Which place is cheaper, San Cristobal de Las Casas or Recife?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Recife or San Cristobal de Las Casas?
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 San Cristobal de Las Casas 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 San Cristobal de Las Casas?
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.
San Cristobal de Las Casas
Far away from the luxuries of Cancun and Cabo, Mexico's San Cristobal de las Casas is a stunning colonial city located in the southern state of Chiapas. Due to its strategic location, the town is commonly used as a transfer point for travelers looking to cross the border between Guatemala and Mexico. San Cristobal also has an immensely strong appeal among budget-minded travelers as it's one of Mexico's most affordable cities.
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 Mexico City, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Playa del Carmen.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRecife $166San Cristobal de Las Casas $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Recife is $166, while the average daily cost in San Cristobal de Las Casas is $101. 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 San Cristobal de Las Casas in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRecife $88San Cristobal de Las Casas $47
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRecife $176San Cristobal de Las Casas $94
Compare Hotels in Recife and San Cristobal de Las Casas
Looking for a hotel in Recife or San Cristobal de Las Casas? 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 San Cristobal de Las Casas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Recife $8.47San Cristobal de Las Casas $32
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Cristobal de Las Casas
Also for San Cristobal de Las Casas, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer Hotel in San Cristobal de las Casas to TGZ Airport: $51
Is it cheaper to fly into Recife or San Cristobal de Las Casas?
Prices for flights to both San Cristobal de Las Casas 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
-
Food Meals for one dayRecife $70San Cristobal de Las Casas $23
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Recife $11San Cristobal de Las Casas $14
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
Tours and Activities in San Cristobal de Las Casas
For San Cristobal de Las Casas, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Tour of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan: $19
- Rancho Nuevo Caves and Arcotete Ecotourism Center: $27
- Montebello Lakes and Chiflon Waterfalls Tour: $28
- Chamula and Zinacantan Indigenous Villages Tour: $30
- Tour to the Chiflón Waterfalls and Montebello Lagoons: $33
- Tour Sumidero Canyon and Magic Town of Chiapa de Corzo: $35
- Sumidero Canyon Tour: $36
- Tour to the Viewpoints, Sumidero Canyon and Chiapa de Corzo: $37
- Sumidero Canyon and Chiapa de Corzo Combo Tour: $42
- Full Day Tour of Montebello Lakes and El Chiflon Waterfall: $45
- Tour to San Juan Chamula & Zinacantan Indian communities: $46
- Agua Azul, Misol Hà Waterfalls and Palenque Ruins Tour: $48
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayRecife -San Cristobal de Las Casas $30
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Recife and San Cristobal de Las Casas, we can see that Recife is more expensive. And not only is San Cristobal de Las Casas much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Recife is in South America and San Cristobal de Las Casas 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 San Cristobal de Las Casas would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Cristobal de Las Casas 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 Recife would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Recife than you might in San Cristobal de Las Casas.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Recife Expensive? and Is San Cristobal de Las Casas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Recife or San Cristobal de Las Casas?
Recife has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of San Cristobal de Las Casas. When comparing the sizes of Recife and San Cristobal de Las Casas, 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.