Which place is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or San Pedro La Laguna?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit San Pedro La Laguna or Cabo San Lucas?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit San Pedro La Laguna 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: San Pedro La Laguna or Cabo San Lucas?
San Pedro La Laguna
Located in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, Lake Atitlan is a beautiful volcanic lake ringed by small towns and villages that are highly frequented by backpackers. Panajachal is one of the best known of the towns, as well as the main entry point of the region, while others like San Pedro La Laguna are quieter and more off the beaten path. Lake Atitlan and its villages attract visitors for its scenic beauty, outdoor activities, and Mayan culture nearby.
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 The Best Adventure Tours to Guatemala, The Best Eco Tours in Guatemala, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, and The Best Historical Tours in Mexico.
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San Pedro La Laguna Prices
Guatemala PricesCabo San Lucas Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySan Pedro La Laguna $45Cabo San Lucas $159
The average daily cost (per person) in San Pedro La Laguna is $45, while the average daily cost in Cabo San Lucas is $159. 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 San Pedro La Laguna and Cabo San Lucas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSan Pedro La Laguna $8.34Cabo San Lucas $57
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSan Pedro La Laguna $17Cabo San Lucas $114
Compare Hotels in San Pedro La Laguna and Cabo San Lucas
Looking for a hotel in San Pedro La Laguna 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: Cabo San Lucas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.San Pedro La Laguna $13Cabo San Lucas $25
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Pedro La Laguna
Also for San Pedro La Laguna, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private transfer from Panajachel to Antigua Guatemala: $65
- Shared Transfer from Panajachel Atitlan to Guatemala City: $47
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cabo San Lucas:
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer in San José del Cabo APT-HTL(SJD): $91
- Transfer to Cabo San Lucas from Round Trip Airport: $268
- Shared Arrival Transfer: Los Cabos International Airport to Hotel: $23
- Private transfer at VAN Airport Los Cabos - San Jose del Cabo: $85
- Private transfer SJD Airport to San Jose del Cabo Hotels One Way: $100
- Private Transfer to Cabo San Lucas from Cabo Airport: $210
- Private Transfer in Los Cabos Airport to hotels or vice versa: $108
- Private Transfer from the Airport to Hotels in Los Cabos 1-10px: $175
- Private Transfer from SJD to Cabo San Lucas / San Jose del Cabo: $100
- Private Transfer from Los Cabos Airport (SJD) to Cabo San Lucas hotels : $144
- Private Transfer from Cabo San Lucas Airport: $210
- Private Transfer - Los Cabos Airport (SJD) to Cabo San Lucas Port: $100
Is it cheaper to fly into San Pedro La Laguna or Cabo San Lucas?
Prices for flights to both Cabo San Lucas and San Pedro La Laguna 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 daySan Pedro La Laguna $19Cabo San Lucas $80
Typical Food Prices in San Pedro La Laguna
For San Pedro La Laguna, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lemonade$2.09
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Cake$1.30
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Ice cream$0.39
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Hot Cocoa & Banana Bread$3.00
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Pedro La Laguna
For San Pedro La Laguna, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Temazcal sauna and dinner, cultural sharing experience: $44
- Maya Cooking Class from Panajachel: $50
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.
- Authentic Mexican Legacy Cooking Class in Cabo San Lucas: $75
- San Jose del Cabo Food Tour & Visit to the Market: $79
- Flavors of Authentic Mexican Food Tour: $79
- San Jose del Cabo Morning Food Tour: $84
- San José del Cabo for Meat Lovers Food Tour: $90
- Sunset Mexican Dinner Cruise and Live Music in Cabo San Lucas: $95
- Parrillada dinner with a Private Chef in your villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose: $95
- Jumbo Shrimp Dinner in Your Private Villa or Condo in Cabo or San Jose del Cabo: $99
- Cabo San Lucas Sunset Dinner Cruise with Open Bar: $99
- Cabo Sunset Dinner Cruise with Live Music & Open Bar on Cabo Wave: $99
- Sunset E-bike Beach Ride with Mexican Dinner and Margaritas: $109
- San Jose del Cabo City Highlights with Tequila Tasting and Dinner: $110
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.San Pedro La Laguna $22Cabo San Lucas $39
Typical Entertainment Prices in San Pedro La Laguna
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for San Pedro La Laguna's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Canopy Tour (for 2)$39
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Kayaking (for 2)$1.96
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Coffee Tour (for 2)$7.04
Tours and Activities in San Pedro La Laguna
For San Pedro La Laguna, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Beading Class and tour a Non-profit vocational training center a Fun cultural sharing experience: $28
- Sunrise Tour in Indian Nose Hike and Views of Lake Atitlan: $35
- Lake Atitlan Guided Tour by Boat from Panajachel: $35
- Coffee Tour in Lake Atitlán: $35
- Tour of San Juan Lake Atitlan: $35
- Tour in the Atitlan Nature Reserve : $40
- La Nose of the Indian Mountain Tour: $40
- Authentic tour of Mayan art and culture in Lake Atitlan: $42
- Sunrise Hike Tour on Indian's Nose Mountain: $45
- Sololá Colourful Market Day Tour: $50
- 5-Hour Private Birdwatching Experience in San Juan La Laguna: $50
- Private Tour of Lake Atitlán by Mototaxi: $50
Tours and Activities in Cabo San Lucas
Here are a few actual costs in Cabo San Lucas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Beach ATV y Camel Ride y Sky Bike Adventure: $140
- Camel Ride, UTV, and The Arch Tour with Lunch & Tequila Tasting!: $249
- OffRoad 4X4 UTV Adventure with unlimited Lunch & Tequila : $199
- Platinum Snorkel Tour : $239
- Traditional Tequila Tasting Experience with Jorge Cuervo: $87
- "Exclusive Cabo San Lucas Trimaran Experience with Snorkeling": $180
- 1 Hour Jet Ski Adventure : $180
- 2 Tank Tour in Cabo San Lucas Reserve, Certified Divers with MANTA: $138
- 2 in 1 Tour | Arc Tour with Beach Drop: $20
- 2-Hour ATV Riding Experience in San Jose del Cabo: $110
- 2-Hour Camel Ride Beach and Desert Adventure Experience: $120
- 2.10 Hour Sunset Tour on Catamaran in Cabo San Lucas : $75
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySan Pedro La Laguna $5.65Cabo San Lucas $26
Sample the Local Flavors in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cabo San Lucas:
- Wine Tasting Sunset Cruise Tour in San Jose del Cabo: $280
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Pedro La Laguna and Cabo San Lucas, we can see that Cabo San Lucas is more expensive. And not only is San Pedro La Laguna much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since San Pedro La Laguna is in Central 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 San Pedro La Laguna would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Pedro La Laguna 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 San Pedro La Laguna.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is San Pedro La Laguna Expensive? and Is Cabo San Lucas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, San Pedro La Laguna or Cabo San Lucas?
Cabo San Lucas has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of San Pedro La Laguna. When comparing the sizes of San Pedro La Laguna 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.