A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers San Jose vs. Bonaire for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit San Jose or Bonaire?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between San Jose or Bonaire, 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: San Jose or Bonaire?

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.

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 CuraƧao, 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 Budget Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Costa Rica.


Which place is cheaper, Bonaire or San Jose?

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 San Jose is $103, 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 San Jose and Bonaire in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    San Jose $49
    Bonaire $155
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    San Jose $98
    Bonaire $310
Compare Hotels in San Jose and Bonaire

Looking for a hotel in San Jose 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.

Hotels in San Jose


Hotels in Bonaire


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: San Jose Hotel Prices and Bonaire Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    San Jose $19
    Bonaire $65
Typical Local Transportation Prices in San Jose

Some typical examples of transportation costs in San Jose are as follows:


  • Taxi from SJO
    $25
  • Local Bus
    $2.72

Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Jose

Also for San Jose, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private transfer from San José airport to San José hotels: $29
  • Private San José Airport Transfer to San José Hotels : $40
  • Private Transfer from City - San Jose Airport (SJO): $43
  • Private One-way Transfer from Juan Santamaria Airport to San Jose: $44
  • Private One-way Transfer from San Jose to Juan Santamaria Airport: $45
  • Private Airport and Hotel Transfer: Alajuela and San Jose: $45
  • Private Transfer from San Jose to La Fortuna de Arenal: $46
  • Private Transfer from San Jose Airport One Way: $56
  • San Jose to Juan Santamaria Intl. Airport (SJO) – Departure Private Transfer: $58
  • Private transfer from San Jose-Heredia-Alajuela Hotels to International Airport: $60
  • Transfer 1 to 3 Pax Juan Santamaria Airport to SJO Hotels : $60
  • Private transfer from SJO Intl Airport to downtown Hotels: $65

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 San Jose or Bonaire?

Prices for flights to both Bonaire and San Jose 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
    San Jose $31
    Bonaire $101

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 including Markets: $29
  • San Jose Cooking Classes visit Central Market: $52
  • San Jose By Night: Farm to Table Dinner, Cooking & Cocktail Class: $59
  • Half-Day San Jose Evening Bus Tour with Dinner and Pickup: $78
  • San Jose By Night: Sights & Culture Tour with Local Dinner : $80
  • Dinner + Typical dance show at the best viewpoint in San José: $92
  • Street Food Tour in San Jose with a Local Guide: $113
  • Arenal Volcano Full-Day Combo Tour with Lunch and Dinner: $185

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
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    San Jose $21
    Bonaire $40

Tours and Activities in San Jose

For San Jose, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Self Guided Audio Walking Tour of San Jose Highlights: $4.62
  • Hiking Experience in El Quetzal Private Reserve: $26
  • Private Guided Tour of Cheese in Canaan de Rivas: $30
  • Sarapiqui Frog Experience: Night Experience in the Jungle.: $30
  • Hacienda Alsacia Starbucks Coffe Tour: $31
  • Poas Volcano National Park - Admission Ticket: $32
  • 2-Hour Orosi Nocturnal Tour: $33
  • San Jose ART Walking Tour - small groups, creative experience: $35
  • Historical Tour and Old Houses by Dota: $35
  • San Jose Walking Nature Tour: Sloths, Birds and Trees: $35
  • Skip the Line: Rescate Wildlife Rescue Centre General Admission Ticket: $35
  • Sarapiqui Rainforest Night Walk : Wildlife & Adventure.: $35

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
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    San Jose $16
    Bonaire $33

Sample the Local Flavors in San Jose

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in San Jose:

  • Exclusive Pub Crawl in San Jose : $30
  • Bar Crawl in Downtown San Jose: $39
  • 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 San Jose and Bonaire, we can see that Bonaire is more expensive. And not only is San Jose much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since San Jose is in Central America 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 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 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 San Jose.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is San Jose Expensive? and Is Bonaire Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, San Jose or Bonaire?

San Jose has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Bonaire. When comparing the sizes of San Jose 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.