A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Isla Mujeres vs. San Miguel de Tucuman for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Isla Mujeres or San Miguel de Tucuman?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Isla Mujeres and San Miguel de Tucuman. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Isla Mujeres or San Miguel de Tucuman?

Isla Mujeres

About eight miles from the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Isla Mujeres is an island in the Mexican Caribbean Sea. The town, of the same name, has a population of about 13,000. Tourism has grown in the area since the 1970s and today it is a significant part of the island's economy. As such, there are plenty of amenities that cater specifically to visitors. The island's proximity to Cuba make it a common transit point for Cubans in route to the United States.

San Miguel de Tucuman

The capital of the Tucuman Province in Argentina, San Miguel de Tucuman is the largest city in the country's northwest. The city is probably most well known as the sight where the Declaration of Independence from Spain took place on July 9, 1816. The location of this event, a colonial-style house called "Casa Historica" or "Casita de Tucuman", remains an important landmark in the city.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in Mexico, The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, The Best Photography Tours in Argentina, and The Best Luxury Tours to Argentina.


Which place is cheaper, San Miguel de Tucuman or Isla Mujeres?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Isla Mujeres is $148, while the average daily cost in San Miguel de Tucuman is $11. 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 Isla Mujeres and San Miguel de Tucuman in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Isla Mujeres $78
    San Miguel de Tucuman $4.85
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Isla Mujeres $156
    San Miguel de Tucuman $9.70
Compare Hotels in Isla Mujeres and San Miguel de Tucuman

Looking for a hotel in Isla Mujeres or San Miguel de Tucuman? 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.

Hotels in Isla Mujeres


Hotels in San Miguel de Tucuman


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: Isla Mujeres Hotel Prices and San Miguel de Tucuman Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Isla Mujeres $35
    San Miguel de Tucuman $3.08

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Isla Mujeres

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Isla Mujeres:

  • Private Transfer: Playa Mujeres to Cancun Airport CUN in SUV: $123

Typical Local Transportation Prices in San Miguel de Tucuman

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in San Miguel de Tucuman:


  • Taxi Ride
    $0.01

Is it cheaper to fly into Isla Mujeres or San Miguel de Tucuman?

Prices for flights to both San Miguel de Tucuman and Isla Mujeres 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Isla Mujeres $46
    San Miguel de Tucuman $4.01

Typical Food Prices in San Miguel de Tucuman

For San Miguel de Tucuman, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Sandwich
    $0.01

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Isla Mujeres $21
    San Miguel de Tucuman $3.30

Tours and Activities in Isla Mujeres

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Isla Mujeres are as follows:

  • Romantic tour in Isla Mujeres: $126
  • Scuba Diving Adventure WITHOUT CERTIFICATION! Try it today!: $185
  • 3 Hours VIP Semiprivate Tour Isla Mujeres Full Snorkeling Experience : $84
  • Cancun Jungle Kingdom Adventure ATV, Zipline and Cenote : $70
  • Cancun: Full-Day Catamaran Cruise to Isla Mujeres: $79
  • Cancun: Isla Mujeres 12 pm Catamaran Tour with Snorkeling: $59
  • Crystal Boat Tour to Isla Mujeres and Reefs: $43
  • From Cancún: Isla Mujeres Sunset Catamaran Cruise: $76
  • From Riviera Maya: Isla Contoy & Isla Mujeres Full-Day Tour: $163
  • Isla Mujeres Snorkeling Adventure at the Underwater Museum: $47
  • Isla Mujeres Snorkeling Tour: $90
  • Isla Mujeres Snorkeling Tour Adventure: $49

Tours and Activities in San Miguel de Tucuman

For San Miguel de Tucuman, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Entrance ticket to Aerial Park, Zip Line and Palestra: $27
  • Yungas Half-Day Tour from Tucuman: $51
  • Tafi del Valle Half-Day Tour from Tucuman: $68
  • Rio Hondo Hot Springs Full Day Tour from Tucuman: $82
  • Discover Tafí del Valle and Quilmes Ruins in a Day Tour: $82

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Isla Mujeres $25
    San Miguel de Tucuman $2.07

Sample the Local Flavors in Isla Mujeres

Also in Isla Mujeres, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Isla Mujeres Golf Cart Bar Crawl : $175


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Isla Mujeres and San Miguel de Tucuman, we can see that Isla Mujeres is more expensive. And not only is San Miguel de Tucuman much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Isla Mujeres is in North America and San Miguel de Tucuman is in South 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 San Miguel de Tucuman would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Miguel de Tucuman 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 Isla Mujeres would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Isla Mujeres than you might in San Miguel de Tucuman.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Isla Mujeres Expensive? and Is San Miguel de Tucuman Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Isla Mujeres or San Miguel de Tucuman?

San Miguel de Tucuman has a larger population, and is about 60 times larger than the population of Isla Mujeres. When comparing the sizes of Isla Mujeres and San Miguel de Tucuman, 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.