Which place is cheaper, Guayaquil or Roatan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Roatan or Guayaquil?
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 Guayaquil. 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 Guayaquil?
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.
Guayaquil
Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city and seaport. From a tourist perspective, the city acts primarily as a transportation gateway to the country and the Galapagos Islands. While the city can be skipped altogether, should you have a free day to spend here, there are a few noteworthy things to do, as well as some terrific dining and nightlife options. Guayaquil’s main tourist attraction is Las Penas, a hill with old, colorfully painted buildings at the north end of the Malecon, where you can walk the 400 steps to the lighthouse at the top for good views of the city. The neighborhood is filled with cafes, bars, restaurants, and art galleries and is relatively safe. Other important sights include the Malecon 2000, a massive urban development project that has brought new life to the riverside in the city center and the Parque Seminario, filled with fountains, trees and iguanas, located at 10 de Agosto Ave and Chile Ave.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras, The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras, The Best G Adventures Tours to Ecuador, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Ecuador.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRoatan $38Guayaquil $95
The average daily cost (per person) in Roatan is $38, while the average daily cost in Guayaquil is $95. 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 Guayaquil in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRoatan $11Guayaquil $32
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRoatan $22Guayaquil $64
Compare Hotels in Roatan and Guayaquil
Looking for a hotel in Roatan or Guayaquil? 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: Roatan Hotel Prices and Guayaquil Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Roatan $19Guayaquil $15
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Roatan
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Roatan are as follows:
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Water Taxi$4.26
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Roatan
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Roatan:
- West Bay Beach, Chocolate, & Rum Factory & Transfer: $67
- Transfers, Zip Line and Monkey Park: $110
- Transfers to West End by night from hotels in West Bay or Sandy Bay: $15
- South Side Horseback Riding, Beach Break & Roundway Transfer: $120
- Round trip transfers from airport or ferry to hotel: $40
- Roatan Sun & Fun, Sloths & Monkeys, Beach & Private Transfer: $63
- Roatan Special Catamaran for Cruise Ship Passengers plus Transfer: $113
- Roatan Private Sloths, Monkeys, Birds Encounters, City Tour and Transfer: $60
- Roatan Private Catamaran Shipwreck, Blue Channel and Starfish with Transfer: $90
- Roatan Island hotels to Mahogany Bay Cruise Port - Departure Private Transfer: $38
- Roatan East End Cultural Experience, Island Lunch & Private Transfer: $99
- Roatan Buggy Adventure, Snorkeling, Beach Pass plus Private Transfer: $207
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Guayaquil
Also for Guayaquil, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer from Guayaquil Airport to Hotel or vice versa: $12
- Guayaquil PRIVATE Departure Transfer from Hotels to the Airport.: $17
- Guayaquil PRIVATE Arrival Transfer from the Airport to Hotels: $17
- Guayaquil PRIVATE Arrival Transfer from the Airport to Hotels: $18
- Private Airport Transfer from Guayaquil Airport to Hotel: $20
- Private Transfer In From Guayaquil Airport to Hotel: $25
- Private Transfers to and from the Airport in Guayaquil: $25
- Private Transfer Out From Hotel to Guayaquil Airport: $25
- Guayaquil Airport GYE to Guayaquil city -Arrival Private Transfer: $30
- Transfer from Guayaquil airport to the hotel and vice versa: $30
- Shared transfer from Guayaquil Airport to Hotel: $47
- Shared transfer from Hotel to Airport in Guayaquil: $47
Is it cheaper to fly into Roatan or Guayaquil?
Prices for flights to both Guayaquil 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 $9.43Guayaquil $29
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Roatan
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Roatan.
- Tiki Boat Sunset Cruise in Roatan with Snorkeling and Dinner : $100
- Cooking classes from a Local!: $200
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Guayaquil
For Guayaquil, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Half Day Guayaquil Culinary Adventure, Cacao Cooking Class: $185
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Roatan $27Guayaquil $21
Tours and Activities in Roatan
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Roatan are as follows:
- Mangrove cruise garífuna Culture sightseeing and Lunch : $89
- Shore Excursion: VIP Island City Tour and Drift Snorkel : $60
- Shore Excursion: Zip & Dip Adventure: $69
- Sloths Sanctuary/Monkeys Play + Dune Buggy/ATV Adventure & Private Beach Resort: $139
- 2 Hour Zip Lining Private Tour in Mahogany Bay: $65
- 4-Hour East Side Roatan Private Guided Tour with Canoe Ride: $120
- ATV Safari and Horseback Adventure at Mahogany Bay: $110
- Adventures of Roatan ATV Pineapple beach break: $120
- Animal Sightings and Walking Tour at Gumbalimba Park with Addons: $90
- Atv Island Tour: $85
- Cruise Excursion – 2 Scuba Dives with transport (for certified divers): $175
- Cruise Ship Family Sloth & Monkeys, West Tour, Beach plus Private Vehicle: $75
Tours and Activities in Guayaquil
For Guayaquil, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Private Guayaquil City Tour: $18
- 1-hour Pacari Wine and Chocolate Tasting Experience: $20
- Shared Walking Tour in Guayaquil City: $35
- City Tour Guayaquil: $40
- Guayaquil City Tour: $40
- Self-guided walking tour of Guayaquil's landmarks.: $45
- Private Experience of Flavors and Wine Pairing in Guayaquil: $52
- From Montañita: Paragliding Experience: $55
- City Tour with Hotel Pickup and Drop-off: $63
- Guayaquil to Cuenca one-way tour with Cajas Park and a Cacao Farm visit: $74
- City Tour around Guayaquil: $75
- Private Guayaquil City Tour and Parque Historico: $80
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRoatan $7.07Guayaquil $17
Sample the Local Flavors in Roatan
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Roatan:
- Half-Day Tour in Roatan With Brewery, Rum and Chocolate Factories visit: $46
- Bar Crawl Tour in West End Village by Pedibike- Let the Good Times Roll: $80
Sample the Local Flavors in Guayaquil
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Guayaquil:
- Wine Tasting Experience with Tasting Menu: $55
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Roatan and Guayaquil, we can see that Guayaquil 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 Guayaquil 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 Guayaquil would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Guayaquil 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 Guayaquil Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Roatan or Guayaquil?
Guayaquil has a larger population, and is about 260 times larger than the population of Roatan. When comparing the sizes of Roatan and Guayaquil, 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.