Which place is cheaper, San Miguel de Tucuman or Playa del Carmen?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Playa del Carmen or San Miguel de Tucuman?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Playa del Carmen or San Miguel de Tucuman? 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 San Miguel de Tucuman?
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.
San Miguel de Tucuman
The capital of the Tucuman Province in Argentina, San Miguel de Tucuman is the largest city in the country's northwest. The city is probably most well known as the sight where the Declaration of Independence from Spain took place on July 9, 1816. The location of this event, a colonial-style house called "Casa Historica" or "Casita de Tucuman", remains an important landmark in the city.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico, The Best Photography Tours in Argentina, and The Best Luxury Tours to Argentina.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPlaya del Carmen $81San Miguel de Tucuman $11
The average daily cost (per person) in Playa del Carmen is $81, while the average daily cost in San Miguel de Tucuman is $11. 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 San Miguel de Tucuman in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPlaya del Carmen $40San Miguel de Tucuman $4.85
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPlaya del Carmen $80San Miguel de Tucuman $9.70
Compare Hotels in Playa del Carmen and San Miguel de Tucuman
Looking for a hotel in Playa del Carmen or San Miguel de Tucuman? 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 San Miguel de Tucuman Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Playa del Carmen $24San Miguel de Tucuman $3.08
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Playa del Carmen
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Playa del Carmen:
- Wedding Transfers Services in Round Trip Playa del Carmen: $180
- Transfers in Lincoln StretchLimo from Puerto Aventuras-Cun Airport.: $194
- Transfer in Private vehicle from Akumal City - Cancun Airport (CUN) : $74
- Tour Bacalar Ponton with Transfer from Cancun & Playa del Carmen : $147
- Shared transfer from Playa del Carmen tu Cancun airport: $25
- Shared roundtrip transfer from Cancun airport to Playa del Carmen: $71
- Shared Transfer Cancun Airport - Puerto Aventuras: $48
- Shared Transfer Cancun Airport - Playa del Carmen: $31
- Roundtrip Private Transfer Playa del Carmen from CUN: $173
- Private Transfer: Akumal to Cancun Airport CUN in SUV: $109
- Private Transfer to Xplor / Xenses / Xplor Fire from Playa del Carmen: $25
- Private Transfer to Xel-Há Park from Playa del Carmen: $53
Typical Local Transportation Prices in San Miguel de Tucuman
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in San Miguel de Tucuman:
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Taxi Ride$0.01
Is it cheaper to fly into Playa del Carmen or San Miguel de Tucuman?
Prices for flights to both San Miguel de Tucuman 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 $24San Miguel de Tucuman $4.01
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.
- Cenotes by Bike and Mayan Cooking Class Half-Day Guided Tour: $60
- Walking Food Tour: $65
- Playa Del Carmen Authentic Downtown Food Tour: Tacos and Local Flavors: $75
- Playa del Carmen Walking Food Tour: $77
- Mexican Cooking Class: $100
- Seafood Tour in Playa del Carmen: $101
- PDC Traditional Mexican Cooking Experience: $104
- Authentic Mexican Cooking Class in Playa del Carmen: $120
- Isa’s Authentic Mexican Cooking Class: $120
- Cultural Coba Sunset Adventure with Dinner and show from Cancun: $130
- Sunset Adventure in Coba and Dinner with Show from Riviera Maya: $155
- Riviera Maya: Sunset Cruise with Beach Dinner and Open Bar: $157
Typical Food Prices in San Miguel de Tucuman
For San Miguel de Tucuman, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Sandwich$0.01
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Playa del Carmen $17San Miguel de Tucuman $3.30
Tours and Activities in Playa del Carmen
Here are a few actual costs in Playa del Carmen for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Romantic tour in Akumal: $115
- Tulum Ruins, Turtle Sightseeing & Underground Cenote from Tulum: $140
- VIP Cenote Scuba Tour, Certified Divers Only: $230
- 3 in 1 Private Tour Tulum Cenote and Snorkeling in the reef: $210
- 3D Museum of Wonders Admission Ticket: $42
- 5X1: Tulum and Coba Ruins, Cenote & Mayan Village Full Day Tour : $114
- ATV Adventure with Ziplines Cenote from Playa del Carmen: $75
- ATV Extreme and Snorkel Adventure from the Riviera Maya: $139
- ATV Ride and Secret Caves Tour from Playa del Carmen: $80
- ATV Shared & Ziplines Adventure in Tulum Jungle from Riviera Maya: $133
- ATV Shared, Cavern & Ziplines -Jungle Adventure from Riviera Maya: $158
- ATV Xtreme & Snorkel Experience: $138
Tours and Activities in San Miguel de Tucuman
For San Miguel de Tucuman, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Entrance ticket to Aerial Park, Zip Line and Palestra: $27
- Yungas Half-Day Tour from Tucuman: $51
- Rio Hondo Hot Springs Full Day Tour from Tucuman: $82
- Discover Tafí del Valle and Quilmes Ruins in a Day Tour: $82
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPlaya del Carmen $21San Miguel de Tucuman $2.07
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Playa del Carmen and San Miguel de Tucuman, we can see that Playa del Carmen is more expensive. And not only is San Miguel de Tucuman much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Playa del Carmen is in North America and San Miguel de Tucuman 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 San Miguel de Tucuman would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Miguel de Tucuman 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 San Miguel de Tucuman.
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 San Miguel de Tucuman Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Playa del Carmen or San Miguel de Tucuman?
San Miguel de Tucuman 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 San Miguel de Tucuman, 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.