Should you visit Salvador or Ilha Grande?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Salvador or Ilha Grande, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Salvador
Salvador de Bahia was the first capital of Brazil, founded by the Portuguese in 1549. Also known as "Brazil's capital of happiness," Salvador is famous for its plentiful and spirited street festivals. The third most populous city in Brazil, Salvador is also well-known for its Afro-Brazilian culture and Portuguese colonial architecture.
Ilha Grande
Ilha Grande is a large, beautiful, island located off the southeast coast of Brazil. The island has few inhabitants, resulting in mostly unadulterated beaches and landscapes. There are over a dozen trails and beaches to explore, some of which have been called the best beaches in Brazil. Due to the limited number of inhabitants, ATMs are sparse on the island, so be sure to have cash with you before getting there.
Which city is cheaper, Ilha Grande or Salvador?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Salvador is $34, while the average daily cost in Ilha Grande is $53. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Salvador and Ilha Grande in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Salvador is about $38 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $58 in Ilha Grande For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
In Salvador travelers spend around $10 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
Ilha Grande food costs typically run travelers around $16 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
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Food
Meals for one day
Salvador $10
Ilha Grande $16
Typical Food prices in Salvador
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Salvador:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Salvador
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Salvador.
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Pelourinho By Night - Dinner & Show:
$70
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Pelourinho By Night With Folkloric Show and Dinner:
$80
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Private Tour to Cultural Show and Dinner in Salvador:
$80
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Private Cooking Experience in Salvador:
$100
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Salvador by Night: Cultural Dinner and Show:
$110
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Bahia By Night: Dinner and Folkloric show:
$114
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Cooking Class with a Local and Spice Gift:
$125
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Bahia By Night Dinner and Dance Show Ticket:
$135
Local Transportation
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $4.68 per day to get around in Salvador.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Ilha Grande than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $14 on transportation in Ilha Grande on average per day.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Salvador
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Salvador:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Salvador
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Salvador:
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Transfer roundtrip in Salvador with Historical City Tour:
$70
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Transfer Sauipe Resorts All Inclusive até 4 Pax:
$94
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Transfer Salvador to Barra Grande Round Trip:
$200
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Transfer Iberostar Praia do Forte ou Bahia até 4 Pax:
$80
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Transfer Grand Palladium Imbassai até 4 Pax:
$49
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Transfer From Salvador to Morro de São Paulo Round Trip Semi Terrestre:
$95
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Shared Transfer from hotels to Salvador airport:
$12
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Shared Transfer from Airport to hotels in Salvador:
$15
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Sauipe Resorts Private Transfer 4 to 12 Pax:
$76
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Salvador Airport Transfer to Salvador City Hotels:
$37
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Salvador Airport Transfer to Praia do Forte & Sauipe Hotels:
$74
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Salvador Airport Roundtrip Transfer:
$50
Is it cheaper to fly into Salvador or Ilha Grande?
Prices for flights to both Ilha Grande and Salvador 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.
Entertainment
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $4.42 per person, per day in Salvador. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Sightseeing expenses in Ilha Grande, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $5.15 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Salvador
Here are a few actual costs in Salvador for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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4-Days Experience at Salvador de Bahia, Savour the cultural fusion - Brasil:
$690
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8h City Tour of Salvador da Bahia:
$80
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African historical walking tour 03 hours:
$90
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Beaches North Coast 2 tours with overnight hotel Coconut Coast experience:
$509
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Best Value Full Day Sightseeing Tour Salvador the first Capital of Brazil:
$104
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Cachoeira Countryside Flavor Private Tour from Salvador:
$110
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Candomble Religion Mysteries Private Tour in Salvador:
$80
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Candomblé Ceremony Private Tour from Salvador:
$70
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Chapada Diamantina Adventure:
$2,898
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Costa de Camaçari 3 days 2 night, beach, tour, hotel, meals, guide:
$477
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Cruise Ship Special Private Tour Salvador da Bahia Historic Old Town Bonfim and Barra:
$136
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Discover the Ancient Deities of Brazil's Candomblé (Online Experience):
$15
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Salvador may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $5.91 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Typically, people visiting Ilha Grande spend on average $8.26 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Typical Alcohol prices in Salvador
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Salvador:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Salvador and Ilha Grande, we can see that Ilha Grande is more expensive. And not only is Salvador much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Salvador would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Salvador 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 Ilha Grande would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ilha Grande than you might in Salvador.
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