A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Roatan vs. San Pedro de Atacama for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Roatan or San Pedro de Atacama?

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 San Pedro de Atacama. 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 San Pedro de Atacama?

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.

San Pedro de Atacama

San Pedro de Atacama is a gateway to northern Chile. It is a good jumping off point for exploring the area's impressive landscape, most of which is included in the Los Flamencos National Reserve. It is popular with both Chilean and international tourists, and because of its popularity, it is a relatively expensive destination, with many prices comparable to what you might pay in Santiago.

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 Santiago, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Chile.


Which place is cheaper, San Pedro de Atacama 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 San Pedro de Atacama is $59. 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 San Pedro de Atacama in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Roatan $11
    San Pedro de Atacama $32
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Roatan $22
    San Pedro de Atacama $64
Compare Hotels in Roatan and San Pedro de Atacama

Looking for a hotel in Roatan or San Pedro de Atacama? 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 San Pedro de Atacama


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 San Pedro de Atacama Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Roatan $19
    San Pedro de Atacama $9.15
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

Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Pedro de Atacama

Also for San Pedro de Atacama, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Shared Transfer from San Pedro de Atacama to Calama Airport: $29
  • Calama Airport: Shared Transfer to/from San Pedro de Atacama: $30
  • Transfers to San Pedro de Acatama (shared service): $30
  • Atacama Airport Shuttle Transfer: $34
  • Stargazing Experience with Transfer: $40
  • Puritama Thermal Transfer: $46
  • Calama Airport Transfer to Atacama / Airport Lodging: $60
  • Transfer to the Puritama Hot Springs: $60
  • Direct Transfer Atacama to Uyuni: $128
  • Private transfer San Pedro de Atacama - calama airport: $200
  • 3 Perfect Days in Atacama + Transfer: $250

Is it cheaper to fly into Roatan or San Pedro de Atacama?

Prices for flights to both San Pedro de Atacama 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
    San Pedro de Atacama $14

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 San Pedro de Atacama

For San Pedro de Atacama, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Empanadas
    $1.26
  • Lunch
    $10
  • Dinner
    $11
  • Drink
    $0.94
  • Empanada
    $5.24

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Pedro de Atacama

For San Pedro de Atacama, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Private Dinner Under the Stars: $300

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Roatan $27
    San Pedro de Atacama $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

Typical Entertainment Prices in San Pedro de Atacama

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for San Pedro de Atacama's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Sand Boarding
    $56

Tours and Activities in San Pedro de Atacama

For San Pedro de Atacama, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Stargazing Tour with Astronomer in San Pedro de Atacama: $33
  • Astronomical Tour with Guide and Pick Up San Pedro de Atacama: $39
  • Tour to the Valley of the Moon San Pedro de Atacama: $42
  • Astronomical Experience with Astrophotography in Atacama: $42
  • Etno-Astronomical Experience: $43
  • Traditional Ethnoastronomy Experience: $44
  • Traditional Ethnoastronomy Tour in San Pedro de Atacama: $44
  • Valle de la Luna Guided Tour: $44
  • Guided Atacama Desert Stargazing Tour: $44
  • Cejar Lagoon Tour: San Pedro de Atacama: $44
  • Tour Compartido Valle de la Luna: $44
  • Half day Valle de la Luna, Afternoon Tour: $45

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Roatan $7.07
    San Pedro de Atacama $4.94

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 San Pedro de Atacama

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in San Pedro de Atacama:


  • Alcohol
    $25


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Roatan and San Pedro de Atacama, we can see that San Pedro de Atacama 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 San Pedro de Atacama 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 San Pedro de Atacama would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Pedro de Atacama 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 San Pedro de Atacama Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Roatan or San Pedro de Atacama?

Roatan has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of San Pedro de Atacama. When comparing the sizes of Roatan and San Pedro de Atacama, 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.