A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers San Pedro vs. Cafayate for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit San Pedro or Cafayate?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between San Pedro or Cafayate, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: San Pedro or Cafayate?

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.

Cafayate

Cafayate is located in the province of Salta, in the central zone of the Valles Calchaquies. The small town has about 12,000 residents and is 1,329 kilometers from Buenos Aires.

People head to the small town of Cafayate to explore its vineyards and unique rock formations. It has become an important tourist destination in the area and there is a large golf course under construction just outside of town.

Cafayate is an important wine production center. The wines in the area thrive from the low humidity mild weather of the valleys. The town receives less than 250 millimeters of precipitation a year.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Belize, The Best G Adventures Tours to Belize, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Buenos Aires, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Buenos Aires.


Which place is cheaper, Cafayate or San Pedro?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in San Pedro is $135, while the average daily cost in Cafayate is $12. 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 and Cafayate in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    San Pedro $66
    Cafayate $4.43
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    San Pedro $132
    Cafayate $8.86
Compare Hotels in San Pedro and Cafayate

Looking for a hotel in San Pedro or Cafayate? 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.

Hotels in San Pedro


Hotels in Cafayate


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: Cafayate Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    San Pedro $34
    Cafayate $2.40

Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Pedro

Some specific examples of transportation prices in San Pedro:

  • Cave Tubing and Zipline Adventure (Boat Transfer): $205

Is it cheaper to fly into San Pedro or Cafayate?

Prices for flights to both Cafayate 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.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    San Pedro $40
    Cafayate $4.83

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Pedro

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in San Pedro.

  • Belizean Sunset and Cultural Dinner Cruise: $120

Typical Food Prices in Cafayate

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Cafayate:


  • Dinner (Empanadas)
    $0.02
  • Sandwich
    $0.01
  • Pizza
    $0.02

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    San Pedro $33
    Cafayate $5.19

Tours and Activities in San Pedro

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for San Pedro are as follows:

  • The best of San Pedro Town walking tour: $202
  • 3 Hours Barrier Reef Tour in Caye Caulker, Belize: $54
  • 5-Hour Guided Jetboat Tour to Secret Beach, San Pedro, Belize.: $200
  • All-Inclusive Full-Day Hol Chan Snorkeling Tour : $120
  • Altun Ha Cave Tubing and Zip line Tours from San Pedro Ambergris Caye: $250
  • Ambergris Caye Sunset Sail Tour on the 40' Sirena Azul Sailboat: $75
  • Belize Hol Chan Marine Reserve & Shark Ray Alley Snorkel Tour - Ambergris Caye: $93
  • Cave Tubing and Zip line Adventure from San pedro Ambergris caye: $250
  • Double Activity Limo Tour: Xunantunich Ruins & Cave Tubing Adventure: $220
  • Exclusive All-in-1 Full Day Shared Guided Tour: $139
  • Hol Chan Full-Day Bucket List Snorkeling and Marine Life Tour: $95
  • Hol Chan Marine Reserve Snorkel Tour on the 40' Sirena Azul Sailboat: $89

Tours and Activities in Cafayate

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Cafayate.

  • Tour Quebrada De Las Conchas - Cafayate - Salta: $25
  • From Salta: Full-Day Wine and Valley Tour to Cafayate: $62
  • Half-Day Wine Road Premium Tour From Cafayate: $68
  • From Salta: Cafayate, Humahuaca & Salinas Grandes 3-Day Tour: $106
  • From Salta: Cafayate, Salinas Grandes, & Hornocal Tour: $128
  • From Salta: Local Landscape, Winery, and Culture Tour: $134
  • From Salta: Cafayate, Cachi, & Hornocal 3-Day Tour: $136

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    San Pedro $16
    Cafayate $4.88


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Pedro and Cafayate, we can see that San Pedro is more expensive. And not only is Cafayate much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since San Pedro is in Central America and Cafayate 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 Cafayate would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cafayate 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 Cafayate.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is San Pedro Expensive? and Is Cafayate Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, San Pedro or Cafayate?

Cafayate has a larger population, and is about 40% larger than the population of San Pedro. When comparing the sizes of San Pedro and Cafayate, 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.