Which place is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or Santa Marta?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Santa Marta or Cabo San Lucas?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Santa Marta and Cabo San Lucas can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Santa Marta or Cabo San Lucas?
Santa Marta
Santa Marta is a city in the Magdalena Department of Colombia's Costa Norte. Over the last decade, security has steadily been replacing the shadow of the Colombia's violent past. One destination in Colombia's northeast region is now attracting more international visitors: the coastal Caribbean area of Santa Marta. Established in 1525 by the Spanish as a base of conquest, Santa Marta sits at the foot of the world's highest coastal mountain range, the towering Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It is South America's oldest European-founded town and the second most important colonial city on Colombia's Caribbean coast. While many travelers complain about Santa Marta's horrible traffic and unsightly urban sprawl, the city holds a numerous amounts of great hotels, bars and restaurants and holds a few fantastic destinations nearby to which you can go during the daytime.
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 Eco Tours in Colombia, The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Colombia, 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 Marta $32Cabo San Lucas $139
The average daily cost (per person) in Santa Marta is $32, 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 Marta and Cabo San Lucas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSanta Marta $14Cabo San Lucas $63
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSanta Marta $28Cabo San Lucas $126
Compare Hotels in Santa Marta and Cabo San Lucas
Looking for a hotel in Santa Marta 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: Santa Marta Hotel Prices and Cabo San Lucas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Santa Marta $5.27Cabo San Lucas $28
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Santa Marta
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santa Marta:
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Gas$5.24
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Marta
Also for Santa Marta, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 1.Transfer to TAYRONA park from Cartagena Private or Viceversa.: $256
- Arrival or Departure Transfer: Simón Bolívar Airport: $14
- Barranquilla / Santa Marta Transfer: $236
- Cartagena / Santa Marta Transfer: $328
- Cartagena to or from Santa Marta Private Transfer: $141
- Exclusive transfer Santa Marta - Cartagena: $229
- Private Airport Transfer: From Santa Marta Airport to Hotel in Santa Marta: $25
- Private Arrival or Departure Transfer: Simon Bolivar Airport (One Way): $12
- Private Transfer Santa Marta to Palomino (or vice versa): $121
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta Airport SMR to Santa Marta Port: $32
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta Airport to Santa Marta Port: $28
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta Cruise Port to Cartagena hotels: $69
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cabo San Lucas:
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer in San José del Cabo HTL-APT(SJD): $105
- Transfer in private minivan from San Jose del Cabo - Los Cabos Airport (SJD): $65
- Transfer in private minivan from Los Cabos Airport (SJD) - Cabo San Lucas: $65
- Transfer in private minivan from Cabo San Lucas - San Jose del Cabo(SJD): $54
- Transfer in Private SUV from Los Cabos Airport (SJD) - Tourist Corridor: $46
- Transfer in Private SUV from Los Cabos Airport (SJD) - San Jose del Cabo: $62
- Transfer in Private Minivan from Los Cabos Airport (SJD) - Touristic Corridor: $60
- Transfer from Cabo San Lucas Airport CSL to Cabo San Lucas : $33
- Transfer from Airport to Cabo San Lucas: $300
- Transfer Los Cabos Airport SJD to San José Zone 1 Hotels: $100
- Transfer From Airport to Cabo San Lucas: $200
- San Jose del Cabo to Los Cabos Airport (SJD) Departure Transfer: $31
Is it cheaper to fly into Santa Marta or Cabo San Lucas?
Prices for flights to both Cabo San Lucas and Santa Marta 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 Marta $10Cabo San Lucas $51
Typical Food Prices in Santa Marta
For Santa Marta, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Breakfast$3.14
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santa Marta
For Santa Marta, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Santa Marta Walking Food Tour: $40
- Food Tour in Santa Marta Old City Half-Day : $66
- Food Tour in Santa Marta Old City: $74
- Santa Marta Street Food Tour: $75
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 Marta $14Cabo San Lucas $43
Tours and Activities in Santa Marta
For Santa Marta, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Old Town, Harbour & Highlights Self-guided Tour: $6.31
- Skip the Line: Santa Marta Marine World Aquarium Admission Ticket and Guide: $6.67
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: the Pearl of America: $6.99
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino : $10
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - Botanical Garden: $10
- Musical Experience "Live Musicaribe": $11
- Cultural Heritage Tour Santa Marta: $15
- Santa Marta Bike Tour: $16
- BE RELAX TOUR - Bahia Concha: $22
- Full Day Tour to Bahía Concha and Tayrona Park with Pickup: $25
- Horse Riding at La Mello Adventure Lodge: $35
- City tour con todo incluido!: $37
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 Marta $6.71Cabo San Lucas $28
Typical Alcohol Prices in Santa Marta
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Santa Marta from other travelers:
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Beer$0.58
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Beer$2.36
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 Marta and Cabo San Lucas, we can see that Cabo San Lucas is more expensive. And not only is Santa Marta much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Santa Marta is in South 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 Marta would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santa Marta 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 Marta.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Santa Marta Expensive? and Is Cabo San Lucas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Santa Marta or Cabo San Lucas?
Santa Marta has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Cabo San Lucas. When comparing the sizes of Santa Marta and Cabo San Lucas, 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.
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.