Which place is cheaper, Galapagos Islands or Santa Elena?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Santa Elena or Galapagos Islands?
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 Galapagos Islands. 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 Galapagos Islands?
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%.
Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands are a small archipelago of islands belonging to Ecuador in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The Galapagos archipelago is world-renowned for its unique and fearless wildlife, much of which was inspiration for Charles Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection. Thanks to a lack of natural predators, friendly wildlife such as sea lions and gigantic sea tortoises let visitors get up close. This archipelago of about 19 islands and many smaller islets found over 620 miles off Ecuador's coast in the Pacific Ocean is a double World Heritage site, where both land and sea are protected. Each island boasts its own unique landscape, ranging from black, volcanic rocks to white sand beaches and gemstone-blue waters. There is no bad time to visit the Galapagos Islands but the busiest months for tourism tend to be June, July and August, as well as mid-December to mid-January. This is when prices are at their highest.
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 Romantic Tours for Couples in Ecuador, and The Best Honeymoon Tours in Ecuador.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySanta Elena $92Galapagos Islands $138
The average daily cost (per person) in Santa Elena is $92, while the average daily cost in Galapagos Islands is $138. 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 Galapagos Islands in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSanta Elena $55Galapagos Islands $65
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSanta Elena $110Galapagos Islands $130
Compare Hotels in Santa Elena and Galapagos Islands
Looking for a hotel in Santa Elena or Galapagos Islands? 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
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Santa Elena $11Galapagos Islands $54
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Elena
Also for Santa Elena, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- One Way Private Transfer from Monteverde - Liberia: $276
- Private Transfer From Monteverde To La Fortuna From 1 to 6 passengers: $270
- One Way Private Transfer from Monteverde to Samara : $269
- Private Transfer Lake crossing from Monteverde To Arenal From 1 to 6 passengers: $249
- Direct transfer from Monteverde to San Jose, English Speaking Driver: $180
- Peñas Blancas to Liberia Airport (LIR) Departure Private Transfer: $38
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Galapagos Islands
Also for Galapagos Islands, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Hotels in Santa Cruz to Baltra Airport: $159
- Private Transfer from Baltra Airport to Hotels in Santa Cruz Island: $159
- Transfer from Santa Cruz Island to San Cristobal Island: $64
- Transfer from Santa Cruz Island to Isabela Island: $55
- Transfer from Santa Cruz Island to San Cristobal Island: $48
Is it cheaper to fly into Santa Elena or Galapagos Islands?
Prices for flights to both Galapagos Islands 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
-
Food Meals for one daySanta Elena $24Galapagos Islands $33
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
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Santa Elena $30Galapagos Islands $35
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: $45
- Curi-cancha Bird-Watching tour semi private : $50
- 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
- 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
- Birdwatching Tour in Monteverde : $85
- Canopy Adventure From Monteverde: $72
Tours and Activities in Galapagos Islands
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Galapagos Islands.
- Isla Pinzón - Day Tour - From Santa Cruz - Islas Galápagos: $250
- Tour of the city to Isabela + Tintoreras from Santa Cruz: $256
- Bay Tour in Santa Cruz - Galapagos Islands: $60
- Beach Wildlife and Snorkel Adventure with Underwater Specialist : $129
- Cabo Rosa (Tuneles) Hiking & Snorkeling Tour from Isabela: $199
- Daily diving tour in Gordon Rocks: $280
- Day Tour to Floreana Island with Snorkeling and Fishing: $249
- Day Tour to Isabela Island with Tintorera Islet, Snorkeling Wetlands & Flamingos: $249
- Day Tour to Santa Fe Island and Hidden Beach with snorkeling and fishing: $219
- Day tour to Pinzón Island and La Fé/Palmitas Bay with snorkeling and fishing: $239
- Day tour to San Cristobal Island with private Land Tour and snorkeling: $249
- FERRY TICKET From: Isabela / To: Santa Cruz (AM): $65
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one daySanta Elena $6.22Galapagos Islands $15
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Santa Elena and Galapagos Islands, we can see that Galapagos Islands is more expensive. And not only is Santa Elena much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Santa Elena is in Central America and Galapagos Islands is in South America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Santa Elena would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santa Elena 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 Galapagos Islands would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Galapagos Islands than you might in Santa Elena.
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 Galapagos Islands Expensive?.
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.