A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Recife vs. Tilcara for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Recife or Tilcara?

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 Tilcara 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 Tilcara?

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.

Tilcara

Tilcara signifies shooting star in Quechua. At 2465m of altitude, the little town of Tilcara is one of the most animated place of the area of the quebrada de humahuaca. Many South American backpackers and tourists from all around the world come to visit Tilcara and its pucara, the forteresse built by the Incas at the top of the hill, providing a stunning walk around the town. Tilcara hosts many festivals for different occasions such as the celebration of the Pachamama in August, the semana santa (Holy Week) in April, and the Enero Tilcareno, held in January as its name indicates, which is probably the busiest month of the year for the little town. If you enjoy concerts, parades and folklorique parties then definitely try to visit Tilcara during a festival month and avoid them if you prefer a calm and more relaxed holiday. There are many available activities around Tilcara including horseback riding, VTT, and you could also even try a ride in a caravan pulled by llamas.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Jungle Trekking Tours in Brazil, The Best Luxury Tours to Brazil, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Argentina, and The Best Wildlife Tours to Argentina.


Which place is cheaper, Tilcara or Recife?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Recife is $166, while the average daily cost in Tilcara is $8.25. 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 Tilcara in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Recife $88
    Tilcara $3.25
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Recife $176
    Tilcara $6.50
Compare Hotels in Recife and Tilcara

Looking for a hotel in Recife or Tilcara? 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.

Hotels in Recife


Hotels in Tilcara


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 Tilcara Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Recife $8.47
    Tilcara $2.19

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 Igarassu to Recife (REC) Airport : $101
  • Private Transfer from Recife to Serrambi Beach: $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

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Tilcara

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Tilcara:


  • Taxi Ride
    $0.01

Is it cheaper to fly into Recife or Tilcara?

Prices for flights to both Tilcara 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Recife $70
    Tilcara $3.41

Typical Food Prices in Tilcara

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Tilcara:


  • Sandwich
    $0.01
  • Burger
    $0.01
  • Fruit
    $0.01
  • Sandwich
    $0.01

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Tilcara

For Tilcara, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Northern Argentine cooking experience: $70

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Recife $11
    Tilcara $1.95

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: $7.86
  • Recife (Historic Centre) Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour: $7.68
  • City Tour Recife & Olinda: $27

Tours and Activities in Tilcara

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Tilcara.

  • 2 hours cycling tour trough the rural area: $20
  • Purmamarca Night Experience: $30
  • Serranías del Hornocal + Citytour Humahuaca: $30
  • Bike Adventure through Juella with lunch: $35
  • Half day mountain bike tour with lunch: $35
  • Private Full Day Tour to Salinas de Grandes and Barrancas: $130
  • Full-Day Tour to Laguna de los Pozuelos from Tilcara: $162

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Recife -
    Tilcara $1.07


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Recife and Tilcara, we can see that Recife is more expensive. And not only is Tilcara much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Tilcara would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Tilcara 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 Tilcara.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Recife Expensive? and Is Tilcara Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Recife or Tilcara?

Recife has a larger population, and is about 260 times larger than the population of Tilcara. When comparing the sizes of Recife and Tilcara, 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.