Which place is cheaper, Roatan or Cancun?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Cancun or Roatan?
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 Roatan can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Cancun or Roatan?
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.
Roatan
Your next great vacation lies just thirty miles off the north coast of Honduras. Right above the world's largest coral reef is the island of Roatan. As a popular tourist attraction and standard cruise destination, it's not uncommon to see tons of Americans during your trip. In fact, the cruising industry has had huge impact on the island's culture. While ships are in port, traffic will be heavier and prices may go up. Because of the growth of tourism, most locals speak both Spanish and English.
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 Adventure Tours to Honduras, and The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras.
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Cancun Prices
Mexico PricesRoatan Prices
Honduras Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCancun $162Roatan $42
The average daily cost (per person) in Cancun is $162, while the average daily cost in Roatan is $42. 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 Roatan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCancun $94Roatan $10
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCancun $188Roatan $20
Compare Hotels in Cancun and Roatan
Looking for a hotel in Cancun or Roatan? 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 Roatan Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cancun $17Roatan $17
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$1.61
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Airport Shuttle (for 2)$13
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Ferry to Isla de Mujeres (for 2)$16
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Local Bus (for 2)$1.96
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cancun
Also for Cancun, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared Cancun Airport Transfer to Moon Palace Hotel: $6.49
- Shared Transfer from Cancun Airport: $7.00
- Shared Transfer from Cancun Airport: $7.00
- Cancun airport private transfer: $15
- Cancun Airport private transfer to Cancun hotel zone: $15
- Private Cancun Airport Transfer to Hotels One Way: $16
- CUN Airport to Cancun City Centre Hotels Shared Transfer: $17
- Cancun Airport Departure transfer from Hotel Zone, Puerto Juarez, Puerto Morelos: $17
- Private Transfer in Cancun: $17
- Cancun CUN Airport One Way Private Transfer to Cancun Hotel Zone: $17
- Cancun airport private Transfer: $17
- transfers between hotels in Cancun hotel strip: $20
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Roatan
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Roatan are as follows:
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Water Taxi$3.95
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Roatan
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Roatan:
- Ultimate West Bay Beach Day: Pass & Transfers Included: $55
- Roatan West Bay Beach Break with Roundtrip Transfer: $75
- Roatan Private Transfers: Airport, Cruise Port or Hotel: $110
- Roatan Island hotels to Mahogany Bay Cruise Port - Departure Private Transfer: $62
- Roatan East End Cultural Experience, Island Lunch & Private Transfer: $99
- Roatan Buggy Adventure, Snorkeling, Beach Pass plus Private Transfer: $207
- Private Transfer from Honduras Roatan Airport (RTB) to Roatan Hotels: $154
- Mayan Eden Eco Park, Chocolate Factory & Transfer: $65
- Mahogany Bay Cruise Port to Roatan Island hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $123
- Let's Go Native Roatan City Cultural Tour, Transfer: $80
- King Kong Extreme Zipline, City Tour and Transfer: $130
- Honduras Roatan Airport (RTB) to Roatan -Round-Trip Transfer: $114
Is it cheaper to fly into Cancun or Roatan?
Prices for flights to both Roatan 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 $48Roatan $15
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$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cancun
For Cancun, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Street Food Tour in Cancun with a Local Guide: $62
- Cancun Street Food Tour with Food Stalls, Local Market and Murals: $64
- Tortilla Trails Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $69
- Cancun Street Food Tour – Local Market & Downtown Experience: $69
- Cancun Food Tour - Taco Attack: Street Food & Tequila Tasting: $69
- Cancun Historic Downtown Food Tour with 7+ Authentic Tastings: $76
- Cancun Authentic Downtown Food Tour: Tacos and Local Flavors: $78
- Cancun Hands-On Mexican Cooking Class: $79
- Cancun Taco & Mexican Food Tour with Tequila Tasting: $79
- Mexican Cooking Class with fresh Local Market ingredients selection and transpor: $79
- Couples Special Price! Cancun Pirate Show with Dinner & Drinks: $80
- Pirate Night! Dinner, Fun and Show at Cancun Couples Special: $80
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Roatan
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Roatan.
- Private Roundtrip Transfer to West End for Dinner and Nightlife: $70
- Cooking classes from a Local!: $245
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cancun $34Roatan $25
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$0.58
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Whale Shark Tour (for 2)$98
Tours and Activities in Cancun
For Cancun, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Cancun's Hidden Gems: A Self-Guided Tour: $8.27
- Shared Speedboat and Snorkeling Adventure in Cancun: $15
- Speedboat jungle tour and snorkel: $15
- Isla Mujeres Catamaran Snorkeling and Open Bar Adventure: $16
- Speedboat and Snorkeling Adventure in Cancun: $16
- Full-Day Catamaran Tour to Isla Mujeres from Cancun with Lunch: $17
- Cancun Clearboat Tour express tour for photos!: $17
- Isla Mujeres Catamaran Tour with Snorkeling Spinnaker and Lunch: $18
- Chichen Itza Tour Full day food included: $18
- Chichen Itzá Tour from Cancun and Riviera Maya for the best price, Book now!: $18
- 4X1 VIP Tulum, Coba, Cenote and Playa del Carmen Tour: $18
- 4X1 Tour to Tulum, Coba, Cenote and Playa del Carmen for the less: $19
Tours and Activities in Roatan
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Roatan are as follows:
- 2 Hour Zip Lining Private Tour in Mahogany Bay: $65
- 4 Hours Private Tour with Snorkel Experience in Roatan: $50
- ATV & community adventure, Mangrove tour, food tasting and Beach: $139
- ATV Adventure , Zip Line , Horseback Ride Combo Tour: $175
- ATV Safari and Horseback Adventure at Mahogany Bay: $132
- ATV-Off Road + Roatan City Tour: $120
- ATVS, Sloths and Monkeys, Beach Break Private Tour: $130
- Atv Island Tour: $140
- Catamaran Cruise, Open Bar, Food and Snorkeling: $165
- Crazy Clem Sloths, Monkeys & Island Adventure With a local guide: $85
- Cruise Excursion – 2 Scuba Dives with transport (for certified divers): $185
- Cruise Ship Combo: Sloths, Chocolate Factory, City Tour, Beach, Private Shuttle: $75
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCancun $13Roatan $6.56
Sample the Local Flavors in Cancun
Also in Cancun, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- A bespoke wine tastings crafted for unforgettable moments: $86
- Bar Crawl Madness Tour in Cancun: $115
Sample the Local Flavors in Roatan
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Roatan:
- Bar Crawl Tour in West End Village by Pedibike- Let the Good Times Roll: $80
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cancun and Roatan, we can see that Cancun is more expensive. And not only is Roatan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cancun is in North America and Roatan 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 Roatan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Roatan 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 Roatan.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cancun Expensive? and Is Roatan Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cancun or Roatan?
Cancun has a larger population, and is about 70 times larger than the population of Roatan. When comparing the sizes of Cancun and Roatan, 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.