Which place is cheaper, Tamarindo or Road Town?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Road Town or Tamarindo?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Road Town and Tamarindo 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: Road Town or Tamarindo?
Tamarindo
Tamarindo is a small beach town in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica on the Pacific Coast. This town is usually sought out by surfers, fishers, couples, and families. There are delicious restaurants, beautiful beaches, and friendly Tico's and Tica's (local Costa Rican nicknames) everywhere.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica.
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Road Town Prices
BVI PricesTamarindo Prices
Costa Rica Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRoad Town $355Tamarindo $161
The average daily cost (per person) in Road Town is $355, while the average daily cost in Tamarindo is $161. 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 Road Town and Tamarindo in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRoad Town $206Tamarindo $56
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRoad Town $412Tamarindo $112
Compare Hotels in Road Town and Tamarindo
Looking for a hotel in Road Town or Tamarindo? 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: Tamarindo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Road Town $33Tamarindo $77
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Road Town
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Road Town:
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Taxi From Airport$30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tamarindo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Tamarindo:
- Airport Transfer from Intl. Liberia (LIR) to Tamarindo- Flamingo: $170
- Airport Transfer from Liberia Airport to Andaz Papagayo Hyatt (Round Trip): $180
- Catamaran Cruise with Open Bar and Tamarindo Hotels Transfer: $169
- Convenient airport transfers from Liberia: $20
- Costa Rica Private Guanacaste Airport (LIR) Departure transfer: $5.00
- Flamingo/Tamarindo to Liberia Airport(LIR)- Departure Transfer: $120
- From Hotel Transfer to Liberia Guanacaste Airport: $69
- Guanacaste Airport transfer to Jw Marriott Guanacaste: $130
- Liberia Airport Private Transfer To Gulf of Papagayo Costa Rica: $125
- Liberia Airport To Andaz Papagayo Resort, Private Transfer: $128
- Liberia Airport To Tamarindo Private Transfer: $95
- Liberia Airport Transfer To Playa Conchal And Playa Flamingo: $165
Is it cheaper to fly into Road Town or Tamarindo?
Prices for flights to both Tamarindo and Road Town 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 dayRoad Town $110Tamarindo $62
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Tamarindo
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Tamarindo.
- Online Class on Zoom: Cooking Costa Rica Homemade Food: $35
- Tamarindo : Traditional Cooking Class: $95
- Traditional Cooking Class In Tamarindo: $99
- Discover Tamarindo's Blue Zone: Healthy Cooking Class: $154
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Road Town $91Tamarindo $19
Typical Entertainment Prices in Road Town
Here are a few typical costs in Road Town for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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1 Hr Horseback Ride in Sage Mt. Nat'l Pk$100
Tours and Activities in Tamarindo
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Tamarindo are as follows:
- Tamarindo Nightlife Pass Experience Adventure: $10
- Paintball Experience near Tamarindo: $32
- Tamarindo Estuary Tour: $41
- Boat Sightseeing Tour of Las Baulas Marine Park, Mangroves and Nature: $42
- Boat adventure with wildlife viewing in Tamarindo: $45
- Tamarindo Estuary Boat Tour with Naturalist Guide: $45
- Mangrove tour, crocodiles , monkeys birds nature Boat or Kayak: $45
- Mangrove Sightseeing Tour and Wildlife Experience: $45
- Tamarindo Mangrove Tour: $46
- Night Turtle Nesting Tour from Tamarindo: $46
- Tamarindo Estuary Boat Tour: $47
- Estero de Explore by boat or kayak – Choose your tour!: $49
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRoad Town $20Tamarindo $16
Sample the Local Flavors in Tamarindo
Also in Tamarindo, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Tamarindo Bar Crawl – #1 Nightlife Experience: $20
- Puro Vino - Tamarindo's Wine Tour Ride: $85
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Road Town and Tamarindo, we can see that Road Town is more expensive. And not only is Tamarindo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Road Town is in Caribbean Islands and Tamarindo 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 Tamarindo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Tamarindo 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 Road Town would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Road Town than you might in Tamarindo.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Road Town Expensive? and Is Tamarindo Expensive?.
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.