Which place is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or Guayaquil?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Guayaquil or Cabo San Lucas?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Guayaquil or Cabo San Lucas, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Guayaquil or Cabo San Lucas?
Guayaquil
Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city and seaport. From a tourist perspective, the city acts primarily as a transportation gateway to the country and the Galapagos Islands. While the city can be skipped altogether, should you have a free day to spend here, there are a few noteworthy things to do, as well as some terrific dining and nightlife options. Guayaquil’s main tourist attraction is Las Penas, a hill with old, colorfully painted buildings at the north end of the Malecon, where you can walk the 400 steps to the lighthouse at the top for good views of the city. The neighborhood is filled with cafes, bars, restaurants, and art galleries and is relatively safe. Other important sights include the Malecon 2000, a massive urban development project that has brought new life to the riverside in the city center and the Parque Seminario, filled with fountains, trees and iguanas, located at 10 de Agosto Ave and Chile Ave.
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas ("Cabo") is on the far southern end of the Baja Peninsula. It has countless resorts and activities for visitors. There are world class golf courses, fine dining options, and five star resorts. Prior to the 1980s, Cabo was a quiet fishing village but with the construction of a nearby airport in 1977, the city rapidly grew into one of Mexico's most popular resort vacation spots. Today, Cabo has one of the country's most vibrant nightlife scenes. It also has plenty of water sport activities, and a great beach scene.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to Ecuador, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Ecuador, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, and The Best Historical Tours in Mexico.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayGuayaquil $95Cabo San Lucas $139
The average daily cost (per person) in Guayaquil is $95, while the average daily cost in Cabo San Lucas is $139. 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 Guayaquil and Cabo San Lucas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personGuayaquil $32Cabo San Lucas $63
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomGuayaquil $64Cabo San Lucas $126
Compare Hotels in Guayaquil and Cabo San Lucas
Looking for a hotel in Guayaquil or Cabo San Lucas? 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: Guayaquil Hotel Prices and Cabo San Lucas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Guayaquil $15Cabo San Lucas $28
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Guayaquil
Also for Guayaquil, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Guayaquil Airport (GYE) to Guayaquil hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $52
- Guayaquil Airport (GYE): Transfer to Guayaquil hotels: $129
- Guayaquil Airport GYE to Guayaquil city -Arrival Private Transfer: $30
- Guayaquil Airport Private Transfer Service: $80
- Guayaquil Airport(GYE) to Guayaquil - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $59
- Guayaquil PRIVATE Arrival Transfer from the Airport to Hotels: $18
- Guayaquil PRIVATE Arrival Transfer from the Airport to Hotels: $17
- Guayaquil PRIVATE Departure Transfer from Hotels to the Airport.: $17
- Private Airport Transfer from Guayaquil Airport to Hotel: $20
- Private Transfer In From Guayaquil Airport to Hotel: $25
- Private Transfer Out From Hotel to Guayaquil Airport: $25
- Private Transfer from Guayaquil Airport(GYE) to Manta Cruise Port: $89
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cabo San Lucas:
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer in San José del Cabo HTL-APT(SJD): $105
- Transfer in private minivan from San Jose del Cabo - Los Cabos Airport (SJD): $65
- Transfer in private minivan from Los Cabos Airport (SJD) - Cabo San Lucas: $65
- Transfer in private minivan from Cabo San Lucas - San Jose del Cabo(SJD): $54
- Transfer in Private SUV from Los Cabos Airport (SJD) - Tourist Corridor: $46
- Transfer in Private SUV from Los Cabos Airport (SJD) - San Jose del Cabo: $62
- Transfer in Private Minivan from Los Cabos Airport (SJD) - Touristic Corridor: $60
- Transfer from Cabo San Lucas Airport CSL to Cabo San Lucas : $33
- Transfer from Airport to Cabo San Lucas: $300
- Transfer Los Cabos Airport SJD to San José Zone 1 Hotels: $100
- Transfer From Airport to Cabo San Lucas: $200
- San Jose del Cabo to Los Cabos Airport (SJD) Departure Transfer: $31
Is it cheaper to fly into Guayaquil or Cabo San Lucas?
Prices for flights to both Cabo San Lucas and Guayaquil 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 dayGuayaquil $29Cabo San Lucas $51
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Guayaquil
For Guayaquil, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Half Day Guayaquil Culinary Adventure, Cacao Cooking Class: $185
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cabo San Lucas
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cabo San Lucas.
- Sunset Dinner Cruise with Domestic Open Bar: $64
- Tasting Cabo San Lucas Like a Local Food Tour: $70
- Cabo San Lucas Sunset Cruise with Dinner and Open Bar: $75
- Sea to Table Fisherman's Seafood Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $80
- Seafood Galore, Los Cabos Food Tour: $80
- San Jose del Cabo Morning Food Tour: $86
- Parrillada dinner with a Private Chef in your villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose: $86
- Sunset Dinner Cruise at Cabo San Lucas Bay: $89
- Private Mexican Cooking Class in Your Cabo San Lucas Villa or Condo: $90
- Catch of the day dinner in your private villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose del Cabo: $90
- San José del Cabo for Meat Lovers Food Tour: $90
- Cabo Sunset Dinner Cruise: Fajitas, Lands End and Party: $94
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Guayaquil $21Cabo San Lucas $43
Tours and Activities in Guayaquil
For Guayaquil, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Private Guayaquil City Tour: $18
- 1-hour Pacari Wine and Chocolate Tasting Experience: $20
- Shared Walking Tour in Guayaquil City: $35
- City Tour Guayaquil: $40
- Guayaquil City Tour: $40
- Self-guided walking tour of Guayaquil's landmarks.: $45
- Private Experience of Flavors and Wine Pairing in Guayaquil: $52
- From Montañita: Paragliding Experience: $55
- City Tour with Hotel Pickup and Drop-off: $63
- Guayaquil to Cuenca one-way tour with Cajas Park and a Cacao Farm visit: $74
- City Tour around Guayaquil: $75
- Private Guayaquil City Tour and Parque Historico: $80
Tours and Activities in Cabo San Lucas
Here are a few actual costs in Cabo San Lucas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Glass Bottom Boat Sightseeing Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $23
- Glass Bottom Boat Tour: $20
- Magical Todos Santos Tour, Camel ranch, Lunch & Tequila: $119
- Platinum Snorkel Tour : $215
- Romantic tour in Cabo San Lucas: $186
- Round Trip to Touristic Corridor : $180
- Traditional Tequila Tasting Experience with Jorge Cuervo: $55
- Your Own Private Luxury Yacht Experience in Cabo, Lunch included: $1.21
- "Exclusive Cabo San Lucas Trimaran Experience with Snorkeling": $180
- 1 Hour Jet Ski Adventure in Billygan's Beach Club: $180
- 2 Hour Whale Watching Tour in Cabo San Lucas Arch: $115
- 2 Hours Horseback Riding Adventure in Cabo: $130
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayGuayaquil $17Cabo San Lucas $28
Sample the Local Flavors in Guayaquil
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Guayaquil:
- Wine Tasting Experience with Tasting Menu: $55
Sample the Local Flavors in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cabo San Lucas:
- Cabo Bar Crawl - The BEST Bar and Clubs in Cabo : $55
- Wine Tasting Sunset Cruise Tour in San Jose del Cabo: $190
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Guayaquil and Cabo San Lucas, we can see that Cabo San Lucas is more expensive. And not only is Guayaquil much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Guayaquil is in South America and Cabo San Lucas 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 Guayaquil would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Guayaquil 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 Cabo San Lucas would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cabo San Lucas than you might in Guayaquil.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Guayaquil Expensive? and Is Cabo San Lucas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Guayaquil or Cabo San Lucas?
Guayaquil has a larger population, and is about 50 times larger than the population of Cabo San Lucas. When comparing the sizes of Guayaquil and Cabo San Lucas, 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.