Which place is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or Cuenca?
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 Cuenca or Cabo San Lucas?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Cuenca and Cabo San Lucas. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Cuenca or Cabo San Lucas?
Cuenca
Cuenca is a vibrant colonial city in southern Ecuador, the third largest in the country, and the capital of Azuay Province. Cuenca is considered as Ecuador's most important and beautiful colonial city after Quito. Dating from the 16th century, Cuenca's historic center, a Unesco World Heritage Site with its trademark skyline of massive rotundas and soaring steeples, is a magical sight in which you will feel like you are moving back in time. Cuenca is the center of many craft traditions, including ceramics, metalwork and the internationally famous panama hat. The nearby villages also offer many other handicrafts. Tourists enjoy wandering the ancient streets discovering picturesque alleys and hidden corners, where nuns march along cobblestone streets and kids in Catholic-school uniforms skip past historic churches. Fascinating historic monuments and fabulous views are found at every turn. Cuenca also has outstanding art museums and festivals. For a rewarding cultural experience, visit during Easter to attend the Festival of Religious Music.
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas ("Cabo") is on the far southern end of the Baja Peninsula. It has countless resorts and activities for visitors. There are world class golf courses, fine dining options, and five star resorts. Prior to the 1980s, Cabo was a quiet fishing village but with the construction of a nearby airport in 1977, the city rapidly grew into one of Mexico's most popular resort vacation spots. Today, Cabo has one of the country's most vibrant nightlife scenes. It also has plenty of water sport activities, and a great beach scene.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to Ecuador, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Ecuador, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, and The Best Historical Tours in Mexico.
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Cuenca Prices
Ecuador PricesCabo San Lucas Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCuenca $53Cabo San Lucas $159
The average daily cost (per person) in Cuenca is $53, while the average daily cost in Cabo San Lucas is $159. 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 Cuenca and Cabo San Lucas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCuenca $13Cabo San Lucas $57
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCuenca $26Cabo San Lucas $114
Compare Hotels in Cuenca and Cabo San Lucas
Looking for a hotel in Cuenca or Cabo San Lucas? 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: Cuenca Hotel Prices and Cabo San Lucas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cuenca $11Cabo San Lucas $25
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cuenca
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cuenca:
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Taxi Ride$2.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cuenca
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cuenca:
- Cuenca Airport Transfer: $13
- Cuenca to/from Guayaquil Private Transfer: $80
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cabo San Lucas:
- Cabo San Lucas Port to San Jose Del Cabo hotels - Arrival Private Transfer : $144
- San Jose Del Cabo hotels to Cabo San Lucas Port - Departure Private Transfer: $143
- Airport Transfer to Cabo San Lucas & Pacific side Hotels & Villas Round Trip: $192
- Airport transfers and all: $95
- Cabo Airport (CSL) to Cabo San Lucas Round-Trip Private Transfer: $196
- Cabo San Lucas Affordable Luxury Transfers : $145
- Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) to Cabo San Lucas -Arrival Transfer : $80
- Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) to Cabo San Lucas Port - Arrival Private Transfer : $74
- Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) to Cabo San Lucas Port- Round-Trip Private Transfer: $148
- Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port to Airport CSL Departure Transfer: $74
- Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port to Cabo San Lucas hotels - Arrival Private Transfer : $74
- Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port to Cabo San Lucas- Round-Trip Private Transfer: $148
Is it cheaper to fly into Cuenca or Cabo San Lucas?
Prices for flights to both Cabo San Lucas and Cuenca 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 dayCuenca $26Cabo San Lucas $80
Typical Food Prices in Cuenca
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Cuenca:
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Lunch$10
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Snacks$5.00
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Empanada$1.50
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Hot Dog$1.00
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cuenca
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cuenca.
- Street food Tour in Cuenca,Ecuador: $33
- Cooking Class & Market Tour in Cuenca: $55
- Experience Ecuador: Join an Andean Cooking Class in Cuenca: $85
- Private Cooking Class: $125
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cabo San Lucas
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cabo San Lucas.
- Authentic Mexican Legacy Cooking Class in Cabo San Lucas: $75
- AvoCabo Food Tour : $78
- San Jose del Cabo Food Tour & Visit to the Market: $79
- Flavors of Authentic Mexican Food Tour: $79
- San Jose del Cabo Morning Food Tour: $83
- Catch of the day dinner in your private villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose del Cabo: $90
- San José del Cabo for Meat Lovers Food Tour: $90
- Private Mexican Cooking Class in Your Cabo San Lucas Villa or Condo: $90
- Parrillada dinner with a Private Chef in your villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose: $95
- Sunset Mexican Dinner Cruise and Live Music in Cabo San Lucas: $95
- Sunset Dinner Cruise with Tequila & tacos: $95
- Cabo Sunset Dinner Cruise with Live Music & Open Bar on Cabo Wave: $99
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cuenca $16Cabo San Lucas $39
Tours and Activities in Cuenca
Here are a few actual costs in Cuenca for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Cuenca-Ec- Highlights City Tour : $16
- Half-Day Biking and Walking Tour in Cuenca: $30
- Cuenca Half-Day City Tour Including Panama Hat Factory: $35
- Tour of the best of Cuenca walking through its Historic Center: $35
- Half-Day City Tour including Panama Hat Factory: $35
- Cajas National Park Half Day Tour from Cuenca: $39
- El Chorro waterfalls and Busa lake tour from Cuenca: $44
- Cuenca Your Way Exclusive Private City Tour: $45
- City Sightseeing Tour: $45
- Amazing Cajas National Park Tour from Cuenca: $47
- Wonderful Cajas National Park tour from Cuenca: $48
- Cajas National Park Small-Group tour from Cuenca: $48
Tours and Activities in Cabo San Lucas
Here are a few actual costs in Cabo San Lucas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Shared Experience Glass Bottom Boat to the Arch in Cabo San Lucas: $15
- Boat Tour to Cabo San Lucas Arch and Rock Formations: $17
- The Ultimate Camel Safari Experience in Los Cabos: $17
- Cabo San Lucas Arch Tour and we go down to Playa del Amor: $19
- Group tour of the Cabo San Lucas Arch: $19
- Cabo San Lucas Arc Group Tour in Glass Bottom Boat: $19
- 2 in 1 Tour | Arc Tour with Beach Drop: $19
- Tour to the Arch with Natural Views from Cabo San Lucas: $22
- Tour to Arch in the only Clear Boat in Cabo Cruise Hotel PICKUP!: $24
- Glass Bottom Boat Sightseeing Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $25
- Tour to Arch in the Clear Boat Cruise Ship Terminal Hotel PICKUP!: $26
- The Fenway Bar Experience: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCuenca $14Cabo San Lucas $26
Sample the Local Flavors in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cabo San Lucas:
- Cabo Bar Crawl - The BEST Bar and Clubs in Cabo : $60
- Wine Tasting Sunset Cruise Tour in San Jose del Cabo: $280
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cuenca and Cabo San Lucas, we can see that Cabo San Lucas is more expensive. And not only is Cuenca much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cuenca is in South America and Cabo San Lucas 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 Cuenca would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cuenca 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 Cabo San Lucas would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cabo San Lucas than you might in Cuenca.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cuenca Expensive? and Is Cabo San Lucas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cuenca or Cabo San Lucas?
Cuenca has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Cabo San Lucas. When comparing the sizes of Cuenca and Cabo San Lucas, 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.