Should you visit San Ignacio or Granada?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between San Ignacio or Granada, 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!
Granada
Granada is Nicaragua's oldest colonial city, and arguably, the most beautiful city in the country. It sits on the northern edge of Lake Nicaragua (Lago Cocibolca) and has many beautifully colored buildings and nice churches. The city's beauty and colonial architecture, along with its relative safety and accessibility, make it one of Nicaragua's top tourist destinations. The city has long been a center for commerce, but today its economy depends heavily on tourism. The city is the sixth largest in Nicaragua and a real estate boom in the early 2000's brought a large number of expats to the town.
Which city is cheaper, Granada 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 Granada is $33. 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 Granada in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in San Ignacio is about $30 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $28 for a double occupancy room in Granada.
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.
Granada food costs typically run travelers around $12 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
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Food
Meals for one day
San Ignacio $16
Granada $12
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
Typical Food prices in Granada
Some typical examples of dining costs in Granada are as follows:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Granada
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Granada.
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Middle Eastern 6-course dinner in Granada with a professional chef:
$49
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Albaicín & Sacromonte Guided Walking Tour with Flamenco & Tapas Dinner:
$81
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Small Group Food Tour in Granada:
$88
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Spanish Tapas Cooking Class in Granada:
$116
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 $7.14 per day to get around in Granada.
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Granada
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Granada:
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Granada Airport Private Arrival Transfer:
$51
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Granada Airport Private Departure Transfer:
$51
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Granada Private Departure Transfer:
$51
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Granada Private Transfer from the city centre to Granada Airport:
$62
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Granada Private Transfer to Seville with a Visit to Cordoba:
$348
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Granada airport private arrival transfer, Mercedes Sedan:
$81
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Granada airport private arrival transfer, Mercedes minivan:
$107
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Granada to Cordoba Private Transfer:
$275
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Granada to Malaga Airport Private Transfer:
$216
-
Granada to Seville Private Transfer:
$388
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Private Transfer IN or OUT in Upscale Vehicle with Professional Driver:
$93
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One-Way Private Transfer from Granada to Managua:
$83
Is it cheaper to fly into San Ignacio or Granada?
Prices for flights to both Granada 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 $8.67 per person, per day in Granada. 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
Typical Entertainment prices in Granada
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Granada are as follows:
Tours and Activities in Granada
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Granada are as follows:
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Self-guided Virtual Tour of Alhambra Palace: The Highlights:
$11
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Albaicin and Sacromonte Walking Tour:
$12
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Jewish and Christian Neighborhoods Guided Tour:
$13
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Illustration Walking Tours in Albayzin Granada:
$15
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Granada Walking Tour:
$15
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Granada Walking Tour: Albaicin and Sacromonte Quarters:
$16
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Albaicin & Sacromonte regular tour:
$17
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Albaicin & Sacromonte nigth tour:
$17
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Tour De Misterios Y Leyendas Por Granada:
$17
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Tour Albaicín y Sacromonte:
$17
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Tour Albaicín & Sacromonte:
$17
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Albayzin and Sacromonte Guided Walking Tour in Granada:
$19
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.
The average person spends about $6.25 on alcoholic beverages in Granada per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typical Alcohol prices in Granada
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Granada:
Sample the Local Flavors in Granada
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Granada:
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Wine Tasting in Granada:
$57
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Granada Tapas and wine tour!:
$67
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Granada Traditional Tapas and Wine Tour - by Oh My Good Guide!:
$81
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Small-Group Granada Tapas Bar Crawl Evening Tasting Experience:
$83
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BEST OF Flamenco, Tapas and Wine Tour - by OhMyGoodGuide!:
$106
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Ignacio and Granada, we can see that San Ignacio is more expensive. And not only is Granada much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Granada would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Granada 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 Granada.
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