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

Should you visit Cancun or Roseau?

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 Roseau can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Cancun or Roseau?

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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Playa del Carmen, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Cancun.


Which place is cheaper, Roseau or Cancun?

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 Cancun is $163, while the average daily cost in Roseau is $242. 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 Roseau in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Cancun $94
    Roseau $135
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Cancun $188
    Roseau $270
Compare Hotels in Cancun and Roseau

Looking for a hotel in Cancun or Roseau? 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 Cancun


Hotels in Roseau


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 Roseau Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Cancun $17
    Roseau $14
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cancun

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


  • Taxi Around Town
    $1.62
  • Airport Shuttle (for 2)
    $13
  • Ferry to Isla de Mujeres (for 2)
    $16
  • Local Bus (for 2)
    $1.96

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cancun

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

  • Akumal One Way or Roundtrip Private Luxury Transfer: $291
  • Cancun Airport to Tulum Roundtrip Private Transfer: $290
  • Limo Transfer Airport Cancun - Puerto Morelos Hotel Zone: $279
  • Private Transfer Cancun Airport to Chiquilá Holbox Ferry: $276
  • Cancun VIP Roundtrip Private Airport Transfer to Hotel Zone: $259
  • Private Transfer roundtrip (Cancun Airport-Akumal): $259
  • Cancun Airport Private Transfer to Tulum (Round Trip): $250
  • Private Transfer from Cancún Airport (CUN) to Tulum: $238
  • Luxury Transfers in a Mercedes Maybach GLS 600: $232
  • Holbox Private Transfer from Cancun Hotels or Airport: $229
  • Private Transfer from Cancun Airport to Tulum: $220
  • Round private transfer Airport- Akumal - Airport.: $220

Is it cheaper to fly into Cancun or Roseau?

Prices for flights to both Roseau 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 day
    Cancun $48
    Roseau $90
Typical Food Prices in Cancun

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


  • 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: $61
  • Cancun Street Food Tour with Food Stalls, Local Market and Murals: $64
  • Salsa Streets Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $69
  • Cancun Food Tour: Market 23, Local Flavors & Downtown Culture: $69
  • Cancun Historic Downtown Food Tour with 7+ Authentic Tastings: $76
  • Cancun Authentic Downtown Food Tour: Tacos and Local Flavors: $78
  • Cancun Taco & Mexican Food Tour with Tequila Tasting: $79
  • Cancun Hands-On Mexican Cooking Class: $79
  • Mexican Cooking Class with fresh Local Market ingredients selection and transpor: $79
  • Columbus Romantic Dinner in Cancún: $79
  • Pirate Night! Dinner, Fun and Show at Cancun Couples Special: $80
  • Cancun Walking Food Tour: Local Food, Markets, and Street Art.: $81

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Cancun $34
    Roseau $42
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cancun

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


  • Seasick Pills
    $0.58
  • 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:

  • 1 Day ATV, Horse Ride, Ziplines and Cenote Adventure from Cancun: $40
  • 1 Day Tour to Bacalar, Cenotes and 7 color Lagoon with lunch from Cancun: $125
  • 1-Day Tour to Bacalar with Kayaking, Marmol Beach Club and Cenote: $119
  • 1-hour Clear Boat Tour in Nichupte Lagoon from Cancun: $22
  • 2 Day Combo Tour, Xcaret, Xel-Ha, Xplor and Chichen Itza Option: $280
  • 2 Island Adventure: Contoy & Mujeres with Snorkeling & open bar: $80
  • 2 Islands Tour - Isla Contoy and Isla Mujeres from Playa del Carmen: $160
  • 2 in 1 Catamaran to Isla Mujeres Tour from Cancun with Open Bar: $50
  • 2-Day Deluxe Tour: Tulum and Chichén Itzá: $120
  • 20 minutes Jet Pack flight experience in Cancun!: $119
  • 3 Hidden Cenotes Experience & Puerto Morelos Reef Snorkeling: $79
  • 3 adrenaline activities Atvs Zipline and a swim experience in a cenote: $60

Typical Entertainment Prices in Roseau

For Roseau, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • Half Day Taxi Tour of Island
    $100
  • 1/2 Day Kayak Rental
    $35

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Cancun $13
    Roseau $17

Sample the Local Flavors in Cancun

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

  • Bar Crawl Madness Tour in Cancun: $115
  • Brewery Tour Craft Beer Tasting Cancun Mexico: $130


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

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


Which is Bigger, Cancun or Roseau?

Cancun has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Roseau. When comparing the sizes of Cancun and Roseau, 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.