A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers San Ignacio vs. San Jose for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit San Ignacio or San Jose?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between San Ignacio or San Jose, 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.

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 $55. 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. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for San Ignacio and San Jose in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    San Ignacio $15
    San Jose $29
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    San Ignacio $30
    San Jose $58

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    San Ignacio $2.48
    San Jose $15

Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Ignacio

Some specific examples of transportation prices in San Ignacio:

  • Shared Departure Transfer: San Ignacio Hotels to Belize International Airport: $70
  • Shared Departure Transfer: San Ignacio Hotel to Belize International Airport: $60
  • 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:


  • Taxi from SJO
    $18
  • Local Bus
    $2.01

Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Jose

Also for San Jose, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Arrival Private Transfer: San Jose Airport SJO to Puntarenas by Minivan: $105
  • Departure Private Transfer: San Jose City to San Jose Airport SJO by Minivan: $29
  • Low Cost Private Transfer From Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport to Mountain View City - One Way: $73
  • Low Cost Private Transfer From Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport to San Francisco - One Way: $207
  • Low Cost Private Transfer From Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport to San Jose City - One Way: $73
  • Low Cost Private Transfer From Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport to San Leandro City - One Way: $154
  • Low Cost Private Transfer From Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport to San Mateo City - One Way: $129
  • Low Cost Private Transfer From Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport to Union City - One Way: $127
  • Luxury transfer to Manuel Antonio from San José: $175
  • Norman Y. Mineta San José Airport (SJC) to San José - Arrival Private Transfer: $75
  • Norman Y. Mineta San José Airport (SJC) to San José - Roundtrip Private Transfer: $149
  • 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.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    San Ignacio $16
    San Jose $9.99

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Ignacio

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

  • 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:

  • Vip Evening Sightseeing Tour with Dinner: $66
  • Half-Day San Jose Evening Bus Tour with Dinner and Pickup: $66
  • Arenal Volcano Full-Day Combo Tour with Lunch and Dinner: $160

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    San Ignacio $80
    San Jose $12

Tours and Activities in San Ignacio

Here are a few actual costs in San Ignacio for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • ATM Cave Tour from San Ignacio: $141
  • ATV, Zipline and Cave Tubing Tour from San Ignacio: $250
  • Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave Tour and Picnic: $140
  • Actun Tunichil Muknal with Local Tour guide & Belizean Lunch: $115
  • Barton Creek Tour: $87
  • Belize Cave Tubing Adventure from San Ignacio: $72
  • Caracol Maya Ruin Tour: $118
  • Caracol Maya Ruins Tour Including Rio On Pools, Rio Frio Cave and a Picnic Lunch: $109
  • Caracol Maya Site & Pools with Local Tour guide & Belizean Lunch: $115
  • Cave Canoeing with Local Tour Guide: $100
  • Cave Tubing Adventure: $93
  • 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:

  • Skip the Line: The Childrens Museum Ticket in Costa Rica: $7.00
  • San Jose Scavenger Hunt Adventure: $21
  • Skip the Line: The National Museum Admission Ticket: $30
  • San Jose Like a Local: Customized Private Tour: $31
  • San Jose ART Walking Tour - small groups, creative experience: $32
  • San Jose Walking Tour: Food, History and Architecture: $38
  • Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary Admission Ticket: $39
  • Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tour: $44
  • Total San Jose Tour: Bites and Sights Including Columbian Gold Museum Visit: $54
  • San Jose Craft Beer Walking Tour with food pairings by Carpe Chepe: $55
  • Rainforest Canopy Tour from San Jose: $55
  • Damas Island Boat Tour From Quepos: $56

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    San Ignacio $14
    San Jose $9.77

Sample the Local Flavors in San Jose

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in San Jose:

  • San Jose Bar Hunt: Sweet San Jose Bar Crawl: $12

About these numbers

When comparing the travel costs between San Ignacio and San Jose, we can see that San Ignacio 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.

Budget Your Trip

Budget Your Trip has average travel costs for thousands of cities around the world, all provided by other travelers. You can also register to organize your spending by category and location with graphs, maps, charts, and tables.
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San Ignacio vs. San Jose Travel Comparison

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