A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Istanbul vs. Antigua Guatemala for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Istanbul or Antigua Guatemala?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Istanbul or Antigua Guatemala, 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: Istanbul or Antigua Guatemala?

Istanbul

Istanbul is strategically located on the Bosphorus and is split between Europe and Asia. It truly is a city where east meets west. Istanbul is the cultural and financial hub of Turkey, and also the most populous city. The sites are countless and there's something for everybody, whether you're interested in art, music, food, or adventure. You can pass many days exploring both the residential and commercial pockets of this city. Much of the appeal is hidden away along back alleys or within corner shops.

Antigua Guatemala

Before a disastrous earthquake in 1773, Antigua was the colonial capital of Guatemala. For 200 years it had reigned as so and today shows remnants of its glorious past with Spanish colonial buildings and other architectural landmarks still standing. Due to this large amount of preserved architecture, Antigua was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is now the most touristed city of Guatemala.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Turkey, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Turkey, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Guatemala City, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Guatemala.


Which place is cheaper, Antigua Guatemala or Istanbul?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

  • Istanbul Prices
    Turkey Prices
    Antigua Guatemala Prices
    Guatemala Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Istanbul $156
    Antigua Guatemala $75

The average daily cost (per person) in Istanbul is $156, while the average daily cost in Antigua Guatemala is $75. 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 Istanbul and Antigua Guatemala in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Istanbul $72
    Antigua Guatemala $22
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Istanbul $144
    Antigua Guatemala $44
Compare Hotels in Istanbul and Antigua Guatemala

Looking for a hotel in Istanbul or Antigua Guatemala? 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 Istanbul


Hotels in Antigua Guatemala


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: Istanbul Hotel Prices and Antigua Guatemala Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Istanbul $34
    Antigua Guatemala $13
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Istanbul

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Istanbul are as follows:


  • Metro Cards
    $4.48

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Istanbul

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Istanbul:

  • Cappadocia-2-Days Tour with Flights and Transfers: $825
  • Private Bosphorus Tour on Luxury Yacht w/transfer: $636
  • Private Guided Istanbul Luxury Tour (Tickets and Transfers): $348
  • From 2-Day Cappadocia Trip w/ Flight and Transfers: $300
  • Istanbul Private Cultural Tours, Hotel Transfers Including: $299
  • Istanbul Dolmabahçe Palace Private Tour with Transfers: $299
  • Istanbul Old City Private Tour With Professional Guide & Transfer: $276
  • Miniatürk Istanbul Private Guided Tour & Optional Transfers: $243
  • Istanbul Airport Transfer: Sabiha Airport SAW to Istanbul in Luxury Car: $241
  • Private City Tour with Hotel Pickup & Transfers: $230
  • Istanbul Airport Transfer: Istanbul to New Airport IST in Luxury Car: $229
  • Istanbul Airport Transfer: New Airport IST to Istanbul in Luxury Car: $229

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Antigua Guatemala

Also for Antigua Guatemala, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Antigua: One way shared transfer to Guatemala City: $24
  • From Panajachel: One Way Shared Transfers to Antigua: $25
  • Panajachel: One way shared transfer to Antigua: $25
  • One-Way Shared Van Transfer to Panajachel: $25
  • Private Transfer from Antigua Guatemala to Airport: $27
  • Private Transfer From Antigua Guatemala to La Aurora Airport: $29
  • Antigua: Private Transfer to Guatemala City Airport: $30
  • Guatemala City Airport: Private Transfer to Antigua: $30
  • Private Ground Transfer From Antigua To Guatemala City Airport: $30
  • Shared Transfer From Antigua to Panajachel (Atitlan): $30
  • Private Transfer from Antigua to La Aurora Airport: $32
  • From Antigua Guatemala One way shared transfer to El Paredon: $34

Is it cheaper to fly into Istanbul or Antigua Guatemala?

Prices for flights to both Antigua Guatemala and Istanbul 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
    Istanbul $57
    Antigua Guatemala $25

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Istanbul

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Istanbul.

  • Istanbul Dinner Cruise Show: $20
  • Show Cruise & Dinner at Window Seat Private Table: $20
  • Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Entertainment: $22
  • Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Show – Window Side Table Optional: $22
  • Bosphorus Sightseeing Cruise with Optional 4 Course Dinner: $25
  • Bosphorus Dinner Cruise Tour With Turkish Night Show: $27
  • Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Turkish Night with Live Shows: $27
  • Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Turkish Dance Shows with Private Table: $28
  • Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Folk Dance and Live Performances: $29
  • Dinner and Turkish Night Show in Bosphorus Strait: $29
  • Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Turkish Night Show: $30
  • Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Turkish Night Show: $30

Typical Food Prices in Antigua Guatemala

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Antigua Guatemala:


  • Lunch
    $3.29
  • Lunch
    $7.89

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Antigua Guatemala

For Antigua Guatemala, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Cooking and pastry class in Casa San Miguel: $38
  • Antigua Guatemalan Authentic Cooking Class Chef David Farfan: $38
  • Antigua: Traditional Guatemalan Cooking Classes — Casa San Miguel.: $38
  • Antigua: Traditional cooking lesson with a Guatemalan family: $48
  • Cooking class and market tour/Pepian Workshop: $50
  • Antigua: Guatemalan Cooking Class with a Local Family: $60
  • Antigua Street Food Tour: $65
  • Private Cooking Class of Typical Guatemalan Dishes: $70
  • Antigua: Cooking Class With Wine, Transfer & Vegan Option: $72
  • Guatemalan Mayan Cooking Workshop: $75
  • Cooking Classes and Jade Workshops: $75
  • Local Street Food Tour of Antigua: $75

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Istanbul $38
    Antigua Guatemala $15

Tours and Activities in Istanbul

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

  • 1 or 2 Day Private Istanbul Guided Tour: $80
  • 1 or 2- Day Istanbul Highlights Tour w/ a Professional Guide: $58
  • 1,2 or 3 DAY: Private Guided Istanbul Tour from CRUISE SHIP or HOTEL: $130
  • 1-Day Best of Istanbul Private Tour with the Best Local Guides: $295
  • 1-Day Private Istanbul Layover Tour: $240
  • 10 Tastings of Istanbul Foodie Tour: $106
  • 2 Continents Tour incl. Beylerbeyi Palace [full-day]: $170
  • 2 Day Gallipoli and Troy Tour From Istanbul: $364
  • 2 Days Cappadocia Tour From Istanbul by Overnight Bus: $392
  • 2 Days Cappadocia Tour by Return Flight From Istanbul: $347
  • 2 Full Days Guided Istanbul City Tour With Skip the Line Entry: $200
  • 2-Days Private Walking Tour in Istanbul: $300

Tours and Activities in Antigua Guatemala

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Antigua Guatemala.

  • Antigua Guatemala Historic Center Self Guided Audio Walking Tour: $5.00
  • Antigua Earthquake Baroque Architecture Audio Guided Walking Tour: $5.00
  • Signature Lattes Tasting Experience in Antigua for Coffee Lovers: $13
  • Half-Day Walking Tour: $20
  • Express tour in Antigua: $20
  • Guided City Tour with Chef David Farfan: $20
  • Cultural and Fun Walking Tour in Antigua Guatemala: $22
  • Walking Tour with Local Guide: $23
  • From Antigua: Pacaya Volcano Tour in English/Spanish: $23
  • Antigua Walking Tour: $24
  • Guided Walking Tour with Coffee: $24
  • Antigua Walking Tour: $25

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Istanbul $10
    Antigua Guatemala $12

Sample the Local Flavors in Istanbul

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Istanbul:

  • Pub Crawl in Taksim: $14
  • Explore Istanbul Night Life: Pub Crawl: $23
  • Pub Crawler VIP Entry Rooftop Bars&Clubs with Party Bus: $27
  • Famous Istanbul Pub Crawl #1 Nightlife Experience: $28
  • Istanbul Party Pub Crawl with Party Bus in Sultanahmet and Taksim: $31
  • Party Pub Crawl with Party Bus: $31
  • Boat Party & Pub Crawl with Party Bus: $43
  • Wine Tasting with Indigenous Local Varieties: $54
  • Istanbul Wine Tasting at Home with Local Family: $78
  • Istanbul Private Wine Tasting Tour Through 3 City Wineries: $210

Sample the Local Flavors in Antigua Guatemala

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Antigua Guatemala:

  • Antigua Bar Crawl: $26


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Istanbul and Antigua Guatemala, we can see that Istanbul is more expensive. And not only is Antigua Guatemala much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Istanbul is in Europe and Antigua Guatemala is in Central 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 Antigua Guatemala would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Antigua Guatemala 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 Istanbul would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Istanbul than you might in Antigua Guatemala.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Istanbul Expensive? and Is Antigua Guatemala Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Istanbul or Antigua Guatemala?

Istanbul has a larger population, and is about 280 times larger than the population of Antigua Guatemala. When comparing the sizes of Istanbul and Antigua Guatemala, 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.