Which place is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or Puerto Madryn?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Puerto Madryn or Cabo San Lucas?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Puerto Madryn or Cabo San Lucas? 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 Madryn or Cabo San Lucas?
Puerto Madryn
Puerto Madryn is mostly known as the gateway to Peninsula Valdes, welcoming tourists who come for whale watching. The Peninsula Valdes is a nature reserve designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site; 97 km long and 63 km wide, it is connected to the continent by an isthmus of 35 km from which we can see both gulfs, San Jose at north and the Nuevo at south.
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 2-Week Tours in Argentina, The Best 3-Week 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 Madryn $14Cabo San Lucas $139
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Madryn is $14, 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 Madryn and Cabo San Lucas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Madryn $5.25Cabo San Lucas $63
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Madryn $11Cabo San Lucas $126
Compare Hotels in Puerto Madryn and Cabo San Lucas
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Madryn 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 Madryn Hotel Prices and Cabo San Lucas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Madryn $3.28Cabo San Lucas $28
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Madryn
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Madryn:
- From Punta Tombo Day Trip with Hotel Transfer: $131
- Trelew Airport Shuttle Transfer To Puerto Madryn : $47
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 Madryn or Cabo San Lucas?
Prices for flights to both Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Madryn 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 Madryn $5.69Cabo San Lucas $51
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 Madryn $5.77Cabo San Lucas $43
Typical Entertainment Prices in Puerto Madryn
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Puerto Madryn are as follows:
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Whale Watching for Two$0.35
Tours and Activities in Puerto Madryn
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Puerto Madryn are as follows:
- Kayaking adventure in Puerto Madryn: $60
- Excursion to Punta Loma and Puerto Madryn for Cruisers: $60
- From City and Punta Loma Tour: $70
- Shore Excursion: Punta Loma+City Tour, for cruise passengers: $70
- Punta Loma Shore Excursion with City tour: $75
- Punta Loma Excursion for Cruise Passengers: $75
- Full Day Peninsula Valdes Experience - optional Whale Watching : $87
- Peninsula Valdes Full Day Tour: $88
- Punta Tombo Tour, the Penguin Experience: $88
- Full Day Peninsula Valdes Experience: $90
- Shore Excursion Punta Loma Sea Lions Reserve Including Puerto Madryn City Tour : $95
- Wonderful Punta Tombo Penguin Rookery Tour : $100
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 Madryn $3.13Cabo 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 Madryn and Cabo San Lucas, we can see that Cabo San Lucas is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Madryn much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Puerto Madryn is in South 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 Madryn would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Madryn 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 Madryn.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Puerto Madryn Expensive? and Is Cabo San Lucas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Madryn or Cabo San Lucas?
Puerto Madryn has a larger population, and is about 52% larger than the population of Cabo San Lucas. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Madryn and Cabo San Lucas, 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.