A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Roatan vs. Mendoza for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Roatan or Mendoza?

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 Roatan and Mendoza. 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: Roatan or Mendoza?

Roatan

Your next great vacation lies just thirty miles off the north coast of Honduras. Right above the world's largest coral reef is the island of Roatan. As a popular tourist attraction and standard cruise destination, it's not uncommon to see tons of Americans during your trip. In fact, the cruising industry has had huge impact on the island's culture. While ships are in port, traffic will be heavier and prices may go up. Because of the growth of tourism, most locals speak both Spanish and English.

Mendoza

Mendoza is a city in western Argentina and more precisely in the desertic Cuyo region. Mendoza is the center of the Argentinian wine industry and is famed around the world for its vineyards and wine production. Spread across the valley of the Rio Mendoza and in the foothills of the Andean mountain range, Mendoza is also near the Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside of the Himalayas. The bustling and scenic city of wide, leafy avenues, atmospheric plazas and cosmopolitan cafes spoils visitors with unique natural attractions and historical landmarks. If you can, visit Mendoza during the harvest festival at the end of February. There are many events and festivals in Mendoza and they are usually free. Each has a different theme, and they usually have a stage with singing and dancing and booths that sell food around a plaza. Seventy percent of Argentina's wines are produced here, and Mendoza is especially known for its world-famous malbecs.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras, The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras, The Best 2-Week Tours from Buenos Aires, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina.


Which place is cheaper, Mendoza or Roatan?

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 Roatan is $42, while the average daily cost in Mendoza is $56. 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 Roatan and Mendoza in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Roatan $11
    Mendoza $43
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Roatan $22
    Mendoza $86
Compare Hotels in Roatan and Mendoza

Looking for a hotel in Roatan or Mendoza? 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 Roatan


Hotels in Mendoza


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: Roatan Hotel Prices and Mendoza Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Roatan $18
    Mendoza $4.18
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Roatan

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Roatan are as follows:


  • Water Taxi
    $4.00

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mendoza

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

  • Shared 1-Way or Round Trip MDZ Airport Transfer: $11
  • Private Transfer from Mendoza Airport (MDZ): $17
  • Private Transfer MDZ Airport - Main Town: $20
  • 6-Seats Private Transfer in Mendoza with Personal Driver: $21
  • MDZ Airport Private Transfer to Mendoza City Center: $22
  • Mendoza Airport Shuttle Transfer: $22
  • Shared Transfer Mendoza Bus Station / Downtown Hotel: $23
  • Private Transfer in Mendoza: $25
  • One-Way Private Transfer from Airport: $25
  • One Way Shared Transfer Mendoza Airport/Downtown Hotel: $33
  • Mendoza Intl Airport (MDZ) to Mendoza - Arrival Private Transfer: $34
  • Mendoza Airport Departure Transfer: $34

Is it cheaper to fly into Roatan or Mendoza?

Prices for flights to both Mendoza and Roatan 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
    Roatan $15
    Mendoza $5.85

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Mendoza

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

  • Argentine BBQ on Terrace with Views. Dinner, Sunset.: $80
  • Mendoza Cooking Experience with Unlimited Wine & Cocktails: $95
  • Argentine Hands-On Cooking & Wine Experience in Mendoza: $95
  • Bar Safari 4 Best Mendoza’s Bars in 1 Night with Full Dinner: $167
  • Bar Safari: 4 Best Mendoza’s Bars in 1 night. + Full Dinner: $180
  • Horseback Riding at Sunset and Dinner in Mendoza: $185
  • Tango Show with Dinner at Hualta Winery Hotel: $190
  • Full-Day Small-Group Mendoza Wine Tasting Tour with Lunch or Dinner: $199
  • City Tour with Dinner at a Local Restaurant: $200
  • Winery Los Toneles + Dinner in Saffron Restó. Private transportation: $250

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Roatan $26
    Mendoza $23

Tours and Activities in Roatan

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Roatan are as follows:

  • Monkeys and sloths, private tour , and beach: $89

Tours and Activities in Mendoza

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

  • Self-guided bike tour of Maipu (Mendoza): $15
  • Malbec Experience in Bodega Tierras Altas: $22
  • Tour autoguiado en bicicleta por Luján de Cuyo (Mendoza): $23
  • City tour with visit to General San Martin Park: $24
  • City Tour of Mendoza: $25
  • City Tour: $25
  • Renacer Winery Experience: $25
  • City Tour: $25
  • Wine and Olive Oil Tasting Half-Day Tour: $34
  • Half-Day Sightseeing Tour: $34
  • City Tour Mendoza Completo con Chocolatería y Cerro de la Gloria: $35
  • Half-Day Sightseeing City Tour: $35

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Roatan $6.64
    Mendoza $5.94

Sample the Local Flavors in Mendoza

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Mendoza:

  • Classic Wine Tasting: $44
  • Premium Wine Tasting: $66
  • Half-Day Wine Tour with Tastings: $80
  • Make an Argentine Asado BBQ w/ Local Host & Wine Tasting: $89
  • El Enemigo and Casa Vigil Wine Tour: $93
  • In Mendoza Wine Tours, Empanadas, and Olive Oil: $99
  • Mendoza Private Wine Tour Paired Lunch and Olive Oil Tasting: $115
  • Classic Wine Tour on a Budget. Lunch. Private Driver: $120
  • Wine Tour with Lunch and Transport in Mendoza: $130
  • Full Day Wine Tour with 3 Course Lunch: $164
  • Wine tasting region Uco Valley in Mendoza: $180
  • Bike Tour at Zuccardi: Olive Oil, Wine Tasting & Lunch: $182


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

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


Which is Bigger, Roatan or Mendoza?

Mendoza has a larger population, and is about 120 times larger than the population of Roatan. When comparing the sizes of Roatan and Mendoza, 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.