Which place is cheaper, Cancun or Recife?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Recife or Cancun?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Recife and Cancun can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Recife or Cancun?
Recife
One of the largest cities on Brazil's northeast coast, Recife is also the capital of the state of Pernambuco. The city gets its name from the Portuguese word for "reef," as it was built around a landscape of natural reef beaches. Many people visit to enjoy these beaches, experience the culture, and explore the history of this important Brazilian city.
Cancun
In the northeast corner of the Mexican Caribbean, Cancun is one of Mexico's most popular destinations. The area that is now Cancun was actually selected specifically by the Mexican government for development as a tourist destination. The area was chosen because it has fourteen miles of beautiful white beaches, nearby Mayan ruins, and turquoise blue water with nearby snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities. Prior to its development as a tourist destination, there were few inhabitants in the area.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in Brazil, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Brazil, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Playa del Carmen, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Cancun.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRecife $166Cancun $148
The average daily cost (per person) in Recife is $166, while the average daily cost in Cancun is $148. 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 Recife and Cancun in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRecife $88Cancun $98
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRecife $176Cancun $196
Compare Hotels in Recife and Cancun
Looking for a hotel in Recife or Cancun? 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: Recife Hotel Prices and Cancun Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Recife $8.47Cancun $18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Recife
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Recife:
- Shared Transfer from Recife to Cabo de Santo Agostinho: $33
- Airport to Porto de Galinhas Transfer: $65
- Airport to Maragogi Hotels Private Transfer: $85
- Recife Boat Tour with Transfers: $72
- Private Transfer from Recife to Tamandare Beach: $114
- Private Transfer from Recife to Serrambi Beach: $101
- Private Transfer from Recife to Olinda: $46
- Private Transfer from Recife to Carneiros Beach: $114
- Private Transfer from Olinda to Recife (REC) Airport: $46
- Private Transfer from Igarassu to Recife (REC) Airport : $101
- Instituto Ricardo Brennand with transfers from Recife: $41
- Departure Transfer from Olinda to Recife Airport: $100
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cancun
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cancun:
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Taxi Around Town$1.68
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Airport Shuttle (for 2)$14
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Ferry to Isla de Mujeres (for 2)$17
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Local Bus (for 2)$2.04
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cancun
Also for Cancun, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Cancun Airport Small-Group Transfer to Cancun Hotels: $8.00
- Cancun Airport private transfer to Cancun hotel zone: $15
- Shared Transfer from Cancun Airport: $15
- Shared Transfer from Cancun Airport : $15
- Private Transfer in Cancun: $17
- Shared Round-Trip Transfer To/From Cancun International Airport: $19
- Shared Transfer to Cancun Downtown or Hotel Zone: $20
- transfers between hotels in Cancun hotel strip: $20
- Private transfer to Cancun Airport from hotels in Cancun Area: $23
- Chetumal to Chetumal Airport (CTM) - Departure Private Transfer : $24
- Cancun Hotel Zone Private Transfer From and To Cancun Airport: $25
- Cancun Hotel Zone Private Transfer From & To Cancun Airport: $25
Is it cheaper to fly into Recife or Cancun?
Prices for flights to both Cancun and Recife 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 dayRecife $70Cancun $29
Typical Food Prices in Cancun
For Cancun, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch for Two$21
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cancun
For Cancun, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Captain Hook: Pirate Show and Dinner Cruise in Cancun: $46
- Mayan Chichen Itza And Pirate Dinner Two Day Experience: $57
- The Ultimate Cancun Taco & Street Mexican Food Tour: $59
- Dinner Show with Pirates! (2x1 Price): $62
- (2x1 price) Pirate Night! Dinner, Fun and Show: $63
- (2x1 price) Dinner Show and Pirates Experience : $63
- (2x1 price)Pirate Adventure! Open Bar, Dinner and Show : $63
- Cancun Street Food Tour with Food Stalls, Local Market and Murals: $64
- Dinner Show on a Pirate Ship from Cancun with Open Bar: $65
- Guided Cancun Local Mexican Food Tour: $78
- Cancun Authentic Downtown Food Tour: Tacos and Local Flavors: $78
- Mexican Cooking Class with fresh Local Market ingredients selection and transpor: $79
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Recife $11Cancun $35
Tours and Activities in Recife
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Recife are as follows:
- City Tour Recife with Catamaran included: $150
- Colonial North Coast beaches - Full-Day Tour: $35
- Olinda City Tour and Instituto Ricardo Brennand: $94
- Olinda Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.82
- Recife (Historic Centre) Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour: $7.65
- City Tour Recife & Olinda: $27
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cancun
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cancun's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Seasick Pills$0.60
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Whale Shark Tour (for 2)$102
Tours and Activities in Cancun
For Cancun, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- ATV Jungle Adventure with Ziplines, Cenote Transportation Included: $8.00
- Visit to 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen + Shopping Tour: $8.20
- Amazing jungle tour adventure speed boat in cancun : $13
- Guided Walking Tour of the Punta Cancun Lighting Tower: $14
- Half Day National Reef Park Snorkel Adventure in Puerto Morelos: $15
- Hop-on Hop-off City Tour Cancun: $17
- Best ATV & Mavericks Experience in Cancun + Cenote + Zip Lines : $20
- Explore Tulum, Coba, Cenote, Playa del Carmen full day 4x1 tour: $22
- ATV, Ziplines and Cenote swim full experience from Cancún : $25
- Adrenaline day in Cancun, Atvs, Ziplines and Cenote experience in the best park!: $25
- Zipline, Cenote and ATV Adventure with Pickup: $25
- Top Isla Mujeres Catamaran Tour with Snorkel Open Bar and Buffet lunch: $26
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRecife -Cancun -
Sample the Local Flavors in Cancun
Also in Cancun, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Social Pub Crawl in Cancun: $38
- Brewery Tour / Craft Beer Tasting Cancun Mexico: $116
When comparing the travel costs between Recife and Cancun, we can see that Recife is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Recife is in South America and Cancun is in North America, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Recife Expensive? and Is Cancun Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Recife or Cancun?
Recife has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Cancun. When comparing the sizes of Recife and Cancun, 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.