Which place is cheaper, Cusco or Roatan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Roatan or Cusco?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Roatan and Cusco. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Roatan or Cusco?
Roatan
Your next great vacation lies just thirty miles off the north coast of Honduras. Right above the world's largest coral reef is the island of Roatan. As a popular tourist attraction and standard cruise destination, it's not uncommon to see tons of Americans during your trip. In fact, the cruising industry has had huge impact on the island's culture. While ships are in port, traffic will be heavier and prices may go up. Because of the growth of tourism, most locals speak both Spanish and English.
Cusco
Cusco is most famous as the historic capital of the Inca Empire. It is in the southern Sierras and is one of the most popular travel destinations within Peru. The city is located at 3,400 meters above sea level so it is best to acclimate yourself slowly to avoid altitude sickness.
Cusco is the starting point for many travelers making their way to the famed Machu Picchu or other Inca sites in the surrounding area.
The city is very beautiful and has impressive architecture throughout. The history is obvious as you walk around town and there are impressive ruins nearby, with the most impressive being Sacsayhuaman. The city also has a significant indigenous population that is obvious from their traditional clothing and style.
Cusco has a subtropical highland climate with a pleasant daytime temperature year around. There are two distinct seasons with the dry season being between May and August and the wet season between December and March. During the dry season there is plenty of sun with occasional nighttime freezes. Frost is less common in the wet season.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras, The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Cusco, and The Best 3-Day Tours from Cusco.
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Roatan Prices
Honduras PricesCusco Prices
Peru Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRoatan $42Cusco $66
The average daily cost (per person) in Roatan is $42, while the average daily cost in Cusco is $66. 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 Roatan and Cusco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRoatan $10Cusco $25
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRoatan $20Cusco $50
Compare Hotels in Roatan and Cusco
Looking for a hotel in Roatan or Cusco? 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: Cusco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Roatan $17Cusco $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Roatan
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Roatan are as follows:
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Water Taxi$3.91
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Roatan
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Roatan:
- Transfers to West End by night from hotels in West Bay or Sandy Bay: $25
- Airport, Hotel or Cruise Port, Ferry Roatan Private Transfer: $35
- Roatan West End Beach Break with Private Transfer: $45
- Honduras Airport(RTB) to Roatan -Arrival Private Transfer: $57
- Mahogany Bay Cruise Port to Roatan Island hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $62
- Roatan Airport Private Shuttle – Island Transfers: $65
- Ground transfers and ticket ferry to Utila or La Ceiba: $80
- Let's Go Native Roatan City Cultural Tour, Transfer: $80
- King Kong Extreme Zipline, City Tour and Transfer: $80
- West Bay Beach Day Pass & Private Transfer – Roatán: $89
- Roatan East End Cultural Experience, Island Lunch & Private Transfer: $95
- Roatan Zipline, Monkey, Macaws & Sloths Eco Park, Snorkeling, Transfer: $120
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cusco
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cusco:
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Taxi Ride$1.19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cusco
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cusco:
- One-Way Cusco Airport Departure Transfer: $7.00
- One-Way Cusco Airport Arrival Transfer: $7.00
- One-Way Cusco Airport Arrival Transfer: $9.00
- Cusco Airport Departure Transfer: $9.50
- Cusco Airport Shared Arrival Transfer: $9.50
- Transfer Cusco Airport to your Hotel in Cusco: $10
- Peru Cusco Airport (CUZ) Private Transfer to Cusco City: $10
- Private Airport Transfer to Hotel in Cusco City: $11
- Private Transfer from Cusco Airport to Hotels: $11
- Private transfers from Cuzco Airport to Hotels and Sacred Valley: $12
- One-way transfer from the Airport to the Hotel - Cusco: $13
- Private transfers from or to Cusco Airport: $14
Is it cheaper to fly into Roatan or Cusco?
Prices for flights to both Cusco and Roatan 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 dayRoatan $15Cusco $25
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Roatan
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Roatan.
- Cooking classes from a Local!: $300
Typical Food Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of dining costs in Cusco are as follows:
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Sandwich$2.38
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Mango$0.60
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cusco
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cusco.
- Cusco Billingual Cooking Class at 6pm: $40
- Bilingual Cooking Class with Pisco Cocktail in Cusco: $40
- Market-to-Table Peruvian Cooking Class and Cocktail in Cusco: $52
- Cusco Cooking Class Experience: $55
- Peruvian Cooking Class Cocktails and Market Tour in Cusco: $65
- Cooking Class in Ollantaytambo: $68
- Cusco Authentic Food Tour with 9 Locals Favorites Tastings: $76
- Cusco Tour at Night: Planetarium, Dinner & Pisco Sour: $79
- Cusco Walking City Tour and Cooking Class at Wanchaq Market: $79
- Curious Monkey Cusco- Eat the Streets, Walking Food Tour: $80
- Exquisite Culinary Journey: Cusco's Best Street Food Tour: $85
- The 10 Tastings of Cusco With Locals: Private Food Tour: $89
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Roatan $25Cusco $32
Tours and Activities in Roatan
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Roatan are as follows:
- Organized trips and adventures: $26
- Roatan Island Tours, Sightseeing and Shopping Adventures: $39
- Roatán Ron and Chocolate Custom Tour.: $40
- Roatan Zipline & Eco walk/Suspension Bridge Combo Tours: $45
- Roatan Beach and Tour: $45
- 1 Stop Snorkel Adventure with Beach Break: $45
- Customizable Best Of Roatan Island Tour in Honduras: $45
- Private Customize Roatán Island Tour chocolate Rum local guide: $48
- Roatan VIP Free-Style Private Tour: $49
- Extreme Zip Line Adventure at Mahogany Bay: $49
- Roatan : Private Customizeble Tour with Driver & Guide: $50
- Cruise Travelers West Bay Beach Break with Island Tour in Roatan: $50
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Cusco are as follows:
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Salsa Class$2.98
Tours and Activities in Cusco
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Cusco are as follows:
- Discover Cusco with Guided Walking Tour: $5.00
- Cusco City Walking tour: Historia, Tradition, Culture: $5.00
- Cusco Self Guided Walking Tour Landmarks, Audio and Quiz: $8.34
- City tour Cusco Half day: $11
- City Tour - Lugares destacado en Cusco + Experiencia Fotográfica: $12
- Cusco City Tour: Four Ruins in Half Day: $12
- Half Day City Tour in Cusco: $12
- Half-Day Cusco City Tour – Explore History, Culture & Inca Ruins: $12
- Excursion to Moray & Maras - Salt Mines || Group tour ||: $12
- City Tour Half Day Templo of the Sun, Sacsayhuaman y Qenqo: $13
- Cusco Open Bus Tour: $13
- City tour in Cusco.: $14
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRoatan $6.49Cusco $10
Sample the Local Flavors in Roatan
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Roatan:
- Bar Crawl Tour in West End Village by Pedibike- Let the Good Times Roll: $80
- Roatan ATV Adventure, Island Tour and Craft Brewery Experience: $99
- Roatan Horseback Ride, Island Tour and Brewery Tasting: $125
Sample the Local Flavors in Cusco
Also in Cusco, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Discover Cusco Nightlife with Bar Crawl Cusco: $17
- Cusco Pub Crawl: Bar Tour, Drinks And Club with no waiting lines: $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Roatan and Cusco, we can see that Cusco is more expensive. And not only is Roatan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Roatan is in Central America and Cusco 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 Roatan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Roatan 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 Cusco would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cusco than you might in Roatan.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Roatan Expensive? and Is Cusco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Roatan or Cusco?
Cusco has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of Roatan. When comparing the sizes of Roatan and Cusco, 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.