A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Roatan vs. La Fortuna for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Roatan or La Fortuna?

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 Roatan and La Fortuna. 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: Roatan or La Fortuna?

Roatan

Your next great vacation lies just thirty miles off the north coast of Honduras. Right above the world's largest coral reef is the island of Roatan. As a popular tourist attraction and standard cruise destination, it's not uncommon to see tons of Americans during your trip. In fact, the cruising industry has had huge impact on the island's culture. While ships are in port, traffic will be heavier and prices may go up. Because of the growth of tourism, most locals speak both Spanish and English.

La Fortuna

La Fortuna is in San Carlos, in the province of Alajuela. It is the closest town to Arenal Volcano, and the area is often simply refered to as Arenal. The volcano itself is active and has been constantly erupting since 1968. It erupts on average 41 times a day. This area of northern Costa Rica is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the country.

Which place is cheaper, La Fortuna or Roatan?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Roatan is $38, while the average daily cost in La Fortuna is $97. 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 Roatan and La Fortuna in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Roatan $11
    La Fortuna $48
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Roatan $22
    La Fortuna $96
Compare Hotels in Roatan and La Fortuna

Looking for a hotel in Roatan or La Fortuna? 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 Roatan


Hotels in La Fortuna


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: Roatan Hotel Prices and La Fortuna Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Roatan $19
    La Fortuna $20
Typical Local Transportation prices in Roatan

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Roatan are as follows:


  • Water Taxi
    $4.26

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Roatan

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Roatan:

  • bus & Taxi Uber Roatan transfer to the beach customize your tour: $26

Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Fortuna

Some specific examples of transportation prices in La Fortuna:

  • Shuttle Transfer Lake crossing from Arenal To Monteverde: $25
  • Private Transfer La Fortuna To Juan Santamaria Airport From 1 to 6 passengers: $138
  • Private Transfer La Fortuna To Int. Airport Liberia From 1 to 6 passengers: $158
  • Private Transfer La Fortuna To Juan Santamaria Airport From 7 to 10 passengers: $192
  • Private Transfer From La Fortuna To Monteverde From 1 to 6 passengers: $195
  • Private Transfer La Fortuna To Int. Airport Liberia From 7 to 10 passengers: $211
  • Private Transfer Lake crossing from Arenal To Monteverde From 1 to 6 passengers: $231
  • Transfer from Arenal or La Fortuna to Conchal beach up to 5 passengers: $240
  • Private Transfer From La Fortuna To Monteverde From 7 to 10 passengers: $248
  • Private Transfer From La Fortuna To Manuel Antonio From 1 to 6 passengers: $275
  • Private Transfer La Fortuna To Juan Santamaria Airport From 11 to 15 passengers: $288
  • Private Transfer From La Fortuna To Manuel Antonio From 7 to 10 passengers: $289

Is it cheaper to fly into Roatan or La Fortuna?

Prices for flights to both La Fortuna and Roatan 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
    Roatan $9.41
    La Fortuna $26

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in La Fortuna

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in La Fortuna.

  • cooking class la fortuna: $40
  • Cooking Class Including Tortilla Making in La Fortuna: $55
  • 3-Course Cooking Class: $138

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Roatan $27
    La Fortuna $41

Tours and Activities in Roatan

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Roatan are as follows:

  • Do It Your Way Roatán Free Style Tour.: $32
  • Shore Excursion: Roatan 360 Panoramic City Tour: $35
  • Shore Excursion: Roatan Private VIP Customizable Island Tour: $35
  • Shore Excursion: Roatan Half Day Private City Tour: $45
  • Shore Excursion: Roatan Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour and Beach: $45
  • Roatan Island Tour: $45
  • Roatan animal sanctuary and island adventures: $47
  • Private Roatan Island Tour: $47
  • Island tour in Roatan: $49
  • Roatan Stewart Tours:best Of Roatan Tour '': $49
  • Roatan Shore Excursion: Hanging Bridges Eco Tour and Beach Break: $50
  • Good Samaritan Tour: $51

Tours and Activities in La Fortuna

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for La Fortuna are as follows:

  • Parque Ecológico Volcán Arenal Full Day Experience + THERMALS: $18
  • Zipline Experience in La Fortuna with Hotel Pick Up: $30
  • Sloth Watching Tour: $30
  • Eden Chocolate Tour - The best chocolate tour in La Fortuna: $30
  • Organic chocolate tour: $31
  • Canopy Tour in Go Adventure Park: $32
  • Natura Premium Tour: $34
  • Mistico Park Hanging Bridges Guided Tour: $40
  • 6-Hour Arenal Volcano Observatory & Lake Tour: $40
  • Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park: Guided Tour: $42
  • Birdwatching Tour: $46
  • Night Walk Experience: $48

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Roatan $7.06
    La Fortuna $10

About these numbers

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Roatan and La Fortuna, we can see that La Fortuna is more expensive. And not only is Roatan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Roatan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Roatan 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 La Fortuna would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in La Fortuna than you might in Roatan.

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Roatan vs. La Fortuna Travel Comparison

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