Which place is cheaper, La Paz or Playa del Carmen?
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 Playa del Carmen or La Paz?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Playa del Carmen or La Paz? 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: Playa del Carmen or La Paz?
Playa del Carmen
Playa del Carmen is in Quintana Roo on the Yucatan Peninsula. It's a popular resort town and is about seventy kilometers south of Cancun. It has a European atmosphere with many small hotels and a nice relaxed feel. It was originally a small fishing town but tourism began with the introduction of a passenger ferry to Cozumel. The area developed rapidly and there are many luxury hotels, condos, and resorts. There are also American chains and a variety of shopping opportunities nearby.
La Paz
La Paz, the administrative capital of Bolivia, has a breathtaking setting. The city is the highest national capital in the world, with an altitude ranging from about 4,058 m (13,313 ft) above sea level in El Alto, where the airport is located, to 3,100 m (10,170 ft) in the lower residential area. The dynamic and chaotic city was built in a canyon created by the Choqueyapu River. La Paz is now a fusion of architectural styles, cultures and beliefs, welcoming everyday new boutique hotels, modern shops, delicious restaurants and reinventing standing establishments. However, generally speaking, Bolivia remains more a backpacker hit than a mainstream tourist destination.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico, The Best Luxury Tours to Bolivia, and The Best Budget Tours to Bolivia.
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Playa del Carmen Prices
Mexico PricesLa Paz Prices
Bolivia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPlaya del Carmen $97La Paz $34
The average daily cost (per person) in Playa del Carmen is $97, while the average daily cost in La Paz is $34. 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 Playa del Carmen and La Paz in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPlaya del Carmen $39La Paz $9.63
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPlaya del Carmen $78La Paz $19
Compare Hotels in Playa del Carmen and La Paz
Looking for a hotel in Playa del Carmen or La Paz? 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: Playa del Carmen Hotel Prices and La Paz Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Playa del Carmen $24La Paz $5.66
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Playa del Carmen
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Playa del Carmen:
- Xplor Fuego Tickets with Transfer: $165
- Transfer from Cancun Airport to Costa Mujeres/Playa Mujeres up to 8: $90
- Round trip Private Transfer Cancun- Costa Mujeres/Playa Mujeres: $71
- Round Trip Private Transfer (Costa Mujeres): $210
- Private transfer from Playa del Carmen to Chiquila: $131
- Private Transfers to Cancun Airport, from Playa del Carmen: $98
- Private Transfers To Cancun Int'l Airport, from Playa Del Carmen: $97
- Private Transfer: Akumal to Cancun Airport CUN in SUV: $118
- Private Transfer to Xplor/Xplor fire/Xenses, roundtrip from PDC: $160
- Private Transfer to Cancun Int'l Airport, from Costa Mujeres: $88
- Private Transfer roundtrip to Xoximilco. from PLAYA and CANCUN: $260
- Private Transfer from Puerto Aventuras to Cancun Airport CUN by Minivan -Minibus: $98
Typical Local Transportation Prices in La Paz
Some typical examples of transportation costs in La Paz are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$0.35
Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Paz
Also for La Paz, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfer Out_day: $25
- Bus Station Transfer In_day: $25
- Bus Station Transfer Out_day: $25
- Bus Station Transfer Out_night: $25
- Cholitas Wrestling Ticket – La Paz Show + Transfer: $30
- From 3-Day Uyuni Salt Flats Tour with Bus Transfers: $190
- From Uyuni Salt Flats 2-Day Tour with Bus Transfers: $208
- From Uyuni Salt Flats 2-Day Tour with Bus Transfers: $260
- From Uyuni Salt Flats 3-Day Tour with Bus Transfers: $190
- From Uyuni Salt Flats 3-Day Tour with Bus Transfers: $209
- From Uyuni Salt Flats 3-Day Tour with Bus Transfers: $170
- La Paz - Uyuni: Comfortable Private Transfer with Tour Guide: $250
Is it cheaper to fly into Playa del Carmen or La Paz?
Prices for flights to both La Paz and Playa del Carmen 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 dayPlaya del Carmen $40La Paz $17
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Playa del Carmen
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Playa del Carmen.
- Dinner and Show at the Mayan Planetarium of Chichen: $39
- Cenotes by Bike and Mayan Cooking Class Half-Day Guided Tour: $60
- Carmen Cocina Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $65
- Flavors of Playa del Carmen, Mexican Food Tour: $67
- Playa Del Carmen Authentic Downtown Food Tour: Tacos and Local Flavors: $75
- Cooking Class in 9 Recipes & Drinks: $77
- Playa del Carmen Food Tour with 8+ Authentic Yucatan Dishes: $81
- Food Tour Through Markets with 7 Tastings: $82
- local walking food tour Inlakech Playa del Carmen: $85
- Cooking Class in 9 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $85
- VIP Private Mystery Dinner Murder in the Jungle: $85
- Riviera Maya Luxury Sunset Sailing plus Light Dinner and Open Bar: $89
Typical Food Prices in La Paz
For La Paz, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Fruit$0.43
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in La Paz
For La Paz, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Morning Food Tour with Cable Car & Local Markets: $27
- Bolivian Cooking Class: $28
- Bolivian Cooking Class: $30
- Learn Bolivian Cuisine/Cooking Class: $40
- Paceño Plates La Paz Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $49
- Cholita Tastes La Paz Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $49
- La Paz : Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $77
- Real Street Food Tour La Paz: $100
- Real Street Food Tour with Guide: $100
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Playa del Carmen $17La Paz $9.44
Tours and Activities in Playa del Carmen
Here are a few actual costs in Playa del Carmen for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 3 Cenotes & Kaan Luum Lagoon Adventure from Playa del Carmen: $142
- 3-in-1 Tour to Tulum, Cenote and Maya Village Riviera Maya: $99
- 3D Museum of Wonders Admission Ticket: $42
- 4 ADVENTURES 1 DAY Tulum Coba Cenote and Playa del Carmen: $20
- 4 Casa Tortugas Cenotes Tour from Playa del Carmen: $142
- 4X1 Enjoy a tour to Tulum, Coba, Cenote and Playa del Carmen: $20
- 4x1 Tulum Coba Cenote swim Full tour: $21
- AQUA WONDER (Half-Day Aquatic Tour in Tulum with Snorkeling and Meals): $129
- ATV & Cenote in Playa del Carmen by One Jungle Adventures: $105
- ATV & Speed Boat Combo Tour: $119
- ATV (Shared) & Cenote Jungle Adventure from Riviera Maya: $130
- ATV Adventure Tour Zipline and Cenote Swim in Playa del Carmen: $55
Tours and Activities in La Paz
For La Paz, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Walking tour of the city of La Paz: $2.50
- Walking city tour La Paz: $2.50
- La Paz Half-Day Walking Tour: $3.00
- Be a Local Walking Tour: $8.00
- City Walking Tour in La Paz: $8.00
- Be a Local - La Paz Walking Tour: $8.00
- Private Viewpoint Tour with Snacks and Photos: $9.00
- Chualluma Street Art and Cholita Fashion Tour: $10
- La Paz Walking City tour plus Cable cars: $10
- City Tour plus Cable Car La Paz: $10
- Walking and Cable Car City Tour; Urban Experience: $14
- Private Sunset Tour in La Paz: $15
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPlaya del Carmen $21La Paz $6.40
Sample the Local Flavors in Playa del Carmen
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Playa del Carmen:
- Playa After Dark: 5th Ave Social Pub Crawl, Playa del Carmen: $36
- Playa del Carmen Local Brewery and Tacos Experience: $59
Sample the Local Flavors in La Paz
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in La Paz:
- Pub Crawl with VIP Entry and Welcome Shot: $24
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Playa del Carmen and La Paz, we can see that Playa del Carmen is more expensive. And not only is La Paz much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Playa del Carmen is in North America and La Paz is in South 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 Paz would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in La Paz 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 Playa del Carmen would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Playa del Carmen than you might in La Paz.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Playa del Carmen Expensive? and Is La Paz Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Playa del Carmen or La Paz?
La Paz has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Playa del Carmen. When comparing the sizes of Playa del Carmen and La Paz, 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.