Should you visit San Ignacio or San Jose?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between San Ignacio or San Jose, 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.
San Ignacio
So you want a tropical getaway, but also don't want to lay around with nothing to do. You want an adventure! You want relaxation and exploration.
You want to visit the small town of San Ignacio, Belize.
This section of the Cayo region is really more of a jungle than a typical Belize beach getaway. Located close the ancient Mayan ruins on the western and inland side of Belize, this town is most popular for its many outdoor adventures including hiking, climbing, and caving!
San Jose
San Jose is the capital city of Costa Rica and is likely to be your first and last stop in a visit to the country. The city is situated in the Central Valley and is surrounded by beautiful mountains and valleys, making for a beautiful flight in. The city has an elevation of 1200 meters and sits on a plateau with a beautiful backdrop of lush green forest. Half of the people in Costa Rica reside in the country's capital city. You are likely to stay only a day or two, but there are a handful of things to do and see including museums and markets. You will also find many embassies, as well as the University of Costa Rica in San Jose.
Which city is cheaper, San Jose or San Ignacio?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in San Ignacio is $57, while the average daily cost in San Jose is $60. 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 San Ignacio and San Jose in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in San Ignacio is about $30 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
The prices for places to stay in San Jose can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is $32, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around $64.
Food
The average traveler spends about $16 per day in San Ignacio for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
While meal prices in San Jose can vary, the average travelers spends about $11 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in San Jose should cost around $4.40 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in San Jose is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
San Ignacio $16
San Jose $11
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Ignacio
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in San Ignacio.
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Xunantunich & Food Tour from San Ignacio:
$135
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Jose
For San Jose, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Half-Day San Jose Evening Bus Tour with Dinner and Pickup:
$66
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Vip Evening Sightseeing Tour with Dinner:
$66
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San Jose Evening Tour with Dinner:
$77
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Arenal Volcano Full-Day Combo Tour with Lunch and Dinner:
$160
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around San Ignacio is $2.48 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
To get around in San Jose, the average visitor spends $17 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Ignacio
Some specific examples of transportation prices in San Ignacio:
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Shared Departure Transfer: San Ignacio Hotels to Belize International Airport:
$70
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Shared Departure Transfer: San Ignacio Hotel to Belize International Airport:
$60
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Shared Arrival Transfer: Belize International Airport to San Ignacio Hotels:
$70
Typical Local Transportation prices in San Jose
Some typical examples of transportation costs in San Jose are as follows:
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Taxi from SJO
$20
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Local Bus
$2.21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Jose
Also for San Jose, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Arrival Private Transfer: San Jose Airport SJO to Puntarenas by Minivan:
$105
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Departure Private Transfer: San Jose City to San Jose Airport SJO by Minivan:
$29
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Low Cost Private Transfer From Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport to Mountain View City - One Way:
$73
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Low Cost Private Transfer From Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport to San Francisco - One Way:
$207
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Low Cost Private Transfer From Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport to San Jose City - One Way:
$73
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Low Cost Private Transfer From Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport to San Leandro City - One Way:
$154
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Low Cost Private Transfer From Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport to San Mateo City - One Way:
$129
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Low Cost Private Transfer From Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport to Union City - One Way:
$127
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Luxury transfer to Manuel Antonio from San José:
$175
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Norman Y. Mineta San José Airport (SJC) to San José - Arrival Private Transfer:
$75
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Norman Y. Mineta San José Airport (SJC) to San José - Roundtrip Private Transfer:
$149
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One Way Private transfer from San Jose Intl Airport to Guanacaste Hotels:
$350
Is it cheaper to fly into San Ignacio or San Jose?
Prices for flights to both San Jose and San Ignacio 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
San Ignacio's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $80 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
In San Jose, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $14 per person, per day.
Tours and Activities in San Ignacio
Here are a few actual costs in San Ignacio for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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ATM Cave Tour from San Ignacio:
$141
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ATV, Zipline and Cave Tubing Tour from San Ignacio:
$250
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Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave Tour and Picnic:
$140
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Actun Tunichil Muknal with Local Tour guide & Belizean Lunch:
$115
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Barton Creek Tour:
$87
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Belize Cave Tubing Adventure from San Ignacio:
$72
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Caracol Maya Ruin Tour:
$118
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Caracol Maya Ruins Tour Including Rio On Pools, Rio Frio Cave and a Picnic Lunch:
$109
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Caracol Maya Site & Pools with Local Tour guide & Belizean Lunch:
$115
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Cave Canoeing with Local Tour Guide:
$100
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Cave Tubing Adventure:
$93
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Cave Tubing and Zip line Adventure from San Ignacio:
$160
Tours and Activities in San Jose
For San Jose, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Skip the Line: The Childrens Museum Ticket in Costa Rica:
$7.00
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San Jose Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
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San Jose Welcome Tour: Private Tour with a Local:
$30
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Skip the Line: The National Museum Admission Ticket:
$30
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San Jose Like a Local: Customized Private Tour:
$31
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San Jose ART Walking Tour - small groups, creative experience:
$32
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San Jose Bites and Sights Tour:
$34
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San Jose Walking Tour: Food, History and Architecture:
$38
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Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary Admission Ticket:
$39
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Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tour:
$44
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From 2.5-Hour Costa Rica Atlantic Zip Line Tour:
$50
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San Jose City Tour:
$53
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting San Ignacio may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $14 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Typically, people visiting San Jose spend on average $11 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in San Jose
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in San Jose:
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San Jose Bar Hunt: Sweet San Jose Bar Crawl:
$12
When comparing the travel costs between San Ignacio and San Jose, we can see that San Jose is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Central America, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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