Which place is cheaper, Cusco 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 Cusco?
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 Cusco 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 Cusco?
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.
Cusco
Cusco is most famous as the historic capital of the Inca Empire. It is in the southern Sierras and is one of the most popular travel destinations within Peru. The city is located at 3,400 meters above sea level so it is best to acclimate yourself slowly to avoid altitude sickness.
Cusco is the starting point for many travelers making their way to the famed Machu Picchu or other Inca sites in the surrounding area.
The city is very beautiful and has impressive architecture throughout. The history is obvious as you walk around town and there are impressive ruins nearby, with the most impressive being Sacsayhuaman. The city also has a significant indigenous population that is obvious from their traditional clothing and style.
Cusco has a subtropical highland climate with a pleasant daytime temperature year around. There are two distinct seasons with the dry season being between May and August and the wet season between December and March. During the dry season there is plenty of sun with occasional nighttime freezes. Frost is less common in the wet season.
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 Cusco, and The Best 3-Day Tours from Cusco.
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Tulum Prices
Mexico PricesCusco Prices
Peru Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayTulum $131Cusco $65
The average daily cost (per person) in Tulum is $131, while the average daily cost in Cusco is $65. 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 Cusco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTulum $53Cusco $25
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTulum $106Cusco $50
Compare Hotels in Tulum and Cusco
Looking for a hotel in Tulum or Cusco? 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 Cusco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Tulum $25Cusco $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Tulum
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Tulum are as follows:
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Scooter Rental$16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tulum
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Tulum:
- Transfer from Hotel and Airbnb to Tulum Airport: $67
- Tulum Airport Private Transfer to Hotels and Airbnbs: $73
- Private Transfers to Tulum Airport: $77
- Private Transfers from Tulum Airport to Playa del Carmen: $98
- Private Transfer from Tulum to Valladolid with a Cobá Detour: $107
- Tulum to Playa del Carmen - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $115
- Private Transfer Cancun International Airport CUN to Tulum City: $125
- Tulum Transfer: from and to airport and hotels in Cancun: $131
- Private Transfer from Tulum to Cancun: $134
- Private Transfer Tulum Airport to Tulum: $135
- Economy Private Transfer from Tulum to Cancun Airport – Safe: $136
- Private Transfer: Tulum to Cancun Airport CUN in SUV: $151
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cusco
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cusco:
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Taxi Ride$1.17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cusco
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cusco:
- One-Way Cusco Airport Departure Transfer: $7.00
- One-Way Cusco Airport Arrival Transfer: $9.00
- Cusco Airport Departure Transfer: $9.50
- Cusco Airport Shared Arrival Transfer: $9.50
- Pickup from Cusco airport and transfer to your hotel in Private vehicle: $9.52
- Private transfer from your hotel in downtown Cusco to the Airport: $11
- Private Airport transfer to centrally located hotels in Cusco: $11
- Private transfer from the airport to central hotels in Cusco: $11
- Private transfer from Cusco Airport to your city-center hotel: $11
- Private transfer from your hotel in downtown Cusco to the Airport: $11
- Cusco Airport to hotel Transfer: Fast, Reliable Drop-Off: $12
- Cusco Airport Private Transfer: $12
Is it cheaper to fly into Tulum or Cusco?
Prices for flights to both Cusco 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 $53Cusco $24
Typical Food Prices in Tulum
Some typical examples of dining costs in Tulum are as follows:
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Lunch$2.68
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: $85
- Yucatecan cooking class in Nixtamal, Recado, and Pibil: $87
- Mexican Cooking from Scratch in a Local Home in Tulum: $92
- Mexican Cooking class experience in Tulum: $128
- Temazcal Mayan Ritual, Cenote, Yucatecan Dinner from Tulum: $149
- Private Authentic Mayan Cooking Class with Tulum Hotel Transfers: $280
- Private transfer for 5 hours (go dinner,cenotes, shopping and more): $299
Typical Food Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of dining costs in Cusco are as follows:
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Sandwich$2.33
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Mango$0.58
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cusco
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cusco.
- Cooking Class in Sacred Valley 8 Recipes and Drinks: $29
- Multi-Course Dinner with Live Folk Show Performance: $35
- Bilingual Cooking Class with Pisco Cocktail in Cusco: $40
- Cusco Billingual Cooking Class at 6pm: $40
- Market tour & Peruvian Cooking Class in Cusco: $54
- Cusco Cooking Class by ChocoMuseo in Cusco: $54
- High-End Peruvian Cooking Class, Pisco Sour & San Pedro Market: $57
- Short Immersion Cooking Class: $60
- Cooking classes A tour through the flavors in Cusco: $60
- Cusco Cooking Class Experience: $61
- Cusco Collective Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $65
- Peruvian Cooking Class Cocktails and Market Tour in Cusco: $65
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Tulum $28Cusco $31
Tours and Activities in Tulum
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Tulum are as follows:
- Tulum Mayan Ruins GPS Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour: $8.49
- Coba Ruins Self-Guided Walking Tour with Audio Guide: $8.99
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - The Return Home: $11
- Ruins in Tulum Walking Tour with Audioguide (no ticket): $11
- Tickets to 4 cenotes turtle house 2 caverns and 2 outdoors: $14
- Self Guided Audio Walking Tour of Tulum: $15
- Cenotes Casa Tortuga Admission Ticket: $15
- Adrenaline ATV Cenote and Zip Lines Experience at Tulum: $24
- Entrance tickets to swim in 4 Cenotes in Casa Tortuga Park: $27
- The Tulum Sea Turtle and Rays 1.5 Hours Snorkel Experience: $27
- Experience at Cenote Zemway in Tulum: $30
- Cancun: ATV Jungle Adventure, Cenote and Tulum Ruins Tour: $32
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Cusco are as follows:
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Salsa Class$2.91
Tours and Activities in Cusco
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Cusco are as follows:
- Half Day Walking Tour of Cusco: $5.00
- Cusco City Walking tour: Historia, Tradition, Culture: $5.00
- Cusco Self Guided Walking Tour Landmarks, Audio and Quiz: $7.98
- Cusco Walking Tour with an Experienced Local Guides: $10
- City Tour - Cusco: $10
- Cultural & Historic Walking Tour with Local Drinks: $10
- Half Day City Tour in Cusco: $10
- Shared City Tour in Cusco & Visit Museum South American Camelid: $10
- Half-Day Cusco City Tour – Explore History, Culture & Inca Ruins: $12
- Cusco City Tour Explore Four Inca Ruins in Half Day: $12
- Explore Cusco Highlights in a Half Day City Tour: $12
- City Tour Cusco: $12
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayTulum $23Cusco $10
Sample the Local Flavors in Cusco
Also in Cusco, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Cusco Pub Crawl: Cusco Bar Hopping Experience: $22
- Exclusive Pub Crawl with more than 10 Benefits: $25
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Tulum and Cusco, we can see that Tulum is more expensive. And not only is Cusco much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Tulum is in North America and Cusco 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 Cusco would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cusco 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 Cusco.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Tulum Expensive? and Is Cusco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Tulum or Cusco?
Cusco has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of Tulum. When comparing the sizes of Tulum and Cusco, 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.