Which place is cheaper, La Fortuna or Roatan?
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 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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras, The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras, The Best Adventure Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Eco Tours in Costa Rica.
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Roatan Prices
Honduras PricesLa Fortuna Prices
Costa Rica Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRoatan $42La Fortuna $138
The average daily cost (per person) in Roatan is $42, while the average daily cost in La Fortuna is $138. 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
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRoatan $10La Fortuna $57
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRoatan $20La Fortuna $114
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.
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: La Fortuna Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Roatan $17La Fortuna $23
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Roatan
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Roatan are as follows:
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Water Taxi$3.91
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Roatan
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Roatan:
- Transfers to West End by night from hotels in West Bay or Sandy Bay: $25
- Roatan Private Express Transfer Cruise Ports to Beach or Hotel: $25
- Airport, Hotel or Cruise Port, Ferry Roatan Private Transfer: $35
- Roatan West End Beach Break with Private Transfer: $45
- Catch a ride to West End & back to Port, Hotel or Airport (Roundtrip Transfer): $60
- Roatan West Bay Beach Break with Roundtrip Transfer: $65
- Catch a ride to West Bay & back to Port, Hotel, or Airport (Roundtrip Transfer): $75
- Roatan Private Catamaran Shipwreck, Blue Channel and Starfish with Transfer: $79
- King Kong Extreme Zipline, City Tour and Transfer: $80
- West Bay Aquarium Snorkeling, Chocolate & Rum Factory, City Tour plus Transfer: $85
- West Bay Beach Day Pass & Private Transfer – Roatán: $89
- Roatan East End Cultural Experience, Island Lunch & Private Transfer: $95
Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Fortuna
Some specific examples of transportation prices in La Fortuna:
- Private Transfer from Liberia Airport to Arenal San Carlos: $43
- Private Transfer From Liberia Airport To La Fortuna: $43
- Private Transfer Liberia Airport to Nuevo Arenal: $43
- Private Transfer from Liberia Airport to Tabacón Arenal: $43
- Transfer From Liberia Airport To Arenal La Fortuna San Carlos: $48
- Private Transfer From Liberia Airport to Arenal La Fortuna: $48
- Shared Transfer from La Fortuna to Liberia Airport: $50
- Transfer From Liberia Airport To Arenal La Fortuna San Carlos: $54
- White Water Tubing Tour with Guide and Transfers: $65
- From San Jose: One way shared transfer to La Fortuna: $74
- From One way shared transfer to Monteverde: $74
- Arenal Volcano Hiking Tour with Hotel Transfers: $76
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
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Food Meals for one dayRoatan $15La Fortuna $53
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in La Fortuna
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in La Fortuna.
- Traditional cooking lesson with a local family: $37
- Sloth Tour in La Fortuna and Tortillas Cooking Class: $38
- Traditional cooking class with local family: $50
- Organic Farm Visit & Farm-to-Table Cooking Class: $50
- Costa Rican Cooking Class: $57
- Costa Rica The Chela Cooking Experience: $60
- Costa Rican cuisine Cooking Class at Rancho Don Lelo: $60
- 3-Hour Costa Rican Cooking Class with Dinner: $68
- Arenal Boat Tour & Pirate Hot Springs Dinner: $69
- Sarapiquí Traditional Hands-On Cooking Class with a Local Host: $70
- Private typical cooking class with a Costa Rican family: $70
- Sloth Tour with Cane Juice and Cooking Class: $70
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Roatan $25La Fortuna $49
Tours and Activities in Roatan
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Roatan are as follows:
- Cruise Passenger Beach Express: $20
- Organized trips and adventures: $26
- Custom Private Roatan Shuttle Tour: Explore at Your Own Pace: $30
- Roatan 35-Minute Private Guided Canopy Zipline Tour: $40
- Roatan Comprehensive Real Estate Tour Experience: $45
- Roatan Zipline & Eco walk/Suspension Bridge Combo Tours: $45
- Customizable Best Of Roatan Island Tour in Honduras: $45
- Roatan VIP island tour in Honduras: $45
- West bay beach & wildlife tour chocolate factory class and sample: $49
- Roatan Shore Excursion: Hanging Bridges Eco Tour and Beach Break: $50
- Cruise Travelers West Bay Beach Break with Island Tour in Roatan: $50
- Roatan : Private Customizeble Tour with Driver & Guide: $50
Tours and Activities in La Fortuna
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for La Fortuna are as follows:
- La Fortuna Waterfall Admission Ticket: $20
- PRIVATE EXCLUSIVE GUARANTEED Sloth Watching Tour: $23
- Café Experience in Bijagua: $25
- Arenal Park Self-Guided Experience: $27
- Sloths Frogs and Wildlife Primary Night Walk Tour: $28
- La Fortuna Night Walk: Sloths, Frogs & Wildlife Tour: $29
- Sunrise Birdwatching Tour on a Private Reserve: $29
- San Carlos: The Art of Chocolate Making Tour at Don Olivo: $30
- ARENAL FORTUNA CITY TOUR .: $30
- Sloths and Monkeys Guided Tour in Arenal Nature Walk: $30
- Don Olivo Chocolate Tour: $30
- Tour of stingless bees and healing honey tasting: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRoatan $6.49La Fortuna $12
Sample the Local Flavors in Roatan
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Roatan:
- Half-Day Tour in Roatan With Brewery, Rum and Chocolate Factories visit: $46
- Bar Crawl Tour in West End Village by Pedibike- Let the Good Times Roll: $80
Sample the Local Flavors in La Fortuna
Also in La Fortuna, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Wine Tasting Experience: $135
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.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Roatan Expensive? and Is La Fortuna Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Roatan or La Fortuna?
Roatan has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of La Fortuna. When comparing the sizes of Roatan and La Fortuna, 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.