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

Should you visit Punta Cana or Tamarindo?

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

Should I visit Punta Cana or Tamarindo? 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 Tamarindo?

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.

Tamarindo

Tamarindo is a small beach town in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica on the Pacific Coast. This town is usually sought out by surfers, fishers, couples, and families. There are delicious restaurants, beautiful beaches, and friendly Tico's and Tica's (local Costa Rican nicknames) everywhere.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Dominican Republic, The Best Adventure Tours to Dominican Republic, The Best Luxury Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica.


Which place is cheaper, Tamarindo 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 Tamarindo is $144. 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 Tamarindo in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Punta Cana $95
    Tamarindo $50
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Punta Cana $190
    Tamarindo $100
Compare Hotels in Punta Cana and Tamarindo

Looking for a hotel in Punta Cana or Tamarindo? 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 Tamarindo


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 and Tamarindo Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Punta Cana $6.39
    Tamarindo $69

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Punta Cana

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Punta Cana:

  • Private Transfers Punta Cana Airport & Hotels in Uvero Alto: $6.00
  • Private Transfers Punta Cana Airport and Cap Cana Hotels: $6.00
  • One Way Shared Transfer from Punta Cana : $9.34
  • Private Transfers from Punta Cana : $13
  • Private Punta Cana Airport Ground Transfers: $14
  • Private Punta Cana Airport Transfers & Hotels : $14
  • Transfer From Airport To Destination In Punta Cana: $14
  • Affordable Punta Cana Airport Transfers, Taxis and Shuttles: $15
  • Punta Cana Airport. Round Trip Transfers: $15
  • Private Punta Cana Airport Transfers Hotels in Dominican Republic: $15
  • Round trip Transfer from Punta Cana Airport To hotels in Dominican Republic: $15
  • Private Round-Trip Airport Transfer from Punta Cana Airport (PUJ): $15

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tamarindo

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Tamarindo:

  • Costa Rica Private LIR Airport Departure transfer : $6.00
  • Guanacaste Airport transfer to Jw Marriott Guanacaste: $130
  • Liberia Airport Private Transfer To Gulf of Papagayo Costa Rica: $125
  • Liberia Airport Private Transfer to Best Western Tamarindo: $100
  • Liberia Airport To Tamarindo Private Transfer: $95
  • Monteverde: Transfer to Tamarindo: $100
  • Playa Grande to Liberia Airport (LIR) Departure Private Transfer: $107
  • Private Round Trip Transfer: From Liberia Airport To Secrets Papagayo: $280
  • Private Transfer From LIR Airport to JW Marriott Guanacaste: $130
  • Private Transfer From LIR Airport to Westin Playa Conchal Resort: $140
  • Private Transfer From Liberia Airport To Casa Chameleon At Las Catalinas: $235
  • Private Transfer From Liberia Airport To Four Seasons: $80

Is it cheaper to fly into Punta Cana or Tamarindo?

Prices for flights to both Tamarindo 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
    Tamarindo $56

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 Tamarindo

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

  • Online Class on Zoom: Cooking Costa Rica Homemade Food: $35

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Punta Cana $30
    Tamarindo $17
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:

  • Punta Cana Souvenir Shopping Tour with Pickup: $4.80
  • Shopping Tour in Punta Cana with Round Trip Transportation: $5.00
  • Shopping Tour In Don Lucas Cigar Factory, Rum tasting, Cocoa factory, Souvenirs : $5.00
  • Guided Shopping Tour - Rum tasting, chocolate factory, Cigar factory: $5.00
  • Tour de Compras: Chocolate, Café y Artesanías en Punta Cana.: $5.00
  • Punta Cana Souvenir Shopping Tour with Free Pickup: $6.00
  • Tour of Souvenirs, Shopping in Punta Cana with Transportation Included: $10
  • Punta Cana Shopping Tour with Transportation: $15
  • Punta Cana Shopping Tour : $15
  • ATV Buggy Adventure in Punta Cana with Cultural Experience: $24
  • ATV Buggy Adventure to Macao Beach and Blue Water Cave: $25
  • ATV & Buggy adventure in Punta Cana + Water Cave + Macao Beach: $25

Tours and Activities in Tamarindo

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Tamarindo are as follows:

  • 1 Hour Private Horseback Riding Tour in Playa Conchal: $30
  • Tamarindo Estuary Tour: $45
  • Night Turtle Nesting Tour from Tamarindo: $46
  • Tamarindo Estuary Boat Tour: $47
  • Morning Moka -Tamarindo's Morning Coffee Tour: $62
  • Hiking Tour of La Leona Waterfall with Lunch: $65
  • Turtle Watching Tour: $70
  • ATV Tour through the Flamingo Potrero and Brasilito Area: $70
  • Zipline Canopy Tour from Guanacaste: $70
  • Private Wildlife Tour in Avellanas Beach: $75
  • Kayak and SUP Private Tour: $75
  • Tamarindo River Boat Tour: $75

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Punta Cana $10
    Tamarindo $14

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 Tamarindo, we can see that Punta Cana is more expensive. And not only is Tamarindo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Punta Cana is in Caribbean Islands and Tamarindo 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 Tamarindo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Tamarindo 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 Tamarindo.

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 Tamarindo Expensive?.