Which place is cheaper, Lima 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 Lima?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit San Pedro La Laguna or Lima? 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 Lima?
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.
Lima
Lima, the capital city of Peru, is likely to be your point of entry for the country. Lima was founded in 1535 and was the seat of the Spanish rule for 300 years. It's a surprisingly modern city despite its rich history, but many beautiful churches and colonial architecture remain today. There are also large slum areas that highlight the poverty that exists in the city. The city and its surrounding metropolitan area have a population of about 8.5 million people, many of whom came from the Andes Mountains in search of work. Unfortunately the work opportunities are limited and the poverty is obvious as you arrive in Lima.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Guatemala, The Best Eco Tours in Guatemala, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Peru, and The Best Adventure Tours to Peru.
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San Pedro La Laguna Prices
Guatemala PricesLima Prices
Peru Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySan Pedro La Laguna $45Lima $95
The average daily cost (per person) in San Pedro La Laguna is $45, while the average daily cost in Lima is $95. 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 Lima in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSan Pedro La Laguna $8.34Lima $52
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSan Pedro La Laguna $17Lima $104
Compare Hotels in San Pedro La Laguna and Lima
Looking for a hotel in San Pedro La Laguna or Lima? 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: Lima Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.San Pedro La Laguna $13Lima $6.06
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Pedro La Laguna
Also for San Pedro La Laguna, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared Transfer from Panajachel Atitlan to Guatemala City: $47
- Private transfer from Panajachel to Antigua Guatemala: $65
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Lima are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$5.73
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Taxi Ride$5.73
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Short Taxi Ride$4.30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lima
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lima:
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Lima APT-HTL (LIM) : $34
- Transfer: Jorge Chavez Airport (LIM) to Lima City Center: $16
- Transfer from Hotel/Airbnb Miraflores/San Isidro/Barranco to Airport: $18
- Transfer To Lima Airport: $20
- Tour Magic Water Park in Lima with Small Group Transfer: $38
- Round Trip Transfer from and to the Airport in Miraflores/Barranco/Sani : $33
- QuickLlama: Transfer from Miraflores Kennedy Park to Lima Airport: $5.95
- QuickLlama: Door-to-door transfer from Miraflores to Lima Airport: $5.95
- Private Transfers from/to Lima Airport (Price per Vehicle): $29
- Private Transfer to Lima Airport (LIM): $13
- Private Transfer from Pisco Port to Jorge Chavez Airport (LIM): $201
- Private Transfer from Lima hotels to Callao Cruise Port: $18
Is it cheaper to fly into San Pedro La Laguna or Lima?
Prices for flights to both Lima 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 $19Lima $32
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
Typical Food Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of dining costs in Lima are as follows:
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Lunch for Two$4.59
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Ice cream$3.73
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Coffee$3.15
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Donut$1.00
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lima
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Lima.
- Lima Food Tour with Ceviche, Pisco, and Grilled Chicken: $32
- Food Tour and Market Experience: 12 Peruvian Snacks: $40
- Lima Food Tour - Prepare your Anticuchos and Pisco Sour : $48
- #1 Reviewed Lima Cooking Class: $49
- Dinner at the Huaca Pucllana Restaurant: $55
- Private Guided Walking Street Food Tour in Lima: $55
- Peru’s Most Beloved Recipes Cooking Class: $58
- Lima Market Tour & Ceviche Cooking Class with Pisco Sour: $59
- Lima Night: Cooking Experience with locals: $65
- Peruvian Cooking Class, Local Market Tour & Exotic Fruit Tasting: $65
- Vegan Peruvian Food Cooking Class | Ceviche + Pisco Sour: $69
- 4 iconic restaurants of Lima / 3-hour guided food tour: $69
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.San Pedro La Laguna $22Lima $9.15
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
Typical Entertainment Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Lima are as follows:
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Entrance to Museo Larco (for 2)$17
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Movie Tickets$2.44
Tours and Activities in Lima
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Lima are as follows:
- Ballestas Islands + Huacachina Tour From Lima (Private Group): $190
- Cycling Tour Miraflores - Barranco - Chorrillos: $30
- Lima bike and 5 Step Food Tasting Experience: $92
- Private Classic City Tour Experience of Lima: $65
- Private Stopover Tour of Lima from the Airport: $150
- Sunset in Huacachina and Tacama: Private Tour from Lima: $220
- #1 Full Day Tour From Paracas and Huacachina Oasis: $59
- 1 Day Tour to Huacachina from Lima (Dunebuggy + Vineyards): $225
- 2 Day Tour from Nazca Lines Flight, Paracas, and Huacachina: $279
- 2 Day Tour from Paracas, Ballestas Island and Huacachina: $149
- 2 Day Tour from Paracas, Huacachina, and Pisco Vineyard: $149
- 2 Days 1 Night Paracas Ica Tour from Lima: $150
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySan Pedro La Laguna $5.65Lima $5.95
Typical Alcohol Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Lima are as follows:
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Bottle of Wine$7.71
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Beer$4.30
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Cocktail$3.44
Sample the Local Flavors in Lima
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Lima:
- Lima Pub Crawl - Party tour: Friday Barranco/Saturday miraflores: $19
- Bar Crawl Night Tour in Miraflores: $30
- Local Wine Tour : $55
- From Paracas & Huacachina & Wine Tasting: $135
- Full Day Paracas, Huacachina and Wine Tasting from Lima : $138
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Pedro La Laguna and Lima, we can see that Lima 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 Lima is in South 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 Lima would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Lima 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 Lima Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, San Pedro La Laguna or Lima?
Lima has a larger population, and is about 800 times larger than the population of San Pedro La Laguna. When comparing the sizes of San Pedro La Laguna and Lima, 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.