Which place is cheaper, San Diego or Guatemala City?
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 Guatemala City or San Diego?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Guatemala City or San Diego? 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: Guatemala City or San Diego?
Guatemala City
Referred to by the locals as "Guate," Guatemala City is the largest and most modern city in Guatemala, as well as its capital. While the atmosphere of the place is big, dirty, and dangerous with city fumes and skyscrapers, it is the hub of the country. It is the place where travelers first step foot into Guatemala and, though it is a place of modern chaos, it does have some of the best galleries and museums as well as a selection of bars, cafes, and restaurants.
San Diego
For many visitors and locals alike, San Diego is a paradise. Located in southern California, not far from Los Angeles, it has the perfect climate, wonderful beaches, and a culturally rich environment. It's surrounded by beautiful landscape and has a strong focus on wildlife conservation and eco-friendly living. Home to about 1.3 million residents, it is California's second largest city. It also has many universities, a large tech industry, and a thriving economy. Despite its size, many people perceive San Diego as a slower, more relaxed city with a pleasant vibe away from the chaos of a large city.
For some great organized tour ideas, see Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Guatemala, The Best Adventure Tours to Guatemala, The Best G Adventures Tours to United States of America, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Las Vegas.
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Guatemala City Prices
Guatemala PricesSan Diego Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayGuatemala City $56San Diego $251
The average daily cost (per person) in Guatemala City is $56, while the average daily cost in San Diego is $251. 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 Guatemala City and San Diego in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personGuatemala City $24San Diego $124
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomGuatemala City $48San Diego $248
Compare Hotels in Guatemala City and San Diego
Looking for a hotel in Guatemala City or San Diego? 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: Guatemala City Hotel Prices and San Diego Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Guatemala City $6.27San Diego $23
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Guatemala City
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Guatemala City:
- Private Transfer from Guatemala City to Panajachel or Atitlan: $254
- Private Museums Tour with Transfers: $225
- Private Transfer from Guatemala City to Puerto Quetzal Port: $204
- Private Transfer - Guatemala Airport (GUA) to Puerto Quetzal Port: $204
- Private transfer - San Pedro la Laguna to Guatemala City: $200
- Private Transfers from Guatemala city to Panajachel: $200
- Airport Transfer for Large Groups – Private Bus: $195
- Guatemala Airport (GUA) to San Felipe de Lara - Arrival Transfer: $183
- Transfer Private Group Airport to Antigua or Viceversa: $120
- Private Transfer from Guatemala Airport GUA to Lake Atitlán: $96
- Private Transfer from Airport to Santa Catarina Palopó: $88
- Private Transfer From La Aurora AirPort to Panajachel Atitlan: $84
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Diego
Also for San Diego, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- San Diego hotel/address to San Diego Airport (SAN) - Departure Private Transfer: $63
- San Diego Airport (SAN) to San Marcos, CA - Arrival Private Transfer: $64
- San Marcos, CA to San Diego Airport (SAN) - Departure Private Transfer: $64
- San Diego Airport (SAN) to Carlsbad, CA - Arrival Private Transfer: $64
- Tijuana to Tijuana International Airport (TIJ) – Departure Private Transfer: $69
- Tijuana International Airport (TIJ) to Tijuana hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $69
- Private Transfer from San Diego Port to San Diego Airport (SAN): $69
- Private Transfer from San Diego Airport (SAN) to San Diego Port: $69
- Private Transfer from San Diego Port to San Diego city hotels: $69
- Private Transfer from San Diego City Hotels to San Diego Port: $69
- Private Transfer from San Diego (SAN) Airport to San Diego City: $85
- Arrival Private Transfer: San Diego Airport SAN to San Diego in Business Car: $110
Is it cheaper to fly into Guatemala City or San Diego?
Prices for flights to both San Diego and Guatemala City 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 dayGuatemala City $27San Diego $84
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Guatemala City
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Guatemala City.
- Cooking Experience in Guatemala from Market to Table: $23
- Guatemala: Wine and Pizza Tasting Experience: $35
- Antigua: Authentic Guatemalan Cooking Class: $80
- Small-Group Cooking Class in Antigua from Guatemala City: $120
- Food Tour Zona 4: Dinner Date Experience: $125
- Antigua Market, Cooking Class and Choco Museum from Guatemala City: $188
- Pacaya Volcano Vistas + Enjoy Pizza Surrounded by The Volcano: $195
- Pacaya Volcano Vistas + Enjoy Pizza with Great Volcano Views: $205
- Puerto Quetzal: Private Tour Pacaya Volcano 4x4 and Pizza: $550
Typical Food Prices in San Diego
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to San Diego:
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Mexican Lunch for Two$27
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Breakfast at Starbucks$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Diego
For San Diego, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Sushi Making Cooking Class at a Local Brewery in San Diego: $75
- Tijuana Walking Street Food Tour with Wild Foodie Tours: $79
- San Diego Pizza & Gelato Walking Tour in Little Italy Small Group: $80
- Vegan Food Tour: $89
- San Diego Vegan Food Tour: $89
- Pizza and Ice Cream Walking Tour: $89
- Old Town Tequila and Tacos Walking Food Tour: $94
- Gaslamp District Food Tour with 6 Local Dishes: $96
- San Diego Gaslamp Food Tour with 6 Modern Californian Tastings: $97
- Gaslamp Quarter Downtown San Diego Food Tour: $99
- San Diego Chinese Food Tour with Wild Foodie Tours: $99
- Public Italian Cooking Class in San Diego: $105
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Guatemala City $1.23San Diego $57
Tours and Activities in Guatemala City
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Guatemala City are as follows:
- 1 Day Lake Atitlan Tour from Guatemala City: $150
- 2-Day Tour: Antigua Guatemala, Lake Atitlan and Hobbitenango: $299
- 2in1 Tour: Avocado Farm + Private Tour in Antigua Guatemala: $199
- 3-Day Antigua Guatemala and Pacaya Volcano Adventure: $256
- 4-Hour Bike Tour Guatemala City: $70
- Antigua + Guatemala City Full Day Tour - History Lovers Favorite: $245
- Antigua City Tour Full Day From Guatemala City: $60
- Antigua City Tour from Guatemala City: $78
- Antigua Guatemala Full-Day Shared City Tour: $60
- Antigua Guatemala Full-Day Tour from Guatemala City: $79
- Antigua Guatemala NIGHT Photo Tour FROM Guatemala City: $125
- Chichicastenango Day Tour from Guatemala City: $115
Typical Entertainment Prices in San Diego
For San Diego, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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San Diego Zoo$15
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Sea World Parking$12
Tours and Activities in San Diego
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Diego.
- Discover Self-Guided Walking Tour: $1.14
- Self-guided Bike Tour App - Audio + Written: $5.00
- Tijuana Downtown Self Guided Walking Tour: $9.75
- Self-Guided Audio Tour of San Diego’s Scenic Waterfront: $9.99
- Gaslamp Quarter Walking Audio Tour: $9.99
- La Jolla Coast & Cove Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour: $9.99
- San Diego Natural History Museum Ticket: $13
- San Diego Natural History Museum Nighttime Entry Ticket: $13
- Beaches & Bluffs San Diego's Ultimate Coastal Driving Tour: $15
- San Diego Gas Lamp: At your leisure & pace. An audio walking tour.: $15
- Whaley House Museum Self-Guided Tour: $15
- Embarcadero Waterfront Ghost Walking Tour: $22
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayGuatemala City $6.96San Diego $21
Sample the Local Flavors in San Diego
Also in San Diego, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- An Epic Scavenger Hunt: Slammin' San Diego Bar Crawl: $13
- Downtown Bar Crawl Party Pass: $20
- Little Italy Pub Crawl: $30
- San Diego Haunted Pub Crawl: $35
- San Diego Haunted Pub Crawl: True Crime & Ghost Stories: $35
- Hillcrest Drag Queen 5 Bar Crawl with Shots: $45
- Brewery Tour with Tastings and Food Pairings: $85
- The most fun wine tour of the Guadalupe Valley: $120
- Vino! Vino! Little Italy Wine Tasting Walking Tour: $125
- Little Italy Wine Tasting Walking Tour: $125
- $99 Valle de Guadalupe Wine Tours - DayTrip to baja from San Diego: $129
- Cruise & Booze Brewery tours: $149
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Guatemala City and San Diego, we can see that San Diego is more expensive. And not only is Guatemala City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Guatemala City is in Central America and San Diego is in North 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 Guatemala City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Guatemala City 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 San Diego would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Diego than you might in Guatemala City.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Guatemala City Expensive? and Is San Diego Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Guatemala City or San Diego?
San Diego has a larger population, and is about 23% larger than the population of Guatemala City. When comparing the sizes of Guatemala City and San Diego, 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.