Which place is cheaper, San Jose or Rhodes?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Rhodes or San Jose?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Rhodes and San Jose. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Rhodes or San Jose?
Rhodes
Rhodes Island is one of the largest and most visited islands in Greece both because of its diversity of sights and its wonderful climate. On the island are some beautiful beaches, well preserved historic sights, and lovely towns. Rhodes City is the capital city on the island of Rhodes and is famous as the former site of the Colossus. Colossus is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and the oldest inhabited medieval town in Europe. Today Rhodes City has an interesting old town that is surrounded by the medieval wall. Inside you'll find countless souvenir shops and restaurants that cater to tourists. Cruise ships also frequent the island, so it's best visited during the off season when the crowds may be slightly less. You will also find that prices drop when the crowds are thinner and the cruise ships are scarce.
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 2-Week Tours in Greece, The Best Bicycle Tours in Greece, 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 dayRhodes €135San Jose €85
The average daily cost (per person) in Rhodes is €135, while the average daily cost in San Jose is €85. 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 Rhodes and San Jose in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRhodes €58San Jose €46
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRhodes €116San Jose €92
Compare Hotels in Rhodes and San Jose
Looking for a hotel in Rhodes 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: Rhodes Hotel Prices and San Jose Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Rhodes €48San Jose €18
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Rhodes
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Rhodes:
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Taxi Ride€7.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rhodes
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rhodes:
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Rhodos APT-HTL (RHO): $57
- Transfers Rhodes airport : transportation , tours .: $39
- Symi Island from Rhodes with transfers from Ialysos and Ixia: $55
- Airport To Hotel Transfer one way: $48
- Rhodes to Rhodes Int Airport (RHO) - Departure Private Transfer: $25
- Rhodes arrival Private Transfer from Rhodes Airport to any resort: $19
- Rhodes Private Transfer from Airport and Port to Hotels: $53
- Rhodes Private Return Transfer - Rhodes Airport to Vlicha (and return): $193
- Rhodes Private Return Transfer - Rhodes Airport to Stegna (and return): $139
- Rhodes Private Return Transfer - Rhodes Airport to Salakos (and return): $154
- Rhodes Private Return Transfer - Rhodes Airport to Rhodes Town city (and return): $68
- Rhodes Private Return Transfer - Rhodes Airport to Pefki (and return): $229
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€24
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Local Bus€2.58
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Jose
Also for San Jose, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer San José Airport - La Fortuna: $180
- Airport transfer from SJO Airport to Los Sueños Marriott: $170
- Arrival Transfer San Jose Airport SJO to Arenal by Minivan: $177
- Arrival Transfer San Jose Airport to Manuel Antonio by Minivan: $158
- Direct Transfer From San Jose to Monteverde, English Speaking Driver: $181
- Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) to Jaco - Arrival Private Transfer: $68
- Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) to Jaco - Roundtrip Private Transfer: $136
- Juan Santamaria Intl Airport(SJO) to Puntarenas city-Round-Trip Private Transfer: $167
- Juan Santamaria Intl. Airport (SJO) to Puntarenas city- Arrival Private Transfer: $83
- Juan Santamaria Intl. Airport (SJO) to San Jose – Arrival Private Transfer: $32
- Juan Santamaria Intl. Airport (SJO) to San Jose – Round-Trip Private Transfer: $64
- One way Transfer from SJO airport or San José to Playa Dominical max 5 passenger: $240
Is it cheaper to fly into Rhodes or San Jose?
Prices for flights to both San Jose and Rhodes 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 dayRhodes €47San Jose €17
Typical Food Prices in Rhodes
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rhodes:
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Coffee€1.95
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Dinner for Two€23
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rhodes
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rhodes.
- All Inclusive Sunset Cruise with Dinner & Unlimited Aperol Spritz, Beer, Wine: $44
- Rhodes Sunset Cruise - Dinner with Live Music set: $44
- Sunset Catamaran Cruise with Dinner: $54
- Guided Rhodes City By Night with Live Music & Dinner: $70
- Rhodes by Night With Dinner - Laterna: $72
- Food & Wine Tour: 11- Course Lunch, Cooking Class, Wine Tasting: $75
- Vine & Dine Tale: 11-Plate Lunch, Wine Discovery, Cooking Mastery: $76
- Sunset Cruise w/ Gourmet Dinner, Drinks & Live Music: $77
- Rhodes Wine & Food Tour: 10 Meal Course Lunch, Wine Tasting, Cooking Class : $86
- Traditional Greek COOKING class and Wine Tasting in Rhodes: $86
- Winery Tour, Tasting and cooking with the Winemaker in Rhodes: $87
- Rhodes Exclusive Sunset Cruise incl. Gourmet Dinner, Drinks, Sax!: $88
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
- 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
- Dinner + Typical Show in the best viewpoint of the City: $99
- Arenal Volcano Full-Day Combo Tour with Lunch and Dinner: $179
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Rhodes €19San Jose €20
Tours and Activities in Rhodes
Here are a few actual costs in Rhodes for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 3 Hour Yellow Semi Submarine Swimming Cruise with Drinks Included!: $55
- Full Day Sail Cruise In Greece: $140
- Private Full Day Tour Introducing the Most & the Best of Rhodes : $97
- Private Swimming Snorkeling Experience at the Most Beautiful Bays of Rhodes : $73
- Rhodes Town Day Tour from Kolymbia in a High Speed Boat: $49
- Rhodes, Lindos and Medieval City Guided Tour: $78
- 3-hour Guided Submarine Tour in Saint Paul's Bay, Lindos and Navarone Bay: $38
- 4 Hour Beach Tour with Meal and Unlimited Drinks in Rhodes: $121
- 4x4 Buggy Adventures - Off-road Polaris Experience: $121
- 6-Hour Guided Tour in the Main Ancient Attractions of Rhodes: $71
- 90 min Sunset Cruise to Anthony Quinn Bay with Unlimited Drinks!: $33
- Acropolis of Lindos E-Ticket with Audio Tour on your Phone: $24
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 Farm of Hacienda Orosi: $11
- Entrance ticket to the Hacienda Orosi: $21
- Hiking Experience in El Quetzal Private Reserve: $26
- Private Roasting and Cupping Coffee Experience: $30
- Sarapiqui Frog Tour: $30
- Hacienda Alsacia Starbucks Coffe Tour: $31
- Poas Volcano National Park - Admission Ticket: $32
- San Jose Walking Nature Tour: Sloths, Birds and Trees: $33
- Skip the Line: Rescate Wildlife Rescue Centre General Admission Ticket: $35
- San Jose Like a Local: Customized Private Tour: $35
- San Jose ART Walking Tour - small groups, creative experience: $35
- Corso Lecheria Tour: $40
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRhodes €12San Jose €16
Sample the Local Flavors in Rhodes
Also in Rhodes, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Private Wine Tasting Experience for Beginners: $38
- Rhodian Wines - Private Wine Tasting Under a Sommelier: $54
- 1 Day Rhodes Island Tour with Olive Oil, Honey and Wine Tasting : $55
- Enchanting Lindos, Old Town, History, Culture & Wine Tour: $56
- Rhodes Shore Excursion Including Olive Oil, Honey & Wine Tasting: $59
- Full Day Rhodes Island Tour with Wine Tasting Experience: $60
- Wine tasting in Rhodes, inside the vineyards with the Producer: $60
- Rhodes Island Tour: Lindos, Old Town, Pottery Workshop, Wine Tasting : $60
- Full-Day Rhodes Island Tour with Wine Tasting Experience: $63
- Private Wine Tasting Experience for Wine Lovers: $65
- Rhodes Deluxe Tour including Lindos, Old Town, Wine Tasting : $65
- Full-Day Сomprehensive Tour of Rhodes including Wine Tasting : $67
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 Rhodes and San Jose, we can see that Rhodes is more expensive. And not only is San Jose much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Rhodes is in Europe 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 Rhodes would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Rhodes 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 Rhodes Expensive? and Is San Jose Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Rhodes or San Jose?
Rhodes has a larger population, and is about 73% larger than the population of San Jose. When comparing the sizes of Rhodes 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.
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.