A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Punta Cana vs. Santa Elena for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Punta Cana or Santa Elena?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Punta Cana or Santa Elena? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Punta Cana or Santa Elena?

Punta Cana

Punta Cana, located on the easternmost tip of the Dominican Republic, is renowned for its stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant culture. This Caribbean paradise offers a diverse range of experiences that cater to all types of travelers, whether you're on a tight budget, seeking thrilling activities, exploring local cuisine, or figuring out the best ways to get around.

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%.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Dominican Republic, The Best Adventure Tours to Dominican Republic, The Best G Adventures Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Costa Rica.


Which place is cheaper, Santa Elena or Punta Cana?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Punta Cana is $170, while the average daily cost in Santa Elena is $109. 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 Punta Cana and Santa Elena in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Punta Cana $95
    Santa Elena $55
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Punta Cana $190
    Santa Elena $110
Compare Hotels in Punta Cana and Santa Elena

Looking for a hotel in Punta Cana or Santa Elena? 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.

Hotels in Punta Cana


Hotels in Santa Elena


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: Punta Cana Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Punta Cana $6.39
    Santa Elena $11

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Punta Cana

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Punta Cana:

  • Private Transfer from Punta Cana PUJ to Samana: $299
  • Roundtrip VIP Transfer from Punta Cana Airport to Punta Cana Hotels: $270
  • La Romana port transfers (combined transfers: airport-hotel-port): $266
  • Private Transfer from puntacana AirPort to Bayahibe/romana: $260
  • Punta Cana Airport (PUJ) to Santo Domingo - Round-Trip Transfer: $257
  • Transfers From Punta Cana Airport (PUJ)<=>To All place at Juan Dolio: $255
  • Private Round Trip Punta Cana Airport to Uvero Alto Villa/Hotel Transfer: $250
  • Private car transfer from Punta Cana Airport to Santo Domingo: $250
  • Roundtrip VIP transfers from Punta Cana to uvero alto and bavaro: $230
  • Transfers From Las America Airport AILA SDQ<=>To All Place at Punta Cana: $227
  • Private Transfer from Punta Cana to La Altagracia Province: $220
  • Punta Cana to Bayahibe transfer: $191

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Elena

Also for Santa Elena, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Direct transfer from Monteverde to San Jose, English Speaking Driver: $197
  • MiniVan Departure Transfer Monteverde to San Jose Airport SJO: $215
  • One Way Private Transfer from Monteverde - Liberia: $276
  • Private Transfer From Monteverde to San Jose With 2 Stops: $233
  • Private Transfer From Monteverde to your Destination: $240
  • Private Transfer Liberia Airport to Saint Helena Monte Verde: $210

Is it cheaper to fly into Punta Cana or Santa Elena?

Prices for flights to both Santa Elena and Punta Cana 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 day
    Punta Cana $64
    Santa Elena $41

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Punta Cana

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Punta Cana.

  • Origen Tasting Adventure Dinner or Lunch of 8 Courses Dom Cuisine: $85
  • Taste of DR Street Food Tour: $125
  • Sunset Buggies Adventure with Dinner from Punta Cana: $130
  • Punta Cana Night Tour Polaris Ride Dinner Music and Open Bar: $169

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:

  • Monteverde Cooking Class: $60

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Punta Cana $30
    Santa Elena $30
Typical Entertainment Prices in Punta Cana

Here are a few typical costs in Punta Cana for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Dune Buggy Adventure
    $51

Tours and Activities in Punta Cana

Here are a few actual costs in Punta Cana for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Adventure:4x4 ATV Cave and Dominican Culture At Punta Cana: $40
  • Enjoy Our Tours Higuey City Cultural : $45
  • Explore Punta Cana Buggy or ATV Adventure in Macao: $59
  • Full Day Tour to Santo Domingo with Lunch.: $70
  • Full Experience Hacienda – 6 Exciting Adventures: $90
  • Full-Day Boat Tour of Los Haitises National Park: $165
  • Full-Day Santo Domingo City Tour: $89
  • Half Day Higuey City Tour from Punta Cana with Pick Up: $82
  • Macao Beach private horseback tour in punta cana : $55
  • Private ATV Tour from Punta Cana : $250
  • Tours Parasailing Punta Cana: $99
  • Tours Ziplines Punta Cana : $99

Tours and Activities in Santa Elena

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santa Elena.

  • Admission Ticket to Las Pumas Rescue Center : $20
  • Curicancha Birdwatching Tour: $22
  • Cloud Forest hanging bridges with a local naturalist tour guide: $22
  • Night Walk Tour in Monteverde: $24
  • Guided Butterfly Conservatory Tour in Costa Rica: $26
  • Monteverde Cloud Forest Tour: $26
  • Kinkajou Night Walk Tour: $27
  • Monteverde: Kinkajou Forest Night Walking Tour: $27
  • Monteverde Butterfly Gardens Tour: $28
  • Adventure Day - Outdoor Fun for Family & Friends Package: $29
  • Selvatura Park: Herpetarium Tour in Monteverde: $29
  • Cloud Forest Small Group Tour: $30

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Punta Cana $10
    Santa Elena $6.21

Sample the Local Flavors in Punta Cana

Also in Punta Cana, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Bar Crawl in Punta Cana: $35


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Punta Cana and Santa Elena, we can see that Punta Cana is more expensive. And not only is Santa Elena much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Punta Cana is in Caribbean Islands and Santa Elena 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 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 Punta Cana would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Punta Cana 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 Punta Cana Expensive? and Is Santa Elena Expensive?.