A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Punta Cana vs. Belize City for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Punta Cana or Belize City?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Punta Cana or Belize City? 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: Punta Cana or Belize City?

Punta Cana

Punta Cana, located on the easternmost tip of the Dominican Republic, is renowned for its stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant culture. This Caribbean paradise offers a diverse range of experiences that cater to all types of travelers, whether you're on a tight budget, seeking thrilling activities, exploring local cuisine, or figuring out the best ways to get around.

Belize City

Belize City is the largest city in Belize. It was once the capital of the country, but due to massive hurricane damage in 1961, the country decided to relocate it capital. With a population of 57,000 people, Belize City is located right at the mouth of the Haulover Creek.

This gorgeous tropical city experiences a monsoon climate – meaning there are warm and humid conditions throughout the course of the year. There is a wet season from May to January, so plan for a little bit of rain in that time.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Dominican Republic, The Best Adventure Tours to Dominican Republic, The Best G Adventures Tours to Belize, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Belize.


Which place is cheaper, Belize City or Punta Cana?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Punta Cana is $170, while the average daily cost in Belize City is $108. 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 Punta Cana and Belize City in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Punta Cana $95
    Belize City $49
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Punta Cana $190
    Belize City $98
Compare Hotels in Punta Cana and Belize City

Looking for a hotel in Punta Cana or Belize City? 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.

Hotels in Punta Cana


Hotels in Belize City


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: Punta Cana Hotel Prices and Belize City Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Punta Cana $6.39
    Belize City $5.81

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Punta Cana

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Punta Cana:

  • private transfer from Punta Cana to Santo Domingo airport (sdq): $156
  • YC VIP Transfers: $50
  • Wyndham Alltra Punta Cana - Airport Transfer - Round Trip: $137
  • VIP Uvero Alto Private Transfer Suburban from Punta Cana: $60
  • VIP Transfers in Luxury SUVs - Punta Cana: $19
  • VIP Transfers PUJ Airport to Bavaro and Punta Cana Hotels: $72
  • VIP Transfer from Punta Cana Airport to Punta Cana / Bavaro Hotel: $67
  • VIP Transfer from Airport to Cap Cana Hotels: $149
  • VIP Transfer From Punta Cana Int. Airport to Punta Cana / Bavaro: $120
  • VIP Suburban Transfer from Punta Cana Airport to Bavaro Hotels: $47
  • VIP SUV Suburbans Transfer Punta Cana Airport & Hotels : $35
  • VIP SUV Airport Transfer from Punta Cana/Bavaro: $60

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Belize City

Also for Belize City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Belize Airport (BZE) to Belize city - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $108
  • Belize Airport (BZE) to San Ignacio - Arrival Private Transfer: $89
  • Belize City Airport to Placencia Private Transfer: $150
  • Belize City to Belize Airport (BZE) - Departure Private Transfer: $54
  • Belize City to Philip S.W. Belize Airport (BZE) - Departure Private Transfer: $55
  • Philip S.W. Belize Airport (BZE) to Belize City - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $110
  • Philip S.W. Belize Airport (BZE) to Belize city hotels -Arrival Private Transfer: $55
  • Private Transfer from Belize City Port to Belize Airport (BZE): $72
  • Private Transfer from Belize City To Hopkins Village : $115
  • Private Transfer from Belize City and Airport to Placencia: $150
  • Private transfer from the Philip Goldson Airport to San Ignacio: $80

Is it cheaper to fly into Punta Cana or Belize City?

Prices for flights to both Belize City and Punta Cana 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Punta Cana $64
    Belize City $47

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Punta Cana

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Punta Cana.

  • Origen Tasting Adventure Dinner or Lunch of 8 Courses Dom Cuisine: $85
  • Taste of DR Street Food Tour: $125
  • Sunset Buggies Adventure with Dinner from Punta Cana: $130
  • Punta Cana Night Tour Polaris Ride Dinner Music and Open Bar: $169

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Belize City

For Belize City, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Altun Ha Mayan Site & Food Tour - fish farm & restaurant : $80

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Punta Cana $30
    Belize City $29
Typical Entertainment Prices in Punta Cana

Here are a few typical costs in Punta Cana for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Dune Buggy Adventure
    $51

Tours and Activities in Punta Cana

Here are a few actual costs in Punta Cana for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Adventure:4x4 ATV Cave and Dominican Culture At Punta Cana: $40
  • Enjoy Our Tours Higuey City Cultural : $45
  • Explore Punta Cana Buggy or ATV Adventure in Macao: $59
  • Full Day Tour to Santo Domingo with Lunch.: $70
  • Full Experience Hacienda – 6 Exciting Adventures: $90
  • Full-Day Boat Tour of Los Haitises National Park: $165
  • Full-Day Santo Domingo City Tour: $89
  • Half Day Higuey City Tour from Punta Cana with Pick Up: $82
  • Macao Beach private horseback tour in punta cana : $55
  • Private ATV Tour from Punta Cana : $250
  • Tours Parasailing Punta Cana: $99
  • Tours Ziplines Punta Cana : $99

Tours and Activities in Belize City

For Belize City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • The Historic Belize City Tour: $35
  • Belize City Tour: $40
  • Cucumber Beach and City Tour: $49
  • Cave Kayak tour for Belize Car Rental : $59
  • Belizean Bits & Bites Food Tastings and City Tour in Belize: $60
  • TukTuk Belize History & Culture Tour : $60
  • Taste Bud Explosion Food Tasting Belize City Tour : $74
  • Charlie's Cave Tubing Tour for cruisers (lunch included): $75
  • Altun Ha Mayan Site tour from Belize City: $85
  • The Incredible Cave Tubing Adventure from Belize City: $85
  • Turtle Garden Snorkeling Tour and Island Break : $90
  • Private Altun Ha Maya Ruin & Belize City Adventure From Belize City: $107

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Punta Cana $10
    Belize City $12

Sample the Local Flavors in Punta Cana

Also in Punta Cana, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Bar Crawl in Punta Cana: $35


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Punta Cana and Belize City, we can see that Punta Cana is more expensive. And not only is Belize City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Punta Cana is in Caribbean Islands and Belize City is in Central 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 Belize City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Belize City 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 Punta Cana would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Punta Cana than you might in Belize City.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Punta Cana Expensive? and Is Belize City Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Punta Cana or Belize City?

Punta Cana has a larger population, and is about 63% larger than the population of Belize City. When comparing the sizes of Punta Cana and Belize City, 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.