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 $135Mendoza $55
The average daily cost (per person) in Tulum is $135, while the average daily cost in Mendoza is $55. 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 $55Mendoza $41
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTulum $110Mendoza $82
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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Tulum $26Mendoza $4.05
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:
- Xcaret to Tulum - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $80
- Tulum to Xcaret - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $110
- Tulum to Playa del Carmen - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $115
- Tulum to Chetumal - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $240
- Tulum to Cancun Airport Private Departure Transfer with Beer: $275
- Tulum Hotels to Merida Rejon Airport - Departure Private Transfer: $207
- Tulum Archaeological Zone: Cenote, Lunch & Transfer: $203
- Tulum Archaeological Zone and El Jaguar Park, with Transfer and Lunch: $163
- Tulum Airport: One-Way or Roundtrip Private Transfer: $302
- Tulum Airport to Riviera Maya Private Transfer: $120
- Transfer from Hotel and Airbnb to Tulum Airport: $67
- Round-trip Private Transfer Cancun Airport to TULUM Downtown: $275
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: $9.00
- MDZ Airport Private Transfer to/from City Center: $13
- Private Transfers Airport Hotel in Mendoza: $13
- MDZ Airport Private Transfer to Mendoza City Center: $22
- Ushuaia: Transfer Ida & Volta para Cerro Castor desde hotel: $25
- Private 1-Way or Round-Trip MDZ Airport Transfer: $38
- Mendoza Private Airport Transfers: $55
- Private Transfers in Mendoza and Lujan de Cuyo: $85
- From Potrerillos Rafting Tour with Transfer: $100
- Departure Private Transfer Valle de Uco to Mendoza Airport MDZ: $114
- Mendoza, Los Puquios: Snow experience + transfer and equipment included: $133
- Mendoza Int Airport (MDZ) to Las Leñas - Arrival Private Transfer: $137
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 $5.66
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Mendoza
For Mendoza, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Mendoza Meals Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $95
- Original Asado Cooking Class at a Local's Home: $114
- 4-Hour Argentine Cooking Class at Grazie Mille Winery: $125
- Cooking Class with 7 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $150
- City Tour with Dinner at a Local Restaurant: $164
- Horseback Riding at Sunset and Dinner in Mendoza: $205
- Tango Show with Dinner at Hualta Winery Hotel: $220
- Francis Mallmann Gourmet Wine Paired Dinner: $265
- Casa Vigil Winery Dinner with Transfer: $360
- Lunch or dinner at Catena Zapata Winery: $460
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:
- 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 Mendoza
For Mendoza, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- City Center Walking Tour with a Local Guide: $20
- Mendoza City: Immigrant Sightseeing Tour – Squares, Museums, Artisans, Casino, Theater: $22
- Malbec Experience in Bodega Tierras Altas: $22
- Luján de Cuyo Wine Region Self-Guided Bike Tour: $23
- Self-Guided Bike Tour in Luján de Cuyo Wine Region (Mendoza): $23
- Standard City Tour: $23
- Half-Day Sightseeing Tour: $24
- City Tour: $25
- City Tour of Mendoza: $25
- Guided Walking Tour of the Historic Quarter plus Mendoza-Style Snack: $25
- City Tour: $25
- City Highlights Tour: $26
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayTulum $23Mendoza $5.75
Sample the Local Flavors in Mendoza
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Mendoza:
- Walking & Wine Tasting Tour & San Martin Park Gate: $17
- Burlesque Cabaret Show with Wine: $20
- Antigal Winery Tour with Wine Tasting & Choice of Experiences: $31
- Wine, Distillery & Chocolate Tour with Tastings: $39
- Half-Day Wine Tour with Tastings: $41
- Classic Wine Tasting: $44
- Mendoza Wine Tasting at Bodega Ciclo Andino with Snacks: $45
- La Histórica Winery Tour and Wine Tasting: $48
- Premium Wine Tasting: $66
- Wine Tour, Paired Lunch and Olive Oil Tasting from Mendoza: $67
- Winery tours in Mendoza, wine tasting and lunches: $90
- El Enemigo and Casa Vigil Wine Tour: $93
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.