Should you visit San Pedro or San Ignacio?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between San Pedro or San Ignacio, 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.
San Ignacio
So you want a tropical getaway, but also don't want to lay around with nothing to do. You want an adventure! You want relaxation and exploration.
You want to visit the small town of San Ignacio, Belize.
This section of the Cayo region is really more of a jungle than a typical Belize beach getaway. Located close the ancient Mayan ruins on the western and inland side of Belize, this town is most popular for its many outdoor adventures including hiking, climbing, and caving!
Which city is cheaper, San Ignacio or San Pedro?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in San Pedro is $107, while the average daily cost in San Ignacio is $57. 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 San Ignacio in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in San Pedro is about $106 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
A hotel room in San Ignacio is about $30 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
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.
The average traveler spends about $16 per day in San Ignacio for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
San Pedro $32
San Ignacio $16
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Ignacio
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in San Ignacio.
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Xunantunich & Food Tour from San Ignacio:
$135
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.
The average price of local transportation around San Ignacio is $2.48 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.
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 San Ignacio
Some specific examples of transportation prices in San Ignacio:
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Shared Departure Transfer: San Ignacio Hotel to Belize International Airport:
$60
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Shared Arrival Transfer: Belize International Airport to San Ignacio Hotels:
$70
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Shared Departure Transfer: San Ignacio Hotels to Belize International Airport:
$70
Is it cheaper to fly into San Pedro or San Ignacio?
Prices for flights to both San Ignacio 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 $26 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.
San Ignacio's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $80 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.
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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Jungle Tour in the City - from San Jose:
$45
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Ambergris Caye Sunset Sail Tour on the 40' Sirena Azul Sailboat:
$62
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Hol Chan Marine Reserve Snorkel Tour on the 40' Sirena Azul Sailboat:
$67
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Mexico Rocks Snorkel Tour on the 40' Sirena Azul Sailboat:
$67
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Belize Hol Chan Marine Reserve & Shark Ray Alley Snorkel Tour - Ambergris Caye:
$107
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Caves Kayaking Zipline Experience from Ambergris Caye San Pedro:
$142
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Cave Tubing and Zipline Adventure:
$190
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Cave Tubing and Zip line Adventure from San pedro Ambergris caye:
$208
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Altun Ha Cave Tubing and Zip line Tours from San Pedro Ambergris Caye:
$220
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Crossing the highlands: From Cusco to Puno or Viceversa - Private tour:
$421
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The best of San Pedro Town walking tour:
$496
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The Best of San Jose Walking Tour:
$509
Tours and Activities in San Ignacio
Here are a few actual costs in San Ignacio for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Cultural and Historical Walking Tour:
$36
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Xunantunich Maya Site with Local Tour guide:
$48
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Xunantunich Mayan Ruins Tour from San Ignacio:
$62
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Cave Tubing with local tour Guide and Belizean Lunch:
$70
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Belize Cave Tubing Adventure from San Ignacio:
$72
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Half-Day Cave Canoeing Adventure:
$75
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Farm Ride plus Xunantunich tour:
$75
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Full-Day Mountain Pine Ridge Tour from San Ignacio with Lunch:
$76
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Xunantunich Riding tour:
$85
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Barton Creek Tour:
$87
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Horseback Riding and Tour in San Lorenzo Organic Farm:
$91
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Cave Tubing Adventure:
$93
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.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting San Ignacio may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $14 per day on alcoholic beverages.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Pedro and San Ignacio, we can see that San Pedro is more expensive. And not only is San Ignacio much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to San Ignacio would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Ignacio 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 San Ignacio.
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