A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Antananarivo vs. Cancun for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Antananarivo or Cancun?

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

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Antananarivo and Cancun can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Antananarivo or Cancun?

Antananarivo

Antananarivo is the capital of Madagascar; it is also sometimes referred to as Tana. This city is the cultural and political center of Madagascar as a whole. There are multiple universities, museums, and other social venues in the city, as well as a national rugby team. This city has a very apparent French influence.

Cancun

In the northeast corner of the Mexican Caribbean, Cancun is one of Mexico's most popular destinations. The area that is now Cancun was actually selected specifically by the Mexican government for development as a tourist destination. The area was chosen because it has fourteen miles of beautiful white beaches, nearby Mayan ruins, and turquoise blue water with nearby snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities. Prior to its development as a tourist destination, there were few inhabitants in the area.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to Madagascar, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Madagascar, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Playa del Carmen, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Cancun.


Which place is cheaper, Cancun or Antananarivo?

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 Antananarivo is $91, while the average daily cost in Cancun is $145. 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 Antananarivo and Cancun in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Antananarivo $29
    Cancun $84
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Antananarivo $58
    Cancun $168
Compare Hotels in Antananarivo and Cancun

Looking for a hotel in Antananarivo or Cancun? 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 Antananarivo


Hotels in Cancun


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: Antananarivo Hotel Prices and Cancun Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Antananarivo $14
    Cancun $15

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Antananarivo

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Antananarivo:

  • Private Airport Transfert Ivato Antananarivo: $40
  • Cheap Transfer from Airport to your Hotel in Antananarivo: $17

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cancun

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cancun:


  • Taxi Around Town
    $1.44
  • Airport Shuttle (for 2)
    $12
  • Ferry to Isla de Mujeres (for 2)
    $14
  • Local Bus (for 2)
    $1.75

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cancun

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

  • Cancun Airport Small-Group Transfer to Cancun Hotels: $6.00
  • Cancun Airport Shared Transfer: $8.50
  • Cancun Airport Hotel Private Transfer by Minivan: $13
  • Cancun Airport private transfer to Cancun hotel zone: $15
  • CUN Airport to Cancun City Centre Hotels Shared Transfer: $17
  • Private Transfer in Cancun: $17
  • Cancun airport private Transfer: $17
  • Cancun Airport Departure transfer from Hotel Zone, Puerto Juarez, Puerto Morelos: $19
  • Private Transfer to/from Puerto Juarez Hotels or Ferry: $19
  • Private Transfer to/from Hotels in Cancun Area: $19
  • Shared Round-Trip Transfer To/From Cancun International Airport: $20
  • transfers between hotels in Cancun hotel strip: $20

Is it cheaper to fly into Antananarivo or Cancun?

Prices for flights to both Cancun and Antananarivo 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
    Antananarivo $49
    Cancun $42

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Antananarivo

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

  • Cooking And Cuisine Tasting From Tana-Malagasy Fine Foodie Madagascar Tour: $245

Typical Food Prices in Cancun

For Cancun, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Lunch for Two
    $18

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cancun

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

  • Mayan Chichen Itza And Pirate Dinner Two Day Experience: $57
  • The Ultimate Cancun Taco & Street Mexican Food Tour: $59
  • Pirate Show in Cancun! Dinner & drinks: $62
  • Pirate Night! Dinner, Fun and Show: $63
  • Dinner Show, Drinks and Pirate Experience : $63
  • Cancun Street Food Tour with Food Stalls, Local Market and Murals: $64
  • Private Ultimate Cancun Taco and Street Mexican Food Tour: $69
  • Puerto Morelos Walking Food Tour: $73
  • Cancun Authentic Downtown Food Tour: Tacos and Local Flavors: $78
  • Cancun Hands-On Mexican Cooking Class : $79
  • Columbus Romantic Dinner in Cancún: $79
  • Paradise and Tropical Cancun Food Tour: $80

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Antananarivo $24
    Cancun $30

Tours and Activities in Antananarivo

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

  • 4-Hours Night Tour of Antananarivo: $173
  • 7 Days Sainte-Marie Island Tour by Plane from Antananarivo: $3,635
  • 9 Days Adventure from Antananarivo to Isalo Park & Tulear: $2,237
  • Antananarivo : Custom Walking Tour With A Guide (Private Tour): $37
  • Antananarivo : Day tour to Mantasoa Lake: $225
  • Antananarivo Like a Local: Customized Guided Tour: $25
  • 2-Days tour to Andasibe National Park: $660
  • Guided Tour and sunset in queen's palace: $66
  • Lemurs Park & City Tour: $225
  • Private Walking Tour with a Local Guide: $30
  • Antanavario: Private custom tour with a local guide: $25
  • Day - Tour Ampefy: $151

Typical Entertainment Prices in Cancun

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


  • Seasick Pills
    $0.51
  • Whale Shark Tour (for 2)
    $87

Tours and Activities in Cancun

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

  • Tour to Kin Ha Cenotes with Craft Jewelry Workshop : $11
  • Cancun Mayan Museum Skip-the-Line Ticket: $12
  • Tulum Mayan Ruins + Shopping Tour + Tulum Jaguar Park: $13
  • Full-Day Catamaran Tour to Isla Mujeres from Cancun with Lunch: $14
  • Speedboat jungle tour and snorkel: $15
  • Isla Mujeres tour in a Catamaran with snorkel, open bar, lunch : $18
  • Exciting Speedboat & Snorkeling Tour in Cancun Lagoon!: $19
  • Isla Mujeres tour from Cancún (open bar, lunch ) : $19
  • El Sol De Cancun : Panoramic Tour in Regular Cabin: $20
  • Chichen Itza Mayan adventure: $20
  • Isla Mujeres sailing tour in catamaran Open Bar& Lunch Included: $20
  • Chichen Itza and Cenote Mayan Experience Tour: $20

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Antananarivo $9.48
    Cancun $11

Sample the Local Flavors in Cancun

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

  • Brewery Tour / Craft Beer Tasting Cancun Mexico: $112


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

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


Which is Bigger, Antananarivo or Cancun?

Antananarivo has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Cancun. When comparing the sizes of Antananarivo and Cancun, 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.