Which place is cheaper, Tulum or Puerto Iguazu?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Puerto Iguazu or Tulum?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Puerto Iguazu or Tulum? 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: Puerto Iguazu or Tulum?
Puerto Iguazu
Puerto Iguazu is located in the northeastern part of Argentina at the border with Paraguay and Brazil. It is a tourist city and travel destination because of its close proximity to Iguazu Falls, which is only 18 kilometers away. Much of the city's infrastructure has grown to maintain the tourist crowds that come to see the falls. The town itself has a population of slightly over 80,000.
Tulum
When you think of ancient ruins you probably picture dusty archaeological digs surrounded by sand and professors in khaki shorts. What if I told you there is a way to see ancient ruins and visit a tropical beach? That's exactly what you find in Tulum, Mexico.
Built near the end of Mayan era, the ruins of Tulum served as a port before the arrival of the Spanish. It may have been called Zama, meaning City of Dawn, given that these ruins face the sunrise. Because of Tulum's access to both land and sea routes, this spot was an important hub for the trade industry. It may have had another claim to fame, too. According to some murals and other works around the site, it seems this spot was an important site for the worship of the Diving or Descending God. Today, the area is the third most visited archaeological site in all of Mexico with daily tour buses dropping off visitors.
This area is usually packed with people looking to get a glimpse of the seaside ruins. To avoid crowds and capture the best view of the day, try to arrive as early as possible.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Tours for Seniors to Argentina, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Argentina, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, and The Best Historical Tours in Mexico.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Iguazu $8.20Tulum $122
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Iguazu is $8.20, while the average daily cost in Tulum is $122. 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 Puerto Iguazu and Tulum in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Iguazu $3.26Tulum $60
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Iguazu $6.52Tulum $120
Compare Hotels in Puerto Iguazu and Tulum
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Iguazu or Tulum? 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: Puerto Iguazu Hotel Prices and Tulum Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Iguazu $2.52Tulum $28
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Iguazu
Also for Puerto Iguazu, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $8.00
- Puerto Iguazu Airport Shuttle Transfer: $8.34
- One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $11
- Iguazu Falls Argentina Airport Roundtrip Transfer to Hotels: $13
- Transfer from Iguazú Airport to hotels on the Argentine side: $15
- Iguazú Falls Brazil & Argentina 3-Day In-Out Transfers: $52
- Argentine and Brazilian Falls with transfers: $57
- Iguazu Falls Saver Package! Both sides excursions & transfers : $79
- Puerto Iguazú Combo: Iguazu Falls 2 Day Tours + transfers: $98
- Transfer In + Transfer Out IGR Airport Puerto Iguazú Hotels Selva de Iryapu: $145
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Tulum
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Tulum are as follows:
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Scooter Rental$18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tulum
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Tulum:
- Xcaret to Tulum - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $76
- Transfer from Tulum airport to Bacalar: $233
- Horseback Riding in the Jungle w/ Transfers and Lunch: $100
- Tulum to Xcaret - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $76
- Tulum to Playa del Carmen - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $82
- Tulum to Mahahual - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $160
- Tulum to Chetumal - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $182
- Tulum to Cancún Airport (CUN) - Private Departure Transfer: $70
- Tulum to Bacalar - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $153
- Roundtrip Transfer from Cancun Airport to Tulum: $269
- Roundtrip Private Transfer from Cancun Airport to Tulum: $254
- Round-trip Private Transfer Cancun Airport to TULUM - up to 9 pax: $299
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Iguazu or Tulum?
Prices for flights to both Tulum and Puerto Iguazu 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 dayPuerto Iguazu $3.01Tulum $34
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Puerto Iguazu
For Puerto Iguazu, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Iguazu Falls: The Argentine Experience Interactive Dinner: $59
- Argentine Experience: Immersive Dinner & Wine Pairing in Iguazú: $60
- Puerto Iguazú: Madero Tango Show with Optional Dinner: $76
- Experience Guamini Mision Dinner and Tango Show Selva Iriapu Hotels Exclusive: $110
- Rafain Steakhouse Dinner & Show: $117
- Dinner Show Rafain Steakhouse Gran Meliá Hotel Exclusive - Private Tour: $120
- Dinner Show Rafain Steakhouse from Puerto Iguazú Hotels Private Tour: $120
- From Foz do Iguaçu: Madero Tango with dinner: $123
- Foz do Iguaçu: Argentinean Cooking Class: $135
- Experience Guamini Mision Dinner and Tango Show Gran Meliá Iguazú Exclusive: $145
- Dinner Tango Show in Iguazú Falls: $145
- Churrascaria Rafain - Show and Dinner : $150
Typical Food Prices in Tulum
Some typical examples of dining costs in Tulum are as follows:
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Lunch$3.00
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Tulum
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Tulum.
- Tulum Local Walking Food Tour: $86
- Vegan Walking Food Tour with Tasting: $87
- Mexican Cooking from Scratch and Mezcal Tasting in a Local Home in Tulum: $87
- Mayan Night Guided Tour, Cenote Swim and Mayan Dinner: $209
- Private transfer for 5 hours (go dinner,cenotes, shopping and more) : $299
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Iguazu $2.69Tulum $32
Tours and Activities in Puerto Iguazu
For Puerto Iguazu, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Iguazu Falls Argentinian Side Full-Day Tour: $18
- Hito Tres Fronters and La Aripuca City Tour: $24
- Puerto Iguazú: Iguazú Biocenter Tour: $25
- Argentine Falls Full-Day Guided Tour One of the 7 Wonders of the World: $31
- Argentinian Iguazu Falls Full Day Tour: $31
- Ciudad del Este Shopping Tour: $32
- Iguazu Falls Brazilian Side Tour: $34
- Iguazu Falls: one-day tour on the Argentine side: $40
- City tour with stops at tourist attractions: $41
- Brazilian Side of Iguazu Falls Half-Day Sightseeing Tour : $41
- Tour to Iguaçu Brazilian Falls from Argentina: $44
- From San Ignacio Ruins and Wanda Mines Tour: $46
Tours and Activities in Tulum
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Tulum are as follows:
- Private Tour - The best Cenotes in Yucatan - Suytun & Oxman: $195
- Romantic tour in Tulum: $169
- 4-Hour Cenotes Tour with Hotel Pickup in Riviera Maya: $109
- 5 Hours Mayan Snorkeling Experience in Tulum: $90
- 5x1 Deluxe Tour Tulum, Coba, Cenote Transportation from Tulum: $88
- 5x1: Tulum, Coba, Cenote and Mayan Village Full Day Tour: $99
- ATV Cenote and Zipline Adventure from Tulum: $119
- ATV Extreme Adventure Single with Ziplines and Cenote Swim: $137
- ATV Jungle Adventure with Ziplines, Cenote & Tulum Pickup: $75
- ATV Tour with Ziplines and Cenote Swim Experience in Quintana Roo: $59
- Adventure Tulum: $105
- Adventure in the Mayan Jungle with ATV and Zip Line in Tulum: $90
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Iguazu $1.29Tulum $25
Sample the Local Flavors in Tulum
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Tulum:
- 30 Minutes Brewery Tour in Tulum: $39
- Wine Tasting at Pan y Vino Tulum: $58
- Beer Tasting and Brewery Tour: $69
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Iguazu and Tulum, we can see that Tulum is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Iguazu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Puerto Iguazu is in South America and Tulum 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 Puerto Iguazu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Iguazu 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 Tulum would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Tulum than you might in Puerto Iguazu.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Puerto Iguazu Expensive? and Is Tulum Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Iguazu or Tulum?
Puerto Iguazu has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Tulum. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Iguazu and Tulum, 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.