Which place is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or La Plata?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit La Plata or Cabo San Lucas?
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 Plata and Cabo San Lucas can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: La Plata or Cabo San Lucas?
La Plata
Just over an hour from Buenos Aires, the bustling university city of La Plata is notable for being South America's first planned city. Indeed, also known as the City of Diagonal, La Plata's intricate grid system includes diagonal streets that run through it, contributing to easy navigation but confusing intersections.La Plata is the Capital of the Province of Buenos Aires, the main Argentine state, so you will find lots of elaborate government buildings alongside leafy green plazas in this laid back as well as active city. La Plata is a happening university town with a population of over 700,000. You can walk the width of it in under an hour, stopping at trendy craft beer bars, local music joints, and great restaurants along the way. Also, football is a religion in Argentina and if you're looking for some local atmosphere, La Plata is the place to go! Two of Argentina's biggest football teams, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata and Estudiantes de La Plata challenge each other each year. If you are around during that special day for the city, you will witness thousands of fans wearing the relevant colours heading off to watch the match and parade by calle 7.
Cabo San Lucas
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 Adventure Tours to Argentina, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Argentina, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, and The Best Historical Tours in Mexico.
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La Plata Prices
Argentina PricesCabo San Lucas Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLa Plata $60Cabo San Lucas $161
The average daily cost (per person) in La Plata is $60, while the average daily cost in Cabo San Lucas is $161. 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 Plata and Cabo San Lucas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLa Plata $46Cabo San Lucas $58
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLa Plata $92Cabo San Lucas $116
Compare Hotels in La Plata and Cabo San Lucas
Looking for a hotel in La Plata 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.La Plata $3.75Cabo San Lucas $26
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cabo San Lucas:
- Cabo San Lucas Airport to Hotel 1-Way Transfer Service: $300
- Private Round Trip Transfer Los Cabos Airport to Cabo San Lucas: $300
- Airport Transfers to Cabo San Lucas Pacifico Hotels RT: $295
- Los Cabos Luxury Private Tesla Transfer from Airport to the Pacifica Area: $293
- Private Airport Transfers in Cielito Lindo: $280
- Cabo San Lucas Port to San Jose Del Cabo hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $274
- Transfer to Cabo San Lucas from Round Trip Airport: $272
- Private Round Trip Transfer from SJD Airport to San Jose del Cabo: $261
- Los Cabos Luxury Private Tesla Transfer from Airport to Cabo San Lucas Area: $261
- Private Airport Transfers in Los Cabos: $257
- Private Transfer from the Airport to Hotels in Los Cabos 1-10px: $255
- Private Los Cabos Airport to San Jose del Cabo Transfer: $250
Is it cheaper to fly into La Plata or Cabo San Lucas?
Prices for flights to both Cabo San Lucas and La Plata 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
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Food Meals for one dayLa Plata $6.32Cabo San Lucas $81
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cabo San Lucas
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cabo San Lucas.
- Mexican Cooking Class and Garden Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $75
- Flavors of Authentic Mexican Food Tour: $79
- Seafood Galore, Los Cabos Food Tour: $80
- Cabo Sunset Tour with Dinner and Open Bar: $80
- Small-Group Food Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $82
- Sunset Fajita Dinner Cruise in Cabo San Lucas: $89
- Private Mexican Cooking Class in Your Cabo San Lucas Villa or Condo: $90
- Catch of the day dinner in your private villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose del Cabo: $90
- Sunset Mexican Dinner Cruise and Live Music in Cabo San Lucas: $95
- Yo Ho Pirate Sunset Dinner Cruise in Cabo San Lucas: $99
- Cabo Sunset Dinner Cruise with Live Music & Open Bar on Cabo Wave: $99
- Cabo San Lucas Catamaran Sunset Cruise with Dinner and Open Bar: $99
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.La Plata $21Cabo San Lucas $39
Tours and Activities in La Plata
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for La Plata.
- Guided City Tour including Cathedral, Museum, and Lunch: $115
- Buenos Aires: Half-Day City Tour: $353
Tours and Activities in Cabo San Lucas
Here are a few actual costs in Cabo San Lucas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 1 Hour Jet Ski Adventure: $120
- 2 Hour Sunset Tour on Catamaran in Cabo San Lucas: $85
- 2-Hour Whale Watching Tour in Cabo with Breakfast: $130
- 2-Hours Sunset Experience at Los Cabos with Jazz and Bar! from Los Cabos: $165
- 4x4 Automatic ATV and Camel Ride Combo Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $175
- A Full-Day Baja Adventure: La Paz, Balandra Beach & Todos Santos: $130
- ATV & Camel Ride Tour on Migriño Beach: $125
- ATV Adventure: $130
- ATV Adventure in Rancho San Cristobal Cabo San Lucas: $180
- ATV Beach & Dunes Adventure: $170
- ATV Beach and Dunes Adventure in Los Cabos with Tequila Tasting: $56
- ATV Desert Adventure in Baja California Sur with Tequila Tasting: $193
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLa Plata $5.31Cabo San Lucas $26
Sample the Local Flavors in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cabo San Lucas:
- Wine Tasting Sunset Cruise Tour in San Jose del Cabo: $280
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between La Plata and Cabo San Lucas, we can see that Cabo San Lucas is more expensive. And not only is La Plata much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since La Plata 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 La Plata would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in La Plata 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 La Plata.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is La Plata Expensive? and Is Cabo San Lucas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, La Plata or Cabo San Lucas?
La Plata has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Cabo San Lucas. When comparing the sizes of La Plata 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.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.