A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Dubrovnik vs. Puerto del Carmen for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Dubrovnik or Puerto del Carmen?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Dubrovnik or Puerto del Carmen? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Dubrovnik or Puerto del Carmen?

Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik, the "Pearl of the Adriatic", is a beautiful walled city in southern Croatia that sits on the edge of the Adriatic Sea. It's a small city, with only about 40,000 residents, but it's become one of the most significant tourist destinations in the Mediterranean. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The city was historically built on maritime trade, which is not surprising given its location near major Italian and Greek ports such as Venice, Bari, Corfu, and Trieste. It was a center of language and literature and was the home of many important poets, playwrights, painters, and scientists during the 15th and 16th centuries. Today its economy is dependent on tourism and it is one of the most popular destinations in the region. People visit the city for its impressive history, beautiful setting, great weather, and interesting architecture.

Puerto del Carmen

Located on the south-eastern coast of the Canary Island of Lanzarote, Puerto del Carmen is a popular resort area best known for its high concentration of bars, pubs, restaurants, and clubs. By day, visitors frequent the beaches for swimming, sunbathing, windsurfing, and other watersports - and by night, they flock to enjoy the live music and drinks of the area's thriving nightlife.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Split, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Croatia, The Best 3-Day Tours from Madrid, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Madrid.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto del Carmen or Dubrovnik?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Dubrovnik is $103, while the average daily cost in Puerto del Carmen is $185. 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 Dubrovnik and Puerto del Carmen in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Dubrovnik $53
    Puerto del Carmen $105
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Dubrovnik $106
    Puerto del Carmen $210
Compare Hotels in Dubrovnik and Puerto del Carmen

Looking for a hotel in Dubrovnik or Puerto del Carmen? 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 Dubrovnik


Hotels in Puerto del Carmen


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: Dubrovnik Hotel Prices and Puerto del Carmen Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Dubrovnik $13
    Puerto del Carmen $41
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Dubrovnik

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Dubrovnik:


  • Bus Around Town
    $1.52

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dubrovnik

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

  • Transfers from Dubrovnik : $66
  • Transfer to from Slano up to 7 persons to or from Dubrovnik or Dubrovnik APT: $109
  • Transfer from Dubrovnik to Split with 2 hours stop in Ston Town: $86
  • Transfer from Dubrovnik airport to Dubrovnik city: $66
  • Transfer from Dubrovnik airport to Dubrovnik: $22
  • Transfer from Dubrovnik airport or Dubrovnik to Sun Gardens, Trsteno or Brsečine: $82
  • Transfer from Dubrovnik Airport to Dubrovnik: $65
  • Transfer from Dubrovnik Airport to Dubrovnik: $52
  • Transfer Zagreb - Dubrovnik or Dubrovnik - Zagreb: $1,030
  • Transfer Dubrovnik-Dubrovnik airport: $41
  • Transfer Dubrovnik Airport to Kotor Old town : $197
  • Transfer Dubrovnik Airport (Croatia) to Kotor (Montenegro): $198

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto del Carmen

Also for Puerto del Carmen, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Lanzarote : Parasailing activity with hotel transfer: $102

Is it cheaper to fly into Dubrovnik or Puerto del Carmen?

Prices for flights to both Puerto del Carmen and Dubrovnik 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
    Dubrovnik $35
    Puerto del Carmen $55
Typical Food Prices in Dubrovnik

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Dubrovnik:


  • Seafood Dinner (for 2)
    $31

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Dubrovnik

For Dubrovnik, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Sunset Dinner Cruise around the Old Town: $80
  • Secrets of traditional Dalmatian cuisine with a cooking class: $128
  • Old Town Food Tour: $143
  • Dubrovnik Old Town Food Tour: Small-Group Experience: $147
  • Konavle Wine& History&food Tour: $165
  • Cooking Classes Traditional Meals of Konavle region: $179
  • Traditional Dalmatian Cooking Class from Dubrovnik: $198
  • Traditional Cooking Class in Dubrovnik Countryside: $202
  • Authentic Garden to Table Cooking Class in Dubrovnik Countryside : $208
  • Pelješac Full-Day Wine and Food Tour from Dubrovnik: $209
  • Private Dinner with Wine and Homemade Tapas: $214
  • Dubrovnik Food Tour with Friendly Local Guide: $229

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Dubrovnik $20
    Puerto del Carmen $18
Typical Entertainment Prices in Dubrovnik

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


  • Boat to Lokrum Island (for 2)
    $14
  • Dubrovnik City Wall Tour (for 2)
    $56
  • Dubrovnik Cable Car (for 2)
    $48

Tours and Activities in Dubrovnik

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Dubrovnik.

  • MONTENEGRO TOUR from Dubrovnik: $104
  • 'Game of Thrones' Walking Tour in Dubrovnik: $58
  • 1 Hour Shared Dubrovnik Guided Walking Tour : $26
  • 1.5-Hour Walking Tour of Dubrovnik's Old Town: $20
  • 2 Hours Dubrovnik City Walls Group Walking Tour: $49
  • 2-Hour Dubrovnik Fun and Exciting Jet Ski Safari Adventure Tour: $137
  • 2-Hour Guided Walking Tour in Mlini: $22
  • 3-Hour Dubrovnik Countryside ATV/Quad Safari Adventure Tour: $108
  • 3-Hour Private Fort Lovrijenac and City Walls Tour with a Local Guide: $44
  • 4 Hours Caves, Snorkeling and Swimming Tour in Dubrovnik: $85
  • 4 Hours Speed Boat Group Tour of Blue Cave, Lopud, and Kolocep : $85
  • A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Dubrovnik's Old Town: $8.99

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Dubrovnik $15
    Puerto del Carmen $64

Sample the Local Flavors in Dubrovnik

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Dubrovnik:

  • Columbo Pub Crawl Dubrovnik: $49
  • Brewery Tour with Food included: $60
  • From Korcula Island Tour with Wine Tasting: $66
  • Day Tour of Korcula Island from Dubrovnik with Wine Tasting: $70
  • Ston and Korcula Island Day Trip from Dubrovnik with Wine Tasting: $75
  • Half-Day Wine Tasting with Snacks and Ston Place Visit: $75
  • Interactive Wine Tour: $80
  • Day trip to Korčula and Pelješac with Wine Tasting: $84
  • Konavle Valley Wine Tour from Dubrovnik with Train Ride and Wine Tasting: $84
  • Interactive Wine Tour in Dubrovnik: $89
  • Day trip to Korčula and Pelješac with Wine Tasting from Koločep: $93
  • Dubrovnik Kayak Tour + Gourmet Snack + Wine Tasting (Small-Group): $97


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

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


Which is Bigger, Dubrovnik or Puerto del Carmen?

Puerto del Carmen has a larger population, and is about 6% larger than the population of Dubrovnik. When comparing the sizes of Dubrovnik and Puerto del Carmen, 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.