Which place is cheaper, San Jose or Vienna?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Vienna or San Jose?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Vienna 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.
Where Should I go: Vienna or San Jose?
Vienna
Vienna is the largest city and capital of Austria. It has a population of over 1.7 million and is a cultural, political and economic center for the country. The historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and some complain that it feels more like a museum than a real city. Outside of the historical center though, is a young and vibrant city with a huge music scene, many street performers, and eclectic and fun restaurants and nightclubs.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Austria, The Best Tours for Seniors to Austria, The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Costa Rica.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayVienna €151San Jose €85
The average daily cost (per person) in Vienna is €151, while the average daily cost in San Jose is €85. 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 Vienna and San Jose in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personVienna €94San Jose €46
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomVienna €188San Jose €92
Compare Hotels in Vienna and San Jose
Looking for a hotel in Vienna or San Jose? 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: Vienna Hotel Prices and San Jose Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Vienna €19San Jose €18
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Vienna
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Vienna:
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Bus to Airport€30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vienna
Also for Vienna, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Zoo with Private Flexible Transfers and Tickets: $125
- Zoo with Private Flexible Transfers and Tickets: $123
- Private One-Way Transfer to Cesky Krumlov: $635
- Private 1-Way Transfer to/from Vienna Airport: $75
- Melk Abbey and Salzburg Trip with Private Transfer: $928
- Airport Transfer to/from Bratislava: $86
- Vienna to Prague - Private Transfer with 2 hours of Sightseeing: $273
- Vienna Private Transfer from Vienna Airport to City centre: $77
- Vienna Private Airport Transfer: $71
- Vienna International Airport Business Transfer to Vienna City: $142
- Vienna International Airport (VIE) to Vienna Downtown - Arrival Private Transfer: $45
- Vienna Departure Private Transfers from Vienna City to Vienna Airport VIE: $106
Typical Local Transportation Prices in San Jose
Some typical examples of transportation costs in San Jose are as follows:
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Taxi from SJO€24
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Local Bus€2.58
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Jose
Also for San Jose, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfers to Occidental Papagayo - Secrets Resort, Round-Trip: $130
- Transfer to Los Sueños Marriot Playa Herradura from San Jose or Airport: $215
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from SanJose Juan Santamaría Airport to SanJose City: $39
- Transfer from San Jose Airport CR (SJO) to Arenal La Fortuna Hotels: $279
- Transfer from Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) to Quepos Cruise Port: $72
- Transfer TO & FROM SJO Airport to Esterillos - Bejuco Not Shared.: $180
- Transfer SJO Airport TO & FROM Dominical OR Uvita (One Way): $290
- Transfer Costa Rica SJO Airport To OR From Hotels nearby Private : $45
- Transfer Airport area to Manuel Antonio Hotels Private One Way: $185
- Transfer Airport Area to Jaco Hotels Private One Way Transport: $150
- Shuttle & transfer rides to Jaco beach: $137
- Shared transfer to Manuel Antonio: $70
Is it cheaper to fly into Vienna or San Jose?
Prices for flights to both San Jose and Vienna 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 dayVienna €33San Jose €17
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vienna
For Vienna, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Hard Rock Cafe with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $28
- Hard Rock Cafe Vienna with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $29
- 1 Hour Tradtional Kaiserschmarrn Cooking Class & Tasting in Wien: $41
- Performance Of The Lipizzans At Spanish Riding School: $44
- Naschmarkt Food Tour: $64
- Traditional Vienna Tasting Dinner With Folk Music: $69
- Vienna Evening Sightseeing Cruise With Music and Dinner: $74
- Naschmarkt Guided Food Tour: $74
- 3-Course Evening Dinner Cruise: $76
- Traditional Dinner Show at the Wiener Rathauskeller: $85
- Kursalon New Year's Day Concert with optional Dinner: $87
- Schnitzel cooking class with Nicole: $98
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:
- Bites and Sights: Walking Food Tour in San Jose, Costa Rica: $34
- San Jose By Night Tour: Farm to Table Dinner & Cocktail Class: $57
- San Jose Bites and Sights Walking Food Tour and visit Gold Museum : $60
- Half-Day San Jose Evening Bus Tour with Dinner and Pickup: $76
- Explore San Jose By Night: Food and Culture Tour with Local Dinner: $80
- Dinner + Typical Show in the best viewpoint of the City: $99
- Arenal Volcano Full-Day Combo Tour with Lunch and Dinner: $179
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Vienna €38San Jose €20
Tours and Activities in Vienna
For Vienna, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Concert show and museum ticket in House of Strauss: $71
- Private themed Tour of the Art History Museum (Kunsthistorisches Museum):"The Saviour, the Ruler, and Simply a Beauty: Women in Art": $164
- "Girls just want to have Wine" - TUK TUK Sightseeing Tour: $152
- "The Third Man" Film Location Tour: $28
- 2 Hours Private Walking Tour in Vienna with Photography: $98
- 3 hour private walking tour - Vienna: $139
- 3-Hour Private Hiking Tour to historic places around Spitz in Wachau Valley: $252
- 3-Hour Private Tour of Vienna: $164
- 3-Hour Walking Tour of Vienna Central Cemetery: $322
- 4-Hour Private Alpine Hiking Tour 'Matterhorn of the Prealps': $210
- 5-Hour Private Alpine Hiking Tour 'Wild water at Hochwechsel': $252
- A Self-Guided Tour of Vienna the Home of Classical Music: $20
Tours and Activities in San Jose
For San Jose, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Explore San Jose on Foot: Food Delights and Sights Tour: $47
- Street Food Walking Tour in Downtown San Jose: $60
- 3 in 1 Eco Tour Rain Forest Aerial Tram, River Cruise & Nature Walk Private Tour: $299
- 6 in 1 RainForest Adventure From San Jose: $189
- A taste of Aquiares - 2 hours Coffee Tour: $42
- AERIAL TRAM TOUR - HALF DAY PASS Rainforest Adventures Braulio Ca: $78
- AWA Water Museum - Waterfall Adventure (Organic Food Experience): $98
- Arenal Volcano Eco Tour & Baldi Hot Springs Private Tour from San Jose: $285
- Arenal Volcano Experience Full-Day Tour from San Jose: $159
- Arenal Volcano Hanging Bridges & Baldi Hot Springs. Private Tour from San Jose: $285
- Arenal Volcano Hike and Hot Springs Tour from San Jose: $142
- Arenal Volcano Horseback Riding & Baldi Hot Springs. Private Tour: $295
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayVienna €17San Jose €16
Sample the Local Flavors in Vienna
Also in Vienna, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Pub Crawl Vienna: $16
- Vienna Nights Pub Crawl: $16
- City Center Pub Crawl: $27
- Wine Tasting at Traditional Cellar: $34
- Guided Wine Tasting in a Private Wine Cellar: $39
- Viennese Wine Tasting in a Private Hidden Wine Cellar: $39
- Wine Tasting at Schönbrunn Palace: $48
- Austrian Wine Tasting Experience: $64
- Vienna Historical Highlight City Tour + Wine Tasting: $74
- Skip-the-Line Schönbrunn Palace Entry & Wine Tasting: $83
- Wine Tasting E-Bike Tour: $91
- Romantic Old Vienna City Walk and Wine Tasting: $96
Sample the Local Flavors in San Jose
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in San Jose:
- Bar Crawl in Downtown San Jose: $38
- Wine Tour and Tasting: $85
- Bar Crawl in San Jose in a Deluxe Party Bus: $100
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Vienna and San Jose, we can see that Vienna is more expensive. And not only is San Jose much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Vienna is in Europe and San Jose is in Central 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 San Jose would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Jose 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 Vienna would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Vienna than you might in San Jose.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Vienna Expensive? and Is San Jose Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Vienna or San Jose?
Vienna has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of San Jose. When comparing the sizes of Vienna and San Jose, 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.
When is the best time to visit Vienna or San Jose?
Vienna has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but San Jose experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Vienna or San Jose in the Summer?
Both San Jose and Vienna are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. The summer months attract visitors to Vienna because of the music scene and the family-friendly experiences. Plenty of visitors come to San Jose because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In July, Vienna is generally cooler than San Jose. Daily temperatures in Vienna average around 23°C (73°F), and San Jose fluctuates around 28°C (82°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Vienna. Vienna usually receives more sunshine than San Jose during summer. Vienna gets 255 hours of sunny skies, while San Jose receives 164 hours of full sun in the summer.
It rains a lot this time of the year in San Jose. In July, Vienna usually receives less rain than San Jose. Vienna gets 63 mm (2.5 in) of rain, while San Jose receives 164 mm (6.5 in) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyVienna 23°C (73°F)San Jose 28°C (82°F)
Should I visit Vienna or San Jose in the Autumn?
Both San Jose and Vienna during the autumn are popular places to visit. The shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area are the main draw to Vienna this time of year. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to San Jose year-round.
Vienna is much colder than San Jose in the autumn. The daily temperature in Vienna averages around 12°C (54°F) in October, and San Jose fluctuates around 27°C (81°F).
In the autumn, Vienna often gets less sunshine than San Jose. Vienna gets 140 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while San Jose receives 169 hours of full sun.
San Jose gets a good bit of rain this time of year. Vienna usually gets less rain in October than San Jose. Vienna gets 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain, while San Jose receives 254 mm (10 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberVienna 12°C (54°F)San Jose 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Vienna or San Jose in the Winter?
The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Vienna and San Jose. Many travelers come to Vienna for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine. San Jose attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
Be prepared for some very cold days in Vienna. In the winter, Vienna is much colder than San Jose. Typically, the winter temperatures in Vienna in January average around 2°C (36°F), and San Jose averages at about 27°C (81°F).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in San Jose this time of the year. Vienna usually receives less sunshine than San Jose during winter. Vienna gets 65 hours of sunny skies, while San Jose receives 264 hours of full sun in the winter.
In January, Vienna usually receives more rain than San Jose. Vienna gets 38 mm (1.5 in) of rain, while San Jose receives 8 mm (0.3 in) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryVienna 2°C (36°F)San Jose 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Vienna or San Jose in the Spring?
The spring brings many poeple to Vienna as well as San Jose. Many visitors come to Vienna in the spring for the natural beauty. The warm climate attracts visitors to San Jose throughout the year.
In April, Vienna is generally much colder than San Jose. Daily temperatures in Vienna average around 13°C (55°F), and San Jose fluctuates around 29°C (85°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in San Jose. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Vienna this time of the year. In the spring, Vienna often gets less sunshine than San Jose. Vienna gets 202 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while San Jose receives 255 hours of full sun.
Vienna usually gets more rain in April than San Jose. Vienna gets 51 mm (2 in) of rain, while San Jose receives 28 mm (1.1 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilVienna 13°C (55°F)San Jose 29°C (85°F)
Typical Weather for San Jose and Vienna
| Vienna | San Jose | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 2°C (36°F) | 38 mm (1.5 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) |
| Feb | 4°C (38°F) | 42 mm (1.7 in) | 28°C (83°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) |
| Mar | 8°C (46°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) |
| Apr | 13°C (55°F) | 51 mm (2 in) | 29°C (85°F) | 28 mm (1.1 in) |
| May | 17°C (63°F) | 61 mm (2.4 in) | 29°C (83°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) |
| Jun | 20°C (69°F) | 74 mm (2.9 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) |
| Jul | 23°C (73°F) | 63 mm (2.5 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 164 mm (6.5 in) |
| Aug | 22°C (72°F) | 58 mm (2.3 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 289 mm (11.4 in) |
| Sep | 18°C (64°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 328 mm (12.9 in) |
| Oct | 12°C (54°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 254 mm (10 in) |
| Nov | 7°C (45°F) | 50 mm (2 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 121 mm (4.8 in) |
| Dec | 3°C (37°F) | 43 mm (1.7 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.