Which place is cheaper, San Pedro de Atacama or Acapulco de Juarez?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Acapulco de Juarez or San Pedro de Atacama?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Acapulco de Juarez or San Pedro de Atacama? 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: Acapulco de Juarez or San Pedro de Atacama?
Acapulco de Juarez
Located on the southwestern Pacific Coast of Mexico is the beautiful beach city of Acapulco de Juarez. Acapulco is one of the original travel and resort destinations in Mexico, and it's still considered a popular spring break destination for Americans. Known as simply "Acapulco" to many travelers, this region is a popular spot for cruise lines to stop and timeshares to grow. Thanks to those cruise lines and timeshares, tourist activities like water parks and jet skis have experienced considerable growth.
San Pedro de Atacama
San Pedro de Atacama is a gateway to northern Chile. It is a good jumping off point for exploring the area's impressive landscape, most of which is included in the Los Flamencos National Reserve. It is popular with both Chilean and international tourists, and because of its popularity, it is a relatively expensive destination, with many prices comparable to what you might pay in Santiago.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Santiago, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Chile.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAcapulco de Juarez $81San Pedro de Atacama $59
The average daily cost (per person) in Acapulco de Juarez is $81, while the average daily cost in San Pedro de Atacama is $59. 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 Acapulco de Juarez and San Pedro de Atacama in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAcapulco de Juarez $39San Pedro de Atacama $32
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAcapulco de Juarez $78San Pedro de Atacama $64
Compare Hotels in Acapulco de Juarez and San Pedro de Atacama
Looking for a hotel in Acapulco de Juarez or San Pedro de Atacama? 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.
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: Acapulco de Juarez Hotel Prices and San Pedro de Atacama Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Acapulco de Juarez $16San Pedro de Atacama $9.15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Acapulco de Juarez
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Acapulco de Juarez:
- Transfer in private minivan from Bahía de Acapulco -Acapulco Airport (ACA): $32
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from Bahía de Acapulco - Acapulco Airport (ACA): $24
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from Acapulco Airport (ACA) -Bahía de Acapulco: $24
- Shared transfer from Acapulco Airport (ACA) - Acapulco: $6.00
- Roundtrip Transfer Private Vehicle Acapulco Airport (ACA) - Bahia de Acapulco: $49
- Private Airport Transfer &on 2nd Day 4Hr TourAll AttractionsCombo: $90
- Airport Transfer in Suburban: $65
- Acapulco hotels to Acapulco Airport (ACA) – Departure Private Transfer : $20
- Acapulco Airport Transfer: $10
- Private Best Round Trip Airport - Hotel - Airport Transfer : $70
- Private - One Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $66
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Pedro de Atacama
Also for San Pedro de Atacama, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 3 Perfect Days in Atacama + Transfer: $250
- Atacama Airport Shuttle Transfer: $34
- Calama Airport Transfer to Atacama / Airport Lodging: $60
- Calama Airport: Shared Transfer to/from San Pedro de Atacama: $30
- Direct Transfer Atacama to Uyuni: $128
- Private transfer San Pedro de Atacama - calama airport: $200
- Puritama Thermal Transfer: $46
- Stargazing Experience with Transfer: $40
- Shared Transfer from San Pedro de Atacama to Calama Airport: $29
- Transfer to the Puritama Hot Springs: $60
- Transfers to San Pedro de Acatama (shared service): $30
Is it cheaper to fly into Acapulco de Juarez or San Pedro de Atacama?
Prices for flights to both San Pedro de Atacama and Acapulco de Juarez 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
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Food Meals for one dayAcapulco de Juarez $29San Pedro de Atacama $14
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Acapulco de Juarez
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Acapulco de Juarez.
- High Divers DeLuxe Three Course Dinner +Three Drinks plus SUNSET: $49
- Cliff Divers Exhibition 2 Drinks + Tacos al Pastor Dinner & Beer: $55
- Cliff Diver De Luxe 3 Course Dinner at "La Quebrada" in Acapulco: $56
- Cliff Divers Show With Dinner At Acapulco: $72
- Wrestling-Lucha Libre Experience Tacos Beer Dinner Only SUNDAY: $84
- Off the Beaten Path Mexican Cooking Class Lagoon Boatride &Lunch: $89
- Hands ON - Mex Cooking Class Experience - City Market & Lunch : $90
- Hands On Mexican Cooking Class with Food Tasting & Market Visit: $100
- Mexican Fiesta Show & Dinner: $115
- Bella Vista PRIVATE Al Fresco 3 Course Dinner Cliff Diver3Drinks: $191
- Super DeLuxe Bella Vista Dinner &1 Drink +2 Drinks at CliffDivers: $193
- Divers Show and Luxury Dinner in Acapulco: $199
Typical Food Prices in San Pedro de Atacama
For San Pedro de Atacama, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Empanadas$1.26
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Lunch$10
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Dinner$11
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Drink$0.94
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Empanada$5.24
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Pedro de Atacama
For San Pedro de Atacama, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Private Dinner Under the Stars: $300
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Acapulco de Juarez $18San Pedro de Atacama $21
Tours and Activities in Acapulco de Juarez
Here are a few actual costs in Acapulco de Juarez for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 4Hrs City Tour Exclusively for Hotels, Divers, Chapel & Mural.: $44
- 6Hr Walking Tour San Diego Fort Museum Cliff Divers Zocalo: $68
- Small-Group or Private All Inclusive 4 Hours City Tour & Divers: $36
- 4 Hrs Exclusive to Cruise Ship Passengers Sightseeing Experience : $62
- 4-6Hrs Acapulco City Tour With a Fun Guide. Diver Show, Mex Lunch: $47
- 4Hrs Small Group Half Day City Tour with Lunch at High Divers: $85
- 4hr City Tour For Cruises or Hotels Diver Peace Chapel & Mural: $40
- 6Hr City Tour Cruise or Hotel Turtle Nesting High Diver & Market: $51
- 6Hr Cruise or Hotels City Tour, Divers, Baby Turtles Peace Chapel: $51
- 6Hr Cruisers or Hotels High Diver Peace Chapel BabyTurtleRelease: $50
- Acapulco City Tour : $35
- Acapulco Historical Tour with Cliff Divers Show: $65
Typical Entertainment Prices in San Pedro de Atacama
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for San Pedro de Atacama's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Sand Boarding$56
Tours and Activities in San Pedro de Atacama
For San Pedro de Atacama, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Stargazing Tour with Astronomer in San Pedro de Atacama: $33
- Astronomical Tour with Guide and Pick Up San Pedro de Atacama: $39
- Tour to the Valley of the Moon San Pedro de Atacama: $42
- Astronomical Experience with Astrophotography in Atacama: $42
- Etno-Astronomical Experience: $43
- Traditional Ethnoastronomy Experience: $44
- Traditional Ethnoastronomy Tour in San Pedro de Atacama: $44
- Valle de la Luna Guided Tour: $44
- Guided Atacama Desert Stargazing Tour: $44
- Cejar Lagoon Tour: San Pedro de Atacama: $44
- Tour Compartido Valle de la Luna: $44
- Half day Valle de la Luna, Afternoon Tour: $45
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAcapulco de Juarez $11San Pedro de Atacama $4.94
Typical Alcohol Prices in San Pedro de Atacama
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in San Pedro de Atacama:
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Alcohol$25
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Acapulco de Juarez and San Pedro de Atacama, we can see that Acapulco de Juarez is more expensive. And not only is San Pedro de Atacama much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Acapulco de Juarez is in North America and San Pedro de Atacama is in South 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 San Pedro de Atacama would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Pedro de Atacama 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 Acapulco de Juarez would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Acapulco de Juarez than you might in San Pedro de Atacama.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Acapulco de Juarez Expensive? and Is San Pedro de Atacama Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Acapulco de Juarez or San Pedro de Atacama?
Acapulco de Juarez has a larger population, and is about 330 times larger than the population of San Pedro de Atacama. When comparing the sizes of Acapulco de Juarez and San Pedro de Atacama, 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.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.