Which place is cheaper, Ushuaia or Cancun?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cancun or Ushuaia?
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 Ushuaia can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Cancun or Ushuaia?
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.
Ushuaia
Ushuaia is a city on the Tierra del Fuego island of Argentina on the Beagle Strait. The city is considered to be one of the southernmost cities in the world and is often used as a base for cruises to Antarctica. Ushuaia's close proximity to Antarctica and their amazing hiking trails have made it a popular tourist destination over the past few decades.
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 Wildlife Tours to Argentina, and The Best Eco Tours in Argentina.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCancun $148Ushuaia $11
The average daily cost (per person) in Cancun is $148, while the average daily cost in Ushuaia 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 Ushuaia in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCancun $98Ushuaia $5.64
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCancun $196Ushuaia $11
Compare Hotels in Cancun and Ushuaia
Looking for a hotel in Cancun or Ushuaia? 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 Ushuaia Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cancun $18Ushuaia -
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:
- Private RoundTrip Transfer to Xplor Adventure Park from Cancun: $297
- Cancun Airport to Tulum Roundtrip Private Transfer: $290
- Transfers in Lincoln Strecth Limousine with Wi Fi on board: $261
- Round trip private transfer VAN-Airport-Hotel-Airport-Playa del Carmen: $260
- Round trip private transfer VAN-Airport-Hotel-Airport-Puerto Morelos: $260
- Round trip Private airport transfer to Playa del Carmen Flat Rate per vehicle: $241
- Full-Day Tour to Xcaret Plus with Transfer from Playa del Carmen and Lunch: $238
- Airport Transfers to Costa Mujeres - Private van (ROUND TRIP) FLAT RATE: $232
- Private Transfer from Cancún Airport (CUN) to Tulum : $222
- Private One Way Transfer from Cancun Airport to Tulum: $220
- Private Round Trip Transfer (Cancun Airport - Playa del Carmen): $219
- Private round airport transfer from Cancun - Puerto Aventuras - airport.: $210
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Ushuaia
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Ushuaia are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$0.03
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ushuaia
Also for Ushuaia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared One-way Airport Transfer: $10
- Escondido and Fagnano Lakes with transfer: $97
- Ushuaia to Ushuaia Airport (USH) - Departure Private Transfer: $32
- Ushuaia city to Ushuaia Airport(USH) - Departure Private Transfer: $23
- Ushuaia Airport(USH) to Ushuaia hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $23
- Ushuaia Airport(USH) to Ushuaia city - RoundTrip Private Transfer: $46
- Ushuaia Airport Shared Transfer: $7.48
- Ushuaia Airport Shared Transfer: $7.25
- Ushuaia Airport Departure Transfer: $10
- Ushuaia Airport Arrival Transfer: $10
- Ushuaia Airport (USH) to Ushuaia - Roundtrip Private Transfer: $63
- Transfer from/to the airport: $89
Is it cheaper to fly into Cancun or Ushuaia?
Prices for flights to both Ushuaia 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 $29Ushuaia $2.18
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 Ushuaia
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Ushuaia:
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Lunch for Two$0.06
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ushuaia
For Ushuaia, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- The Martial Glacier at Night with Dinner Included: $94
- Ushuaia at night: A Snow and Fire dinner, sledding and adventure: $280
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cancun $35Ushuaia $13
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 Ushuaia
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ushuaia.
- 2-day tour: Tierra del Fuego National Park + Fagnano and Escondido Lakes: $115
- 2-day tour:Tierra del Fuego NP + Beagle Channel Navigation + Fagnano & Escondido: $190
- 3-Hour Navigation Tour in the Beagle Channel with Isla de Lobos: $75
- 3-Hour Tour Sailing through the Beagle Channel: $105
- 4×4 Off Road Tour to Escondido and Khami Lakes: $122
- 4-Hour National Park - USHUAIA (Shared tour): $75
- 4WD Off-Road Lakes Adventure in Tierra del Fuego: $156
- 5-Hour Nat Park + City tour - USHUAIA (Private Tour): $195
- 5.5-Hour National park w/ hiking Shore excursion - USHUAIA (Private Tour): $280
- 5hrs of Trekking Experience in Martial Glacier: $95
- 7-Hour Lakes Escondido & Fagnano - USHUAIA (Shared tour): $105
- Adventure 360º in Quads with Lunch: $160
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCancun $13Ushuaia -
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 Ushuaia
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Ushuaia are as follows:
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Wine$0.05
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Beer$0.01
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cancun and Ushuaia, we can see that Cancun is more expensive. And not only is Ushuaia much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cancun is in North America and Ushuaia 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 Ushuaia would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ushuaia 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 Ushuaia.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cancun Expensive? and Is Ushuaia Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cancun or Ushuaia?
Cancun has a larger population, and is about 9 times larger than the population of Ushuaia. When comparing the sizes of Cancun and Ushuaia, 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.