hotels in Recife and San Jose
Looking for a hotel in Recife or San Jose? 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 San Jose Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Recife $8.47San Jose $19
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
Typical Local Transportation Prices in San Jose
Some typical examples of transportation costs in San Jose are as follows:
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Taxi from SJO$25
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Local Bus$2.72
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Jose
Also for San Jose, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- San Jose to Juan Santamaria Intl. Airport (SJO) – Departure Private Transfer: $32
- Arrival Transfer San Jose Airport SJO to San Jose City by Minivan: $35
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from SanJose City to SanJose Juan Santamaría Airport: $39
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from SanJose Juan Santamaría Airport to SanJose City: $39
- Private One-way Juan Santamaria Airport Transfer to from San Jose: $41
- Private Airport and Hotel Transfer: Alajuela and San Jose: $45
- Transfer SJO Airport to Hotels nearby or Vice versa Private 6 PAX: $45
- Private San José Airport Transfer to San José Hotels : $50
- Private Transfer from San Jose Airport (SJO) to Puntarenas Port: $50
- Private Transfer from San Jose City to Puntarenas Cruise Port: $50
- Private Transfer from San Jose Airport One Way: $56
- Juan Santamaria Intl. Airport (SJO) to San Jose – Round-Trip Private Transfer: $63
Is it cheaper to fly into Recife or San Jose?
Prices for flights to both San Jose 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 $70San Jose $18
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Jose
For San Jose, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Bites and Sights: Walking Food Tour in San Jose, Costa Rica: $34
- Tropical Cooking Classes: $52
- San Jose By Night Tour: Farm to Table Dinner & Cocktail Class: $57
- San Jose Bites and Sights Walking Food Tour and visit Gold Museum : $60
- Half-Day San Jose Evening Bus Tour with Dinner and Pickup: $76
- Explore San Jose By Night: Food and Culture Tour with Local Dinner: $80
- Private Authentic Food Tour in San José: $84
- Arenal Volcano Full-Day Combo Tour with Lunch and Dinner: $179
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Recife $11San Jose $21
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 San Jose
For San Jose, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Entrance ticket to the Hacienda Orosi: $21
- Hiking Experience in El Quetzal Private Reserve: $26
- Visit a Butterfly Chapel, Gardens, Coffee Tour with Typical Lunch: $30
- Private Roasting and Cupping Coffee Experience: $30
- Hacienda Alsacia Starbucks Coffe Tour: $31
- Poas Volcano National Park - Admission Ticket: $32
- 2-Hour Downtown San Jose Walking Tour: $33
- Private Custom Guided Tour in San Jose: $33
- 2-Hour Orosi Nocturnal Tour: $33
- San Jose Walking Nature Tour: Sloths, Birds and Trees: $33
- Skip the Line: Rescate Wildlife Rescue Centre General Admission Ticket: $35
- Historical Tour and Old Houses by Dota: $35
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRecife -San Jose $17
Sample the Local Flavors in San Jose
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in San Jose:
- Bar Crawl in Downtown San Jose: $38
- Wine Tour and Tasting: $85
- Bar Crawl in San Jose in a Deluxe Party Bus: $100
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Recife and San Jose, we can see that Recife is more expensive. And not only is San Jose much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Recife is in South America and San Jose 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 San Jose would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Jose 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 San Jose.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Recife Expensive? and Is San Jose Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Recife or San Jose?
Recife has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of San Jose. When comparing the sizes of Recife and San Jose, 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 San Jose?
Recife has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but San Jose experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Recife or San Jose in the Summer?
Both San Jose and Recife during the summer are popular places to visit. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to San Jose year-round.
In January, Recife is generally around the same temperature as San Josein July. Daily temperatures in Recife average around 26°C (79°F), and San Jose fluctuates around 28°C (82°F).
It's quite sunny in Recife. In the summer, Recife often gets more sunshine than San Josein July. Recife gets 246 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while San Jose receives 164 hours of full sun.
San Jose 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 San Josein July. Recife gets 108 mm (4.3 in) of rain, while San Jose 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)San Jose 28°C (82°F)
Should I visit Recife or San Jose in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Recife and San Jose. San Jose attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
Recife is around the same temperature as San Jose in the autumn. The daily temperature in Recife averages around 26°C (79°F) in April, and San Jose fluctuates around 27°C (81°F)in October.
Recife usually receives more sunshine than San Jose during autumn. Recife gets 185 hours of sunny skies, while San Jose receives 169 hours of full sun in the autumn.
San Jose 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 San Josein October. Recife gets 338 mm (13.3 in) of rain, while San Jose 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)San Jose 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Recife or San Jose in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Recife as well as San Jose. The warm climate attracts visitors to San Jose throughout the year.
In the winter, Recife is cooler than San Jose. Typically, the winter temperatures in Recife in July average around 24°C (76°F), and San Jose averages at about 27°C (81°F)in January.
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in San Jose. In the winter, Recife often gets less sunshine than San Josein January. Recife gets 170 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while San Jose receives 264 hours of full sun.
Recife receives a lot of rain in the winter. Recife usually gets more rain in July than San Josein January. Recife gets 388 mm (15.3 in) of rain, while San Jose 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)San Jose 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Recife or San Jose in the Spring?
Both San Jose and Recife are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. Plenty of visitors come to San Jose because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In October, Recife is generally cooler than San Josein April. Daily temperatures in Recife average around 25°C (77°F), and San Jose fluctuates around 29°C (85°F).
It's quite sunny in San Jose. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Recife. Recife usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as San Jose during spring. Recife gets 247 hours of sunny skies, while San Jose receives 255 hours of full sun in the spring.
In October, Recife usually receives more rain than San Josein April. Recife gets 63 mm (2.5 in) of rain, while San Jose 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)San Jose 29°C (85°F)
Typical Weather for San Jose and Recife
| Recife | San Jose | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.