Which place is cheaper, Bonaire or Split?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Split or Bonaire?
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 Split and Bonaire. 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: Split or Bonaire?
Split
Spit is a historic city in Central Dalmatia with many opportunities to glimpse its fascinating past in its historic city center. Centuries ago the city grew up around a Diocletian palace that was used as refuge by the locals.
Today, as you wander around the historic center, you can see the remains of the Roman walls, temples, and squares. Despite it's appeal to tourists, Split is much more than just a tourist destination. It is larger than you might initially realize and it spreads well beyond the historic center. There is a population of about 300,000 in the larger area and it is an economic center for the region.
Split has a beautiful climate with mild winters, countless sunny days, and a generally pleasant temperature. As such, there are many opportunities to enjoy yourself outdoors, whether by participating in sports or walking around the city's quaint streets. Winters in Split are also quite mild, but there may be one snowy day, on average, every year. This rare snowfall can cause a significant disruption in the flow of traffic.
Bonaire
An island municipality of the Netherlands, Bonaire resides in the Caribbean, east of Central America and north of Venezuela. It is a part of the ABC Islands together with Aruba and Curaçao, and is best known as a tropical vacation destination with many great dive spots, beaches, lagoons, and wildlife.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Walking Tours in Croatia, and The Best Luxury Tours to Croatia.
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Split Prices
Croatia PricesBonaire Prices
Caribbean Netherlands Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySplit $148Bonaire $299
The average daily cost (per person) in Split is $148, while the average daily cost in Bonaire is $299. 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 Split and Bonaire in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSplit $86Bonaire $155
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSplit $172Bonaire $310
Compare Hotels in Split and Bonaire
Looking for a hotel in Split or Bonaire? 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: Split Hotel Prices and Bonaire Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Split $17Bonaire $65
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Split
Also for Split, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Split Airport = Split Transfer (both ways options): $37
- Private transfer from Split airport - Split, Kastela or Podstrana: $39
- Private Transfer from Split Airport (SPU) to Slatine (Island Ciovo): $39
- Ferry Transfers Between Split and Hvar: $40
- Airport Private Transfer to Split : $40
- Airport Private Transfer from Split: $40
- Luxury private transfer: Split airport to Split: $40
- Luxury private transfer: Split Town to Split airport: $40
- Split Cruise Port to Split Airport SPU-Departure Private Transfer: $42
- Split Airport (SPU) to Cruise Port of Split - Arrival Private Transfer: $42
- Private Transfer from Split Airport (SPU) to Cruise Port of Split: $42
- Private Transfer from Cruise Port of Split to Split hotels: $42
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bonaire
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bonaire:
- Private Transfers between Bonaire airport and any local address : $40
- Private Transfer from Kralendijk Port to Bonaire Airport (BON): $59
- Private Transfer from Kralendijk Cruise Port to Kralendijk city : $59
- Airport Transfer Return Included: $80
Is it cheaper to fly into Split or Bonaire?
Prices for flights to both Bonaire and Split 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 daySplit $48Bonaire $101
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Split
For Split, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Small Group Food Tour with Private Option: $53
- Split Food Tour: Discover Split One Bite at a Time: $140
- Split Food Tour: Discover Split One Bite At A Time: $143
- A Vineyard Feast: A Group Dinner and Wine Tasting: $199
- Split Cooking Class: $210
- Split Cooking Class - Afternoon Edition Shared Activity: $210
- Vegan Cooking Class with Local Market Tour in Split: $210
- Cooking class on island Brac: $251
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bonaire
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bonaire.
- Dinner at Sea: $95
- Discover the Flavors of Bonaire with the Bonaire Snack Food Tour: $130
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Split $4.36Bonaire $40
Tours and Activities in Split
For Split, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Split Quest Experience: Discover the City: $5.99
- Explore the Roman Splendor of Split on a Self Guided Walking Tour: $6.93
- Diocletian's Palace & Old Town Guided Walking Tour: $9.36
- Split Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $9.53
- Walking tour of Diocletian's Palace in Split: $9.54
- Quest Experience in Marjan Hill Witch Hunt: $12
- Split's Old Town and Marjan Hill: A Self Guided Audio Tour: $12
- Trogir Open Top Bus Trip + Free Split Walking Tour: $13
- Klis Fortress GOT and Olive Museum Entry Tickets: $14
- Museum of Illusions Entrance Ticket: $14
- Adriatic Blues and Roman Clues Split Audio Tour: $15
- Sightseeing Split's Roman Ruins: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
Tours and Activities in Bonaire
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bonaire are as follows:
- 2 Hours Private Kitesurfing Adventure: $265
- 4 Hours Open Air Party Bus Tour with Beach Stop in Caribbean: $39
- 4 hour Individual Island Tour for 1 to 12 persons: $180
- Aquaspace Sunset Sail and Snorkel Tour on Bonaire with Diner: $130
- Bonaire Cave Tour: Walk, Climb & Swim: $75
- Bonaire CaveTour Climb, Snorkel & Explore the Hidden Gems : $83
- Bonaire Essentials Island Tour: $49
- Bonaire Landsailing Adventures: $79
- Bonaire Shore Excursion: The Bonaire Highlights Tour: $83
- Bonaire island adventure: $110
- Discover Scuba Diving Experience: $164
- North & South Highlights Guided Group Tour: $100
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySplit $9.35Bonaire $33
Sample the Local Flavors in Split
Also in Split, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Diocletian's Palace Walking and Wine Tasting Tour: $18
- Tower Pub Crawl in Split: $32
- From Krka Waterfalls, Food & Wine Tasting Tour: $44
- From Krka Waterfalls, Food & Wine Tasting Tour: $45
- Split/Trogir: Krka National Park Day Trip with Wine Tasting: $49
- From Krka Waterfalls day tour & wine tasting: $49
- Krka National Park Tour with tour Guide & Wine tasting from Split & Trogir: $50
- Wine Tasting at Seafront Tasting Room in Kastela: $54
- Split&Sip: Educational wine tasting: $56
- Educational wine tasting in Split: $57
- Wine Tasting in the Diocletian's Palace: $59
- Wine Tasting in the Diocletian’s Palace: $60
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Split and Bonaire, we can see that Bonaire is more expensive. And not only is Split much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Split is in Europe and Bonaire is in Caribbean Islands, 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 Split would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Split 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 Bonaire would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bonaire than you might in Split.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Split Expensive? and Is Bonaire Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Split or Bonaire?
Split has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Bonaire. When comparing the sizes of Split and Bonaire, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
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.