Which place is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or Santa Marta?
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 Santa Marta or Cabo San Lucas?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Santa Marta and Cabo San Lucas 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: Santa Marta or Cabo San Lucas?
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.
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 Eco Tours in Colombia, The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Colombia, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, and The Best Historical Tours in Mexico.
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Santa Marta Prices
Colombia PricesCabo San Lucas Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySanta Marta $39Cabo San Lucas $159
The average daily cost (per person) in Santa Marta is $39, 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 Santa Marta and Cabo San Lucas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSanta Marta $14Cabo San Lucas $57
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSanta Marta $28Cabo San Lucas $114
Compare Hotels in Santa Marta and Cabo San Lucas
Looking for a hotel in Santa Marta 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: Santa Marta Hotel Prices and Cabo San Lucas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Santa Marta $5.15Cabo San Lucas $25
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cabo San Lucas:
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer in San José del Cabo HTL-APT(SJD): $105
- Transfer to Cabo San Lucas from Round Trip Airport: $267
- Shared Arrival Transfer: Los Cabos International Airport to Hotel: $23
- Roundtrip Luxury Private Airport and City Transfers.: $170
- Private transfer SJD Airport to San Jose del Cabo Hotels One Way: $100
- Private Transfer to Los Cabos Airport from Rancho San Lucas : $33
- Private Transfer in Los Cabos Airport to hotels or vice versa: $108
- Private Transfer from the Airport to Hotels in Los Cabos 1-10px: $175
- Private Transfer from San Jose Del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas Port: $100
- Private Transfer from SJD to Cabo San Lucas / San Jose del Cabo: $100
- Private Transfer from Los Cabos Airport to Cabo San Lucas: $210
- Private Transfer from Los Cabos Airport (SJD) to Cabo San Lucas hotels : $144
Is it cheaper to fly into Santa Marta or Cabo San Lucas?
Prices for flights to both Cabo San Lucas and Santa Marta 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 daySanta Marta $17Cabo San Lucas $80
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
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.Santa Marta $13Cabo San Lucas $39
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
Tours and Activities in Cabo San Lucas
Here are a few actual costs in Cabo San Lucas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Art and Wine Evening City tour in San Jose del Cabo for Adults: $119
- Beach ATV y Camel Ride y Sky Bike Adventure: $140
- Camel Ride, UTV, and The Arch Tour with Lunch & Tequila Tasting!: $249
- OffRoad 4X4 UTV Adventure with unlimited Lunch & Tequila : $199
- Platinum Snorkel Tour : $239
- Traditional Tequila Tasting Experience with Jorge Cuervo: $87
- "Exclusive Cabo San Lucas Trimaran Experience with Snorkeling": $180
- 1 Hour Jet Ski Adventure : $180
- 2 Hours Horseback Riding Adventure in Cabo: $130
- 2 Tank Tour in Cabo San Lucas Reserve, Certified Divers with MANTA: $138
- 2 in 1 Tour | Arc Tour with Beach Drop: $19
- 2-Hour ATV Riding Experience in San Jose del Cabo: $110
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySanta Marta $6.55Cabo San Lucas $26
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
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 Santa Marta and Cabo San Lucas, we can see that Cabo San Lucas is more expensive. And not only is Santa Marta much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Santa Marta 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 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 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 Santa Marta.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Santa Marta Expensive? and Is Cabo San Lucas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Santa Marta or Cabo San Lucas?
Santa Marta has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Cabo San Lucas. When comparing the sizes of Santa Marta 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.