Aerial view of Castillo San Felipe del Morro on the tip of Old San Juan
Aerial view of Cancún's Hotel Zone beach and turquoise Caribbean water

Puerto Rico (San Juan) vs. Mexico (Cancún)

Caribbean beach week with no passport, or Mexico's all-inclusive coast?

Beach🗓 7 nights👥 2 adults✈ Round trip from Los Angeles📅 Checked October 2026

Flying from

Photos: San Juan: Nils Huenerfuerst, CC BY 4.0 · Cancún: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons · Photo credits

Heads up: every price on this page is a sample estimate, not live pricing or a quote. Ranges are based on published typical fares and rates plus our own assumptions (see sources below). Switch the departure airport above to recalculate. Use the buttons to check today's real prices.

. Flight fares and all totals are estimates, not live pricing.

San Juan

≈ $4,380

$3,174–$5,580

Roughly a wash: the midpoints are within about $150 of each other.

Flying from Los Angeles (LAX)

Sample estimate, not live pricing

Cancún

≈ $4,220

$3,023–$5,424

Aerial view of Castillo San Felipe del Morro on the tip of Old San Juan
US trip

Puerto Rico (San Juan)

Puerto Rico (USA) · SJU

All-in total, 7 nights for 2 adults, round trip from Los Angeles (LAX)

$3,174–$5,580

Midpoint ≈ $4,380 · ≈ $2,190 per person

Sample estimate, not live pricing
Cost breakdown (sample estimate, not live pricing)
ItemEstimate
Round-trip flights from LAX2 × $327–$375 per person$654–$750
Lodging7 nights × $180–$320 per night$1,260–$2,240
Food & drink7 days × $100–$170 per day$700–$1,190
Local transport7 days × $30–$80 per day$210–$560
Activities7 days × $50–$120 per day$350–$840
Total Sample estimate, not live pricing$3,174–$5,580
Flight time from Los Angeles
About 8–10 hr, usually 1 stop
Best time to go
Mid-April–June for value; December–March is peak (dry, pricier). Hurricane season June–November.
Entry
No passport needed for US citizens (US territory).
Watch for
Hotel room tax and resort fees in Condado/Isla Verde; rental car only needed if you leave the city (El Yunque, beaches).
Best for
Colonial history, beaches, no passport

Book flights, tours & more for San Juan ↓ (affiliate links)

Aerial view of Cancún's Hotel Zone beach and turquoise Caribbean water
Abroad

Mexico (Cancún)

Mexico · CUN

All-in total, 7 nights for 2 adults, round trip from Los Angeles (LAX)

$3,023–$5,424

Midpoint ≈ $4,220 · ≈ $2,110 per person

Sample estimate, not live pricing
Cost breakdown (sample estimate, not live pricing)
ItemEstimate
Round-trip flights from LAX2 × $444–$542 per person$888–$1,084
Lodging7 nights × $150–$300 per night$1,050–$2,100
Food & drink7 days × $80–$150 per day$560–$1,050
Local transport7 days × $25–$50 per day$175–$350
Activities7 days × $50–$120 per day$350–$840
Total Sample estimate, not live pricing$3,023–$5,424
Flight time from Los Angeles
About 4.5–5 hr nonstop
Best time to go
December–April (dry season); late April–May for lower prices. Hurricane season runs June–November.
Entry
Passport required. Mexico tourist entry form, plus Quintana Roo's VISITAX visitor fee.
Watch for
VISITAX and hotel taxes; tipping culture similar to the US; all-inclusive resorts change the math (higher room rate, lower food spend).
Best for
Turquoise water, ruins, all-inclusive value

Book flights, tours & more for Cancún ↓ (affiliate links)

All-in totals by departure city

7 nights for 2 adults, round-trip flights from each city included. Midpoint of our estimate range, with the full range below it. Sample estimate, not live pricing.

Flying fromSan JuanCancúnResult
Los Angeles (LAX)≈ $4,380$3,174–$5,580≈ $4,220$3,023–$5,424Roughly even (within ~$150)
Las Vegas (LAS)≈ $4,580$3,220–$5,930≈ $4,290$2,995–$5,590Roughly even (within ~$300)
Phoenix (PHX)≈ $4,750$3,370–$6,132≈ $4,470$3,177–$5,772Roughly even (within ~$300)
Denver (DEN)≈ $4,770$3,314–$6,234≈ $4,260$2,901–$5,622Cancún ~$500 cheaper
Dallas (DFW)≈ $4,380$3,086–$5,680≈ $3,890$2,561–$5,218Cancún ~$500 cheaper
Seattle (SEA)≈ $4,920$3,482–$6,352≈ $4,570$3,193–$5,952Roughly even (within ~$350)
Chicago (CHI)≈ $4,290$2,922–$5,648≈ $4,040$2,793–$5,280Roughly even (within ~$250)
New York (NYC)≈ $4,400$2,964–$5,828≈ $4,260$2,849–$5,670Roughly even (within ~$150)

Book this trip

Flights search from Los Angeles (LAX) for a 7-night trip; switch the departure city above to update. Prices on partner sites are live and may differ from our estimates.

Puerto Rico (San Juan)

Flights from LAXAviasalesThings to doTiqets

Mexico (Cancún)

Flights from LAXAviasalesThings to doTiqetseSIM dataAiraloAirport transferWelcome Pickups

Puerto Rico vs Cancún cost breakdown: where the money goes

Midpoint of each estimate range, 2 adults, 7 nights, flying from Los Angeles (LAX). Sample estimate, not live pricing.

Round-trip flights from Los Angeles

San Juan ≈ $700
Cancún ≈ $990

Lodging

San Juan ≈ $1,750
Cancún ≈ $1,580

Food & drink

San Juan ≈ $950
Cancún ≈ $810

Local transport

San Juan ≈ $390
Cancún ≈ $260

Activities

San Juan ≈ $600
Cancún ≈ $600

The verdict: is Cancún cheaper than Puerto Rico?

Roughly a wash: the midpoints are within about $150 of each other. (from Los Angeles, sample estimate, not live pricing)

A near tie from most departure cities we cover: Cancún's rooms and meals run a little cheaper, while San Juan's fares are lower from some cities and higher from others. From Denver and Dallas, Cancún comes out roughly $500 cheaper; from the other cities we cover, the two weeks land within 8% of each other. Pick San Juan for Old San Juan's history and travel without a passport; Cancún for turquoise water, Mayan ruins and the all-inclusive option.

Puerto Rico vs Cancún: common questions

Answers use flights from Los Angeles unless a city is named; see the table above for every departure city.

Is Cancún cheaper than Puerto Rico?

It's close. Flying from Los Angeles, the two land within about $150 of each other for 2 adults and 7 nights (≈ $4,220 for Cancún vs ≈ $4,380 for Puerto Rico, flights included). Cancún is cheaper from 2 of the 8 US departure cities we cover (Denver and Dallas), by about $500. It's roughly even from Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Seattle, Chicago and New York. These are midpoints of our sample estimates, not live prices.

Is Cancún cheaper than Puerto Rico from Denver?

Yes. Flying from Denver, Cancún comes out about $500 cheaper for 2 adults and 7 nights (≈ $4,260 vs ≈ $4,770 all-in, flights included).

How much does a week in Cancún cost for two?

About $3,023–$5,424 all-in (midpoint ≈ $4,220, ≈ $2,110 per person) for 7 nights for 2 adults with round-trip flights from Los Angeles: flights $888–$1,084, lodging $1,050–$2,100, food & drink $560–$1,050, local transport $175–$350, activities $350–$840. The same week in Puerto Rico runs about $3,174–$5,580.

How long is the flight from Los Angeles to Cancún?

About 4.5–5 hr nonstop. For comparison, Puerto Rico: About 8–10 hr, usually 1 stop.

When is the best time to visit Puerto Rico or Cancún?

Puerto Rico: Mid-April–June for value; December–March is peak (dry, pricier). Hurricane season June–November. Cancún: December–April (dry season); late April–May for lower prices. Hurricane season runs June–November.

Sources, notes & assumptions

Flight ranges come from typical round-trip economy fares that fare-search sites (KAYAK, Google Flights, Priceline, momondo, Expedia, airline fare pages) published for each route from each departure airport we cover (currently LAS and LAX), viewed October 2026. Lodging uses published hotel averages where we found them (Engine's August 2026 US city averages; Budget Your Trip traveler averages abroad), adjusted to a mid-range room; otherwise it is an editor estimate. Daily food, local transport and activity budgets are editor estimates for a mid-range couple; where a Budget Your Trip average exists we set the range around it, but the range bounds are our own judgment and have NOT been verified against a single published source. Ski lift tickets use published 2025/26 (or 2026/27) resort prices; euro and yen prices are converted at editor-assumed exchange rates. Taxes, resort fees, baggage fees and tips may not be fully included. Flight ranges marked "Travelpayouts (Aviasales) Data API" in the sources are refreshed automatically from cached round-trip economy fares that Aviasales users found recently for departures about 1–4 months out (low = cheapest fare found, high = roughly the 75th percentile); routes without enough fresh data keep their previous published-fare range.

Puerto Rico (San Juan)

Last checked: 2026-10-18

Transport range spans 'rideshare only' up to a few days of rental car.

Mexico (Cancún)

Last checked: 2026-10-18

Lodging is a mid-range, non-all-inclusive hotel-zone room. An all-inclusive could replace most of the food line.

Assumptions: economy fares, 1 mid-range room, 7 nights / 7 days of spending, 2 adults. Excludes passports, travel insurance, checked-bag fees and souvenirs unless noted. Found a better number? Tell us.

More matchups

Beach walk and sand at Kāʻanapali Beach on Maui's west coast
Lisbon's Alfama hillside with the São Vicente de Fora monastery and the National Pantheon dome above the Tagus
vs Beach

Maui vs. Lisbon

Is Hawaii really cheaper than Europe? Once you add up the hotel bill, maybe not.

US Maui ≈ $6,670
Abroad Lisbon ≈ $4,090

Cheaper: Lisbon · 7 nights, 2 adults, from Los Angeles Sample estimate, not live pricing
Art Deco hotels and palm trees along Ocean Drive in Miami Beach
Aerial view of Cancún's Hotel Zone beach and turquoise Caribbean water
vs Beach

Miami vs. Cancún

Two beach cities, similar flight times. Which week costs less?

US Miami ≈ $4,550
Abroad Cancún ≈ $4,220

Close call · 7 nights, 2 adults, from Los Angeles Sample estimate, not live pricing
Sea lions on the rocks at La Jolla Cove, San Diego
The crowned tower of the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe above a street in Puerto Vallarta
vs Beach

San Diego vs. Puerto Vallarta

Pacific beaches, tacos and sunsets: SoCal or Mexico's Pacific coast?

US San Diego ≈ $4,490
Abroad Puerto Vallarta ≈ $3,600

Cheaper: Puerto Vallarta · 7 nights, 2 adults, from Los Angeles Sample estimate, not live pricing

See all 32 matchups →