Which place is cheaper, Mendoza 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 Mendoza?
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 Mendoza 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 Mendoza?
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.
Mendoza
Mendoza is a city in western Argentina and more precisely in the desertic Cuyo region. Mendoza is the center of the Argentinian wine industry and is famed around the world for its vineyards and wine production. Spread across the valley of the Rio Mendoza and in the foothills of the Andean mountain range, Mendoza is also near the Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside of the Himalayas. The bustling and scenic city of wide, leafy avenues, atmospheric plazas and cosmopolitan cafes spoils visitors with unique natural attractions and historical landmarks. If you can, visit Mendoza during the harvest festival at the end of February. There are many events and festivals in Mendoza and they are usually free. Each has a different theme, and they usually have a stage with singing and dancing and booths that sell food around a plaza. Seventy percent of Argentina's wines are produced here, and Mendoza is especially known for its world-famous malbecs.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, The Best Historical Tours in Mexico, The Best 2-Week Tours from Buenos Aires, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina.
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Tulum Prices
Mexico PricesMendoza Prices
Argentina Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayTulum $133Mendoza $56
The average daily cost (per person) in Tulum is $133, while the average daily cost in Mendoza is $56. 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 Mendoza in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTulum $54Mendoza $43
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTulum $108Mendoza $86
Compare Hotels in Tulum and Mendoza
Looking for a hotel in Tulum or Mendoza? 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 Mendoza Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Tulum $25Mendoza $4.18
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:
- Xcaret to Tulum - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $84
- Tulum to Xcaret - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $115
- Tulum to Playa del Carmen - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $121
- Tulum to Mahahual - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $206
- Tulum to Chetumal - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $250
- Tulum to Cancun - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $191
- Tulum Hotels to Merida Rejon Airport - Departure Private Transfer: $215
- Tulum Archaeological Zone: Cenote, Lunch & Transfer: $191
- Tulum Archaeological Zone and Jaguar Park With Transfer and Lunch: $152
- Tulum Airport: One-Way or Roundtrip Private Transfer: $144
- Roundtrip Transfer from Cancun Airport to Tulum: $269
- Round Trip Transfer from Tulum Airport to Hotels: $158
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mendoza
Also for Mendoza, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared 1-Way or Round Trip MDZ Airport Transfer: $11
- Private Transfer from Mendoza Airport (MDZ): $17
- Private Transfer MDZ Airport - Main Town: $20
- MDZ Airport Private Transfer to Mendoza City Center: $22
- Mendoza Airport Shuttle Transfer: $22
- Shared Transfer Mendoza Bus Station / Downtown Hotel: $23
- One-Way Private Transfer from Airport: $25
- Private Transfer in Mendoza: $28
- One Way Shared Transfer Mendoza Airport/Downtown Hotel: $33
- Mendoza to Mendoza Intl Airport (MDZ)- Departure Private Transfer: $33
- Mendoza Airport Departure Transfer: $34
- Mendoza Private Airport Transfers: $35
Is it cheaper to fly into Tulum or Mendoza?
Prices for flights to both Mendoza 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 $54Mendoza $5.85
Typical Food Prices in Tulum
Some typical examples of dining costs in Tulum are as follows:
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Lunch$2.72
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Tulum
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Tulum.
- Salsa Class with Mezcalita Workshop & Mexican Dinner in Tulum: $71
- Mexican Cooking from Scratch in a Local Home in Tulum: $87
- Tulum Local Walking Food Tour: $88
- Tulum Vegan Food Tour: $92
- Temazcal Mayan Ritual Tour and Cenote Swim with Yucatecan Dinner: $120
- Mexican Cooking class experience in Tulum: $131
- Private Authentic Mayan Cooking Class with Tulum Hotel Transfers: $280
- Private Mayan Food Cooking Class, Cenote and Coba Ruins : $289
- Private transfer for 5 hours (go dinner,cenotes, shopping and more) : $299
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Mendoza
For Mendoza, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Argentine BBQ on Terrace with Views. Dinner, Sunset.: $80
- Mendoza Cooking Experience with Unlimited Wine & Cocktails: $95
- Argentine Hands-On Cooking & Wine Experience in Mendoza: $95
- Bar Safari 4 Best Mendoza’s Bars in 1 Night with Full Dinner: $167
- Bar Safari: 4 Best Mendoza’s Bars in 1 night. + Full Dinner: $180
- Horseback Riding at Sunset and Dinner in Mendoza: $185
- Tango Show with Dinner at Hualta Winery Hotel: $190
- Full-Day Small-Group Mendoza Wine Tasting Tour with Lunch or Dinner: $198
- City Tour with Dinner at a Local Restaurant: $200
- Winery Los Toneles + Dinner in Saffron Restó. Private transportation: $250
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Tulum $29Mendoza $23
Tours and Activities in Tulum
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Tulum are as follows:
- Chichen Itza & Cenote Chichikan Bus Tour Experience from Tulum: $71
- Full Day Tour from Tulum to Rio Lagartos: $229
- Luxury Tour to Chichen Itza and 2 Cenotes Only From Tulum: $128
- Private Tour - The best Cenotes in Yucatan - Suytun & Oxman: $195
- Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve Guided Tour: $220
- Tulum Extreme Mayan Adventure with ATV, Zipline and Cenote: $38
- 2 Cenotes Private Tour – VIP Adventure with Expert Guide: $154
- 2 tanks Cenote Diving Adventure in Tulum for Certified Divers: $200
- 3 in 1 Experience in Tulum: $111
- 5 Hours Mayan Snorkeling Experience in Tulum: $94
- 5x1 Deluxe Tour Tulum, Coba, Cenote Transportation from Tulum: $88
- ATV Adventure and Horseback Ride with Ziplines, Cenote from Tulum: $82
Tours and Activities in Mendoza
For Mendoza, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Self-guided bike tour of Maipu (Mendoza): $15
- Malbec Experience in Bodega Tierras Altas: $22
- Tour autoguiado en bicicleta por Luján de Cuyo (Mendoza): $23
- City tour with visit to General San Martin Park: $24
- City Tour: $25
- City Tour of Mendoza: $25
- Renacer Winery Experience: $25
- City Tour: $25
- Wine and Olive Oil Tasting Half-Day Tour: $34
- Half-Day Sightseeing Tour: $34
- Half-Day Sightseeing City Tour: $35
- Half Day Winery Tour: $36
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayTulum $23Mendoza $5.94
Sample the Local Flavors in Tulum
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Tulum:
- 30 Minutes Brewery Tour in Tulum: $39
- Beer Tasting and Brewery Tour: $69
Sample the Local Flavors in Mendoza
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Mendoza:
- Classic Wine Tasting: $44
- Vineyards with Wine Tasting in Mendoza: $50
- Premium Wine Tasting: $66
- Cava In The City Sommelier Led Wine Tastings in Mendoza: $70
- Half-Day Wine Tour with Tastings: $80
- Make an Argentine Asado BBQ w/ Local Host & Wine Tasting: $89
- El Enemigo and Casa Vigil Wine Tour: $93
- In Mendoza Wine Tours, Empanadas, and Olive Oil: $99
- Classic Wine Tour on a Budget. Lunch. Private Driver: $120
- Wine Tour with Lunch and Transport in Mendoza: $130
- Full Day Wine Tour with 3 Course Lunch: $164
- Classic Wine Tour with Lunch Experience Top.: $180
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Tulum and Mendoza, we can see that Tulum is more expensive. And not only is Mendoza much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Tulum is in North America and Mendoza 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 Mendoza would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Mendoza 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 Mendoza.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Tulum Expensive? and Is Mendoza Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Tulum or Mendoza?
Mendoza has a larger population, and is about 100 times larger than the population of Tulum. When comparing the sizes of Tulum and Mendoza, 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.