Which place is cheaper, Antigua Guatemala or Tulum?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Tulum or Antigua Guatemala?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Tulum and Antigua Guatemala 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: Tulum or Antigua Guatemala?
Tulum
When you think of ancient ruins you probably picture dusty archaeological digs surrounded by sand and professors in khaki shorts. What if I told you there is a way to see ancient ruins and visit a tropical beach? That's exactly what you find in Tulum, Mexico.
Built near the end of Mayan era, the ruins of Tulum served as a port before the arrival of the Spanish. It may have been called Zama, meaning City of Dawn, given that these ruins face the sunrise. Because of Tulum's access to both land and sea routes, this spot was an important hub for the trade industry. It may have had another claim to fame, too. According to some murals and other works around the site, it seems this spot was an important site for the worship of the Diving or Descending God. Today, the area is the third most visited archaeological site in all of Mexico with daily tour buses dropping off visitors.
This area is usually packed with people looking to get a glimpse of the seaside ruins. To avoid crowds and capture the best view of the day, try to arrive as early as possible.
Antigua Guatemala
Before a disastrous earthquake in 1773, Antigua was the colonial capital of Guatemala. For 200 years it had reigned as so and today shows remnants of its glorious past with Spanish colonial buildings and other architectural landmarks still standing. Due to this large amount of preserved architecture, Antigua was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is now the most touristed city of Guatemala.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, The Best Historical Tours in Mexico, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Guatemala City, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Guatemala.
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Tulum Prices
Mexico PricesAntigua Guatemala Prices
Guatemala Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayTulum $135Antigua Guatemala $74
The average daily cost (per person) in Tulum is $135, while the average daily cost in Antigua Guatemala is $74. 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 Tulum and Antigua Guatemala in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTulum $55Antigua Guatemala $22
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTulum $110Antigua Guatemala $44
Compare Hotels in Tulum and Antigua Guatemala
Looking for a hotel in Tulum or Antigua Guatemala? 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: Tulum Hotel Prices and Antigua Guatemala Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Tulum $26Antigua Guatemala $13
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Tulum
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Tulum are as follows:
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Scooter Rental$17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tulum
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Tulum:
- Tulum Airport: One-Way or Roundtrip Private Transfer: $302
- Round-trip Private Transfer Cancun Airport to TULUM Downtown: $275
- Tulum to Cancun Airport Private Departure Transfer with Beer: $275
- Luxury SUV Private Transfer from Tulum to Cancun Airport: $263
- Private Transfer Tulum-Bacalar with optional 2h in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve: $250
- Luxury Transfer from Cancun Airport to Tulum: $250
- Private Transfer Tulum to Mérida with Flexible Stops: $247
- Tulum to Chetumal - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $240
- Private Luxury Transfer Tulum to Cancun Airport: $220
- Tulum Hotels to Merida Rejon Airport - Departure Private Transfer: $207
- Tulum Archaeological Zone: Cenote, Lunch & Transfer: $203
- Private Transfer From Tulum to Cancun With a 2 Hour Stop: $201
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Antigua Guatemala
Also for Antigua Guatemala, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Antigua: One way shared transfer to Guatemala City: $24
- From Panajachel: One Way Shared Transfers to Antigua: $25
- Panajachel: One way shared transfer to Antigua: $25
- One-Way Shared Van Transfer to Panajachel: $25
- Private Transfer from Antigua Guatemala to Airport: $27
- Private Transfer From Antigua Guatemala to La Aurora Airport: $29
- Antigua: Private Transfer to Guatemala City Airport: $30
- Guatemala City Airport: Private Transfer to Antigua: $30
- Private Ground Transfer From Antigua To Guatemala City Airport: $30
- Shared Transfer From Antigua to Panajachel (Atitlan): $30
- From Antigua Guatemala One way shared transfer to El Paredon: $34
- transfer service Guatemala City, Lake Atitlan destination: $35
Is it cheaper to fly into Tulum or Antigua Guatemala?
Prices for flights to both Antigua Guatemala and Tulum 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 dayTulum $54Antigua Guatemala $25
Typical Food Prices in Tulum
Some typical examples of dining costs in Tulum are as follows:
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Lunch$2.75
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Tulum
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Tulum.
- Salsa Class,Mezcalita Workshop & Mexican Dinner: $86
- Tortilla & Taco Cooking Class – Mexican Cuisine from scratch: $91
- Mexican Cooking Class with Tacos, Ceviche and Margaritas in Tulum: $95
- Mexican Cooking class experience in Tulum: $132
- Temazcal Mayan Ritual, Cenote, Yucatecan Dinner from Tulum: $149
- Private transfer for 5 hours (go dinner,cenotes, shopping and more): $299
Typical Food Prices in Antigua Guatemala
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Antigua Guatemala:
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Lunch$3.28
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Lunch$7.87
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Antigua Guatemala
For Antigua Guatemala, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Antigua: Traditional Guatemalan Cooking Classes — Casa San Miguel.: $38
- Antigua Guatemalan Authentic Cooking Class Chef David Farfan: $38
- Antigua: Traditional cooking lesson with a Guatemalan family: $48
- Pepián Plates Antigua Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $59
- Antigua: Guatemalan Cooking Class with a Local Family: $60
- Antigua Street Food Tour: $65
- Private Cooking Class of Typical Guatemalan Dishes: $70
- Antigua: Cooking Class With Wine, Transfer & Vegan Option: $72
- Cooking Classes and Jade Workshops: $75
- Guatemalan Mayan Cooking Workshop: $75
- Local Street Food Tour of Antigua: $75
- Antigua: Cooking Class with Local Family: $75
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Tulum $29Antigua Guatemala $15
Tours and Activities in Tulum
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Tulum are as follows:
- 3 Cenotes & Hidden Lagoon Swim Tour with Lunch from Tulum: $139
- 5 Cenotes Half Day Experience Riviera Maya Cliff Jumping: $40
- 5x1 Deluxe Tour Tulum, Coba, Cenote Transportation from Tulum: $114
- ATV Cenote and Zipline Adventure from Tulum: $129
- ATV Extreme Adventure Single with Ziplines and Cenote Swim: $156
- ATV Extreme Adventure Single with Ziplines and Cenote Swim: $151
- ATV cenote tour Tulum – Mayan Jungle ATV & Cavern Experience: $58
- Adrenaline ATV Cenote and Zip Lines Experience at Tulum: $25
- Adrenaline Tulum Atv tour with ziplines and Cenote adventure: $39
- Adventure at Chichen Itza! Cenote and Valladolid from Tulum City: $98
- Adventure in the Mayan Jungle with ATV and Zip Line in Tulum: $42
- Akumal Bay: Swim with Sea Turtles and Cenote Private Tour: $180
Tours and Activities in Antigua Guatemala
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Antigua Guatemala.
- Antigua Guatemala Historic Center Self Guided Audio Walking Tour: $5.00
- Signature Lattes Tasting Experience in Antigua for Coffee Lovers: $14
- Historical and Cultural Walking Tour of Antigua Guatemala: $20
- Half-Day Walking Tour: $20
- Express tour in Antigua: $20
- Guided City Tour with Chef David Farfan: $20
- Cultural and Fun Walking Tour in Antigua Guatemala: $22
- Walking Tour with Local Guide: $23
- From Antigua: Pacaya Volcano Tour in English/Spanish: $23
- Guided Walking Tour with Coffee: $24
- Antigua Walking Tour: $24
- Colonial Antigua Afternoon Walking Tour: $25
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayTulum $23Antigua Guatemala $12
Sample the Local Flavors in Antigua Guatemala
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Antigua Guatemala:
- Antigua Bar Crawl: $26
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Tulum and Antigua Guatemala, we can see that Tulum is more expensive. And not only is Antigua Guatemala much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Tulum is in North America and Antigua Guatemala is in Central 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 Antigua Guatemala would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Antigua Guatemala 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 Tulum would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Tulum than you might in Antigua Guatemala.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Tulum Expensive? and Is Antigua Guatemala Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Tulum or Antigua Guatemala?
Antigua Guatemala has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Tulum. When comparing the sizes of Tulum and Antigua Guatemala, 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.