Should you visit San Pedro or Belize City?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between San Pedro or Belize City, 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 Pedro
San Pedro is the largest town on Ambergris Caye, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Belize. Here you can find a tropical paradise with warm weather, clear blue waters, plenty of activities such as snorkeling and scuba diving, and a host of hotels, restaurants, and other amenities.
Belize City
Belize City is the largest city in Belize. It was once the capital of the country, but due to massive hurricane damage in 1961, the country decided to relocate it capital. With a population of 57,000 people, Belize City is located right at the mouth of the Haulover Creek.
This gorgeous tropical city experiences a monsoon climate – meaning there are warm and humid conditions throughout the course of the year. There is a wet season from May to January, so plan for a little bit of rain in that time.
Which city is cheaper, Belize City or San Pedro?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in San Pedro is $108, while the average daily cost in Belize City is $70. 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 Pedro and Belize City in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in San Pedro is about $106 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $78 in Belize City For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
On average, meal and food prices in San Pedro cost around $32 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around $13.
While meal prices in Belize City can vary, the average travelers spends about $22 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Belize City should cost around $8.80 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Belize City is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
San Pedro $32
Belize City $22
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Belize City
For Belize City, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Private Mayan Cooking and Tasting Experience in Cayo:
$70
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See and Taste Belize Cave Tubing and Food Tour:
$77
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Belize Cultural Food Tour Altun Ha Ruin Included:
$95
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Mestizo Food Tour (Rum & Ruin Included):
$125
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around San Pedro is $27 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.
Belize City's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend $4.65 per person, per day on transportation in Belize City.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Pedro
Some specific examples of transportation prices in San Pedro:
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Cave Tubing Adventure Air Transfer:
$255
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Belize City
Also for Belize City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Belize Travelcation Airport Shuttle & Transfers:
$28
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Belize: Belize City to/from Placencia/Hopkins Transfer:
$45
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Private Transfer: Belize Airports or Water Taxi Terminal to Hotel in San Ignacio:
$96
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Tours&airport transfer:
$128
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Private Arrival Transfer: Belize International Airport to San Ignacio Hotels:
$160
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Helicopter Transfer to Grand Caribe Heliport, Ambergris Caye:
$1,493
Is it cheaper to fly into San Pedro or Belize City?
Prices for flights to both Belize City and San Pedro 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 Pedro's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $27 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.
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Belize City can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around $23 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
Tours and Activities in San Pedro
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for San Pedro are as follows:
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Altun Ha Cave Tubing and Zip line Tours from San Pedro Ambergris Caye:
$220
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Ambergris Caye Sunset Sail Tour on the 40' Sirena Azul Sailboat:
$62
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Belize Hol Chan Marine Reserve & Shark Ray Alley Snorkel Tour - Ambergris Caye:
$107
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Cave Tubing and Zip line Adventure from San pedro Ambergris caye:
$208
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Cave Tubing and Zipline Adventure:
$190
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Caves Kayaking Zipline Experience from Ambergris Caye San Pedro:
$142
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Crossing the highlands: From Cusco to Puno or Viceversa - Private tour:
$421
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Hol Chan Marine Reserve Snorkel Tour on the 40' Sirena Azul Sailboat:
$67
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Jungle Tour in the City - from San Jose:
$45
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Mexico Rocks Snorkel Tour on the 40' Sirena Azul Sailboat:
$67
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The Best of San Jose Walking Tour:
$509
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The best of San Pedro Town walking tour:
$496
Tours and Activities in Belize City
For Belize City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Historical Tour:
$27
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Belize City and Rum Factory Tour:
$33
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Downtown Belize City Tour (Rum Factory included):
$37
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Belize City Tour:
$43
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Kukumba Beach and Belize City Tour:
$49
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Cave Kayaking v.i.v.Tour:
$60
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Zipline Adventures from Belize City:
$62
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Belize Party Bus Ultimate Evening Experience Fridays Only:
$64
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Cave Kayaking for Cruise Ship Passengers:
$65
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Saint Herman's Cave Hiking and Blue Hole Tour from Belize City:
$68
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Private Snuba Experience in Rendezvous Cay:
$70
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Altun Ha Mayan Site tour from Belize City:
$70
Alcohol
The average person spends about $13 on alcoholic beverages in San Pedro per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typically, people visiting Belize City spend on average $9.59 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Pedro and Belize City, we can see that San Pedro is more expensive. And not only is Belize City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Belize City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Belize City 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 Pedro would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Pedro than you might in Belize City.
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