Which place is cheaper, Cartagena or San Pedro?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit San Pedro or Cartagena?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between San Pedro or Cartagena, 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 Cartagena?
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.
Cartagena
The capital of the Bolivar Department of Colombia, Cartagena is one of the most visited cities in the country. It sits on Colombia's northern coast by the Caribbean Sea. It's a port city with a population of almost 900,000, making it the fifth largest city in Colombia. The city has a rich history and was the first Spanish colony on the American continent. It was also one of the first sanctuaries for freed African slaves in the Americas.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Belize, The Best G Adventures Tours to Belize, The Best Adventure Tours to Colombia, and The Best Eco Tours in Colombia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySan Pedro $135Cartagena $48
The average daily cost (per person) in San Pedro is $135, while the average daily cost in Cartagena is $48. 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 Cartagena in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSan Pedro $66Cartagena $27
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSan Pedro $132Cartagena $54
Compare Hotels in San Pedro and Cartagena
Looking for a hotel in San Pedro or Cartagena? 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: Cartagena Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.San Pedro $34Cartagena $7.64
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Pedro
Some specific examples of transportation prices in San Pedro:
- Cave Tubing and Zipline Adventure (Boat Transfer): $205
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cartagena
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cartagena:
- Airport transfer to any hotel in Cartagena: $7.81
- Airport transfer to any hotel in Getsemani: $7.81
- Airport transfer to any hotel in Morros: $7.81
- Transfer from the Airport - Hotels in Marbella: $7.81
- Transfer aeropuerto-centro: $8.02
- Cartagena Airport: Private Arrival or Departure Transfer: $10
- Shared Transfer from the Airport to Cartagena City or Vice Versa: $10
- Airport transfer to any hotel in Manga: $11
- Cartagena:Transfer from the Airport - Hotels in the Bosque: $11
- Transfer from the Airport to Hotels in Laguito: $11
- Airport transfer to any hotel in Castillogrande: $11
- Bilingual Private Transfer In Cartagena : $12
Is it cheaper to fly into San Pedro or Cartagena?
Prices for flights to both Cartagena 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
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Food Meals for one daySan Pedro $40Cartagena $10
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cartagena
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cartagena.
- Featured in NYTimes > Arepas and Dancing: Danceable Cooking Class in Cartagena: $32
- Cooking class of typical food at the beach and sunset view: $39
- Taste Cartagena Food tour: $40
- Street Food Tour in Cartagena: $42
- Guided Street Food Tour with Tastings: $43
- Local Flavors Food Tour with Native Chef: $50
- Cooking Class: Street food & Mojito making: $50
- Cruise by the Bay with Dinner and Wine: $55
- Private Dinner at a Local Chef's House in Cartagena: $58
- Cartagena Gourmet: Cooking Class with a View, Elegance & Flavor: $59
- Cooking class: Street Food & Mojito making: $60
- Street food tour: $61
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.San Pedro $33Cartagena $22
Tours and Activities in San Pedro
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for San Pedro are as follows:
- Sunset Tiki Bar Cruise in Caye Caulker, Belize: $45
- Shark & Ray Afternoon Swim Tiki Bar Cruise: $45
- 3 Hours Barrier Reef Tour in Caye Caulker, Belize: $54
- Ambergris Caye Sunset Sail Tour on the 40' Sirena Azul Sailboat: $75
- SAN PEDRO; Belizean Food Experience: $86
- Hol Chan Marine Reserve Snorkel Tour on the 40' Sirena Azul Sailboat: $89
- Belize Hol Chan Marine Reserve & Shark Ray Alley Snorkel Tour - Ambergris Caye: $93
- Hol Chan Full-Day Bucket List Snorkeling and Marine Life Tour: $95
- Hol Chan, Shark Ray Full-Day Snorkeling Tour From San Pedro Belize: $110
- All-Inclusive Full-Day Hol Chan Snorkeling Tour : $120
- Mexico Rocks Day Sail Shared Guided Tour: $129
- Exclusive All-in-1 Full Day Shared Guided Tour: $139
Tours and Activities in Cartagena
Here are a few actual costs in Cartagena for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Emeralds Tour: $0.03
- Totumo Mud Volcano Experience: $0.21
- Cartagena de Indias: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- Artists' Quarter Getsemani Self-guided Tour: $6.31
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - The Great Battle: Fort of San Felipe: $6.99
- Old Town Highlights Self-guided Tour: $8.45
- Shared walking tour in the historic center: $9.02
- Tour the city on a rumba in a typical bus: $9.23
- Old Town & Getsemani Quarter Self-guided Tour: $9.52
- Self-Guided Audio Tour of San Diego Neighborhood Tour: $10
- Republican Architecture Self-Guided Audio Tour in Cartagena: $10
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: The Rise of the Wall City Part II: $10
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySan Pedro $16Cartagena $9.39
Sample the Local Flavors in Cartagena
Also in Cartagena, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Pub Crawl with Dancing Lessons and Free Shots: $18
- Cartagena's Best Pub Crawl all included!: $23
- Cartagena Pub Crawl: Let's Party & Matching in Getsemaní: $24
- Nightlife Pub crawl in Cartagena: $71
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Pedro and Cartagena, we can see that San Pedro is more expensive. And not only is Cartagena much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since San Pedro is in Central America and Cartagena 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 Cartagena would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cartagena 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 Cartagena.
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 Cartagena Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, San Pedro or Cartagena?
Cartagena has a larger population, and is about 110 times larger than the population of San Pedro. When comparing the sizes of San Pedro and Cartagena, 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.
When is the best time to visit San Pedro or Cartagena?
Both destinations experience a warmer climate with nice weather most of the year. Instead of summer and winter seasons, they usually have a rainy season and a dry season.
Should I visit San Pedro or Cartagena in the Summer?
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both San Pedro and Cartagena. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to San Pedro year-round. Cartagena attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
San Pedro gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In July, San Pedro usually receives more rain than Cartagena. San Pedro gets 243 mm (9.6 in) of rain, while Cartagena receives 60 mm (2.4 in) of rain each month for the summer.
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Cartagena this time of the year. In San Pedro, it's very sunny this time of the year. San Pedro usually receives more sunshine than Cartagena during summer. San Pedro gets 226 hours of sunny skies, while Cartagena receives 207 hours of full sun in the summer.
San Pedro is around the same temperature as Cartagena in the summer. The daily temperature in San Pedro averages around 28°C (82°F) in July, and Cartagena fluctuates around 29°C (84°F).
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Summer Average Temperatures JulySan Pedro 28°C (82°F)Cartagena 29°C (84°F)
Should I visit San Pedro or Cartagena in the Autumn?
The autumn brings many poeple to San Pedro as well as Cartagena. San Pedro attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. The warm climate attracts visitors to Cartagena throughout the year.
It's quite rainy in Cartagena. San Pedro receives a lot of rain in the autumn. San Pedro usually gets more rain in October than Cartagena. San Pedro gets 255 mm (10 in) of rain, while Cartagena receives 150 mm (5.9 in) of rain this time of the year.
In the autumn, San Pedro often gets more sunshine than Cartagena. San Pedro gets 196 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cartagena receives 175 hours of full sun.
In the autumn, San Pedro is around the same temperature as Cartagena. Typically, the autumn temperatures in San Pedro in October average around 26°C (80°F), and Cartagena averages at about 27°C (81°F).
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberSan Pedro 26°C (80°F)Cartagena 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit San Pedro or Cartagena in the Winter?
Both Cartagena and San Pedro are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to San Pedro throughout the year. Plenty of visitors come to Cartagena because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
It's quite rainy in San Pedro. In January, San Pedro usually receives more rain than Cartagena. San Pedro gets 138 mm (5.4 in) of rain, while Cartagena receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain each month for the winter.
It's quite sunny in Cartagena. San Pedro usually receives less sunshine than Cartagena during winter. San Pedro gets 199 hours of sunny skies, while Cartagena receives 278 hours of full sun in the winter.
In January, San Pedro is generally cooler than Cartagena. Daily temperatures in San Pedro average around 24°C (74°F), and Cartagena fluctuates around 27°C (81°F).
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuarySan Pedro 24°C (74°F)Cartagena 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit San Pedro or Cartagena in the Spring?
Both Cartagena and San Pedro during the spring are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to San Pedro because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Cartagena year-round.
San Pedro usually gets more rain in April than Cartagena. San Pedro gets 52 mm (2 in) of rain, while Cartagena receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain this time of the year.
In Cartagena, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in San Pedro. In the spring, San Pedro often gets more sunshine than Cartagena. San Pedro gets 256 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cartagena receives 209 hours of full sun.
San Pedro is around the same temperature as Cartagena in the spring. The daily temperature in San Pedro averages around 27°C (80°F) in April, and Cartagena fluctuates around 28°C (82°F).
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilSan Pedro 27°C (80°F)Cartagena 28°C (82°F)
Typical Weather for Cartagena and San Pedro
| San Pedro | Cartagena | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 24°C (74°F) | 138 mm (5.4 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Feb | 24°C (76°F) | 73 mm (2.9 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Mar | 26°C (78°F) | 25 mm (1 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Apr | 27°C (80°F) | 52 mm (2 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| May | 28°C (82°F) | 105 mm (4.1 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 50 mm (2 in) |
| Jun | 28°C (82°F) | 258 mm (10.2 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 70 mm (2.8 in) |
| Jul | 28°C (82°F) | 243 mm (9.6 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) |
| Aug | 28°C (82°F) | 187 mm (7.4 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) |
| Sep | 28°C (82°F) | 287 mm (11.3 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) |
| Oct | 26°C (80°F) | 255 mm (10 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 150 mm (5.9 in) |
| Nov | 25°C (77°F) | 183 mm (7.2 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) |
| Dec | 25°C (76°F) | 138 mm (5.4 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 30 mm (1.2 in) |
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.