Which place is cheaper, San Miguel de Tucuman or Cancun?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cancun or San Miguel de Tucuman?
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 San Miguel de Tucuman can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Cancun or San Miguel de Tucuman?
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.
San Miguel de Tucuman
The capital of the Tucuman Province in Argentina, San Miguel de Tucuman is the largest city in the country's northwest. The city is probably most well known as the sight where the Declaration of Independence from Spain took place on July 9, 1816. The location of this event, a colonial-style house called "Casa Historica" or "Casita de Tucuman", remains an important landmark in the city.
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 Photography Tours in Argentina, and The Best Luxury Tours to Argentina.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCancun $148San Miguel de Tucuman $11
The average daily cost (per person) in Cancun is $148, while the average daily cost in San Miguel de Tucuman is $11. 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 San Miguel de Tucuman in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCancun $98San Miguel de Tucuman $4.85
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCancun $196San Miguel de Tucuman $9.70
Compare Hotels in Cancun and San Miguel de Tucuman
Looking for a hotel in Cancun or San Miguel de Tucuman? 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 San Miguel de Tucuman Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cancun $18San Miguel de Tucuman $3.08
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:
- transfers between hotels in Cancun hotel strip: $20
- Xcaret 1 Day Tour from Cancun with Hotel Transfer: $204
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Cancun HTL-APT (CUN): $55
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Cancun APT-HTL (CUN): $45
- Transfers in Private Minibus: $97
- Transfers in Private MiniVan wi fi on board: $61
- Transfers in Luxury Sedan from Cancun Airport: $85
- Transfers in Lincoln Strecth Limousine with Wi Fi on board: $121
- Transfers in Lincoln Strecth Limousine with Wi Fi on board: $137
- Transfers in Lincoln Strecth Limousine with Wi Fi on board: $261
- Transfer in Private vehicle from Cancun Airport (CUN) - Akumal City: $74
- Transfer in Luxury Mercedes Benz Minivan: $91
Typical Local Transportation Prices in San Miguel de Tucuman
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in San Miguel de Tucuman:
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Taxi Ride$0.01
Is it cheaper to fly into Cancun or San Miguel de Tucuman?
Prices for flights to both San Miguel de Tucuman 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 $29San Miguel de Tucuman $4.01
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 San Miguel de Tucuman
For San Miguel de Tucuman, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Sandwich$0.01
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cancun $35San Miguel de Tucuman $3.30
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
- Bacalar tour + Lunch + Boat, from Cancun and Riviera Maya: $139
- Coco Bongo Music And Show Ticket: $105
- Full Day All Inclusive Catamaran Tour to Isla Mujeres : $99
- Holbox Island Magic Tour from Cancun : $144
- Riviera Maya Luxury Snorkeling Cruise with Lunch and Drinks: $139
- (4x1) Full day tour to Tulum, Coba, Cenote and Playa del Carmen : $48
- (4x1) Tulum, Coba, Cenote and Playa del Carmen tour in one day: $50
- 1-Day Tour to Bacalar with Kayaking, Marmol Beach Club and Cenote: $115
- 1-Day Xavage Park Tour from Cancun: $186
- 12 hour Holbox Plus Tour with Cenote Lunch and Transportation: $105
- 15 Hours Guided Tour Holbox Island in Mexico: $115
Tours and Activities in San Miguel de Tucuman
For San Miguel de Tucuman, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Discover Tafí del Valle and Quilmes Ruins in a Day Tour: $82
- Entrance ticket to Aerial Park, Zip Line and Palestra: $27
- Rio Hondo Hot Springs Full Day Tour from Tucuman: $82
- Yungas Half-Day Tour from Tucuman: $51
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCancun $13San Miguel de Tucuman $2.07
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
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cancun and San Miguel de Tucuman, we can see that Cancun is more expensive. And not only is San Miguel de Tucuman much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cancun is in North America and San Miguel de Tucuman 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 San Miguel de Tucuman would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Miguel de Tucuman 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 San Miguel de Tucuman.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cancun Expensive? and Is San Miguel de Tucuman Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cancun or San Miguel de Tucuman?
San Miguel de Tucuman has a larger population, and is about 44% larger than the population of Cancun. When comparing the sizes of Cancun and San Miguel de Tucuman, 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.