These Are The 3 Cheapest Countries To Visit In Central America For 2024

Last Updated 5 hours ago

Looking for a cheap winter getaway in 2024?

Forget the Caribbean and Mexico — these 3 countries in Central America are the most affordable for American travelers!

Central America is an incredibly diverse place to explore. Made up of six countries, there’s something for every type of traveler here.

Whether you’re hunting for amazing beaches, cultural cities, active adventures, or something else, you can find it in Central America.

And budget travelers will be pleased to find out that many countries in Central America are very affordable.

Based on data from BudgetYourTrip, we’ve found that it’s possible to travel in these destinations for just $50 to $60 a day including food, transportation, and accommodation.

These are the three cheapest countries in Central America to visit in 2024:

Guatemala

The most affordable destination in Central America is Guatemala. This gorgeous country is the most affordable in Central America and is perfect for a winter getaway.

Some highlights of Guatemala include the colorful colonial city of Antigua, the epic Acatenango volcano hike, the stunning Lake Atitlan, and the fascinating Mayan ruins of Tikal.

According to BudgetYourTrip, the average daily cost of travel in Guatemala is $48 per day, or $679 for a week-long vacation for two people.

Getting to Guatemala is cheap too — there are tons of affordable nonstop flights from major U.S. cities to Guatemala City. For example, flying from New York’s JFK to Guatemala City is under $200 on JetBlue this winter. You can find round-trip flights for under $300 from other cities too.

Santa Catalina Street, The Cobblestone Laden High Street In Antigua Guatemala, A Colonial Era Town In Guatemala, Central America, Latin America

Nicaragua

Another one of the cheapest countries in Central America is Nicaragua. This is a country that combines culture and beaches really well. The historic cities of Leon and Granada are both well worth a visit, but the country also boasts plenty of natural beauty including Lake Apoyo and two coasts with great beaches.

On the Pacific side, beaches like San Juan del Sur are known for being surfing (and party!) hotspots. Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast is more remote, but it’s worth the effort to visit beautiful and untouched destinations like the Corn Islands.

All of this exploring in Nicaragua doesn’t have to break the bank, either. Based on estimated travel costs, you can expect to spend $54 per day or $754 for a week-long trip for two people.

Flights from the U.S. to Nicaragua are limited, so it usually works out cheaper to fly into Liberia, Costa Rica, which has lots of nonstop flights from the United States. Then, it’s less than two hours by tourist shuttle to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua.

Woman looking out over San Juan del Sur beach town in Nicaragua

Honduras

Honduras often gets a bad rap for being the most dangerous country in Central America.

However, if you stick to the tourist trail in Honduras, you won’t have anything to worry about. In fact, this underrated destination has only been growing in popularity with American travelers recently.

It’s another one of the cheapest destinations in Central America, with an average cost of $57 per day or $799 for a week-long trip for two people.

Specifically, the Bay Islands of Honduras are extremely popular with tourists.

These islands on the Caribbean coast of Honduras offer stunning beaches and an abundance of great scuba diving and snorkeling spots. Roatan is the most popular of the Bay Islands, but Utila is the best choice for budget travelers — it’s more affordable and has some of the cheapest diving in the Caribbean!

In Utila, you can expect to pay $15 to $20 a night for a basic room and as little as $30 per dive.