Which place is cheaper, Easter Island or Santa Elena?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Santa Elena or Easter Island?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Santa Elena and Easter Island. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Santa Elena or Easter Island?
Santa Elena
Santa Elena is a cute town, and the closest to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. It's one of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica, and is a great place to experience the cloud forest and see some of country's unique wildlife.
In the Monteverde Cloud Forest you have a good chance of seeing rare quetzals which are the national bird of Costa Rica. Other common animals include white-faced capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, orange-kneed tarantulas, any of 8-9 species of hummingbirds, and sloth.
Santa Elena is about 1,400 meters above sea level and has a humid and damp environment. The average yearly temperature is 64 degrees Fahrenheit and the average rainfall is 3,000 millimetres. Humidity can be anywhere between 74% and 97%.
Easter Island
Although Easter Island is considered a territory of Chile, it is actually located far out in the Pacific, almost halfway to Tahiti. Easter Island is well known, despite being one of the most isolated islands on Earth, because of the mysterious giant stone busts which date back centuries. There are 887 monumental statues, called moai, that were built by the Rapa Nui people. There remains much mystery around the historic Polynesian culture which created the stones, as well as the specific meaning for them.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to Costa Rica, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Costa Rica, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Chile, and The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Chile.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySanta Elena $92Easter Island $80
The average daily cost (per person) in Santa Elena is $92, while the average daily cost in Easter Island is $80. 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 Santa Elena and Easter Island in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSanta Elena $55Easter Island $44
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSanta Elena $110Easter Island $88
Compare Hotels in Santa Elena and Easter Island
Looking for a hotel in Santa Elena or Easter Island? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Santa Elena $11Easter Island $2.59
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Elena
Also for Santa Elena, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer Lake crossing from Monteverde To Arenal From 1 to 6 passengers: $249
- Private Transfer From Monteverde To La Fortuna From 1 to 6 passengers: $270
- Peñas Blancas to Liberia Airport (LIR) Departure Private Transfer: $38
- One-Way Private Transfer: Monteverde to Quepos and Manuel Antonio: $276
- One Way Private Transfer from Monteverde - Liberia: $276
- Direct transfer from Monteverde to San Jose, English Speaking Driver: $179
Is it cheaper to fly into Santa Elena or Easter Island?
Prices for flights to both Easter Island and Santa Elena 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 daySanta Elena $24Easter Island $25
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santa Elena
For Santa Elena, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Night Walk in Monteverde with Dinner Included: $55
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Easter Island
For Easter Island, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Dinner, Show and Traditional Curanto Te Ra'ai Cultural Experience: $120
- Rapa Nui Dinner Show on Easter Island: $153
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Santa Elena $30Easter Island $40
Tours and Activities in Santa Elena
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santa Elena.
- Cloud Forest hanging bridges with a local naturalist tour guide: $70
- Curi-cancha Bird-Watching tour semi private : $50
- Day & Night Nature Tour in Monteverde Combo tour : $190
- Wildlife Tour in Curicancha : $25
- 100% Adventure Park Combo: Zipline, Superman, and Mega Tarzan Tour in Monteverde: $57
- 3 hours of the Longest and Highest Extreme Zip line Experience in Monteverde: $80
- 5-Hour Birdwatching and Photography Tour in Monteverde: $100
- Adventure Day - Outdoor activities for Family and Friends Special Package.: $29
- Adventure Park High Ropes Course : $69
- Authentic experience of Coffee, Cane and Caco inside the forest: $37
- Bird Watching Experience in Monteverde: $90
- Bird-Watching private tour : $100
Typical Entertainment Prices in Easter Island
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Easter Island's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Bike Rental$8.38
Tours and Activities in Easter Island
For Easter Island, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2-Day Tour Touring the Highlights of Rapa Nui: $300
- Half Day Private Tour: Caves and Volcanic Refuges: $170
- 2 Day Private Tour: Rapa Nui's Cultural Heritage: $300
- 2 Days Highlights Tour in Easter Island Moai and Nature: $210
- 3 Hours Terevaka Horseback Private Guided Riding Tour: $180
- Easter Island Full-Day Tour: Ahu Tongariki, Rano Raraku and Anakena Beach: $171
- Easter Island Moai Archaeology Tour: Ahu Akivi, Ahu Tahai and Puna Pauâ Quarry.: $91
- Poike Volcano Private Hiking Tour with Guide: $280
- Experience Easter Island Shared Tour for Cruise Ship Passengers : $290
- Full Day Hotu Matua Tour from Vaihu to Anakena: $70
- Full Day Private Tour: Factory of the Moai the stone giants: $219
- Full Day Tour - The Land of Hotu Matu´a: $177
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySanta Elena $6.22Easter Island $5.34
When comparing the travel costs between Santa Elena and Easter Island, we can see that Santa Elena 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. Even though Santa Elena is in Central America and Easter Island is in South America, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Santa Elena Expensive? and Is Easter Island Expensive?.
When is the best time to visit Santa Elena or Easter Island?
Easter Island has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Santa Elena experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Santa Elena or Easter Island in the Summer?
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both Santa Elena and Easter Island. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Santa Elena year-round.
In the summer, Santa Elena is a little warmer than Easter Island. Typically, the summer temperatures in Santa Elena in July average around 28°C (82°F), and Easter Island averages at about 24°C (74°F)in January.
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Easter Island this time of the year. Santa Elena usually receives less sunshine than Easter Island during summer. Santa Elena gets 164 hours of sunny skies, while Easter Island receives 272 hours of full sun in the summer.
Santa Elena gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In July, Santa Elena usually receives more rain than Easter Islandin January. Santa Elena gets 164 mm (6.5 in) of rain, while Easter Island receives 73 mm (2.9 in) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures July and JanuarySanta Elena 28°C (82°F)Easter Island 24°C (74°F)
Should I visit Santa Elena or Easter Island in the Autumn?
The autumn brings many poeple to Santa Elena as well as Easter Island. Santa Elena attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
In October, Santa Elena is generally a little warmer than Easter Islandin April. Daily temperatures in Santa Elena average around 27°C (81°F), and Easter Island fluctuates around 22°C (72°F).
In the autumn, Santa Elena often gets less sunshine than Easter Islandin April. Santa Elena gets 169 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Easter Island receives 185 hours of full sun.
It's quite rainy in Easter Island. Santa Elena receives a lot of rain in the autumn. Santa Elena usually gets more rain in October than Easter Islandin April. Santa Elena gets 254 mm (10 in) of rain, while Easter Island receives 121 mm (4.8 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures October and AprilSanta Elena 27°C (81°F)Easter Island 22°C (72°F)
Should I visit Santa Elena or Easter Island in the Winter?
Both Easter Island and Santa Elena are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Santa Elena throughout the year.
Santa Elena is a little warmer than Easter Island in the winter. The daily temperature in Santa Elena averages around 27°C (81°F) in January, and Easter Island fluctuates around 18°C (65°F)in July.
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Santa Elena. Santa Elena usually receives more sunshine than Easter Island during winter. Santa Elena gets 264 hours of sunny skies, while Easter Island receives 148 hours of full sun in the winter.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Easter Island. In January, Santa Elena usually receives less rain than Easter Islandin July. Santa Elena gets 8 mm (0.3 in) of rain, while Easter Island receives 105 mm (4.1 in) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures January and JulySanta Elena 27°C (81°F)Easter Island 18°C (65°F)
Should I visit Santa Elena or Easter Island in the Spring?
Both Easter Island and Santa Elena during the spring are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Santa Elena because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In the spring, Santa Elena is much warmer than Easter Island. Typically, the spring temperatures in Santa Elena in April average around 29°C (85°F), and Easter Island averages at about 20°C (67°F)in October.
In Easter Island, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Santa Elena. In the spring, Santa Elena often gets more sunshine than Easter Islandin October. Santa Elena gets 255 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Easter Island receives 224 hours of full sun.
Santa Elena usually gets less rain in April than Easter Islandin October. Santa Elena gets 28 mm (1.1 in) of rain, while Easter Island receives 68 mm (2.7 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures April and OctoberSanta Elena 29°C (85°F)Easter Island 20°C (67°F)
Typical Weather for Easter Island and Santa Elena
| Santa Elena | Easter Island | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 27°C (81°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) | 24°C (74°F) | 73 mm (2.9 in) |
| Feb | 28°C (83°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) | 24°C (75°F) | 85 mm (3.3 in) |
| Mar | 29°C (84°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) | 24°C (75°F) | 96 mm (3.8 in) |
| Apr | 29°C (85°F) | 28 mm (1.1 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 121 mm (4.8 in) |
| May | 29°C (83°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) | 20°C (69°F) | 153 mm (6 in) |
| Jun | 28°C (82°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) | 19°C (67°F) | 106 mm (4.2 in) |
| Jul | 28°C (82°F) | 164 mm (6.5 in) | 18°C (65°F) | 105 mm (4.1 in) |
| Aug | 26°C (79°F) | 289 mm (11.4 in) | 19°C (65°F) | 94 mm (3.7 in) |
| Sep | 28°C (82°F) | 328 mm (12.9 in) | 19°C (66°F) | 87 mm (3.4 in) |
| Oct | 27°C (81°F) | 254 mm (10 in) | 20°C (67°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) |
| Nov | 27°C (81°F) | 121 mm (4.8 in) | 21°C (69°F) | 74 mm (2.9 in) |
| Dec | 27°C (81°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 86 mm (3.4 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.