A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers La Ceiba vs. Pucon for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit La Ceiba or Pucon?

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

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 Pucon can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: La Ceiba or Pucon?

La Ceiba

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.

Pucon

A popular hub for adventure tourism, Pucon is a town in the Lake District of the South American nation of Chile. Located on Lake Villarirca with the snowcapped Villarrica volcano looming above and plenty of forested valleys below, the town has become a home base year-round for a full range of outdoor activities.

Check out our ultimate guide to Traveling in Patagonia.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras, The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Chile, and The Best Luxury Tours to Chile.


Which place is cheaper, Pucon or La Ceiba?

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 Pucon is $100. 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 Pucon in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    La Ceiba $24
    Pucon $43
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    La Ceiba $48
    Pucon $86
Compare Hotels in La Ceiba and Pucon

Looking for a hotel in La Ceiba or Pucon? 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 La Ceiba


Hotels in Pucon


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: La Ceiba Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    La Ceiba $32
    Pucon $19

Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Ceiba

Some specific examples of transportation prices in La Ceiba:

  • Private Transfer from Goloson Airport (LCE) to Banana Coast Port: $78
  • Private Transfer from La Ceiba hotels to Banana Coast Cruise Port: $78

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pucon

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Pucon:

  • Private Transfer Pucon Thermal Resorts to Temuco Airport: $49
  • Pucon to Puerto Montt El Tepual Airport (PMC) -Departure Transfer: $114
  • Pucon Temuco Airport Private Transfer: $130

Is it cheaper to fly into La Ceiba or Pucon?

Prices for flights to both Pucon 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.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    La Ceiba $18
    Pucon $38

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    La Ceiba $22
    Pucon $37

Tours and Activities in La Ceiba

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

  • ATV Tour : $110

Tours and Activities in Pucon

Here are a few actual costs in Pucon for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • 3-Hour Rafting Experience in Pucon: $60
  • Private 3-Hour Canyoning Experience on the Correntoso River: $68
  • Sightseeing Tour in Pucon and Villarica: $93
  • Half Day Tour to The Eyes Of Caburgua from Pucon: $93
  • Private Half Day Andean Lakes Experience with pickup: $110
  • Full Day Private Tour Ascending Sollipulli Volcano: $140
  • Local Chile-Bavarian Culinary Pretzel Baking Experience n Sausage: $149
  • Full Day Excursion Tour to Quetrupillán Volcano: $177

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    La Ceiba $5.16
    Pucon $27


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between La Ceiba and Pucon, we can see that Pucon 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 Pucon 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 Pucon would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Pucon 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 Pucon Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, La Ceiba or Pucon?

La Ceiba has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Pucon. When comparing the sizes of La Ceiba and Pucon, 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.