Which place is cheaper, Granada or Cancun?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cancun or Granada?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Cancun and Granada can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Cancun or Granada?
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.
Granada
Granada is Nicaragua's oldest colonial city, and arguably, the most beautiful city in the country. It sits on the northern edge of Lake Nicaragua (Lago Cocibolca) and has many beautifully colored buildings and nice churches. The city's beauty and colonial architecture, along with its relative safety and accessibility, make it one of Nicaragua's top tourist destinations. The city has long been a center for commerce, but today its economy depends heavily on tourism. The city is the sixth largest in Nicaragua and a real estate boom in the early 2000's brought a large number of expats to the town.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Playa del Carmen, The Best 2-Week Tours from Cancun, The Best 2-Week Tours in Nicaragua, and The Best Adventure Tours to Nicaragua.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCancun $148Granada $40
The average daily cost (per person) in Cancun is $148, while the average daily cost in Granada is $40. 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 Cancun and Granada in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCancun $98Granada $17
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCancun $196Granada $34
Compare Hotels in Cancun and Granada
Looking for a hotel in Cancun or Granada? 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: Cancun Hotel Prices and Granada Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cancun $18Granada $8.57
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cancun
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cancun:
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Taxi Around Town$1.68
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Airport Shuttle (for 2)$14
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Ferry to Isla de Mujeres (for 2)$17
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Local Bus (for 2)$2.04
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: $8.00
- Cancun Airport private transfer to Cancun hotel zone: $15
- Shared Transfer from Cancun Airport: $15
- Shared Transfer from Cancun Airport : $15
- Private Transfer in Cancun: $17
- Shared Round-Trip Transfer To/From Cancun International Airport: $19
- Shared Transfer to Cancun Downtown or Hotel Zone: $20
- transfers between hotels in Cancun hotel strip: $20
- Private transfer to Cancun Airport from hotels in Cancun Area: $23
- Chetumal to Chetumal Airport (CTM) - Departure Private Transfer : $24
- Cancun Hotel Zone Private Transfer From and To Cancun Airport: $25
- Cancun Hotel Zone Private Transfer From & To Cancun Airport: $25
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Granada
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Granada:
- One-Way Private Transfer From/To Airport or Hotels in Granada: $80
Is it cheaper to fly into Cancun or Granada?
Prices for flights to both Granada and Cancun 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 dayCancun $29Granada $14
Typical Food Prices in Cancun
For Cancun, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch for Two$21
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cancun
For Cancun, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Captain Hook: Pirate Show and Dinner Cruise in Cancun: $46
- Mayan Chichen Itza And Pirate Dinner Two Day Experience: $57
- The Ultimate Cancun Taco & Street Mexican Food Tour: $59
- Dinner Show with Pirates! (2x1 Price): $62
- (2x1 price) Pirate Night! Dinner, Fun and Show: $63
- (2x1 price) Dinner Show and Pirates Experience : $63
- (2x1 price)Pirate Adventure! Open Bar, Dinner and Show : $63
- Cancun Street Food Tour with Food Stalls, Local Market and Murals: $64
- Dinner Show on a Pirate Ship from Cancun with Open Bar: $65
- Guided Cancun Local Mexican Food Tour: $78
- Cancun Authentic Downtown Food Tour: Tacos and Local Flavors: $78
- Mexican Cooking Class with fresh Local Market ingredients selection and transpor: $79
Typical Food Prices in Granada
Some typical examples of dining costs in Granada are as follows:
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Pizza$2.29
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cancun $35Granada $10
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cancun
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cancun's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Seasick Pills$0.60
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Whale Shark Tour (for 2)$102
Tours and Activities in Cancun
For Cancun, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- ATV Jungle Adventure with Ziplines, Cenote Transportation Included: $8.00
- Visit to 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen + Shopping Tour: $8.20
- Amazing jungle tour adventure speed boat in cancun : $13
- Guided Walking Tour of the Punta Cancun Lighting Tower: $14
- Half Day National Reef Park Snorkel Adventure in Puerto Morelos: $15
- Hop-on Hop-off City Tour Cancun: $17
- Best ATV & Mavericks Experience in Cancun + Cenote + Zip Lines : $20
- Explore Tulum, Coba, Cenote, Playa del Carmen full day 4x1 tour: $22
- ATV, Ziplines and Cenote swim full experience from Cancún : $25
- Adrenaline day in Cancun, Atvs, Ziplines and Cenote experience in the best park!: $25
- Zipline, Cenote and ATV Adventure with Pickup: $25
- Top Isla Mujeres Catamaran Tour with Snorkel Open Bar and Buffet lunch: $26
Typical Entertainment Prices in Granada
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Granada are as follows:
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Lago de Nicaragua Boat Tour$8.17
Tours and Activities in Granada
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Granada are as follows:
- Bird Watching Tour: $90
- Boat Tour and Granada City Tour: $120
- Charming Granada Outdoor "Private Tour" : $92
- Experience Granadas Best Sights Carriage ride + Local Guide: $65
- Fabulous Night Tour in Masaya Volcano from Granada: $158
- From Full-Day Tour to 6 Attractions with Lunch incl: $125
- Full Day Tour Isletas + Pueblos Blancos + Laguna from Granada: $120
- Full Day Tour in Granada with Volcano Visit: $224
- Full-Day Tour: Masaya Volcano, Art Market and White Villages: $60
- Granada City Tour: $40
- Granada Colonial City Tour and Masaya Volcano: $130
- Granada Kayak Tour: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCancun $13Granada $7.50
Sample the Local Flavors in Cancun
Also in Cancun, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Social Pub Crawl in Cancun: $38
- Brewery Tour / Craft Beer Tasting Cancun Mexico: $116
Typical Alcohol Prices in Granada
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Granada:
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Tequila$1.36
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cancun and Granada, we can see that Cancun is more expensive. And not only is Granada much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cancun is in North America and Granada 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 Granada would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Granada 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 Granada.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cancun Expensive? and Is Granada Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cancun or Granada?
Cancun has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of Granada. When comparing the sizes of Cancun and Granada, 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.