Which place is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or Iquique?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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.
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") 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 Sightseeing Tours in Chile, The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Chile, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, and The Best Historical Tours in Mexico.
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Iquique is $96, 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 Iquique and Cabo San Lucas in more detail.
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.
Also for Iquique, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
Some specific examples of transportation prices in 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.
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cabo San Lucas.
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Iquique.
Here are a few actual costs in Cabo San Lucas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cabo San Lucas:
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?.
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.