Should you visit San Ignacio or David?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between San Ignacio or David, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
San Ignacio
So you want a tropical getaway, but also don't want to lay around with nothing to do. You want an adventure! You want relaxation and exploration.
You want to visit the small town of San Ignacio, Belize.
This section of the Cayo region is really more of a jungle than a typical Belize beach getaway. Located close the ancient Mayan ruins on the western and inland side of Belize, this town is most popular for its many outdoor adventures including hiking, climbing, and caving!
David
In the Pacific West of Panama, David is the capital city of Chiriqui province. The city's population of almost 150,000 is among the wealthiest in the country. There is a well established middle class and unemployment remains low in the area. The area has grown rapidly in recent years with growing commercial and banking sectors. The city is well connected to the rest of the country by the Pan American Highway.
Which city is cheaper, David or San Ignacio?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in San Ignacio is $57, while the average daily cost in David is $25. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for San Ignacio and David in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in San Ignacio is about $30 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
David's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is $20. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is $9.87.
Food
The average traveler spends about $16 per day in San Ignacio for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
In David travelers spend around $8.08 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
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Food
Meals for one day
San Ignacio $16
David $8.08
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Ignacio
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in San Ignacio.
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Xunantunich & Food Tour from San Ignacio:
$135
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around San Ignacio is $2.48 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $9.63 per day to get around in David.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Ignacio
Some specific examples of transportation prices in San Ignacio:
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Shared Departure Transfer: San Ignacio Hotel to Belize International Airport:
$60
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Shared Arrival Transfer: Belize International Airport to San Ignacio Hotels:
$70
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Shared Departure Transfer: San Ignacio Hotels to Belize International Airport:
$70
Is it cheaper to fly into San Ignacio or David?
Prices for flights to both David and San Ignacio 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.
Entertainment
San Ignacio's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $80 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $3.50 per person, per day in David. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Tours and Activities in San Ignacio
Here are a few actual costs in San Ignacio for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Cultural and Historical Walking Tour:
$36
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Xunantunich Maya Site with Local Tour guide:
$48
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Xunantunich Mayan Ruins Tour from San Ignacio:
$62
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Cave Tubing with local tour Guide and Belizean Lunch:
$70
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Belize Cave Tubing Adventure from San Ignacio:
$72
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Half-Day Cave Canoeing Adventure:
$75
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Farm Ride plus Xunantunich tour:
$75
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Full-Day Mountain Pine Ridge Tour from San Ignacio with Lunch:
$76
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Xunantunich Riding tour:
$85
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Barton Creek Tour:
$87
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Horseback Riding and Tour in San Lorenzo Organic Farm:
$91
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Cave Tubing Adventure:
$93
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting San Ignacio may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $14 per day on alcoholic beverages.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Ignacio and David, we can see that San Ignacio is more expensive. And not only is David much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to David would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in David 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 Ignacio would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Ignacio than you might in David.
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