Which place is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or Salento?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Salento or Cabo San Lucas?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Salento or Cabo San Lucas? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Salento or Cabo San Lucas?
Salento
Founded in 1850, Salento is one of the oldest towns in Quindio. This colonial Colombian town has retained much of its old world charm, with its colorful buildings, large square and, of course, the obligatory church. Because the main route between Cali and Bogota which used to pass through Salento was diverted, the town didn't develop as quickly as others in the Quindio region. This gave Salento the opportunity to evolve into a thriving community of craftsmen and artisans as well as remaining one of the region's most prolific coffee producers. Salento is located 24 km northeast of the departmental capital Armenia. However, unlike its colorful neighbor, Armenia itself has very little to offer tourists. Salento attracts those wishing to learn about the coffee regions and for those who simply admire breathtaking scenery, and especially the stunning Cocora Valley.
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas ("Cabo") is on the far southern end of the Baja Peninsula. It has countless resorts and activities for visitors. There are world class golf courses, fine dining options, and five star resorts. Prior to the 1980s, Cabo was a quiet fishing village but with the construction of a nearby airport in 1977, the city rapidly grew into one of Mexico's most popular resort vacation spots. Today, Cabo has one of the country's most vibrant nightlife scenes. It also has plenty of water sport activities, and a great beach scene.
For some great organized tour ideas, see Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Colombia, The Best Adventure Tours to Colombia, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, and The Best Historical Tours in Mexico.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySalento $33Cabo San Lucas $139
The average daily cost (per person) in Salento is $33, while the average daily cost in Cabo San Lucas is $139. 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 Salento and Cabo San Lucas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSalento $11Cabo San Lucas $63
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSalento $22Cabo San Lucas $126
Compare Hotels in Salento and Cabo San Lucas
Looking for a hotel in Salento or Cabo San Lucas? 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: Salento Hotel Prices and Cabo San Lucas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Salento $14Cabo San Lucas $28
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Salento
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Salento:
- Pereira Airport Private Transfer Service: $55
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cabo San Lucas:
- San Jose del Cabo to Los Cabos Airport (SJD) Departure Transfer: $31
- Los Cabos Airport (SJD) to San Jose del Cabo hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $31
- Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port to Airport CSL Departure Transfer: $33
- Cabo San Lucas City to Cabo San Lucas Port Private Transfer : $33
- Cabo San Lucas Port to Cabo San Lucas - Arrival Private Transfer : $33
- Cabo San Lucas Airport CSL to Cruise Port Arrival Transfer: $33
- Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) to Cabo San Lucas Port - Arrival Private Transfer : $33
- Departure Transfer from CaboSanLucas to CaboSanLucas Airport(CSL): $33
- Cabo San Lucas to Cabo San Lucas Airport CSL Departure Transfer: $33
- Cabo San Lucas to Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port- Departure Private Transfer: $33
- Cabo San Lucas Port to Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) - Departure Private Transfer: $33
- Transfer from Cabo San Lucas Airport CSL to Cabo San Lucas : $33
Is it cheaper to fly into Salento or Cabo San Lucas?
Prices for flights to both Cabo San Lucas and Salento 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 daySalento $9.56Cabo San Lucas $51
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Salento
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Salento.
- Cooking Stories - Cocinando Historias: $46
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cabo San Lucas
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cabo San Lucas.
- Sunset Dinner Cruise with Domestic Open Bar: $64
- Tasting Cabo San Lucas Like a Local Food Tour: $70
- Cabo San Lucas Sunset Cruise with Dinner and Open Bar: $75
- Sea to Table Fisherman's Seafood Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $80
- Seafood Galore, Los Cabos Food Tour: $80
- San Jose del Cabo Morning Food Tour: $86
- Parrillada dinner with a Private Chef in your villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose: $86
- Sunset Dinner Cruise at Cabo San Lucas Bay: $89
- Private Mexican Cooking Class in Your Cabo San Lucas Villa or Condo: $90
- Catch of the day dinner in your private villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose del Cabo: $90
- San José del Cabo for Meat Lovers Food Tour: $90
- Cabo Sunset Dinner Cruise: Fajitas, Lands End and Party: $94
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Salento $12Cabo San Lucas $43
Tours and Activities in Salento
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Salento are as follows:
- City tour + Nature: $25
- Coffee tour in the heart of the coffee region: $28
- Santa Rita Waterfall and Salento Hike Tour: $49
- Filandia and Salento Coffee Towns Tour: $62
- Private Colombian Coffee Farm Tour with Tastings in Armenia: $78
- Cocora Valley and Salento Hike Tour: $79
- Coffee Tour at Finca El Ocaso: $84
- Coffee Farm and Salento Walking Tour with Lunch: $87
- Coffe Experience: Daily departure from Salento: $89
- Pereira: Cocora Valley and Salento Guided Hiking Tour: $89
- Private birding tour for beginners and intermediate: $90
- Coffee Tour and Salento Walking Tour with lunch: $94
Tours and Activities in Cabo San Lucas
Here are a few actual costs in Cabo San Lucas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Your Own Private Luxury Yacht Experience in Cabo, Lunch included: $1.21
- Tour paseo al Arco + bajada en playa: $12
- Boat Tour to Cabo San Lucas Arch and Rock Formations: $18
- Glass bottom boat tour: $19
- Water Taxi Tour: $20
- Glass Bottom Boat Tour: $20
- Glass Bottom Boat Sightseeing Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $23
- Glass Bottom Boat Tour: $23
- Glass Bottom Boat Tour - Cabo San Lucas: $23
- Classic Tour to the Arch in Glass Bottom: $23
- Tour to The Arch from Cabo San Lucas : $29
- Tour to The Arch and Lover's Beach (optional) from Cabo: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySalento $12Cabo San Lucas $28
Sample the Local Flavors in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cabo San Lucas:
- Cabo Bar Crawl - The BEST Bar and Clubs in Cabo : $55
- Wine Tasting Sunset Cruise Tour in San Jose del Cabo: $190
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Salento and Cabo San Lucas, we can see that Cabo San Lucas is more expensive. And not only is Salento much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Salento is in South America and Cabo San Lucas 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 Salento would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Salento 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 Cabo San Lucas would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cabo San Lucas than you might in Salento.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Salento Expensive? and Is Cabo San Lucas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Salento or Cabo San Lucas?
Cabo San Lucas has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Salento. When comparing the sizes of Salento and Cabo San Lucas, 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.