A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Manama vs. Cancun for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Manama 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 Manama 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: Manama or Cancun?

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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Playa del Carmen, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Cancun.


Which place is cheaper, Cancun or Manama?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Manama is $190, while the average daily cost in Cancun is $153. 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 Manama and Cancun in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Manama $66
    Cancun $89
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Manama $132
    Cancun $178
Compare Hotels in Manama and Cancun

Looking for a hotel in Manama 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.

Hotels in Manama


Hotels in Cancun


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: Manama Hotel Prices and Cancun Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Manama $30
    Cancun $16

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cancun

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cancun:


  • Taxi Around Town
    $1.52
  • Airport Shuttle (for 2)
    $13
  • Ferry to Isla de Mujeres (for 2)
    $15
  • Local Bus (for 2)
    $1.85

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cancun

Also for Cancun, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Shared Transfer from Cancun Airport : $6.00
  • Cancun Airport Small-Group Transfer to Cancun Hotels: $6.00
  • Cancun Airport Shared Transfer: $8.50
  • Cancun Airport private transfer to Cancun hotel zone: $15
  • CUN Airport to Cancun City Centre Hotels Shared Transfer: $17
  • Cancun airport private transfer: $17
  • Private Transfer in Cancun: $17
  • Shared Round-Trip Transfer To/From Cancun International Airport: $20
  • Shared Transfer to Cancun Downtown or Hotel Zone: $20
  • transfers between hotels in Cancun hotel strip: $20
  • Private Transfer from Cancun Airport (CUN): $23
  • Private Transfer to Cancun Airport (CUN): $23

Is it cheaper to fly into Manama or Cancun?

Prices for flights to both Cancun and Manama 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 day
    Manama $97
    Cancun $45

Typical Food Prices in Cancun

For Cancun, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Lunch for Two
    $19

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cancun

For Cancun, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Cancun Pirate Ship Adventure : Dinner & Show at Sea 2 for 1 Deal: $50
  • Mayan Chichen Itza And Pirate Dinner Two Day Experience: $57
  • Pirate Show in Cancun! Dinner & drinks: $62
  • Cancun Street Food Tour with Food Stalls, Local Market and Murals: $64
  • Pirate Night! Dinner, Fun and Show at Cancun : $65
  • Pirate Shop & Dinner at Cancun! Drinks, Adventure and Fun: $65
  • Cancun Walking Food Tour: Local Food, Markets, and Street Art.: $77
  • Puerto Morelos Walking Food Tour: $77
  • Mexican Cooking Class with fresh Local Market ingredients selection and transpor: $79
  • Cancun Hands-On Mexican Cooking Class : $79
  • Columbus Romantic Dinner in Cancún: $79
  • Cancun Private Mural Art and Food Tour: $81

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Manama $34
    Cancun $32

Typical Entertainment Prices in Cancun

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cancun's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Seasick Pills
    $0.54
  • Whale Shark Tour (for 2)
    $92

Tours and Activities in Cancun

For Cancun, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • ATV Tour, Zip Lines, Horseback Riding, Cenote and Tequila Tasting: $10
  • Tour to Kin Ha Cenotes with Craft Jewelry Workshop : $12
  • Cancun Mayan Museum Skip-the-Line Ticket: $14
  • Speedboat and Snorkeling Adventure in Cancun: $14
  • Speedboat jungle tour and snorkel: $15
  • Isla Mujeres Catamaran Adventure Snorkeling, Spinnaker and Lunch: $15
  • Tour to Isla Mujeres with Snorkeling : $15
  • Tulum and Coba Archaeological Tour with Cenote Swim: $16
  • Chichen Itza Day Tour with Cenote Swim and Valladolid Visit: $16
  • Isla Mujeres Catamaran Tour with Snorkeling, Open Bar and Buffet: $16
  • Full Day Tour to Coba and Tulum Cenote Swim and Lunch: $16
  • Speedboat Tour with Snorkeling in Cancun – Drive Your Own Boat!: $16

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Manama $11
    Cancun $12

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: $35


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Manama and Cancun, we can see that Manama is more expensive. And not only is Cancun much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Manama is in Middle East 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 Cancun would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cancun 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 Manama would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Manama than you might in Cancun.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Manama Expensive? and Is Cancun Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Manama or Cancun?

Cancun has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Manama. When comparing the sizes of Manama 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.