Which place is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park)?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) or Cabo San Lucas?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) and Cabo San Lucas can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) or Cabo San Lucas?
Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park)
Situated in the Golfo Dulce, Puerto Jiminez has grown from a logging and gold mining town in the 1960s to become the largest town on Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula. Today, it serves as a main gateway to Corcovado National Park, a last stopping point before visitors enter the park. Puerto Jiminez also has a lively night life, a beach, and easy access to a number of outdoors activities.
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 Luxury Tours to Costa Rica, The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica, 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 Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) $115Cabo San Lucas $139
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) is $115, while the average daily cost in Cabo San Lucas is $139. 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 Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) and Cabo San Lucas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) $49Cabo San Lucas $63
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) $98Cabo San Lucas $126
Compare Hotels in Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) and Cabo San Lucas
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) 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: Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) Hotel Prices and Cabo San Lucas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) -Cabo San Lucas $28
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cabo San Lucas:
- San Jose del Cabo to Los Cabos Airport (SJD) Departure Transfer: $31
- Los Cabos Airport (SJD) to San Jose del Cabo hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $31
- Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port to Airport CSL Departure Transfer: $33
- Cabo San Lucas City to Cabo San Lucas Port Private Transfer : $33
- Cabo San Lucas Port to Cabo San Lucas - Arrival Private Transfer : $33
- Cabo San Lucas Airport CSL to Cruise Port Arrival Transfer: $33
- Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) to Cabo San Lucas Port - Arrival Private Transfer : $33
- Departure Transfer from CaboSanLucas to CaboSanLucas Airport(CSL): $33
- Cabo San Lucas to Cabo San Lucas Airport CSL Departure Transfer: $33
- Cabo San Lucas to Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port- Departure Private Transfer: $33
- Cabo San Lucas Port to Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) - Departure Private Transfer: $33
- Transfer from Cabo San Lucas Airport CSL to Cabo San Lucas : $33
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) or Cabo San Lucas?
Prices for flights to both Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) 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 Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) $35Cabo San Lucas $51
Typical Food Prices in Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park)
Some typical examples of dining costs in Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) are as follows:
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Dinner at Finca Exotica$54
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.
- Sunset Dinner Cruise with Domestic Open Bar: $64
- Tasting Cabo San Lucas Like a Local Food Tour: $70
- Cabo San Lucas Sunset Cruise with Dinner and Open Bar: $75
- Sea to Table Fisherman's Seafood Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $80
- Seafood Galore, Los Cabos Food Tour: $80
- San Jose del Cabo Morning Food Tour: $86
- Parrillada dinner with a Private Chef in your villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose: $86
- Sunset Dinner Cruise at Cabo San Lucas Bay: $89
- Private Mexican Cooking Class in Your Cabo San Lucas Villa or Condo: $90
- Catch of the day dinner in your private villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose del Cabo: $90
- San José del Cabo for Meat Lovers Food Tour: $90
- Cabo Sunset Dinner Cruise: Fajitas, Lands End and Party: $94
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) $119Cabo San Lucas $43
Tours and Activities in Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park)
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) are as follows:
- Bio-Luminescence and Sunset Kayak Tour: $62
- Kayak experience on Playa Blanca in Puerto Jiménez: $65
- 4 Hour Private Guided Tour in Osa Jungle : $120
- One Day Tour To Caño Island From Drake Bay: $125
- Day tours Corcovado Total Adventure: $150
- Corcovado day tour- Sirena Station With Lunch- Small Group : $160
- 30-minute Corcovado National Park Tour by Plane: $256
- One Day Tour to Corcovado (La Leona Station) From Puerto Jiménez: $299
Tours and Activities in Cabo San Lucas
Here are a few actual costs in Cabo San Lucas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Your Own Private Luxury Yacht Experience in Cabo, Lunch included: $1.21
- Tour paseo al Arco + bajada en playa: $12
- Boat Tour to Cabo San Lucas Arch and Rock Formations: $18
- Glass bottom boat tour: $19
- Water Taxi Tour: $20
- Glass Bottom Boat Tour: $20
- Glass Bottom Boat Sightseeing Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $23
- Glass Bottom Boat Tour: $23
- Glass Bottom Boat Tour - Cabo San Lucas: $23
- Classic Tour to the Arch in Glass Bottom: $23
- Tour to The Arch from Cabo San Lucas : $29
- Tour to The Arch and Lover's Beach (optional) from Cabo: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) -Cabo San Lucas $28
Sample the Local Flavors in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cabo San Lucas:
- Cabo Bar Crawl - The BEST Bar and Clubs in Cabo : $55
- Wine Tasting Sunset Cruise Tour in San Jose del Cabo: $190
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) and Cabo San Lucas, we can see that Cabo San Lucas is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) is in Central 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 Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) 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 Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park).
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Puerto Jimenez (Corcovado National Park) Expensive? and Is Cabo San Lucas Expensive?.
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.