A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Surfers Paradise vs. La Ceiba for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Surfers Paradise or La Ceiba?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Surfers Paradise or La Ceiba, 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: Surfers Paradise or La Ceiba?

Surfers Paradise

A tourist mecca, Surfers Paradise is one of the most popular travel destinations along Australia's famed Gold Coast. The beach stretches for miles and there is an endless supply of almost constant parties. You'll find high rise apartments lined up along the shore and plenty of shopping areas, restaurants, nightclubs, and bars. Travelers from around the world visit the area, and it's a right of passage for Australia's teens to vacation in or near Surfers Paradise. For many travelers, Surfers Paradise comes across as little more than a mass marketed, over commercialized, party destination, but for others it is a vacation dream. Prices are highly inflated so you have to keep your whits about you to avoid being ripped off. Surfers Paradise is a destination of extremes and it conjures up extreme emotions in many travelers, be it positive or negative.

La Ceiba

La Ceiba is the third largest city in Honduras, situated on the north Caribbean coast. The city has a population of about a quarter million people. Many people who visit this city do so before heading into Pico Bonito National Park. It hasn't had the best infrastructure for tourists in the past but is developing fast. It is about 200 kilometers from San Pedro Sula, another large city in Honduras.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Australia, The Best Adventure Tours to Australia, The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras, and The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras.


Which place is cheaper, La Ceiba or Surfers Paradise?

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 Surfers Paradise is $124, while the average daily cost in La Ceiba is $74. 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 Surfers Paradise and La Ceiba in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Surfers Paradise $67
    La Ceiba $22
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Surfers Paradise $134
    La Ceiba $44
Compare Hotels in Surfers Paradise and La Ceiba

Looking for a hotel in Surfers Paradise or La Ceiba? 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 Surfers Paradise


Hotels in La Ceiba


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: La Ceiba Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Surfers Paradise $11
    La Ceiba $30

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Surfers Paradise

Also for Surfers Paradise, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Gold Coast Theme Parks: Shared Hotel Transfers: $15

Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Ceiba

Some specific examples of transportation prices in La Ceiba:

  • Private Transfer from La Ceiba hotels to Banana Coast Cruise Port: $180
  • Private Transfer from Goloson Airport (LCE) to Banana Coast Port: $180
  • From Roatan: One Way Shared transfer to La Ceiba: $49
  • From Copan: One Way Shared Transfer to La Ceiba: $29
  • Ferry Transfer between La Ceiba and Roatán Island: $43

Is it cheaper to fly into Surfers Paradise or La Ceiba?

Prices for flights to both La Ceiba and Surfers Paradise 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
    Surfers Paradise $45
    La Ceiba $30

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Surfers Paradise

For Surfers Paradise, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Buffet Dinner Sightseeing Cruise: $85

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Surfers Paradise $24
    La Ceiba $21
Typical Entertainment Prices in Surfers Paradise

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Surfers Paradise's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Surf Lesson
    $79

Tours and Activities in Surfers Paradise

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

  • Surfers Paradise Sightseeing Midday River Cruise: $19
  • Gold Coast Afternoon River Cruise: $21
  • Surfers Paradise Sightseeing City Lights Cruise: $26
  • Surfers Paradise Sightseeing River Cruises: $26
  • HOTA: Gold Coast Home of the Arts Cruise & Dine Experience Pass: $27
  • Gold Coast Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Cruise 1 Day Pass: $30
  • Gold Coast Quack'rDuck Amphibious Tour from Surfers Paradise: $37
  • Surfers Paradise Sightseeing Sunset River Cruise: $37
  • Guided Gold Coast Amphibious Bus Tour: $38
  • Gold Coast: 360-Degree High-Speed Jet Boat Adventure: $39
  • Tropical Fruit World Farm Full Tour : $45
  • Surfers Paradise Sunset Kayak Tour: $53

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Surfers Paradise $11
    La Ceiba $4.85


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Surfers Paradise and La Ceiba, we can see that Surfers Paradise is more expensive. And not only is La Ceiba much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Surfers Paradise is in Pacific and La Ceiba 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 La Ceiba would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in La Ceiba 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 Surfers Paradise would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Surfers Paradise than you might in La Ceiba.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Surfers Paradise Expensive? and Is La Ceiba Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Surfers Paradise or La Ceiba?

La Ceiba has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Surfers Paradise. When comparing the sizes of Surfers Paradise and La Ceiba, 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.