Which place is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or Mandeville?
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 Mandeville or Cabo San Lucas?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Mandeville or Cabo San Lucas? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Mandeville or Cabo San Lucas?
Mandeville
Mandeville is a small, quiet town in the mountains of Jamaica with a population of about 50,000. The town is situated on a plateau west of Kingston. It is the largest town in the parish of Manchester and the fifth largest urban center in the country.
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 Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, and The Best Historical Tours in Mexico.
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Mandeville Prices
Jamaica PricesCabo San Lucas Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMandeville $97Cabo San Lucas $169
The average daily cost (per person) in Mandeville is $97, while the average daily cost in Cabo San Lucas is $169. 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 Mandeville and Cabo San Lucas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMandeville $38Cabo San Lucas $61
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMandeville $76Cabo San Lucas $122
Compare Hotels in Mandeville and Cabo San Lucas
Looking for a hotel in Mandeville 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: Cabo San Lucas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Mandeville $31Cabo San Lucas $27
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 APT-HTL(SJD): $100
- San Jose Del Cabo hotels to Cabo San Lucas Port - Departure Private Transfer: $143
- Private transfer SJD Airport to San Jose del Cabo Hotels One Way: $100
- Private or Luxury One Way Transfer Airport Los Cabos SJD CSL: $185
- Private Transfer to Cabo San Lucas from Cabo Airport: $220
- Private Transfer from the Airport to Hotels in Los Cabos 1-10px: $183
- Private Transfer from SJD to Cabo San Lucas / San Jose del Cabo: $100
- Private Transfer from Los Cabos Airport (SJD) to San Jose del Cabo hotels: $100
- Private Transfer from Los Cabos Airport (SJD) to Cabo San Lucas hotels: $143
- Private Transfer from Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) to Cruise Port: $74
- Private Transfer - Los Cabos Airport (SJD) to Cabo San Lucas Port: $100
- Private Roundtrip Transfer from Los Cabos Airport: $160
Is it cheaper to fly into Mandeville or Cabo San Lucas?
Prices for flights to both Cabo San Lucas and Mandeville 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 dayMandeville $42Cabo San Lucas $84
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.
- Flavors of Authentic Mexican Food Tour: $83
- Taste Tacos & Street Food Like a Local: Cabo San Lucas Food Tour: $85
- San Jose del Cabo Tacos and Food Tour: $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
- Sunset Booze Cruise with Drinks, Fajita Dinner and Party Vibes: $98
- Pirate Ship Sunset Dinner and Show in Los Cabos: $99
- Cabo Escape Sunset Cruise with Dinner and Open Bar: $99
- Cabo San Lucas Sunset Dinner Catamaran Cruise to the Arch: $99
- Jumbo Shrimp Dinner in Your Private Villa or Condo in Cabo or San Jose del Cabo: $99
- Cabo San Lucas Sunset Dinner Cruise with Open Bar: $105
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Mandeville $8.16Cabo San Lucas $41
Tours and Activities in Cabo San Lucas
Here are a few actual costs in Cabo San Lucas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- "Exclusive Cabo San Lucas Trimaran Experience with Snorkeling": $180
- 1 Hour Jet Ski Adventure: $180
- 2 Hour Sunset Tour on Catamaran in Cabo San Lucas: $85
- 2 Hours Horseback Riding Adventure in Cabo: $130
- 2-Hour Camel Ride Beach and Desert Adventure Experience: $120
- 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
- 30-Minute Jetski Adventure in Los Cabos: $65
- 4x4 ATV Adventure with Tequila Tasting and Mexican Buffet Lunch: $75
- 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
- A taste of Los Cabos. A San Jose and Cabo San Lucas City Tour: $100
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMandeville $6.39Cabo San Lucas $27
Sample the Local Flavors in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cabo San Lucas:
- Cabo Bar Crawl to the Best Bars and Clubs in Cabo: $60
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mandeville and Cabo San Lucas, we can see that Cabo San Lucas is more expensive. And not only is Mandeville much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Mandeville is in Caribbean Islands 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 Mandeville would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Mandeville 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 Mandeville.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Mandeville Expensive? and Is Cabo San Lucas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Mandeville or Cabo San Lucas?
Mandeville has a larger population, and is about 11% larger than the population of Cabo San Lucas. When comparing the sizes of Mandeville 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.