Is Santa Elena Expensive?

Is Santa Elena expensive to visit?

While Santa Elena is a popular place for travelers, it is also somewhat affordable and less expensive to visit. The average daily cost is $110, which is one of the many reasons for its popularity with tourists. When compared to other destinations in Central America, many visitors find it to be a moderately priced destination. It's in the top 50% of places in Central America for its travel costs, and our cost analysis found it to be comparable to Belize City and Jaco.

Cloud Forest in Costa Rica

How expensive is Santa Elena?

For a trip to Santa Elena, travelers spend on average $110 per day (U.S. Dollars). This is according to our calculations from previous visitors. As this is an average cost, your individual spending may vary, especially since there's a wide range of accommodation, food, transportation, and entertainment options here. If you stick to moderately-priced hotels and restaurants, as well as take advantage of some of free things to do in the area, you can stick close to the average budget. See more travel costs for Santa Elena here to see how all of the average spending costs pan out.

How expensive is a weekend trip (three days) to Santa Elena?

On average, a weekend trip to Santa Elena costs about $329 per person. This is based on the previous expenses of actual travelers, and includes accommodation, food, activities, local transportation, and more. For two people, a weekend trip costs $659.

How expensive is a one week (7-day) trip to Santa Elena?

A one week trip to Santa Elena costs about $769 per person on average, based on the previous expenses of other travelers. This includes accommodation, sightseeting activities, transportation, food, and nightlife. For two people, a one week trip costs $1,537.

Tree Frog, Costa Rica

Is it expensive to backpack in Santa Elena?

With more than 10 hostels in the area, Santa Elena is a popular backpacker destination for travelers looking to stay on a tight budget and have a fun time along the way. Here, hostels cost an average of $10 per night for a dorm bed, with private rooms being more expensive. (See hostel prices in Santa Elena here.) It's also common to see a wide range in prices, as the cheapest hostels here cost $1, but the most expensive can be more than $22 per night.

Here are a few sample prices from popular hostels in Santa Elena.

• $1 for a dorm bed at Monteverde Backpackers
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• $9 for a dorm bed at Sleepers/Campos de Oro Wilderness Lodge
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• $9 for a dorm bed at OutBox Inn
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How expensive are sightseeing activities in Santa Elena?

In Santa Elena, the cost of activities and things to do can vary by the type of activity, its length, and the location. To provide an estimate of what to expect during your visit, below are several popular activities that are common in the area. On average, previous travelers have spent around $30 per day on sightseeing and entertainment, which is less than the country's average of $32.

• Monteverde Reserve Small Group Tour: $75
• Monteverde Night Tour in the Forests: $35
• Night Walk Tour in Monteverde: $24
• Cloud Forest Small Group Tour: $30
• Private Birdwatching Tour and Photography : $155
• Rural Coffee Processes Inside the Forest with Night Tour: $55
• Costa Rica Night Walk Tour: $30
• Walking Guided Tour in Monteverde Reserve: $30

Is food expensive in Santa Elena?

In Santa Elena, the cost of food can vary by the type of restaurant and food options available. To save money, eat at less expensive restaurants, try street food, or cook your own meals when possible. On average, previous travelers have spent around $41 per day on food, which is less than the country's average of $42.

• Monteverde Cooking Class: $60

Is transportation expensive in Santa Elena?

Exploring local transportation in Santa Elena shows that the price can vary greatly by the type of transportation used. On average, previous travelers have spent $11 per person per day, which is less than the country's average of $26. If you want to save money, use public transit as it's much cheaper than taxis or private drivers.

More for Santa Elena

If you're planning a trip to Santa Elena, Costa Rica, check out these other informative travel guides.

We've been gathering travel costs from tens of thousands of actual travelers since 2010, and we use the data to calculate average daily travel costs for destinations around the world. We also systematically analyze the prices of hotels, hostels, and tours from travel providers such as Kayak, HostelWorld, TourRadar, Viator, and others. This combination of expenses from actual travelers, combined with pricing data from major travel companies, gives us a uniqe insight into the overall cost of travel for thousands of cities in countries around the world. You can see more here: How it Works.