Which place is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or Santa Elena?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Santa Elena or Cabo San Lucas?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Santa Elena and Cabo San Lucas. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Santa Elena or Cabo San Lucas?
Santa Elena
Santa Elena is a cute town, and the closest to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. It's one of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica, and is a great place to experience the cloud forest and see some of country's unique wildlife.
In the Monteverde Cloud Forest you have a good chance of seeing rare quetzals which are the national bird of Costa Rica. Other common animals include white-faced capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, orange-kneed tarantulas, any of 8-9 species of hummingbirds, and sloth.
Santa Elena is about 1,400 meters above sea level and has a humid and damp environment. The average yearly temperature is 64 degrees Fahrenheit and the average rainfall is 3,000 millimetres. Humidity can be anywhere between 74% and 97%.
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas ("Cabo") is on the far southern end of the Baja Peninsula. It has countless resorts and activities for visitors. There are world class golf courses, fine dining options, and five star resorts. Prior to the 1980s, Cabo was a quiet fishing village but with the construction of a nearby airport in 1977, the city rapidly grew into one of Mexico's most popular resort vacation spots. Today, Cabo has one of the country's most vibrant nightlife scenes. It also has plenty of water sport activities, and a great beach scene.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to Costa Rica, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Costa Rica, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, and The Best Historical Tours in Mexico.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySanta Elena $92Cabo San Lucas $139
The average daily cost (per person) in Santa Elena is $92, while the average daily cost in Cabo San Lucas is $139. 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 Santa Elena and Cabo San Lucas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSanta Elena $55Cabo San Lucas $63
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSanta Elena $110Cabo San Lucas $126
Compare Hotels in Santa Elena and Cabo San Lucas
Looking for a hotel in Santa Elena or Cabo San Lucas? 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: Cabo San Lucas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Santa Elena $11Cabo San Lucas $28
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Elena
Also for Santa Elena, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Direct transfer from Monteverde to San Jose, English Speaking Driver: $180
- One Way Private Transfer from Monteverde - Liberia: $276
- One Way Private Transfer from Monteverde to Samara : $269
- Peñas Blancas to Liberia Airport (LIR) Departure Private Transfer: $38
- Private Transfer From Monteverde To La Fortuna From 1 to 6 passengers: $270
- Private Transfer Lake crossing from Monteverde To Arenal From 1 to 6 passengers: $249
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cabo San Lucas:
- Los Cabos Airport (SJD): Transfer to Cabo San Lucas Port: $436
- Roundtrip Private Transfer from Airport to Pacific Side: $300
- Transfer from Airport to Cabo San Lucas: $300
- Los Cabos Luxury Private Tesla Transfer from Airport to the Pacifica Area: $293
- Private All Inclusive Diamante Area Roundtrip Airport Transfer: $280
- Los Cabos Luxury Private Tesla Transfer from Airport to Cabo San Lucas Area: $261
- Private All Inclusive Cabo San Lucas Roundtrip Airport Transfer: $250
- Private Transfer from Accommodation to Restaurant in Los Cabos: $250
- Private Transfer from Los Cabos Airport to Cabo San Lucas: $250
- Private Transfer from Cabo San Lucas to La Paz: $240
- Roundtrip Private Transfer from Airport to Cabo San Lucas: $240
- Private Escalade Airport Transfer in Los Cabos: $220
Is it cheaper to fly into Santa Elena or Cabo San Lucas?
Prices for flights to both Cabo San Lucas and Santa Elena 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 daySanta Elena $24Cabo San Lucas $51
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santa Elena
For Santa Elena, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Night Walk in Monteverde with Dinner Included: $55
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cabo San Lucas
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cabo San Lucas.
- Sunset Dinner Cruise with Domestic Open Bar: $64
- Tasting Cabo San Lucas Like a Local Food Tour: $70
- Cabo San Lucas Sunset Cruise with Dinner and Open Bar: $75
- Sea to Table Fisherman's Seafood Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $80
- Seafood Galore, Los Cabos Food Tour: $80
- San Jose del Cabo Morning Food Tour: $86
- Parrillada dinner with a Private Chef in your villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose: $86
- Sunset Dinner Cruise at Cabo San Lucas Bay: $89
- Private Mexican Cooking Class in Your Cabo San Lucas Villa or Condo: $90
- Catch of the day dinner in your private villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose del Cabo: $90
- San José del Cabo for Meat Lovers Food Tour: $90
- Cabo Sunset Dinner Cruise: Fajitas, Lands End and Party: $94
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Santa Elena $30Cabo San Lucas $43
Tours and Activities in Santa Elena
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santa Elena.
- Wildlife Tour in Curicancha : $25
- Monteverde Butterfly Gardens Tour: $26
- Adventure Day - Outdoor activities for Family and Friends Special Package.: $29
- Monteverde: Kinkajou Forest Night Walking Tour: $30
- Monteverde Cloud Forest Tour: $30
- Kinkajou Night Walk Tour: $30
- CuriCancha Reserve Admission Ticket: $33
- Curicancha Birdwatching Tour: $34
- Night Adventures in Monteverde: $35
- Natural History Tour - Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve: $35
- Authentic experience of Coffee, Cane and Caco inside the forest: $37
- Regular Guided tour Monteverde Reserve: $38
Tours and Activities in Cabo San Lucas
Here are a few actual costs in Cabo San Lucas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Glass Bottom Boat Sightseeing Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $23
- Glass Bottom Boat Tour: $20
- Magical Todos Santos Tour, Camel ranch, Lunch & Tequila: $119
- Platinum Snorkel Tour : $215
- Romantic tour in Cabo San Lucas: $186
- Round Trip to Touristic Corridor : $180
- Traditional Tequila Tasting Experience with Jorge Cuervo: $55
- Your Own Private Luxury Yacht Experience in Cabo, Lunch included: $1.21
- "Exclusive Cabo San Lucas Trimaran Experience with Snorkeling": $180
- 1 Hour Jet Ski Adventure in Billygan's Beach Club: $180
- 2 Hour Whale Watching Tour in Cabo San Lucas Arch: $115
- 2 Hours Horseback Riding Adventure in Cabo: $130
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySanta Elena $6.22Cabo San Lucas $28
Sample the Local Flavors in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cabo San Lucas:
- Cabo Bar Crawl - The BEST Bar and Clubs in Cabo : $55
- Wine Tasting Sunset Cruise Tour in San Jose del Cabo: $190
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Santa Elena and Cabo San Lucas, we can see that Cabo San Lucas is more expensive. And not only is Santa Elena much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Santa Elena is in Central America and Cabo San Lucas is in North 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 Santa Elena would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santa Elena 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 Cabo San Lucas would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cabo San Lucas than you might in Santa Elena.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Santa Elena Expensive? and Is Cabo San Lucas Expensive?.
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.