Which place is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or Iquique?
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 Iquique or Cabo San Lucas?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Iquique 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: Iquique or Cabo San Lucas?
Iquique
Located in a golden crescent of coastline, the beautiful beach city with an ocean that's several shades of blue and a historic centre that offers the perfect balance of culture and relaxation is counted among Chile's premier beach resorts. The city is home to the duty free zone called "Zofri" and a growing number of high rise resort hotels along its beaches. Slightly more expensive and polluted than neighboring population centers, such as Arica, Iquique and its chaotic duty-free shopping zone (zona franca) have become the perfect summer holiday destination for Chilean families.
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 Vineyard & Wine Tours in Chile, The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Chile, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, and The Best Historical Tours in Mexico.
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Iquique Prices
Chile PricesCabo San Lucas Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayIquique $121Cabo San Lucas $159
The average daily cost (per person) in Iquique is $121, while the average daily cost in Cabo San Lucas is $159. 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 Iquique and Cabo San Lucas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personIquique $43Cabo San Lucas $57
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomIquique $86Cabo San Lucas $114
Compare Hotels in Iquique and Cabo San Lucas
Looking for a hotel in Iquique 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.Iquique $23Cabo San Lucas $25
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Iquique
Also for Iquique, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Sandboard activity in Iquique with transfer: $75
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cabo San Lucas:
- Los Cabos Luxury Private Tesla Transfer from Airport to the Pacifica Area: $293
- Airport Transfers to Cabo San Lucas Pacifico Hotels RT: $290
- Cabo San Lucas Port to San Jose Del Cabo hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $287
- Transfer to Cabo San Lucas from Round Trip Airport: $268
- Private Airport Transfers in Los Cabos: $253
- Los Cabos Luxury Private Tesla Transfer from Airport to Tourist Corridor Area: $236
- Los Cabos Luxury Private Tesla Airport Transfer: $236
- Private Escalade Airport Transfer in Los Cabos: $220
- Private Round Trip Transfer to San José del Cabo Art Walk: $215
- Los Cabos Luxury Tesla Transfer from Airport to San José del Cabo Area: $214
- Private Or Shared Airport Transfers: $210
- Private Transfer to Cabo San Lucas from Cabo Airport: $210
Is it cheaper to fly into Iquique or Cabo San Lucas?
Prices for flights to both Cabo San Lucas and Iquique 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 dayIquique $59Cabo San Lucas $80
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.
- Authentic Mexican Legacy Cooking Class in Cabo San Lucas: $75
- San Jose del Cabo Food Tour & Visit to the Market: $79
- Flavors of Authentic Mexican Food Tour: $79
- San Jose del Cabo Morning Food Tour: $84
- San José del Cabo for Meat Lovers Food Tour: $90
- Sunset Mexican Dinner Cruise and Live Music in Cabo San Lucas: $95
- Parrillada dinner with a Private Chef in your villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose: $95
- Jumbo Shrimp Dinner in Your Private Villa or Condo in Cabo or San Jose del Cabo: $99
- Cabo San Lucas Sunset Dinner Cruise with Open Bar: $99
- Cabo Sunset Dinner Cruise with Live Music & Open Bar on Cabo Wave: $99
- Sunset E-bike Beach Ride with Mexican Dinner and Margaritas: $109
- San Jose del Cabo City Highlights with Tequila Tasting and Dinner: $110
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Iquique $27Cabo San Lucas $39
Tours and Activities in Iquique
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Iquique.
- City tour of Iquique with navigation to the Esmeralda buoy: $55
- City Tour in Iquique: $89
- Pintados Geoglyphs, Humberstone and Salar Crespo tour: $145
- Red Lagoon Tour: $639
Tours and Activities in Cabo San Lucas
Here are a few actual costs in Cabo San Lucas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Beach ATV y Camel Ride y Sky Bike Adventure: $140
- Camel Ride, UTV, and The Arch Tour with Lunch & Tequila Tasting!: $249
- OffRoad 4X4 UTV Adventure with unlimited Lunch & Tequila : $199
- Platinum Snorkel Tour : $239
- Traditional Tequila Tasting Experience with Jorge Cuervo: $87
- "Exclusive Cabo San Lucas Trimaran Experience with Snorkeling": $180
- 1 Hour Jet Ski Adventure : $180
- 2 Tank Tour in Cabo San Lucas Reserve, Certified Divers with MANTA: $138
- 2 in 1 Tour | Arc Tour with Beach Drop: $20
- 2-Hour ATV Riding Experience in San Jose del Cabo: $110
- 2-Hour Camel Ride Beach and Desert Adventure Experience: $120
- 2.10 Hour Sunset Tour on Catamaran in Cabo San Lucas : $75
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayIquique $20Cabo San Lucas $26
Sample the Local Flavors in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cabo San Lucas:
- Wine Tasting Sunset Cruise Tour in San Jose del Cabo: $280
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Iquique and Cabo San Lucas, we can see that Cabo San Lucas is more expensive. And not only is Iquique much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Iquique 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 Iquique would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Iquique 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 Iquique.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Iquique Expensive? and Is Cabo San Lucas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Iquique or Cabo San Lucas?
Iquique has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Cabo San Lucas. When comparing the sizes of Iquique 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.