Which place is cheaper, Cancun or Zanzibar?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Zanzibar or Cancun?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Zanzibar and Cancun 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: Zanzibar or Cancun?
Zanzibar
Just off the coast of Tanzania lies an entrancing archipelago known as Zanzibar. This gorgeous string of islands is the land of sultans, palaces beaches and spice-filled markets. Once an important trading center, many restorations have been done in recent years to restore Zanzibar to its ancient grandeur - earning its capital city UNESCO World Heritage status in 2000.
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 Eco Tours in Tanzania, The Best Cultural Tours in Tanzania, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Playa del Carmen, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Cancun.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayZanzibar $51Cancun $145
The average daily cost (per person) in Zanzibar is $51, 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 Zanzibar and Cancun in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personZanzibar $24Cancun $96
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomZanzibar $48Cancun $192
Compare Hotels in Zanzibar and Cancun
Looking for a hotel in Zanzibar 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: Zanzibar Hotel Prices and Cancun Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Zanzibar $11Cancun $17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Zanzibar
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Zanzibar:
- transfer from airport to Makunduchi Zanzibar: $44
- Zanzibar:Prison Island,Nakupenda Sandbank Tour with transfer: $141
- Zanzibar:Hotels & Airport Transfer Services: $50
- Stone Town to Airport Private Transfer: $23
- Safari blue tour with Lunch and Transfers: $180
- Private Airport Transfers to Stone Town: $23
- Private Airport Transfer: $50
- One-Way Airport Transfer to Your Hotel: $50
- Jozani Forest and Spice Farm Tour With Transfer: $110
- Island Transfers: $50
- Fishing Boat Tour with Transfer: $109
- Baraka Turtle Aquarium Tour with Hotel Transfers: $80
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cancun
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cancun:
-
Taxi Around Town$1.65
-
Airport Shuttle (for 2)$14
-
Ferry to Isla de Mujeres (for 2)$16
-
Local Bus (for 2)$2.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cancun
Also for Cancun, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Cancun Airport Private Transfer From & To Cancun Hotel Zone: $57
- Private Transfer to/From Cancun Airpor/Hotel zone: $44
- Airport Transfer Cancun: $60
- Airport Transfers to Costa Mujeres - Private van (ROUND TRIP) FLAT RATE: $231
- Airport Transfers to Puerto Juarez - Private van (ROUND TRIP) FLAT RATE: $180
- Airport transfers to Isla Mujeres: $175
- Amazing Combo - Horseback Riding, ATV (Single), Cenote & Ziplines with Transfer: $102
- Arrival Private Transfer from Cancun Airport CUN to Tulum by Minivan or Minibus: $117
- Atv Cancun (cenote, Ziplines, Lunch And Transfer Included) : $75
- Boat Adventure in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve with Transfer from Cancún: $192
- Buggy Trip in Cozumel Island with transfer from Riviera Maya: $176
- Cancún Airport (CUN) Cancun hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $55
Is it cheaper to fly into Zanzibar or Cancun?
Prices for flights to both Cancun and Zanzibar 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
-
Food Meals for one dayZanzibar $17Cancun $28
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Zanzibar
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Zanzibar.
- Half-Day Kuza Cave Swimming Adventure and Cooking Class: $13
- Authentic Street Food Tours in Stone Town, Zanzibar: $40
- Zanzibar Traditional Cooking Class: $49
- An romantic cooking Lesson + Spice Farm Tour: $55
- Zanzibar Cooking Class [Swahili food test ] and Spice farm Private tour: $59
- Zanzibar Cooking Class & Spice Tour : $59
- Zanzibar Spice farm and Cooking Class: $60
- Local Cooking Class with Spice Tour in Zanzibar: $60
- Walking Spice Farm with Local Cooking Class: $60
- Spice Farm tour & Local cooking lesson with Lunch: $64
- Spice Farm Tour with Traditional Cooking Lesson: $65
- Stone Town Private Food Tour with a Guide: $65
Typical Food Prices in Cancun
For Cancun, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
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
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Zanzibar $13Cancun $35
Tours and Activities in Zanzibar
Here are a few actual costs in Zanzibar for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 4 hours Spice Tour in Tanzania: $80
- Fair Tourism In Paje: $27
- Spice Tour & Mangapwani Cave Tour: $80
- Stone City, Spice Farm and Prison Island Full Day Tour: $130
- Stonetown Private Half-day Walking Tour: $35
- Zanzibar Spice Tour : $47
- 10 DAYS MOSHI TO ZANZIBAR BIKE TOUR: $4,286
- 2day Zanzibar adventure: Prison Island & Sandbank (all-incl): $538
- 3 HOURS PRISON ISLAND TOUR IN ZANZIBAR: $60
- 3 Hours Private Stone Town Walking Tour : $30
- 3-Day Selous Game Reserve Safari & Cultural tour with Flight: $1,345
- 3-Hour Private City Tour in Zanzibar Island : $26
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cancun
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cancun's activities, tours, and tickets:
-
Seasick Pills$0.59
-
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
- Visit to 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen + Shopping Tour: $8.17
- Cancun Mayan Museum Skip-the-Line Ticket: $12
- Guided Walking Tour of the Punta Cancun Lighting Tower: $14
- Half Day National Reef Park Snorkel Adventure in Puerto Morelos: $15
- El Sol De Cancun : Panoramic Tour in Regular Cabin: $20
- Day Tour to Isla Mujeres Catamarán with Unlimited Drinks: $22
- Explore Tulum, Coba, Cenote, Playa del Carmen full day 4x1 tour: $22
- Chichén Itzá Marvels Day Trip:Cenote Oxman & Valladolid Adventure: $25
- Adrenaline day in Cancun, Atvs, Ziplines and Cenote experience in the best park!: $25
- ATV, Ziplines and Cenote swim full experience from Cancún : $25
- Zipline, Cenote and ATV Adventure with Pickup: $25
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayZanzibar $6.86Cancun $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Zanzibar
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Zanzibar:
- Pub Crawl & Club Experience: $30
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 Zanzibar and Cancun, we can see that Cancun is more expensive. And not only is Zanzibar much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Zanzibar is in Africa 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 Zanzibar would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Zanzibar 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 Zanzibar.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Zanzibar Expensive? and Is Cancun Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Zanzibar or Cancun?
Cancun has a larger population, and is about 34% larger than the population of Zanzibar. When comparing the sizes of Zanzibar 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.