Should you visit Oaxaca de Juarez or Antigua Guatemala?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Oaxaca de Juarez or Antigua Guatemala? 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: Oaxaca de Juarez or Antigua Guatemala?
Oaxaca de Juarez
Officially known as Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca is the capital and largest city in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It's a beautiful colonial city in the foothills of the Sierra Madre. The city has beautiful architecture and a variety of festivals as well as a tree lined square called El Zocalo. Oaxaca's economy is heavily dependent on tourism and it is a wonderful place to see Mexican art and handicrafts. There are many artists and artisans in Oaxaca and the contemporary art scene is on the rise. The artists combine the area's rich indigenous culture and tradition with a modern twist. While you're in the area you should definitely make a point of experiencing the area's wonderful museums, interesting architecture, charming hotels and unique twist on Mexican cuisine.
Antigua Guatemala
Before a disastrous earthquake in 1773, Antigua was the colonial capital of Guatemala. For 200 years it had reigned as so and today shows remnants of its glorious past with Spanish colonial buildings and other architectural landmarks still standing. Due to this large amount of preserved architecture, Antigua was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is now the most touristed city of Guatemala.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Mexico City, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Playa del Carmen, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Guatemala City, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Guatemala.
Which place is cheaper, Antigua Guatemala or Oaxaca de Juarez?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
The average daily cost (per person) in Oaxaca de Juarez is $56, while the average daily cost in Antigua Guatemala is $74. 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 Oaxaca de Juarez and Antigua Guatemala in more detail.
Accommodation
Looking for a hotel in Oaxaca de Juarez or Antigua Guatemala? 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:
Oaxaca de Juarez Hotel Prices and
Antigua Guatemala Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Oaxaca de Juarez
Also for Oaxaca de Juarez, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
From Oaxaca: Private Transfer to Huatulco:
$465
-
From Oaxaca: Transfer to Puerto Escondido:
$436
-
4 Day Oaxaca Excursion with Transfer included:
$300
-
Oaxaca Airport: Private Transfer Service:
$130
-
Xoxocotlan Airport: Private Transfer to Oaxaca City:
$88
-
Private Transfer Oaxaca Airport to Hotel or Airbnb 24/7:
$82
-
Private Transfer from the Airport to your Hotel in Oaxaca:
$73
-
Private transfer from Oaxaca Airport to the hotel.:
$66
-
Private Luxury Transfer from the Oaxaca Airport to your Hotel:
$60
-
Oaxaca Airport (OAX) to Oaxaca de Juárez - Round-Trip Transfer:
$59
-
Oaxaca Xoxocotlan Airport (OAX) to Oaxaca hotels -Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$59
-
Oaxaca Airport (OAX) Private Transfer to Oaxaca City:
$56
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Antigua Guatemala
Also for Antigua Guatemala, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
From Antigua: One way private transfer to Panajachel:
$194
-
Private Transfer from Antigua to Semuc Champey Lanquin:
$145
-
Private transfer from Antigua to La Aurora Airport:
$90
-
Private Transfer from the Airport to Antigua:
$90
-
From Antigua: Transfer to Guatemala City:
$85
-
Private Transfer Antigua Guatemala to Monterrico Beach:
$85
-
One way shared transfer to Flores, Peten:
$79
-
Private Transfer from Antigua to the Airport:
$77
-
Antigua: One way private transfer to Guatemala City:
$69
-
Antigua: One way shared transfer to Semuc Champey, Lanquin:
$49
-
Shared transfer from Guatemala city Airport to Panajachel:
$44
-
transfer service Guatemala City, Lake Atitlan destination:
$35
Is it cheaper to fly into Oaxaca de Juarez or Antigua Guatemala?
Prices for flights to both Antigua Guatemala and Oaxaca de Juarez 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 day
Oaxaca de Juarez $24
Antigua Guatemala $25
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Oaxaca de Juarez
For Oaxaca de Juarez, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Oaxaca: Walking Traditional Food Tour with Ancestral Drinks:
$26
-
Night Walk of Urban Legends ghosts and Dinner in Oaxaca:
$45
-
Food Tour at the 20 de Noviembre Market (All Inclusive):
$52
-
Oaxaca: Guided Food Tour with Local Chef and food experts:
$54
-
Legends and Ghosts Sightseeing Tour in Downtown Oaxaca with Dinner:
$55
-
Taste Oaxaca Food Tour with 15+ Tastings:
$59
-
FOOD TOUR IN THE ABASTOS MARKET:
$61
-
Oaxaca Hidden Street Food Tour Led by Local food experts:
$63
-
Oaxaca: Evening Street Food Tour with 14+ Tastings:
$66
-
Oaxaca Streets Food Tour with 14+ Tastings:
$69
-
Oaxaca: Vegetarian Cooking Class:
$70
-
Oaxacan Vegetarian Cooking Class:
$72
Typical Food Prices in Antigua Guatemala
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Antigua Guatemala:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Antigua Guatemala
For Antigua Guatemala, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Antigua Guatemalan Authentic Cooking Class Chef David Farfan:
$38
-
Antigua: Traditional Guatemalan Cooking Classes — Casa San Miguel.:
$38
-
Antigua: Traditional cooking lesson with a Guatemalan family:
$48
-
Antigua: Guatemalan Cooking Class with a Local Family:
$60
-
Private Cooking Class of Typical Guatemalan Dishes:
$70
-
Antigua: Cooking Class With Wine, Transfer & Vegan Option:
$72
-
Cooking Classes and Jade Workshops:
$75
-
Local Street Food Tour of Antigua:
$75
-
Antigua: Cooking Class with Local Family:
$75
-
Guatemalan Mayan Cooking Workshop:
$75
-
Cooking Class With Local Family:
$84
-
Antigua Local: Evening Street Food Tour with Dinner:
$84
Entertainment
Tours and Activities in Oaxaca de Juarez
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Oaxaca de Juarez.
-
“Las Nieves” Monte Albán, Arrazola, Cuilapam 6h Bike Tour:
$128
-
3 Hour Oaxaca Private Tour, 100% customisable - Best Rated:
$55
-
5 Hours Guided Day of The Dead Evening Walking Tour in Oaxaca:
$109
-
8-Hour Monte Albán Tour from Oaxaca:
$51
-
ATV/Quad Adventure on the Mountain + Prehistoric Caves:
$160
-
Adventure in the Sierra Norte: El Tule, Teotitlan and Benito Juárez:
$73
-
Amazing Waterfall Adventure in the Sierra Madre Mountains:
$80
-
Among Flowers and Candles: A Tour of Oaxaca's Cemeteries:
$86
-
An adventure for the senses: Mezcal, fields and crafts.:
$84
-
Ancestral Mezcal Tour Experience-A pre Hispanic Heritage:
$70
-
Apoala Magic Waterfalls Hike and Swim Adventure:
$133
-
Archaeological sites Tour and Red Pottery in Tlacolula:
$170
Tours and Activities in Antigua Guatemala
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Antigua Guatemala.
-
¡Pacaya Volcano Tour from Antigua!:
$100
-
2-Day Kayak and Hike Adventure Package from Antigua:
$219
-
2-Day, 1-Night Tour of Volcano Acatenango from Antigua:
$92
-
2in1 Tour: Avocado Farm + Private Tour in Antigua Guatemala:
$220
-
3-Hour Chateau Defay Vineyard Tour in Central America:
$170
-
4-Hour Colonial Experience in Antigua Guatemala:
$25
-
4WD Acatenango Volcano Tour & Fuego / All Inclusive !:
$400
-
4WD experience to Acatenango Volcano/Fuego Volcano from Antigua:
$333
-
4x4 tour from Antigua with a night camp in front of the Fuego volcano:
$1,300
-
ANTIGUA Villages Tour:
$103
-
ATV Off Road Adventure at Pacaya Volcano from Antigua:
$99
-
ATV Tour of the Pacaya Volcano Lava Fields:
$150
Alcohol
Sample the Local Flavors in Oaxaca de Juarez
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Oaxaca de Juarez:
-
Oaxaca Pub Crawl with Shots and Party Games:
$19
-
Oaxaca Pub Crawl:
$19
-
Oaxaca: Sustainable Mezcal Tour at an Award-Winning Family Distillery:
$24
-
Hierve el Agua, Tule Tree, Mitla and Mezcal Distillery Tour:
$55
-
Breakfast in Tlacolula; Ancestral and industrial mezcal distillery:
$55
-
Hierve el Agua, Mitla, El Tule Tree, Rugs, Mezcal Distillery Tour:
$58
-
Hierve el Agua and Distillery of Mezcal Tour:
$60
-
Hierve el Agua and distillery of mezcal tour:
$60
-
Oaxaca: Hierve el Agua & Mezcal Distillery Small-Group Tour:
$70
-
Distillery Tour and Agave Fields by Mal de Amor Mezcal:
$72
-
Personalized Tour to Hierve el Agua and Mezcal Distillery:
$109
-
Oaxaca: Mezcal Distillery Tour with Tastings:
$134
Sample the Local Flavors in Antigua Guatemala
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Antigua Guatemala:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Oaxaca de Juarez and Antigua Guatemala, we can see that Antigua Guatemala is more expensive. And not only is Oaxaca de Juarez much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Oaxaca de Juarez is in North America and Antigua Guatemala is in Central 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 Oaxaca de Juarez would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Oaxaca de Juarez 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 Antigua Guatemala would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Antigua Guatemala than you might in Oaxaca de Juarez.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Oaxaca de Juarez Expensive? and Is Antigua Guatemala Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Oaxaca de Juarez or Antigua Guatemala?
Oaxaca de Juarez has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Antigua Guatemala. When comparing the sizes of Oaxaca de Juarez and Antigua Guatemala, 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.
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