Which place is cheaper, Lima or Cancun?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Cancun or Lima?
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 Lima can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Cancun or Lima?
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.
Lima
Lima, the capital city of Peru, is likely to be your point of entry for the country. Lima was founded in 1535 and was the seat of the Spanish rule for 300 years. It's a surprisingly modern city despite its rich history, but many beautiful churches and colonial architecture remain today. There are also large slum areas that highlight the poverty that exists in the city. The city and its surrounding metropolitan area have a population of about 8.5 million people, many of whom came from the Andes Mountains in search of work. Unfortunately the work opportunities are limited and the poverty is obvious as you arrive in Lima.
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, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Peru, and The Best Adventure Tours to Peru.
-
Cancun Prices
Mexico PricesLima Prices
Peru Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCancun $153Lima $95
The average daily cost (per person) in Cancun is $153, while the average daily cost in Lima is $95. 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 Lima in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCancun $89Lima $52
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCancun $178Lima $104
Compare Hotels in Cancun and Lima
Looking for a hotel in Cancun or Lima? 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 Lima Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cancun $16Lima $6.06
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cancun
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cancun:
-
Taxi Around Town$1.52
-
Airport Shuttle (for 2)$13
-
Ferry to Isla de Mujeres (for 2)$15
-
Local Bus (for 2)$1.85
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cancun
Also for Cancun, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared Transfer from Cancun Airport : $6.00
- Cancun Airport Small-Group Transfer to Cancun Hotels: $6.00
- Cancun Airport private transfer to Cancun hotel zone: $15
- CUN Airport to Cancun City Centre Hotels Shared Transfer: $17
- Cancun airport private Transfer: $17
- Shared Round-Trip Transfer To/From Cancun International Airport: $20
- Best SpeedBoat and Snorkeling tour with Transfer from Cancun: $25
- Departure Private Transfer Cancun to Cancun Airport CUN by Minivan or Minibus: $29
- Cancun Airport Hotel Private Transfer by Minivan: $32
- Marriot Cancun Private Airport Transfers: $32
- Private Transfer to/from Hotels in Cancun Area: $34
- One-Way Private Airport Transfer Cancun & Riviera Maya : $34
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Lima are as follows:
-
Taxi Ride$5.73
-
Taxi Ride$5.73
-
Short Taxi Ride$4.30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lima
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lima:
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Lima APT-HTL (LIM) : $34
- Transfer: Jorge Chavez Airport (LIM) to Lima City Center: $16
- Transfer from Hotel/Airbnb Miraflores/San Isidro/Barranco to Airport: $18
- Transfer To Lima Airport: $20
- Tour Magic Water Park in Lima with Small Group Transfer: $38
- Round Trip Transfer from and to the Airport in Miraflores/Barranco/Sani : $33
- QuickLlama: Transfer from Miraflores Kennedy Park to Lima Airport: $5.95
- QuickLlama: Door-to-door transfer from Miraflores to Lima Airport: $5.95
- Private Transfers from/to Lima Airport (Price per Vehicle): $29
- Private Transfer to Lima Airport (LIM): $13
- Private Transfer from Pisco Port to Jorge Chavez Airport (LIM): $201
- Private Transfer from Lima hotels to Callao Cruise Port: $18
Is it cheaper to fly into Cancun or Lima?
Prices for flights to both Lima 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
-
Food Meals for one dayCancun $45Lima $32
Typical Food Prices in Cancun
For Cancun, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
Lunch for Two$19
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cancun
For Cancun, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Cancun Pirate Ship Adventure : Dinner & Show at Sea 2 for 1 Deal: $50
- Pirate Show in Cancun! Dinner & drinks: $62
- Cancun Street Food Tour with Food Stalls, Local Market and Murals: $64
- Pirate Shop & Dinner at Cancun! Drinks, Adventure and Fun: $65
- Cancun Walking Food Tour: Local Food, Markets, and Street Art.: $77
- Puerto Morelos Walking Food Tour: $77
- Mexican Cooking Class with fresh Local Market ingredients selection and transpor: $79
- Cancun Taco & Mexican Food Tour with Tequila Tasting: $79
- Cancun Private Mural Art and Food Tour: $81
- Hands-On Cooking Class in Drink & Cook Authentic Dishes: $85
- Pirate’s Night Out: Dinner and Entertainment in the Caribbean: $89
- Unforgettable Pirate Dinner Adventure in the Mexican Caribbean: $89
Typical Food Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of dining costs in Lima are as follows:
-
Lunch for Two$4.59
-
Ice cream$3.73
-
Coffee$3.15
-
Donut$1.00
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lima
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Lima.
- Lima Food Tour with Ceviche, Pisco, and Grilled Chicken: $32
- Food Tour and Market Experience: 12 Peruvian Snacks: $40
- Lima Food Tour - Prepare your Anticuchos and Pisco Sour : $48
- #1 Reviewed Lima Cooking Class: $49
- Dinner at the Huaca Pucllana Restaurant: $55
- Private Guided Walking Street Food Tour in Lima: $55
- Peru’s Most Beloved Recipes Cooking Class: $58
- Lima Market Tour & Ceviche Cooking Class with Pisco Sour: $59
- Lima Night: Cooking Experience with locals: $65
- Peruvian Cooking Class, Local Market Tour & Exotic Fruit Tasting: $65
- Vegan Peruvian Food Cooking Class | Ceviche + Pisco Sour: $69
- 4 iconic restaurants of Lima / 3-hour guided food tour: $69
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cancun $32Lima $9.15
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cancun
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cancun's activities, tours, and tickets:
-
Seasick Pills$0.54
-
Whale Shark Tour (for 2)$92
Tours and Activities in Cancun
For Cancun, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- ATV Tour, Zip Lines, Horseback Riding, Cenote and Tequila Tasting: $10
- Tour to Kin Ha Cenotes with Craft Jewelry Workshop : $12
- Tulum Mayan Ruins + Shopping Tour + Tulum Jaguar Park: $13
- Discover Isla Mujeres tour with snorkel, buffet and open bar : $14
- Visit to 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen + Shopping Tour: $14
- Speedboat jungle tour and snorkel: $15
- Tour to Tulum and Cenote for the best price! : $16
- Full Day Tour to Coba and Tulum Cenote Swim and Lunch: $16
- Catamaran Adventure in Cancun: $16
- Isla Mujeres Catamaran Tour with Snorkeling, Open Bar and Buffet: $16
- Chichen Itza full day tour: $16
- Chichen Itza Tour Full day food included: $16
Typical Entertainment Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Lima are as follows:
-
Entrance to Museo Larco (for 2)$17
-
Movie Tickets$2.44
Tours and Activities in Lima
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Lima are as follows:
- Ballestas Islands + Huacachina Tour From Lima (Private Group): $190
- Cycling Tour Miraflores - Barranco - Chorrillos: $30
- Lima bike and 5 Step Food Tasting Experience: $92
- Private Classic City Tour Experience of Lima: $65
- Private Stopover Tour of Lima from the Airport: $150
- Sunset in Huacachina and Tacama: Private Tour from Lima: $220
- #1 Full Day Tour From Paracas and Huacachina Oasis: $59
- 1 Day Tour to Huacachina from Lima (Dunebuggy + Vineyards): $225
- 2 Day Tour from Nazca Lines Flight, Paracas, and Huacachina: $279
- 2 Day Tour from Paracas, Ballestas Island and Huacachina: $149
- 2 Day Tour from Paracas, Huacachina, and Pisco Vineyard: $149
- 2 Days 1 Night Paracas Ica Tour from Lima: $150
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayCancun $12Lima $5.95
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: $35
- Bar Crawl Madness Tour in Cancun: $99
Typical Alcohol Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Lima are as follows:
-
Bottle of Wine$7.71
-
Beer$4.30
-
Cocktail$3.44
Sample the Local Flavors in Lima
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Lima:
- Lima Pub Crawl - Party tour: Friday Barranco/Saturday miraflores: $19
- Bar Crawl Night Tour in Miraflores: $30
- Local Wine Tour : $55
- From Paracas & Huacachina & Wine Tasting: $135
- Full Day Paracas, Huacachina and Wine Tasting from Lima : $138
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cancun and Lima, we can see that Cancun is more expensive. And not only is Lima much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cancun is in North America and Lima 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 Lima would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Lima 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 Lima.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cancun Expensive? and Is Lima Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cancun or Lima?
Lima has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Cancun. When comparing the sizes of Cancun and Lima, 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.