Which place is cheaper, Machu Picchu or La Ceiba?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between La Ceiba and Machu Picchu can help you decide which place is right for you.
La Ceiba is the third largest city in Honduras, situated on the north Caribbean coast. The city has a population of about a quarter million people. Many people who visit this city do so before heading into Pico Bonito National Park. It hasn't had the best infrastructure for tourists in the past but is developing fast. It is about 200 kilometers from San Pedro Sula, another large city in Honduras.
Machu Picchu is a site of ancient Inca ruins located about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Cuzco, Peru, in the Cordillera de Vilcabamba of the Andes Mountains. It is perched above the Urubamba River valley in a narrow saddle between two sharp peaks, Machu Picchu ("Old Peak") and Huayna Picchu ("New Peak"), at an elevation of 7,710 feet (2,350 metres). One of the few major pre-Columbian ruins found nearly intact, Machu Picchu was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. Thus, Machu Picchu is not only an impressive remnant of the Inca civilization, it is also one of the world's most important archaeological sites. A stop at Machu Picchu is an essential part of any traveler's itinerary in Peru, as it is one of the seven wonders of the world.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras, The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras, The Best Eco Tours in Peru, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Peru.
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in La Ceiba is $65, while the average daily cost in Machu Picchu is $101. 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 La Ceiba and Machu Picchu in more detail.
Looking for a hotel in La Ceiba or Machu Picchu? 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.
Some specific examples of transportation prices in La Ceiba:
Prices for flights to both Machu Picchu and La Ceiba 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.
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for La Ceiba are as follows:
For Machu Picchu, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between La Ceiba and Machu Picchu, we can see that Machu Picchu is more expensive. And not only is La Ceiba much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since La Ceiba is in Central America and Machu Picchu 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 La Ceiba would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in La Ceiba 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 Machu Picchu would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Machu Picchu than you might in La Ceiba.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is La Ceiba Expensive? and Is Machu Picchu Expensive?.