A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Quepos vs. San Miguel de Tucuman for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Quepos or San Miguel de Tucuman?

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 Quepos and San Miguel de Tucuman can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Quepos or San Miguel de Tucuman?

Quepos

Quepos is both a district and the capital of Aguirre canton in the Puntareanas Province of Costa Rica. The town is quite small, and the district has a population of about 22,000 people. Quepos is a popular tourist destination in Costa Rica due to its close proximity to Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific Coast. The town's economy is centered around tourism and there is no shortage of bars and restaurants in the area. The town also has a lively nightlife for such a small community.

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 Wildlife Tours to Costa Rica, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Costa Rica, The Best Photography Tours in Argentina, and The Best Luxury Tours to Argentina.


Which place is cheaper, San Miguel de Tucuman or Quepos?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Quepos is $117, 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 Quepos and San Miguel de Tucuman in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Quepos $77
    San Miguel de Tucuman $4.85
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Quepos $154
    San Miguel de Tucuman $9.70
Compare Hotels in Quepos and San Miguel de Tucuman

Looking for a hotel in Quepos 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.

Hotels in Quepos


Hotels in San Miguel de Tucuman


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: Quepos Hotel Prices and San Miguel de Tucuman Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Quepos $9.56
    San Miguel de Tucuman $3.08

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Quepos

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

  • Transfer from Manuel Antonio to SJO Airport and surroundings : $209
  • Shuttle Transfer from Manuel Antonio to San Jose: $60
  • Private transfer from SJ Airport to Manuel Antonio and vice versa: $230
  • Private Transfer from Quepos Cruise Port to San Jose City Hotels: $91
  • Private Transfer from Manuel Antonio to Nauyaca Waterfalls (Round Trip): $199
  • Private Transfer From San Jose Airport To Manuel Antonio Beach: $125
  • Private Transfer - San Jose Airport & Manuel Antonio/Quepos : $300
  • One-Way Private Transfer from Uvita to Quepos - Manuel Antonio: $140
  • One-Way Private Transfer from Quepos - Manuel Antonio to Monteverde: $276
  • Manuel Antonio & Quepos one way transfer to SJO hotels - Airport up to 5 people.: $274

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:


  • Taxi Ride
    $0.01

Is it cheaper to fly into Quepos or San Miguel de Tucuman?

Prices for flights to both San Miguel de Tucuman and Quepos 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
    Quepos $30
    San Miguel de Tucuman $4.01
Typical Food Prices in Quepos

For Quepos, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Lunch
    $15
  • Seafood Dinner (for 1)
    $20

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Quepos

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

  • Night Jungle Tour with Dinner (Rainmaker Park): $59
  • 3 Hour Cooking Class and Medical Plants Garden: $77
  • Cooking Class & Medicinal Plants Garden Manuel Antonio: $77
  • Night Mangrove Safari Boat Tour with Dinner | Manuel Antonio: $79

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:


  • Sandwich
    $0.01

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Quepos $17
    San Miguel de Tucuman $3.30

Tours and Activities in Quepos

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

  • 10 in 1 Tour! Zip Lines, Rappels, Tarzan Swing, Waterfalls & More: $130
  • 2-Hour Boat Tour in Quepos: $55
  • ATV Tour Half Day Trip From Manuel Antonio: $90
  • All Inclusive Catamaran Eco Adventure from Manuel Antonio: $83
  • All-Inclusive Catamaran Eco Adventure with Lunch: $93
  • All-Inclusive Full-Day Nauyaca Waterfall and Beach Town Tour: $142
  • Beach Day Experience in Manuel Antonio: $20
  • Birding at El Rey. (Marshes,rice fields,canals) Private Birding Tour : $120
  • Birdwatching Tour: $130
  • Catamaran Adventure From Manuel Antonio: $116
  • Chocolate Tour Manuel Antonio: $60
  • Chocolate and Coffee Tour Manuel Antonio: $62

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:

  • Discover Tafí del Valle and Quilmes Ruins in a Day Tour: $82
  • Entrance ticket to Aerial Park, Zip Line and Palestra: $27
  • Rio Hondo Hot Springs Full Day Tour from Tucuman: $82
  • Yungas Half-Day Tour from Tucuman: $51

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Quepos $15
    San Miguel de Tucuman $2.07


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Quepos and San Miguel de Tucuman, we can see that Quepos is more expensive. And not only is San Miguel de Tucuman much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Quepos is in Central 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 Quepos would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Quepos 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 Quepos Expensive? and Is San Miguel de Tucuman Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Quepos or San Miguel de Tucuman?

San Miguel de Tucuman has a larger population, and is about 100 times larger than the population of Quepos. When comparing the sizes of Quepos 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.