Which place is cheaper, Mendoza or Granada?
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 Granada or Mendoza?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Granada and Mendoza. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Granada or Mendoza?
Granada
Granada is Nicaragua's oldest colonial city, and arguably, the most beautiful city in the country. It sits on the northern edge of Lake Nicaragua (Lago Cocibolca) and has many beautifully colored buildings and nice churches. The city's beauty and colonial architecture, along with its relative safety and accessibility, make it one of Nicaragua's top tourist destinations. The city has long been a center for commerce, but today its economy depends heavily on tourism. The city is the sixth largest in Nicaragua and a real estate boom in the early 2000's brought a large number of expats to the town.
Mendoza
Mendoza is a city in western Argentina and more precisely in the desertic Cuyo region. Mendoza is the center of the Argentinian wine industry and is famed around the world for its vineyards and wine production. Spread across the valley of the Rio Mendoza and in the foothills of the Andean mountain range, Mendoza is also near the Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside of the Himalayas. The bustling and scenic city of wide, leafy avenues, atmospheric plazas and cosmopolitan cafes spoils visitors with unique natural attractions and historical landmarks. If you can, visit Mendoza during the harvest festival at the end of February. There are many events and festivals in Mendoza and they are usually free. Each has a different theme, and they usually have a stage with singing and dancing and booths that sell food around a plaza. Seventy percent of Argentina's wines are produced here, and Mendoza is especially known for its world-famous malbecs.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Nicaragua, The Best Adventure Tours to Nicaragua, The Best 2-Week Tours from Buenos Aires, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina.
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Granada Prices
Nicaragua PricesMendoza Prices
Argentina Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayGranada $50Mendoza $56
The average daily cost (per person) in Granada is $50, while the average daily cost in Mendoza is $56. 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 Granada and Mendoza in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personGranada $17Mendoza $43
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomGranada $34Mendoza $86
Compare Hotels in Granada and Mendoza
Looking for a hotel in Granada or Mendoza? 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: Granada Hotel Prices and Mendoza Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Granada $8.54Mendoza $4.18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Granada
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Granada:
- San Juan del Sur: One way shared transfer to Granada: $39
- One-Way Private Transfer From/To Airport or Hotels in Granada: $40
- Leon: One way shared transfer to Granada: $39
- From San Jorge: One way shared transfer to Granada: $39
- From One way shared transfer to Rivas: $39
- From One way shared transfer to Leon: $39
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mendoza
Also for Mendoza, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared 1-Way or Round Trip MDZ Airport Transfer: $11
- Private Transfer from Mendoza Airport (MDZ): $17
- Private Transfer MDZ Airport - Main Town: $20
- 6-Seats Private Transfer in Mendoza with Personal Driver: $21
- MDZ Airport Private Transfer to Mendoza City Center: $22
- Mendoza Airport Shuttle Transfer: $22
- Shared Transfer Mendoza Bus Station / Downtown Hotel: $23
- Private Transfer in Mendoza: $25
- One-Way Private Transfer from Airport: $25
- One Way Shared Transfer Mendoza Airport/Downtown Hotel: $33
- Mendoza Intl Airport (MDZ) to Mendoza - Arrival Private Transfer: $34
- Mendoza Airport Departure Transfer: $34
Is it cheaper to fly into Granada or Mendoza?
Prices for flights to both Mendoza and Granada 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 dayGranada $24Mendoza $5.85
Typical Food Prices in Granada
Some typical examples of dining costs in Granada are as follows:
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Pizza$2.28
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Mendoza
For Mendoza, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Argentine BBQ on Terrace with Views. Dinner, Sunset.: $80
- Mendoza Cooking Experience with Unlimited Wine & Cocktails: $95
- Argentine Hands-On Cooking & Wine Experience in Mendoza: $95
- Bar Safari 4 Best Mendoza’s Bars in 1 Night with Full Dinner: $167
- Bar Safari: 4 Best Mendoza’s Bars in 1 night. + Full Dinner: $180
- Horseback Riding at Sunset and Dinner in Mendoza: $185
- Tango Show with Dinner at Hualta Winery Hotel: $190
- Full-Day Small-Group Mendoza Wine Tasting Tour with Lunch or Dinner: $199
- City Tour with Dinner at a Local Restaurant: $200
- Winery Los Toneles + Dinner in Saffron Restó. Private transportation: $250
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Granada $10Mendoza $23
Typical Entertainment Prices in Granada
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Granada are as follows:
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Lago de Nicaragua Boat Tour$8.14
Tours and Activities in Granada
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Granada are as follows:
- Volcano Mombacho Adventure in the Cloud Forest & Apoyo Lake : $115
- 3 Volcanoes Full Day Tour! Unique experience!: $145
- Bird Watching Tour: $90
- Boat Tour and Granada City Tour: $130
- Canopy & Crater on Mombacho Volcano & Islets Sunset Boat Tour: $144
- Charming Granada Outdoor "Private Tour" : $92
- City Tour Granada, Nicaragua.: $40
- Experience Granadas Best Sights Carriage ride + Local Guide: $65
- From Full-Day Tour to 6 Attractions with Lunch incl: $125
- Full Day Tour Isletas + Pueblos Blancos + Laguna from Granada: $120
- Full Day Tour Masaya Volcano, Art Market and White Villages: $60
- Full-Day Tour: Masaya Volcano, Art Market and White Villages: $60
Tours and Activities in Mendoza
For Mendoza, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Self-guided bike tour of Maipu (Mendoza): $15
- Malbec Experience in Bodega Tierras Altas: $22
- Tour autoguiado en bicicleta por Luján de Cuyo (Mendoza): $23
- City tour with visit to General San Martin Park: $24
- City Tour of Mendoza: $25
- City Tour: $25
- Renacer Winery Experience: $25
- City Tour: $25
- Wine and Olive Oil Tasting Half-Day Tour: $34
- Half-Day Sightseeing Tour: $34
- City Tour Mendoza Completo con Chocolatería y Cerro de la Gloria: $35
- Half-Day Sightseeing City Tour: $35
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayGranada $7.48Mendoza $5.94
Typical Alcohol Prices in Granada
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Granada:
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Tequila$1.36
Sample the Local Flavors in Mendoza
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Mendoza:
- Classic Wine Tasting: $44
- Premium Wine Tasting: $66
- Half-Day Wine Tour with Tastings: $80
- Make an Argentine Asado BBQ w/ Local Host & Wine Tasting: $89
- El Enemigo and Casa Vigil Wine Tour: $93
- In Mendoza Wine Tours, Empanadas, and Olive Oil: $99
- Mendoza Private Wine Tour Paired Lunch and Olive Oil Tasting: $115
- Classic Wine Tour on a Budget. Lunch. Private Driver: $120
- Wine Tour with Lunch and Transport in Mendoza: $130
- Full Day Wine Tour with 3 Course Lunch: $164
- Wine tasting region Uco Valley in Mendoza: $180
- Bike Tour at Zuccardi: Olive Oil, Wine Tasting & Lunch: $182
When comparing the travel costs between Granada and Mendoza, we can see that Mendoza is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Granada is in Central America and Mendoza is in South America, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Granada Expensive? and Is Mendoza Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Granada or Mendoza?
Mendoza has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Granada. When comparing the sizes of Granada and Mendoza, 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.