A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Roatan vs. Salta for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Roatan or Salta?

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 Salta. 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 Salta?

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.

Salta

Located in the heart of the famous Northwest region of Argentina, at 1200m of elevation and at the foot of the Cerro San Bernardo, Salta is the largest city of the region and perhaps the most beautiful colonial city of Argentina. Founded in 1582 by the Spanish, Salta was an important stop for merchants who followed the usual trade road through Bolivia and Peru. Argentines call this city nestled in the foothills of the Andes and surrounded by mountains, of just over half a million inhabitants, Salta La Linda (Salta the Beautiful) and it's easy to see why. Young and traditional at the same time, Salta and its renowned museums, plaza side cafes and live musica folklorica of its bustling penas, is a sophisticated and lively city day and night.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras, The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras, The Best Photography Tours in Argentina, and The Best Luxury Tours to Argentina.


Which place is cheaper, Salta or Roatan?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Roatan is $38, while the average daily cost in Salta is $9.62. 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 Salta in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Roatan $11
    Salta $3.47
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Roatan $22
    Salta $6.94
Compare Hotels in Roatan and Salta

Looking for a hotel in Roatan or Salta? 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 Roatan


Hotels in Salta


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 Salta Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Roatan $19
    Salta $4.00
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Roatan

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Roatan are as follows:


  • 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

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Salta

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Salta are as follows:


  • Taxi Ride
    $0.01

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Salta

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

  • One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $5.50
  • Salta Airport One-Way or Round-Trip Transfers: $20
  • From Cafayate and Hornocal 2-Day Tour with Transfer: $88
  • From Salinas and Hornocal 2-Day Tour with Transfer: $99
  • Yungas : full day with gauchos - transfer inc. from Salta: $240
  • Train to the Clouds Experience with Transfers from Salta Hotels: $265

Is it cheaper to fly into Roatan or Salta?

Prices for flights to both Salta 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Roatan $9.43
    Salta $3.27

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

Typical Food Prices in Salta

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


  • Emplanadas
    $0.01
  • Ice Cream
    $0.01
  • Lunch
    $0.67
  • Coffee
    $0.14

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Roatan $27
    Salta $3.40

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

Typical Entertainment Prices in Salta

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Salta's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Gondola Ride
    $0.02
  • Pool
    $0.06
  • Wine and Cheese night
    $4.15

Tours and Activities in Salta

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

  • 4-Hour Guided Highlights City Tour: $15
  • From City Tour and San Lorenzo on a half-day tour: $18
  • From City Tour of the city on a half-day ride: $18
  • Salta City Half Day Tour: $20
  • Guided Half-Day City Tour with Cathedral and Museum: $25
  • Best of Guided City Tour: $27
  • Half-Day City Tour of Salta: $27
  • Full-Day Tour Cafayate Calchaqui Valleys with Wine: $32
  • City Tour and sorroundings: $33
  • From Full-Day Scenic Tour to Cachi: $33
  • From Full-Day Tour to Cafayate, Land of Wines: $34
  • From Full-day tour to Cachi and Los Cardones National Park: $34

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Roatan $7.07
    Salta $1.37

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

Typical Alcohol Prices in Salta

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Salta are as follows:


  • Beer
    $0.01
  • Alcohol
    $0.35

Sample the Local Flavors in Salta

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Salta:

  • From Cafayate Day Trip with Wine Tasting: $30
  • Full-day Cafayate, Lerma Valley, and Wine Tasting from Salta: $30
  • From Full-Day Tour to Cafayate with Wine Tasting: $33
  • Half Day Wine Tasting in Salta: $123


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Roatan and Salta, we can see that Roatan is more expensive. And not only is Salta much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Roatan is in Central America and Salta 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 Salta would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Salta 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 Roatan would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Roatan than you might in Salta.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Roatan Expensive? and Is Salta Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Roatan or Salta?

Salta has a larger population, and is about 70 times larger than the population of Roatan. When comparing the sizes of Roatan and Salta, 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.