Which place is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or Mendoza?
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 Mendoza or Cabo San Lucas?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Mendoza and Cabo San Lucas. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Mendoza or Cabo San Lucas?
Mendoza
Mendoza is a city in western Argentina and more precisely in the desertic Cuyo region. Mendoza is the center of the Argentinian wine industry and is famed around the world for its vineyards and wine production. Spread across the valley of the Rio Mendoza and in the foothills of the Andean mountain range, Mendoza is also near the Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside of the Himalayas. The bustling and scenic city of wide, leafy avenues, atmospheric plazas and cosmopolitan cafes spoils visitors with unique natural attractions and historical landmarks. If you can, visit Mendoza during the harvest festival at the end of February. There are many events and festivals in Mendoza and they are usually free. Each has a different theme, and they usually have a stage with singing and dancing and booths that sell food around a plaza. Seventy percent of Argentina's wines are produced here, and Mendoza is especially known for its world-famous malbecs.
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 2-Week Tours from Buenos Aires, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, and The Best Historical Tours in Mexico.
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Mendoza Prices
Argentina PricesCabo San Lucas Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMendoza $56Cabo San Lucas $159
The average daily cost (per person) in Mendoza is $56, 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 Mendoza and Cabo San Lucas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMendoza $43Cabo San Lucas $57
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMendoza $86Cabo San Lucas $114
Compare Hotels in Mendoza and Cabo San Lucas
Looking for a hotel in Mendoza 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: Mendoza Hotel Prices and Cabo San Lucas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Mendoza $4.18Cabo San Lucas $25
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mendoza
Also for Mendoza, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 6-Seats Private Transfer in Mendoza with Personal Driver: $21
- Argentine BBQ Experience and Winery Visits.Transfer included: $195
- Catena Zapata and El Enemigo Wine Tasting with Private Transfer: $290
- Classic Wine Tour with Winery Roast. Private Transfer.: $220
- Departure Private Transfer Valle de Uco to Mendoza Airport MDZ : $103
- Distillery Gin + Lunch in Winery with Private Transfer.: $160
- Essential Wine and Lunch. Private Transfer: $100
- Luján de Cuyo/ Maipú Wineries. Full Day. Transfer.: $115
- MDZ Airport Private Transfer to Mendoza City Center: $22
- Mendoza Airport (MDZ) to Mendoza - Roundtrip Private Transfer: $67
- Mendoza Airport Departure Transfer: $34
- Mendoza Airport Shuttle Transfer: $22
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): $91
- Transfer to Cabo San Lucas from Round Trip Airport: $268
- Shared Arrival Transfer: Los Cabos International Airport to Hotel: $23
- 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 Cabo San Lucas from Cabo Airport: $210
- Private Transfer in Los Cabos Airport to hotels or vice versa: $108
- Private Transfer from the Airport to Hotels in Los Cabos 1-10px: $175
- Private Transfer from SJD to Cabo San Lucas / San Jose del Cabo: $100
- Private Transfer from Los Cabos Airport (SJD) to Cabo San Lucas hotels : $144
- Private Transfer from Cabo San Lucas Airport: $210
- Private Transfer - Los Cabos Airport (SJD) to Cabo San Lucas Port: $100
Is it cheaper to fly into Mendoza or Cabo San Lucas?
Prices for flights to both Cabo San Lucas and Mendoza 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 dayMendoza $5.85Cabo San Lucas $80
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Mendoza
For Mendoza, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Argentine BBQ on Terrace with Views. Dinner, Sunset.: $80
- Mendoza Cooking Experience with Unlimited Wine & Cocktails: $95
- Argentine Hands-On Cooking & Wine Experience in Mendoza: $95
- Bar Safari 4 Best Mendoza’s Bars in 1 Night with Full Dinner: $167
- Bar Safari: 4 Best Mendoza’s Bars in 1 night. + Full Dinner: $180
- Horseback Riding at Sunset and Dinner in Mendoza: $185
- Tango Show with Dinner at Hualta Winery Hotel: $190
- Full-Day Small-Group Mendoza Wine Tasting Tour with Lunch or Dinner: $199
- City Tour with Dinner at a Local Restaurant: $200
- Winery Los Toneles + Dinner in Saffron Restó. Private transportation: $250
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
- San Jose del Cabo Food Tour & Visit to the Market: $79
- Flavors of Authentic Mexican Food Tour: $79
- San Jose del Cabo Morning Food Tour: $84
- 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
- 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: $99
- Cabo Sunset Dinner Cruise with Live Music & Open Bar on Cabo Wave: $99
- Sunset E-bike Beach Ride with Mexican Dinner and Margaritas: $109
- San Jose del Cabo City Highlights with Tequila Tasting and Dinner: $110
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Mendoza $23Cabo San Lucas $39
Tours and Activities in Mendoza
For Mendoza, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Self-guided bike tour of Maipu (Mendoza): $15
- Malbec Experience in Bodega Tierras Altas: $22
- Tour autoguiado en bicicleta por Luján de Cuyo (Mendoza): $23
- City tour with visit to General San Martin Park: $24
- Renacer Winery Experience: $25
- City Tour: $25
- City Tour of Mendoza: $25
- City Tour: $25
- Half-Day Sightseeing Tour: $34
- Wine and Olive Oil Tasting Half-Day Tour: $34
- Half-Day Sightseeing City Tour: $35
- City Tour Mendoza Completo con Chocolatería y Cerro de la Gloria: $35
Tours and Activities in Cabo San Lucas
Here are a few actual costs in Cabo San Lucas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Beach ATV y Camel Ride y Sky Bike Adventure: $140
- Camel Ride, UTV, and The Arch Tour with Lunch & Tequila Tasting!: $249
- 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 Tank Tour in Cabo San Lucas Reserve, Certified Divers with MANTA: $138
- 2 in 1 Tour | Arc Tour with Beach Drop: $20
- 2-Hour ATV Riding Experience in San Jose del Cabo: $110
- 2-Hour Camel Ride Beach and Desert Adventure Experience: $120
- 2.10 Hour Sunset Tour on Catamaran in Cabo San Lucas : $75
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMendoza $5.94Cabo San Lucas $26
Sample the Local Flavors in Mendoza
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Mendoza:
- Classic Wine Tasting: $44
- Premium Wine Tasting: $66
- Half-Day Wine Tour with Tastings: $80
- Make an Argentine Asado BBQ w/ Local Host & Wine Tasting: $89
- El Enemigo and Casa Vigil Wine Tour: $93
- In Mendoza Wine Tours, Empanadas, and Olive Oil: $99
- Mendoza Private Wine Tour Paired Lunch and Olive Oil Tasting: $115
- Classic Wine Tour on a Budget. Lunch. Private Driver: $120
- Wine Tour with Lunch and Transport in Mendoza: $130
- Full Day Wine Tour with 3 Course Lunch: $164
- Wine tasting region Uco Valley in Mendoza: $180
- Bike Tour at Zuccardi: Olive Oil, Wine Tasting & Lunch: $182
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 Mendoza and Cabo San Lucas, we can see that Cabo San Lucas is more expensive. And not only is Mendoza much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Mendoza 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 Mendoza would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Mendoza 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 Mendoza.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Mendoza Expensive? and Is Cabo San Lucas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Mendoza or Cabo San Lucas?
Mendoza has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Cabo San Lucas. When comparing the sizes of Mendoza 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.