Which place is cheaper, Quepos or Salto?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Salto or Quepos?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Salto or Quepos, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Salto or Quepos?
Salto
Salto is in the citrus growing region of Northern Interior Uruguay, on the east bank of the Rio Uruguay. It is closely connected to the neighboring Argentinian city of Concordia that lies across the river on the western bank. Salto is Uruguay's second-largest city and the most northerly crossing point to Argentina. Salto is a very picturesque city that has a relaxing feel the entire year. However, people mostly come here for the nearby hot springs and the recreation area above the enormous Salto Grande hydroelectric dam.
Quepos
Quepos is both a district and the capital of Aguirre canton in the Puntareanas Province of Costa Rica. The town is quite small, and the district has a population of about 22,000 people. Quepos is a popular tourist destination in Costa Rica due to its close proximity to Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific Coast. The town's economy is centered around tourism and there is no shortage of bars and restaurants in the area. The town also has a lively nightlife for such a small community.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Uruguay, The Best Cultural Tours in Uruguay, The Best Wildlife Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Costa Rica.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySalto $71Quepos $117
The average daily cost (per person) in Salto is $71, while the average daily cost in Quepos is $117. 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 Salto and Quepos in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSalto $30Quepos $77
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSalto $60Quepos $154
Compare Hotels in Salto and Quepos
Looking for a hotel in Salto or Quepos? 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: Salto Hotel Prices and Quepos Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Salto $22Quepos $9.56
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Quepos
Also for Quepos, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Manuel Antonio & Quepos one way transfer to SJO hotels - Airport up to 5 people.: $274
- One-Way Private Transfer from Quepos - Manuel Antonio to Monteverde: $276
- One-Way Private Transfer from Uvita to Quepos - Manuel Antonio: $140
- Private Transfer - San Jose Airport & Manuel Antonio/Quepos : $300
- Private Transfer From San Jose Airport To Manuel Antonio Beach: $125
- Private Transfer from Manuel Antonio to Nauyaca Waterfalls (Round Trip): $199
- Private Transfer from Quepos Cruise Port to San Jose City Hotels: $91
- Private transfer from SJ Airport to Manuel Antonio and vice versa: $230
- Shuttle Transfer from Manuel Antonio to San Jose: $60
- Transfer from Manuel Antonio to SJO Airport and surroundings : $209
Is it cheaper to fly into Salto or Quepos?
Prices for flights to both Quepos and Salto 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 daySalto $25Quepos $30
Typical Food Prices in Quepos
For Quepos, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch$15
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Seafood Dinner (for 1)$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Quepos
For Quepos, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Night Jungle Tour with Dinner (Rainmaker Park): $59
- 3 Hour Cooking Class and Medical Plants Garden: $77
- Cooking Class & Medicinal Plants Garden Manuel Antonio: $77
- Night Mangrove Safari Boat Tour with Dinner | Manuel Antonio: $79
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Salto $18Quepos $17
Tours and Activities in Quepos
For Quepos, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Beach Day Experience in Manuel Antonio: $20
- Manuel Antonio National Park tour : $27
- Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tour: $28
- Manuel Antonio National Park Tour: $28
- Manuel Antonio Park Tour and its Amazing Wildlife and Beaches: $30
- Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tour: $30
- Manuel Antonio National Park Group Guided Tour: $30
- Guided Tour in Manuel Antonio National Park!: $35
- Manuel Antonio Jungle Night Tour with pick up included: $39
- Guided hiking Tour by the Mystic Ebano Rainforest in Costa Rica: $40
- Manuel Antonio: Manuel Antonio National Park Tour: $45
- Manuel Antonio Park Nature Guided Tour: $45
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySalto $13Quepos $15
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Salto and Quepos, we can see that Quepos is more expensive. And not only is Salto much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Salto is in South America and Quepos 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 Salto would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Salto 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 Quepos would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Quepos than you might in Salto.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Salto Expensive? and Is Quepos Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Salto or Quepos?
Salto has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Quepos. When comparing the sizes of Salto and Quepos, 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.
When is the best time to visit Salto or Quepos?
Salto has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Quepos experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Salto or Quepos in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Salto as well as Quepos. The warm climate attracts visitors to Quepos throughout the year.
Salto is cooler than Quepos in the summer. The daily temperature in Salto averages around 25°C (77°F) in January, and Quepos fluctuates around 28°C (82°F)in July.
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Salto this time of the year. In the summer, Salto often gets more sunshine than Queposin July. Salto gets 262 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Quepos receives 164 hours of full sun.
It's quite rainy in Quepos. Salto receives a lot of rain in the summer. Salto usually gets less rain in January than Queposin July. Salto gets 116 mm (4.6 in) of rain, while Quepos receives 164 mm (6.5 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures January and JulySalto 25°C (77°F)Quepos 28°C (82°F)
Should I visit Salto or Quepos in the Autumn?
Both Quepos and Salto are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. Plenty of visitors come to Quepos because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In the autumn, Salto is cooler than Quepos. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Salto in April average around 19°C (65°F), and Quepos averages at about 27°C (81°F)in October.
Salto usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Quepos during autumn. Salto gets 182 hours of sunny skies, while Quepos receives 169 hours of full sun in the autumn.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Quepos. It's quite rainy in Salto. In April, Salto usually receives less rain than Queposin October. Salto gets 131 mm (5.2 in) of rain, while Quepos receives 254 mm (10 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures April and OctoberSalto 19°C (65°F)Quepos 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Salto or Quepos in the Winter?
Both Quepos and Salto during the winter are popular places to visit. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Quepos year-round.
In July, Salto is generally much colder than Queposin January. Daily temperatures in Salto average around 12°C (54°F), and Quepos fluctuates around 27°C (81°F).
In Quepos, it's very sunny this time of the year. In the winter, Salto often gets less sunshine than Queposin January. Salto gets 158 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Quepos receives 264 hours of full sun.
Salto usually gets more rain in July than Queposin January. Salto gets 68 mm (2.7 in) of rain, while Quepos receives 8 mm (0.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures July and JanuarySalto 12°C (54°F)Quepos 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Salto or Quepos in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Salto and Quepos. Quepos attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
Salto is much colder than Quepos in the spring. The daily temperature in Salto averages around 18°C (64°F) in October, and Quepos fluctuates around 29°C (85°F)in April.
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Quepos this time of the year. In Salto, it's very sunny this time of the year. Salto usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Quepos during spring. Salto gets 243 hours of sunny skies, while Quepos receives 255 hours of full sun in the spring.
Salto gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In October, Salto usually receives more rain than Queposin April. Salto gets 117 mm (4.6 in) of rain, while Quepos receives 28 mm (1.1 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures October and AprilSalto 18°C (64°F)Quepos 29°C (85°F)
Typical Weather for Quepos and Salto
| Salto | Quepos | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 25°C (77°F) | 116 mm (4.6 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) |
| Feb | 24°C (75°F) | 127 mm (5 in) | 28°C (83°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) |
| Mar | 22°C (71°F) | 155 mm (6.1 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) |
| Apr | 19°C (65°F) | 131 mm (5.2 in) | 29°C (85°F) | 28 mm (1.1 in) |
| May | 15°C (59°F) | 94 mm (3.7 in) | 29°C (83°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) |
| Jun | 12°C (54°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) |
| Jul | 12°C (54°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 164 mm (6.5 in) |
| Aug | 13°C (56°F) | 81 mm (3.2 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 289 mm (11.4 in) |
| Sep | 15°C (59°F) | 103 mm (4.1 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 328 mm (12.9 in) |
| Oct | 18°C (64°F) | 117 mm (4.6 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 254 mm (10 in) |
| Nov | 20°C (69°F) | 127 mm (5 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 121 mm (4.8 in) |
| Dec | 23°C (74°F) | 119 mm (4.7 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) |
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.