Which place is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or Ilha Grande?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Ilha Grande or Cabo San Lucas?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Ilha Grande or Cabo San Lucas? 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: Ilha Grande or Cabo San Lucas?
Ilha Grande
Ilha Grande is a large, beautiful, island located off the southeast coast of Brazil. The island has few inhabitants, resulting in mostly unadulterated beaches and landscapes. There are over a dozen trails and beaches to explore, some of which have been called the best beaches in Brazil. Due to the limited number of inhabitants, ATMs are sparse on the island, so be sure to have cash with you before getting there.
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 Brazil, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Rio de Janeiro, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, and The Best Historical Tours in Mexico.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayIlha Grande $68Cabo San Lucas $139
The average daily cost (per person) in Ilha Grande is $68, 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 Ilha Grande and Cabo San Lucas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personIlha Grande $37Cabo San Lucas $63
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomIlha Grande $74Cabo San Lucas $126
Compare Hotels in Ilha Grande and Cabo San Lucas
Looking for a hotel in Ilha Grande 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: Cabo San Lucas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ilha Grande $18Cabo San Lucas $28
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ilha Grande
Also for Ilha Grande, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- All Private Transfer from Ilha Grande to Rio de Janeiro: $275
- Departure Private Transfer: Angra dos Reis to GIG or SDU Airport by Sedan Car: $116
- Departure Transfer: Angra dos Reis to GIG or SDU Airport by Van: $246
- From Angra dos Reis: Shared Transfer to Rio de Janeiro: $56
- From Angra dos Reis: Speedboat Transfer to Araçatiba: $27
- From Araçatiba: Speedboat Transfer to Angra dos Reis: $27
- From Shared Transfer to Rio de Janeiro: $47
- From Speedboat Transfer to Angra dos Reis: $27
- From Rio de Janeiro:Shared Roundtrip Transfer to Araçatiba: $106
- Private Transfer Angra dos Reis to Rio de Janeiro: $91
- Private Transfer from Angra dos Reis to Airport GIG in Rio : $190
- Private Transfer from GIG to anywhere in the City Angra dos Reis: $187
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 Ilha Grande or Cabo San Lucas?
Prices for flights to both Cabo San Lucas and Ilha Grande 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 dayIlha Grande $21Cabo San Lucas $51
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.Ilha Grande $6.61Cabo San Lucas $43
Tours and Activities in Ilha Grande
For Ilha Grande, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- From Abraão, Lopes Mendes Beach Tour & Trekking: $21
- Boat Tour To The Beaches Of Angra Dos Reis: $21
- Ilha Grande - From Abrãao: Lopes Mendes beach tour & trekking: $25
- Half-Day Ilha Grande Schooner Tour: $40
- Half-Day Blue Lagoon Schooner Tour: $40
- Six hour speedboat tour of Ilha Grande. Be amazed by the Blue and Green Lagoons: $40
- Tour Of The Motorboat The Paradisiac Islands Of Angra Dos Reis: $43
- Rio de Janeiro: Ilha Grande with Boat Tour & Optional Lunch: $48
- Schooner Cruise with Caipirinha drinks by the Blue Lagoon: $50
- From Ilha Grande - Paradise Island 7 h - Speedboat tour: $55
- Angra dos Reis with Speedboat Tour and Paradise Islands: $58
- Ilha Grande - Private Historical Walking Tour with Natural Pool.: $60
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 dayIlha Grande $11Cabo San Lucas $28
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 Ilha Grande and Cabo San Lucas, we can see that Cabo San Lucas is more expensive. And not only is Ilha Grande much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Ilha Grande 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 Ilha Grande would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ilha Grande 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 Ilha Grande.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Ilha Grande Expensive? and Is Cabo San Lucas Expensive?.
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.