Should you visit San Ignacio or Flores?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between San Ignacio or Flores, 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!
Flores
The town of Flores is located in Peten, Guatemala. The main hub is located on an island on Lago Peten Itza, which is connected to the mainland by a causeway. On the other side of the causeway are the towns of Santa Elena and San Benito, however, all three are often referred to as Flores. Most people visit the area for its proximity to the ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal, though the town itself is also charming with colonial buildings and historic churches lining the cobbled streets.
Which city is cheaper, Flores 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 Flores is $26. 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 Flores in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in San Ignacio is about $30 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Travelers usually pay around $14 for a double occupancy room in Flores If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
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.
While meal prices in Flores can vary, the average travelers spends about $10 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Flores should cost around $4.00 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Flores is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
San Ignacio $16
Flores $10
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.
To get around in Flores, the average visitor spends $6.32 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
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 Hotels to Belize International Airport:
$70
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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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Flores
Also for Flores, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Round-Trip Private Transfer to Tikal from Flores:
$90
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Tikal National Park Tour with Guide and Transfer:
$45
Is it cheaper to fly into San Ignacio or Flores?
Prices for flights to both Flores 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.
In Flores, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $16 per person, per day.
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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ATM Cave Tour from San Ignacio:
$141
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ATV, Zipline and Cave Tubing Tour from San Ignacio:
$250
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Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave Tour and Picnic:
$140
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Actun Tunichil Muknal with Local Tour guide & Belizean Lunch:
$115
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Barton Creek Tour:
$87
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Belize Cave Tubing Adventure from San Ignacio:
$72
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Caracol Maya Ruin Tour:
$118
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Caracol Maya Ruins Tour Including Rio On Pools, Rio Frio Cave and a Picnic Lunch:
$109
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Caracol Maya Site & Pools with Local Tour guide & Belizean Lunch:
$115
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Cave Canoeing with Local Tour Guide:
$100
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Cave Tubing Adventure:
$93
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Cave Tubing and Zip line Adventure from San Ignacio:
$160
Typical Entertainment prices in Flores
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Flores's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Tikal Entrance (for 2)
$39
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Map of Tikal
$3.23
Tours and Activities in Flores
For Flores, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Tikal Ruins Day Tour from Flores:
$40
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Tikal National Park Full-Day Guided Tour from Flores:
$55
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Tikal Early Experience !:
$64
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Tikal Day Tour:
$70
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Tikal Day Tour with Lunch from Flores:
$70
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Uaxactun Day Tour from Flores:
$80
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Sunset in Tikal Park and Archeological Tour from Flores:
$80
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Day Trip from Flores with Sunrise in Tikal and Archeology Tour:
$80
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Tikal Private Sunset Tour with transportation:
$85
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Tikal Private Day Tour from Flores with transportation:
$85
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Yaxha Private Day Tour with transportation:
$90
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Yaxha Private Sunset Tour with transportation:
$90
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.
Typically, people visiting Flores spend on average $17 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Typical Alcohol prices in Flores
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Flores are as follows:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Ignacio and Flores, we can see that San Ignacio is more expensive. And not only is Flores much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Flores would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Flores 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 Flores.
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