Which place is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or La Serena?
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 Serena 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 Serena and Cabo San Lucas can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: La Serena or Cabo San Lucas?
La Serena
La Serena is a charming town in Northern Chile. It is Chile's second-oldest city and the thriving capital of Region IV. With its beautiful architecture, its long golden shoreline, dignified stone churches, tree-shaded avenues and pretty plazas, La Serena has everything you could ask for!
Chileans on holidays flood in the city in January and February, though it is fairly peaceful outside the summer rush. Some of the city's architecture is from the colonial era, but most is actually neocolonial thanks to president Gabriel Gonzalez Videla, born in La Serena, and her 'Plan Serena' of the late 1940s.
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 Vineyard & Wine Tours in Chile, The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Chile, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, and The Best Historical Tours in Mexico.
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La Serena Prices
Chile PricesCabo San Lucas Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLa Serena $106Cabo San Lucas $159
The average daily cost (per person) in La Serena is $106, while the average daily cost in Cabo San Lucas is $159. 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 Serena and Cabo San Lucas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLa Serena $42Cabo San Lucas $57
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLa Serena $84Cabo San Lucas $114
Compare Hotels in La Serena and Cabo San Lucas
Looking for a hotel in La Serena 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.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: La Serena Hotel Prices and Cabo San Lucas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.La Serena $20Cabo San Lucas $25
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cabo San Lucas:
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer in San José del Cabo HTL-APT(SJD): $105
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer in San José del Cabo APT-HTL(SJD): $91
- Transfer to Cabo San Lucas from Round Trip Airport: $268
- Shared Arrival Transfer: Los Cabos International Airport to Hotel: $23
- San José del Cabo Airport: Roundtrip Transfer Tourist Corridor: $216
- Roundtrip Luxury Private Airport and City Transfers.: $170
- Pvt Arrival Transfer Los Cabos International Airport to Hotels: $108
- Private transfer at VAN Airport Los Cabos - San Jose del Cabo: $85
- Private transfer SJD Airport to San Jose del Cabo Hotels One Way: $100
- Private Transfer to Los Cabos Airport from Rancho San Lucas : $33
- Private Transfer to Cabo San Lucas from Cabo Airport: $210
- Private Transfer from the Airport to Hotels in Los Cabos 1-10px: $175
Is it cheaper to fly into La Serena or Cabo San Lucas?
Prices for flights to both Cabo San Lucas and La Serena 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 Serena $46Cabo San Lucas $80
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.
- Authentic Mexican Legacy Cooking Class in Cabo San Lucas: $75
- AvoCabo Food Tour : $78
- San Jose del Cabo Food Tour & Visit to the Market: $79
- Seafood Galore, Los Cabos Food Tour: $80
- Cabo Sunset Dinner Cruise: Fajitas, Lands End and Party: $85
- 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
- San José del Cabo for Meat Lovers Food Tour: $90
- Sunset Mexican Dinner Cruise and Live Music in Cabo San Lucas: $95
- Parrillada dinner with a Private Chef in your villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose: $95
- Sunset Dinner Cruise with Tequila & tacos: $95
- Cabo Sunset Dinner Cruise with Live Music & Open Bar on Cabo Wave: $99
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.La Serena $24Cabo San Lucas $39
Tours and Activities in La Serena
For La Serena, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Elqui Valley Tour: Full Day History and Flavors : $42
- Astronomy and Astrophotography Tour: $55
- Astronomical Tour Collowara Observatory: $64
- La Serena and Coquimbo City Tour (SIB): $66
- La Serena and Coquimbo Guided City Tour: $76
- Elqui Valley Tour from La Serena: $85
- Full day Tour to Elqui Valley : $110
- Grand Tour Valley of Elqui Mystic Mountains and Cultural Treasures: $115
- Spas and Beaches Tour: La Herradura -Totoralillo - Guanaqueros -Tongoy: $118
- Dama Island or Chañaral Navigation Tour Humboldt Penguin Reserve: $165
- Private La Serena and Coquimbo City Tour: $170
- Elqui Valley: Pisco Tour, Wine, Beer: $174
Tours and Activities in Cabo San Lucas
Here are a few actual costs in Cabo San Lucas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Art and Wine Evening City tour in San Jose del Cabo for Adults: $119
- Camel Ride, UTV, and The Arch Tour with Lunch & Tequila Tasting!: $249
- Famous Arch tour with Glass Bottom Boat.: $25
- Glass Bottom Boat Sightseeing Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $23
- OffRoad 4X4 UTV Adventure with unlimited Lunch & Tequila : $199
- Platinum Snorkel Tour : $239
- Traditional Tequila Tasting Experience with Jorge Cuervo: $87
- "Exclusive Cabo San Lucas Trimaran Experience with Snorkeling": $180
- 1 Hour Jet Ski Adventure : $180
- 2 Hours Horseback Riding Adventure in Cabo: $130
- 2 Tank Tour in Cabo San Lucas Reserve, Certified Divers with MANTA: $138
- 2 in 1 Tour | Arc Tour with Beach Drop: $20
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLa Serena $22Cabo San Lucas $26
Sample the Local Flavors in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cabo San Lucas:
- Cabo Bar Crawl - The BEST Bar and Clubs in Cabo : $60
- Wine Tasting Sunset Cruise Tour in San Jose del Cabo: $280
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between La Serena and Cabo San Lucas, we can see that Cabo San Lucas is more expensive. And not only is La Serena much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since La Serena 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 Serena would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in La Serena 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 Serena.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is La Serena Expensive? and Is Cabo San Lucas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, La Serena or Cabo San Lucas?
La Serena has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Cabo San Lucas. When comparing the sizes of La Serena 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.