Which place is cheaper, Tamarindo or San Ignacio?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit San Ignacio or Tamarindo?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between San Ignacio or Tamarindo, 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: San Ignacio or Tamarindo?
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!
Tamarindo
Tamarindo is a small beach town in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica on the Pacific Coast. This town is usually sought out by surfers, fishers, couples, and families. There are delicious restaurants, beautiful beaches, and friendly Tico's and Tica's (local Costa Rican nicknames) everywhere.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Belize, The Best G Adventures Tours to Belize, The Best Luxury Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySan Ignacio $72Tamarindo $121
The average daily cost (per person) in San Ignacio is $72, while the average daily cost in Tamarindo is $121. 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 San Ignacio and Tamarindo in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSan Ignacio $19Tamarindo $50
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSan Ignacio $38Tamarindo $100
Compare Hotels in San Ignacio and Tamarindo
Looking for a hotel in San Ignacio or Tamarindo? 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: San Ignacio Hotel Prices and Tamarindo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.San Ignacio $3.11Tamarindo $69
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Ignacio
Some specific examples of transportation prices in San Ignacio:
- From Van Transfer To Flores Peten in Guatemala: $20
- San Ignacio Hotel to Belize City Transfer: $20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tamarindo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Tamarindo:
- Airport Transfer from Liberia Airport to Andaz Papagayo Hyatt (Round Trip): $163
- Flamingo/Tamarindo to Liberia Airport(LIR)- Departure Transfer: $38
- From Hotel Transfer to Liberia Guanacaste Airport: $62
- Guanacaste Airport transfer to Jw Marriott Guanacaste: $130
- Liberia Airport Private Transfer To Gulf of Papagayo Costa Rica: $125
- Liberia Airport To Tamarindo Private Transfer: $55
- Monteverde: Transfer to Tamarindo: $65
- Playa Conchal & Flamingo From Liberia Airport, Transfer Service: $168
- Private Airport Transfer from Liberia to Tamarindo beaches Areas & surrounding : $140
- Private Liberia airport transfer: $200
- Private Transfer - Liberia Airport & Riu Hotel: $120
- Private Transfer From LIR Airport to JW Marriott Guanacaste: $130
Is it cheaper to fly into San Ignacio or Tamarindo?
Prices for flights to both Tamarindo 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
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Food Meals for one daySan Ignacio $21Tamarindo $32
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 with local chocolate experience: $150
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Tamarindo
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Tamarindo.
- Traditional Cooking Class In Tamarindo: $95
- Traditional Cooking Class In Tamarindo: $95
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.San Ignacio $100Tamarindo $17
Tours and Activities in San Ignacio
Here are a few actual costs in San Ignacio for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Xunantunich Maya Site with Local Tour guide: $65
- Half-Day Cave Canoeing Adventure: $75
- From Xunantunich Mayan Tour & Optional Combos: $75
- Xunantunich Mayan Ruins Tour from San Ignacio: $75
- Cave Canoeing with Local Tour Guide: $80
- Belize Cave Tubing Adventure from San Ignacio: $90
- Cave Tubing with local tour Guide and Belizean Lunch: $90
- Farm Ride plus Xunantunich tour: $90
- Barton Creek Tour: $98
- Full-Day Mountain Pine Ridge Tour from San Ignacio with Lunch: $100
- Xunantunich horseback riding tour: $100
- Cave Tubing Adventure at Nohoch Che'en and Jaguar Paw : $115
Tours and Activities in Tamarindo
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Tamarindo are as follows:
- Tamarindo Estuary Tour: $44
- Sea turtle watching tour near playa grande: $44
- Tour of the Mangroves and Wetlands of Tamarindo by Boat: $45
- Night Turtle Nesting Tour from Tamarindo: $46
- Tamarindo Birdwatching Crocodiles and Monkey Tour: $50
- ATV Beach and Mountain Tour!: $62
- Hiking Tour of La Leona Waterfall with Lunch: $65
- UTV Side By Side Off Road Tour Tamarindo Beach & Flamingo Beach: $65
- Howler Monkey Mangrove Kayaking Tour: $65
- ATV and UTV Beach Tour from Tamarindo, Flamingo and Conchal Beach: $67
- ATV Tour through the Flamingo Potrero and Brasilito Area: $70
- Turtle Watching Tour: $70
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySan Ignacio $17Tamarindo $14
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Ignacio and Tamarindo, we can see that Tamarindo is more expensive. And not only is San Ignacio much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to San Ignacio would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Ignacio 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 Tamarindo would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Tamarindo than you might in San Ignacio.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is San Ignacio Expensive? and Is Tamarindo Expensive?.
When is the best time to visit San Ignacio or Tamarindo?
Both destinations experience a warmer climate with nice weather most of the year. Instead of summer and winter seasons, they usually have a rainy season and a dry season.
Should I visit San Ignacio or Tamarindo in the Summer?
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both San Ignacio and Tamarindo. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to San Ignacio year-round. Tamarindo attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
Tamarindo receives a lot of rain in the summer. San Ignacio gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In July, San Ignacio usually receives more rain than Tamarindo. San Ignacio gets 243 mm (9.6 in) of rain, while Tamarindo receives 164 mm (6.5 in) of rain each month for the summer.
In San Ignacio, it's very sunny this time of the year. San Ignacio usually receives more sunshine than Tamarindo during summer. San Ignacio gets 226 hours of sunny skies, while Tamarindo receives 164 hours of full sun in the summer.
San Ignacio is around the same temperature as Tamarindo in the summer. The daily temperature in San Ignacio averages around 28°C (82°F) in July, and Tamarindo fluctuates around 28°C (82°F).
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Summer Average Temperatures JulySan Ignacio 28°C (82°F)Tamarindo 28°C (82°F)
Should I visit San Ignacio or Tamarindo in the Autumn?
The autumn brings many poeple to San Ignacio as well as Tamarindo. San Ignacio attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. The warm climate attracts visitors to Tamarindo throughout the year.
It's quite rainy in Tamarindo. San Ignacio receives a lot of rain in the autumn. San Ignacio usually gets around the same amount of rain in October as Tamarindo. San Ignacio gets 255 mm (10 in) of rain, while Tamarindo receives 254 mm (10 in) of rain this time of the year.
In the autumn, San Ignacio often gets more sunshine than Tamarindo. San Ignacio gets 196 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Tamarindo receives 169 hours of full sun.
In the autumn, San Ignacio is around the same temperature as Tamarindo. Typically, the autumn temperatures in San Ignacio in October average around 26°C (80°F), and Tamarindo averages at about 27°C (81°F).
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberSan Ignacio 26°C (80°F)Tamarindo 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit San Ignacio or Tamarindo in the Winter?
Both Tamarindo and San Ignacio are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to San Ignacio throughout the year. Plenty of visitors come to Tamarindo because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
It's quite rainy in San Ignacio. In January, San Ignacio usually receives more rain than Tamarindo. San Ignacio gets 138 mm (5.4 in) of rain, while Tamarindo receives 8 mm (0.3 in) of rain each month for the winter.
It's quite sunny in Tamarindo. San Ignacio usually receives less sunshine than Tamarindo during winter. San Ignacio gets 199 hours of sunny skies, while Tamarindo receives 264 hours of full sun in the winter.
In January, San Ignacio is generally cooler than Tamarindo. Daily temperatures in San Ignacio average around 24°C (74°F), and Tamarindo fluctuates around 27°C (81°F).
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuarySan Ignacio 24°C (74°F)Tamarindo 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit San Ignacio or Tamarindo in the Spring?
Both Tamarindo and San Ignacio during the spring are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to San Ignacio because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Tamarindo year-round.
San Ignacio usually gets more rain in April than Tamarindo. San Ignacio gets 52 mm (2 in) of rain, while Tamarindo receives 28 mm (1.1 in) of rain this time of the year.
In Tamarindo, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in San Ignacio. In the spring, San Ignacio often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Tamarindo. San Ignacio gets 256 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Tamarindo receives 255 hours of full sun.
San Ignacio is around the same temperature as Tamarindo in the spring. The daily temperature in San Ignacio averages around 27°C (80°F) in April, and Tamarindo fluctuates around 29°C (85°F).
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilSan Ignacio 27°C (80°F)Tamarindo 29°C (85°F)
Typical Weather for Tamarindo and San Ignacio
| San Ignacio | Tamarindo | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 24°C (74°F) | 138 mm (5.4 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) |
| Feb | 24°C (76°F) | 73 mm (2.9 in) | 28°C (83°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) |
| Mar | 26°C (78°F) | 25 mm (1 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) |
| Apr | 27°C (80°F) | 52 mm (2 in) | 29°C (85°F) | 28 mm (1.1 in) |
| May | 28°C (82°F) | 105 mm (4.1 in) | 29°C (83°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) |
| Jun | 28°C (82°F) | 258 mm (10.2 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) |
| Jul | 28°C (82°F) | 243 mm (9.6 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 164 mm (6.5 in) |
| Aug | 28°C (82°F) | 187 mm (7.4 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 289 mm (11.4 in) |
| Sep | 28°C (82°F) | 287 mm (11.3 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 328 mm (12.9 in) |
| Oct | 26°C (80°F) | 255 mm (10 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 254 mm (10 in) |
| Nov | 25°C (77°F) | 183 mm (7.2 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 121 mm (4.8 in) |
| Dec | 25°C (76°F) | 138 mm (5.4 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.