Which place is cheaper, Cancun or Yogyakarta?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Yogyakarta or Cancun?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Yogyakarta or Cancun? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Yogyakarta or Cancun?
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta, also called Yogya, Jogja, and Jogjakarta, is Java's hub of culture and art, and is the top-visited destination on the island. While Jakarta is the most populated and industrially-developed city in Indonesia, Yogya has managed to progress without losing its cultural charm, as illustrated in its well-kept traditional Indonesian architecture.
Cancun
In the northeast corner of the Mexican Caribbean, Cancun is one of Mexico's most popular destinations. The area that is now Cancun was actually selected specifically by the Mexican government for development as a tourist destination. The area was chosen because it has fourteen miles of beautiful white beaches, nearby Mayan ruins, and turquoise blue water with nearby snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities. Prior to its development as a tourist destination, there were few inhabitants in the area.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Indonesia, The Best Eco Tours in Indonesia, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Playa del Carmen, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Cancun.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayYogyakarta $58Cancun $145
The average daily cost (per person) in Yogyakarta is $58, while the average daily cost in Cancun is $145. 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 Yogyakarta and Cancun in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personYogyakarta $37Cancun $96
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomYogyakarta $74Cancun $192
Compare Hotels in Yogyakarta and Cancun
Looking for a hotel in Yogyakarta or Cancun? 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: Yogyakarta Hotel Prices and Cancun Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Yogyakarta $1.34Cancun $17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Yogyakarta
Also for Yogyakarta, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Ramayana Ballet Dance Show with Transfers: $25
- Layover Tour w/ Entry Tickets & Airport Transfer: $94
- Yogyakarta Private Departure Transfer- Yogyakarta Hotel to Airport: $20
- Yogyakarta International Airport to Hotel - Arrival Transfer: $32
- Yogyakarta Airport : for pick up or transfer service: $29
- Transfer in or out airport: $26
- Transfer In or Out Airport Yogyakarta: $12
- Semarang & Transfer To The Hotel or Airport: $93
- Private Transfer from Yogyakarta Airport YIA To City Center: $29
- Private Transfer from Yogyakarta Airport (JOG) to Yogyakarta City: $34
- Private Transfer from Yogyakarta Airport (JOG) to Wanurejo: $169
- Private Transfer from Yogyakarta Airport (JOG) to Trihanggo: $93
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cancun
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cancun:
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Taxi Around Town$1.65
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Airport Shuttle (for 2)$14
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Ferry to Isla de Mujeres (for 2)$16
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Local Bus (for 2)$2.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cancun
Also for Cancun, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- transfers between hotels in Cancun hotel strip: $20
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Cancun APT-HTL (CUN): $45
- Transfers in Private Minibus: $97
- Transfers in Private MiniVan wi fi on board: $61
- Transfers in Luxury Sedan from Cancun Airport: $85
- Transfers in Lincoln Strecth Limousine with Wi Fi on board: $261
- Transfers in Lincoln Strecth Limousine with Wi Fi on board: $121
- Transfers From Hotel to Hotel: $100
- Transfer in Private vehicle from Cancun Airport (CUN) - Akumal City: $74
- Transfer in Private Minivan from Cancun Airport (CUN) - Akumal City: $67
- Transfer in Luxury Mercedes Benz Minivan: $91
- Transfer from Puerto de Chiquila to Cancun Airport: $180
Is it cheaper to fly into Yogyakarta or Cancun?
Prices for flights to both Cancun and Yogyakarta 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 dayYogyakarta $12Cancun $28
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Yogyakarta
For Yogyakarta, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Morning Food Tour with Tasting: $23
- Yogyakarta : Guided City Walk and Food Tour: $32
- Prambanan temple afternoon tour and dinner: $34
- Prawirotaman Night Food Tour: $35
- Night Walking and Food Tour: $37
- Ramayana Ballet Performance with Dinner: $39
- Yogyakarta Cooking Class and Market Tour : $40
- Small-Group Walking and Food Tour by Night in Yogyakarta: $40
- Javanese Cooking Class & Market Tour: $57
- Yogyakarta Day Food Tour: $58
- Yogyakarta Cooking Class: $71
- Nusantara Cooking Course and Lokal Market Tour: $81
Typical Food Prices in Cancun
For Cancun, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch for Two$21
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cancun
For Cancun, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Captain Hook: Pirate Show and Dinner Cruise in Cancun: $46
- Mayan Chichen Itza And Pirate Dinner Two Day Experience: $57
- The Ultimate Cancun Taco & Street Mexican Food Tour: $59
- Dinner Show with Pirates! (2x1 Price): $62
- (2x1 price) Dinner Show and Pirates Experience : $63
- (2x1 price) Pirate Night! Dinner, Fun and Show: $63
- (2x1 price)Pirate Adventure! Open Bar, Dinner and Show : $63
- Pirate Show and Dinner (2x1 price)! Best Promo : $64
- Cancun Street Food Tour with Food Stalls, Local Market and Murals: $64
- Private Ultimate Cancun Taco and Street Mexican Food Tour: $69
- Guided Cancun Local Mexican Food Tour: $77
- Cancun Authentic Downtown Food Tour: Tacos and Local Flavors: $78
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Yogyakarta $16Cancun $35
Tours and Activities in Yogyakarta
For Yogyakarta, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Private Tour Borobudur Sunrise – Merapi Volcano – Prambanan (Transport Only): $80
- Sunrise : Punthuk Setumbu, Borobudur And Prambanan Temples Tour (PRIVATE TOUR): $121
- Yogyakarta Jomblang Cave Day Tour (PRIVATE TOUR): $88
- 1 day Yogyakarta Tour Jomblang cave and Pindul Cave tubing: $72
- 1 day tour Borobudur and Prambanan Temples : $69
- 1 day tour borobudur temple,prambanan temple,plaosan temple: $72
- 1-Day Yogyakarta Borobudur and City Tour - PRIVATE Tour with GUIDE: $188
- 1-Day Yogyakarta City Tour Prangtritis Beach - PRIVATE Tour with GUIDE: $139
- 1-Day Yogyakarta Javanese Culture - PRIVATE TOUR with GUIDE: $198
- 1-Day Yogyakarta Merapi Borobudur - PRIVATE Tour with GUIDE: $183
- 1-Day Yogyakarta Merapi Pengger Heha - PRIVATE Tour with GUIDE: $139
- 1-Day Yogyakarta Prambanan and City Tour - PRIVATE Tour with GUIDE: $188
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cancun
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cancun's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Seasick Pills$0.59
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Whale Shark Tour (for 2)$100
Tours and Activities in Cancun
For Cancun, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- ATV Jungle Adventure with Ziplines, Cenote Transportation Included: $8.00
- Bacalar tour + Lunch + Boat, from Cancun and Riviera Maya: $139
- Catamaran Cruise in Riviera Maya With Snorkeling & Beach Club: $85
- Full Day All Inclusive Catamaran Tour to Isla Mujeres : $99
- Full Day Chichen-Itza, Cenote and Valladolid Complete Tour: $37
- Holbox Island Magic Tour from Cancun : $144
- LDS Tour to Chichen Itza + Cenote : $165
- Party Adventure at Isla Mujeres from Cancun & Playa del Carmen: $93
- Private Tour to Tulum Ruins and Cenotes : $257
- Reef and Sunken Ship Snorkeling Experience in Cancun: $85
- Riviera Maya Luxury Snorkeling Cruise with Lunch and Drinks: $139
- (4x1) Full day tour to Tulum, Coba, Cenote and Playa del Carmen : $48
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayYogyakarta $4.98Cancun $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Cancun
Also in Cancun, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Social Pub Crawl in Cancun: $37
- Small Group EkBalam Pink Lakes Cenote and Tequila Distillery Tour: $287
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Yogyakarta and Cancun, we can see that Cancun is more expensive. And not only is Yogyakarta much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Yogyakarta is in Asia and Cancun 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 Yogyakarta would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Yogyakarta 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 Cancun would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cancun than you might in Yogyakarta.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Yogyakarta Expensive? and Is Cancun Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Yogyakarta or Cancun?
Yogyakarta has a larger population, and is about 17% larger than the population of Cancun. When comparing the sizes of Yogyakarta and Cancun, 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.