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

Should you visit Roatan or Santa Elena?

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 Santa Elena. 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 Santa Elena?

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.

Santa Elena

Santa Elena is a cute town, and the closest to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. It's one of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica, and is a great place to experience the cloud forest and see some of country's unique wildlife.

In the Monteverde Cloud Forest you have a good chance of seeing rare quetzals which are the national bird of Costa Rica. Other common animals include white-faced capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, orange-kneed tarantulas, any of 8-9 species of hummingbirds, and sloth.

Santa Elena is about 1,400 meters above sea level and has a humid and damp environment. The average yearly temperature is 64 degrees Fahrenheit and the average rainfall is 3,000 millimetres. Humidity can be anywhere between 74% and 97%.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras, The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras, The Best G Adventures Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Costa Rica.


Which place is cheaper, Santa Elena 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 Santa Elena is $92. 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 Santa Elena in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Roatan $11
    Santa Elena $55
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Roatan $22
    Santa Elena $110
Compare Hotels in Roatan and Santa Elena

Looking for a hotel in Roatan or Santa Elena? 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 Santa Elena


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.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Roatan $19
    Santa Elena $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Roatan

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


  • Water Taxi
    $4.27

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Roatan

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Roatan:

  • Roatan Island Buggy Adventure plus Transfer: $217
  • Roatan Buggy Adventure, Monkey & Sloth Park, Beach Pass plus Private Transfer: $207
  • Roatan Buggy Adventure, Snorkeling, Beach Pass plus Private Transfer: $207
  • North Side Blue Channel & Starfish Snorkeling, 20min JetSki, Transfer Included: $165
  • Private Transfer from Honduras Roatan Airport (RTB) to Roatan Hotels: $144
  • Horseback Riding, Beach with Palapa and Transfer: $130
  • King Kong Extreme Zipline, Hiking, Beach Break plus Transfer Included: $130
  • South Side Horseback Riding, Beach Break & Roundway Transfer: $120
  • Roatan Special Catamaran for Cruise Ship Passengers plus Transfer: $113
  • Discover Scuba Diving in Roatan at Upachaya with Private Transfer: $110
  • Transfers, Zip Line and Monkey Park: $110
  • Roatan Private Transfers: Airport, Cruise Port or Hotel : $107

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Elena

Also for Santa Elena, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Peñas Blancas to Liberia Airport (LIR) Departure Private Transfer: $39
  • Direct transfer from Monteverde to San Jose, English Speaking Driver: $182
  • Private Transfer From Monteverde to San Jose With 2 Stops: $215
  • One Way Private Transfer from Monteverde to Samara : $269
  • Private Transfer From Monteverde To La Fortuna From 1 to 6 passengers: $270
  • One Way Private Transfer from Monteverde - Liberia: $276

Is it cheaper to fly into Roatan or Santa Elena?

Prices for flights to both Santa Elena 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 $9.44
    Santa Elena $24

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Roatan

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

  • Tiki Boat Sunset Cruise in Roatan with Snorkeling and Dinner : $100
  • Cooking classes from a Local!: $200

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Roatan $27
    Santa Elena $30

Tours and Activities in Roatan

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

  • Private Tour: Chocolate Factory Rum cake Factory, Sightseeing and Beach Tour: $45
  • Shore Excursion: VIP Island City Tour and Drift Snorkel : $60
  • Shore Excursion: Zip & Dip Adventure: $69
  • Sloths Sanctuary/Monkeys Play + Dune Buggy/ATV Adventure & Private Beach Resort: $139
  • 2 Hour Zip Lining Private Tour in Mahogany Bay: $65
  • 3 Hours ATV Adventure in Politilly Bight: $85
  • 3-Hours Private Tour in Roatan with Pick Up: $66
  • 4 Hours Private Tour with Snorkel Experience in Roatan: $50
  • 4 Hours Private Tour with Snorkeling and West Bay Beach Break : $78
  • 4-Hour East Side Roatan Private Guided Tour with Canoe Ride: $120
  • 4-Hour Private Tour to Roatan Island: $65
  • 4-to-5 Hour Cruise Ship Tour, Monkeys/Sloths & West Bay Resort: $48

Tours and Activities in Santa Elena

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

  • Selvatura Park: Herpetarium Tour in Monteverde: $22
  • Wildlife Tour in Curicancha : $25
  • Night Adventures in Monteverde: $27
  • Adventure Day - Outdoor activities for Family and Friends Special Package.: $29
  • Monteverde: Kinkajou Forest Night Walking Tour: $30
  • Kinkajou Night Walk Tour: $30
  • CuriCancha Reserve Admission Ticket: $33
  • Authentic experience of Coffee, Cane and Caco inside the forest: $37
  • Moteverde Night Hike -Experience the Nocturnal Life of the Cloud Forest: $39
  • Monteverde Cloud Forest Tour: $40
  • Water Bike Tours Water bikes: $45
  • Monteverde Cloud Forest Tour: $50

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Roatan $7.09
    Santa Elena $6.24

Sample the Local Flavors in Roatan

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Roatan:

  • Bar Crawl Tour in West End Village by Pedibike- Let the Good Times Roll: $80


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Roatan and Santa Elena, we can see that Santa Elena 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 Santa Elena would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santa Elena 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 Santa Elena Expensive?.