Which place is cheaper, Santa Marta or Acapulco de Juarez?
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 Acapulco de Juarez or Santa Marta?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Acapulco de Juarez or Santa Marta? 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: Acapulco de Juarez or Santa Marta?
Acapulco de Juarez
Located on the southwestern Pacific Coast of Mexico is the beautiful beach city of Acapulco de Juarez. Acapulco is one of the original travel and resort destinations in Mexico, and it's still considered a popular spring break destination for Americans. Known as simply "Acapulco" to many travelers, this region is a popular spot for cruise lines to stop and timeshares to grow. Thanks to those cruise lines and timeshares, tourist activities like water parks and jet skis have experienced considerable growth.
Santa Marta
Santa Marta is a city in the Magdalena Department of Colombia's Costa Norte. Over the last decade, security has steadily been replacing the shadow of the Colombia's violent past. One destination in Colombia's northeast region is now attracting more international visitors: the coastal Caribbean area of Santa Marta. Established in 1525 by the Spanish as a base of conquest, Santa Marta sits at the foot of the world's highest coastal mountain range, the towering Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It is South America's oldest European-founded town and the second most important colonial city on Colombia's Caribbean coast. While many travelers complain about Santa Marta's horrible traffic and unsightly urban sprawl, the city holds a numerous amounts of great hotels, bars and restaurants and holds a few fantastic destinations nearby to which you can go during the daytime.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico, The Best Eco Tours in Colombia, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Colombia.
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Acapulco de Juarez Prices
Mexico PricesSanta Marta Prices
Colombia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAcapulco de Juarez $92Santa Marta $39
The average daily cost (per person) in Acapulco de Juarez is $92, while the average daily cost in Santa Marta is $39. 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 Acapulco de Juarez and Santa Marta in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAcapulco de Juarez $35Santa Marta $14
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAcapulco de Juarez $70Santa Marta $28
Compare Hotels in Acapulco de Juarez and Santa Marta
Looking for a hotel in Acapulco de Juarez or Santa Marta? 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: Acapulco de Juarez Hotel Prices and Santa Marta Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Acapulco de Juarez $15Santa Marta $5.15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Acapulco de Juarez
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Acapulco de Juarez:
- Shared Transfer to Acapulco Airport (ACA): $13
- Shared Transfer from Acapulco Airport (ACA): $13
- Roundtrip Shared Transfer from Acapulco Airport (ACA): $27
- Roundtrip Private Transfer from Acapulco Airport (ACA): $27
- Private Transfer to Acapulco Airport (ACA): $13
- Private Transfer from Acapulco Airport (ACA): $13
- Private Airport Transfer &on 2nd Day 4Hr TourAll AttractionsCombo: $90
- Airport Transfer In Suburban: $45
- Acapulco hotels to Acapulco Airport (ACA) – Departure Private Transfer : $45
- Acapulco Airport Roundtrip Transfers: $75
- Acapulco Airport (ACA) to Acapulco hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $46
- Private - One Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $66
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Santa Marta
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santa Marta:
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Gas$5.12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Marta
Also for Santa Marta, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfers to Santa Marta Hotels : $23
- Arrival or Departure Transfer: Simón Bolívar Airport: $13
- Cartagena to or from Santa Marta Private Transfer: $159
- Exclusive transfer Santa Marta - Cartagena: $229
- Exclusive transfer Santa Marta Airport - Tayrona Park Sector: $64
- Private Airport Transfer: From Santa Marta Airport to Hotel in Santa Marta: $25
- Private Arrival or Departure Transfer: Simon Bolivar Airport (One Way): $12
- Private Transfer Santa Marta to Palomino (or vice versa): $117
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta Airport SMR to Santa Marta Port: $72
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta Cruise Port to Cartagena hotels: $220
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta Cruise Port to Santa Marta city: $72
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta Port to Cartagena Airport (CTG): $220
Is it cheaper to fly into Acapulco de Juarez or Santa Marta?
Prices for flights to both Santa Marta and Acapulco de Juarez 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 dayAcapulco de Juarez $45Santa Marta $17
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Acapulco de Juarez
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Acapulco de Juarez.
- Lucha Libre-Wrestling FiestaExper Taco Dinner Beer ONLY SUNDAYS: $62
- High Divers DeLuxe Three Course Dinner + Two Drinks plus SUNSET: $66
- Wrestling-Lucha Libre Experience Tacos Beer Dinner Only On SUNDAY: $74
- Sunset Dinner and Cliff Divers in Acapulco: $91
- Mexican Cooking Class & Market Tour with a Professional Chef: $100
- Mexican Fiesta Show & Dinner: $115
- Super DeLuxe Bella Vista Dinner &1 Drink +2 Drinks at CliffDivers: $253
- Off the Beaten Path Mexican Cooking Class Lagoon Boatride &Lunch: $286
Typical Food Prices in Santa Marta
For Santa Marta, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Breakfast$3.07
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santa Marta
For Santa Marta, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Santa Marta Walking Food Tour: $40
- Food Tour in Santa Marta Old City Half-Day : $66
- Food Tour in Santa Marta Old City: $76
- Private Santa Marta City & Food Tour: $86
- Flavors of Colombia - Santa Marta Street Food Tour: $93
- Santa Marta Street Food Tour: $93
- Fast Food Tour In Santa Marta More Than Just Food: $120
- Upscale Food Tour in A Culinary Journey: $155
- Fast Food Tour with Local Guide: $155
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Acapulco de Juarez $16Santa Marta $13
Tours and Activities in Acapulco de Juarez
Here are a few actual costs in Acapulco de Juarez for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 4Hrs City Tour Exclusively for Hotels, Divers, Chapel & Mural.: $60
- 4Hrs Small Group Half Day City Tour with Lunch at High Divers: $70
- Acapulco Port Tour in 4 hours: $56
- Museums, Magic City Market & Meals: A Cultural Tour of Acapulco: $129
- 4 Hrs Exclusive to Cruise Ship Passengers Sightseeing Experience : $67
- 4 in 1 Combo tours for visitors in their first time: $192
- 4hr Fun Guide Tour For Cruisers or Hotels Guests with Divers Show: $58
- 6 Hour Fun-Filled Tour Perfect for Cruise Travelers & Hotel Stays: $83
- 6Hr Cruise or Hotels City Tour, Divers, Baby Turtles Peace Chapel: $75
- 6Hr Cruisers or Hotels High Diver Peace Chapel BabyTurtleRelease: $96
- Acapulco City Tour: $68
- Acapulco City Tour: $65
Tours and Activities in Santa Marta
For Santa Marta, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Skip the Line: Santa Marta Marine World Aquarium Admission Ticket and Guide: $6.67
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: the Pearl of America: $6.99
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - Botanical Garden: $10
- Tour in Chiva Rumbera Music Party and Fun in Santa Marta: $13
- Full City of Santa Marta Tour and its Charms: $15
- A Pearl In The Caribbean-walking tour in English: $16
- Santa Marta Graffiti Tour: Urban Art & Culture: $16
- Patrimonial Walking Tour: Hidden Stories of Santa Marta: $16
- Complete Tour of the City of Santa Marta and its Charms: $17
- Historic Center Bike Tour: $20
- Town Tour in Minca: History, Museums & Nature: $20
- Bike tour with local guide through the historic center: $23
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAcapulco de Juarez $9.81Santa Marta $6.55
Typical Alcohol Prices in Santa Marta
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Santa Marta from other travelers:
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Beer$0.56
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Beer$2.30
Sample the Local Flavors in Santa Marta
Also in Santa Marta, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Thursday Night Bar Crawl in Santa Marta, Colombia: $24
- Saturday Night Bar Crawl in Santa Marta, Colombia: $25
- Bar Crawl In Santa Marta: $125
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Acapulco de Juarez and Santa Marta, we can see that Acapulco de Juarez is more expensive. And not only is Santa Marta much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Acapulco de Juarez is in North America and Santa Marta 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 Santa Marta would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santa Marta 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 Acapulco de Juarez would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Acapulco de Juarez than you might in Santa Marta.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Acapulco de Juarez Expensive? and Is Santa Marta Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Acapulco de Juarez or Santa Marta?
Acapulco de Juarez has a larger population, and is about 51% larger than the population of Santa Marta. When comparing the sizes of Acapulco de Juarez and Santa Marta, 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.