Which place is cheaper, San Juan or Cabo San Lucas?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cabo San Lucas or San Juan?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Cabo San Lucas and San Juan 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: Cabo San Lucas or San Juan?
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas ("Cabo") is on the far southern end of the Baja Peninsula. It has countless resorts and activities for visitors. There are world class golf courses, fine dining options, and five star resorts. Prior to the 1980s, Cabo was a quiet fishing village but with the construction of a nearby airport in 1977, the city rapidly grew into one of Mexico's most popular resort vacation spots. Today, Cabo has one of the country's most vibrant nightlife scenes. It also has plenty of water sport activities, and a great beach scene.
San Juan
If you've ever set foot on a Caribbean cruise, you've probably spent a bit of time in San Juan, Puerto Rico. However, maybe you should consider spending more than just a port day in this beautiful and historically rich city.
As the capital and largest city in all of Puerto Rico, San Juan is home to approximately 400,000 people. Established in 1521, it is also the second oldest European-founded settlement in the Americas.
As this city fuses a historic paradise with modern day energy, it has absolutely everything to offer. Intellectual wanderers, beach bums, rainforest adventurers and radical surfers will all find plenty to do in San Juan.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in Mexico, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCabo San Lucas $116San Juan $192
The average daily cost (per person) in Cabo San Lucas is $116, while the average daily cost in San Juan is $192. 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 Cabo San Lucas and San Juan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCabo San Lucas $53San Juan $124
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCabo San Lucas $106San Juan $248
Compare Hotels in Cabo San Lucas and San Juan
Looking for a hotel in Cabo San Lucas or San Juan? 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: Cabo San Lucas Hotel Prices and San Juan Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cabo San Lucas $23San Juan $14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cabo San Lucas:
- Los Cabos: Whale Shark Swim Private Tour with Transfers: $562
- Los Cabos: Private Tour with Roundtrip Transfers: $562
- Los Cabos Airport (SJD): Transfer to Cabo San Lucas Port: $452
- Roundtrip Private Transfer from Airport to Pacific Side: $300
- Private All Inclusive Cabo San Lucas Roundtrip Airport Transfer: $250
- Private Transfer from Cabo San Lucas to La Paz: $247
- Cabo San Lucas Port: Transfer to San Jose Del Cabo hotels: $226
- Los Cabos Luxury Private Tesla Transfer from Airport to Puerto Los Cabos Area: $220
- Pacific: Transfer from Hotel Zone to Animas Bajas: $220
- Transfer Animas Bajas Magic Town: $216
- Los Cabos Luxury Tesla Transfer from Airport to San José del Cabo Area: $214
- Private Tourist Corridor Roundtrip Airport Transfer: $210
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Juan
Also for San Juan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Arrival Private Transfer SJU Airport to Old San Juan by SUV: $125
- From Private Transfer to Ceiba Ferry Terminal: $99
- HandyCap Airport Transfer to Isla Verde, Condado or Ocean Park: $100
- HandyCap Transfer Airport to Dorado, Rio Grande or Luquillo: $270
- Luquillo Puerto Rico to/from San Juan Airport Private Transfer: $110
- Old Walking Tour with Shopping and Hotel Transfer: $70
- Oneway Transfer- San Juan from/to Rio Grande or Loiza: $68
- Private Departure Transfer - Hotel / Accommodation to San Juan Airport: $22
- Private Taxi Transfer from San Juan Airport (SJU) to Dorado PR: $110
- Private Transfer from San Juan Airport (SJU) to Ponce Cruise Port: $82
- Private Transfer from San Juan to Humacao: $80
- Private Transfer in San Juan from or to SJU Airport/Hotel/Cruises: $16
Is it cheaper to fly into Cabo San Lucas or San Juan?
Prices for flights to both San Juan and Cabo San Lucas 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 dayCabo San Lucas $42San Juan $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cabo San Lucas
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cabo San Lucas.
- Sunset Boat Tour Includes Open Bar and Dinner: $71
- Sunset Dinner Cruise with Domestic Open Bar: $75
- Cabo San Lucas Sunset Cruise with Dinner and Open Bar: $75
- San Jose del Cabo Morning Food Tour: $77
- Sunset Dinner Cruise with Tequila & tacos: $85
- Sunset Dinner: $85
- San José del Cabo for Meat Lovers Food Tour: $90
- Sunset Dinner on a Pirate Boat: $90
- Private Mexican Cooking Class in Your Cabo San Lucas Villa or Condo: $90
- Catch of the day dinner in your private villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose del Cabo: $90
- Los Cabos: Sunset Fajitas Dinner Cruise on Cabo Escape: $95
- Los Cabos: Azteca Cactus Taco Farm to Table Cooking Class: $95
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Juan
For San Juan, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- From Pinones Beach & Bar Hopping Food Tour: $50
- Puerto Rican food tasting and beginner cooking Tour: $99
- City Lights & Ocean Breeze — 4 Course Elevated Dinner Experience: $155
- Old San Juan Sunset Food Tour with Drinks: $156
- Savor the Sunset: Old San Juan Walk and Food Tour: $159
- Authentic Flavors of San Juan Food Tour: $170
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cabo San Lucas $36San Juan $49
Tours and Activities in Cabo San Lucas
Here are a few actual costs in Cabo San Lucas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Art and Wine Evening City tour in San Jose del Cabo for Adults: $119
- Glass Bottom Boat Sightseeing Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $23
- Glass Bottom Boat Tour: $25
- Magical Todos Santos Tour, Camel ranch, Lunch & Tequila: $119
- OffRoad 4X4 UTV Adventure with Lunch & Tequila : $199
- Romantic tour in Cabo San Lucas: $186
- #1 Snorkeling Tour in Catamaran. Open bar & Snacks included: $80
- 1 Hour Jet Ski Adventure : $180
- 2 Hour City Tour and Whale Watching: $92
- 2 Hours Horseback Riding Adventure in Cabo: $130
- 2 Tank Tour in Cabo San Lucas Reserve, Certified Divers with MANTA: $135
- 2-Hour ATV Riding Experience in San Jose del Cabo: $110
Typical Entertainment Prices in San Juan
For San Juan, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Horseback Riding Tour$40
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Full Day Snorkeling Trip$100
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1 Hr Windsurfing Lesson$75
Tours and Activities in San Juan
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Juan.
- Self-Guided Tour with Audio Guide: $14
- Legends of Puerto Rico Haunted Walking Tour: $24
- Old Breathtaking Historic Walking Tour: $25
- Old San Juan Walking Tour with a Certified Guide: $30
- History, Legends, & Highlights Guided Walking Tour: $30
- Guided Tour of My Old San Juan in Spanish: $30
- Old San Juan History & Culture Guided Walking Tour: $35
- Guided Old Town Walking Tour: $35
- Urban Park Sky Bull Zipline Experience: $39
- Old San Juan Walking Tour: $39
- Old San Juan City Walking Tour: $39
- Walking tour of Oaxaca City: $41
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCabo San Lucas $24San Juan $12
Sample the Local Flavors in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cabo San Lucas:
- Cabo Bar Crawl - The BEST Bar and Clubs in Cabo : $60
- Los Cabos: Bar Crawl: $79
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cabo San Lucas and San Juan, we can see that San Juan is more expensive. And not only is Cabo San Lucas much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cabo San Lucas is in North America and San Juan 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 Cabo San Lucas would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cabo San Lucas 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 San Juan would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Juan than you might in Cabo San Lucas.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cabo San Lucas Expensive? and Is San Juan Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cabo San Lucas or San Juan?
San Juan has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Cabo San Lucas. When comparing the sizes of Cabo San Lucas and San Juan, 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.