Which place is cheaper, El Calafate or Acapulco de Juarez?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Acapulco de Juarez or El Calafate?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Acapulco de Juarez or El Calafate? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Acapulco de Juarez or El Calafate?
Acapulco de Juarez
Located on the southwestern Pacific Coast of Mexico is the beautiful beach city of Acapulco de Juarez. Acapulco is one of the original travel and resort destinations in Mexico, and it's still considered a popular spring break destination for Americans. Known as simply "Acapulco" to many travelers, this region is a popular spot for cruise lines to stop and timeshares to grow. Thanks to those cruise lines and timeshares, tourist activities like water parks and jet skis have experienced considerable growth.
El Calafate
Located in Patagonia, El Calafate has become a popular tourist destination in Argentina because of its beautiful setting on the stunningly blue Lago Argentina. The town sits on the southern border of the lake in the southwestern part of the Santa Cruz Province. It's about 320 kilometers from Rio Gallegos.
The rise in popularity of Patagonia as a tourist destination has truly put this small town on the map. You'll find no shortage of trekkers in the town and it makes an excellent base to explore different parts of the Los Glaciares National Park. Popular places to visit include Perito Moreno Glacier, Cerro Chalten, and Cerro Torre.
El Calafate has a cold semi-arid climate. The summers are cool to warm and very dry while the winters are cold and damp. Lago Argentino has a significant influence over the town's climate. The shallow bay where the town is located is usually frozen during the winter months.
Check out our ultimate guide to Hiking in Patagonia.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina, and The Best Adventure Tours to Argentina.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAcapulco de Juarez $81El Calafate $10
The average daily cost (per person) in Acapulco de Juarez is $81, while the average daily cost in El Calafate is $10. 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 Acapulco de Juarez and El Calafate in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAcapulco de Juarez $39El Calafate $3.42
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAcapulco de Juarez $78El Calafate $6.84
Compare Hotels in Acapulco de Juarez and El Calafate
Looking for a hotel in Acapulco de Juarez or El Calafate? 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: Acapulco de Juarez Hotel Prices and El Calafate Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Acapulco de Juarez $16El Calafate $3.53
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Acapulco de Juarez
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Acapulco de Juarez:
- Transfer in private minivan from Bahía de Acapulco -Acapulco Airport (ACA): $32
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from Bahía de Acapulco - Acapulco Airport (ACA): $24
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from Acapulco Airport (ACA) -Bahía de Acapulco: $24
- Shared transfer from Acapulco Airport (ACA) - Acapulco: $6.00
- Roundtrip Transfer Private Vehicle Acapulco Airport (ACA) - Bahia de Acapulco: $49
- Private Airport Transfer &on 2nd Day 4Hr TourAll AttractionsCombo: $90
- Airport Transfer in Suburban: $65
- Acapulco hotels to Acapulco Airport (ACA) – Departure Private Transfer : $20
- Acapulco Airport Transfer: $10
- Private Best Round Trip Airport - Hotel - Airport Transfer : $70
- Private - One Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $66
Typical Local Transportation Prices in El Calafate
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in El Calafate:
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Taxi$1.39
Hired Cars and Shuttles in El Calafate
Also for El Calafate, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Laguna de Los Tres Transfer & Self-Guided Hike: $101
- Perito Moreno Glacier Mini Trek with Transfer: $456
- Private Airport Transfer: $64
- Transfers Between Airport and Hotels: $12
- Excursion to the Perito Moreno Glacier, with guide and transfer to / from the hotel: $60
- Private Transfer Hotel-Bus Station or Bus Station-Hotel (Calafate): $35
- Roundtrip transfer in Private Car from Calafate Airport (FTE)- Calafate City: $49
- Shared Transfer Airport-Hotel-Airport (Calafate): $32
- Shared Transfer from El Calafate Airport to downtown Hotel: $15
- Shared transfer to El Calafate -El Chaltén: $75
- Transfer from the airport to your hotel in El Calafate: $14
Is it cheaper to fly into Acapulco de Juarez or El Calafate?
Prices for flights to both El Calafate and Acapulco de Juarez 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 dayAcapulco de Juarez $29El Calafate $3.71
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Acapulco de Juarez
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Acapulco de Juarez.
- High Divers DeLuxe Three Course Dinner +Three Drinks plus SUNSET: $49
- Cliff Divers Exhibition 2 Drinks + Tacos al Pastor Dinner & Beer: $55
- Cliff Diver De Luxe 3 Course Dinner at "La Quebrada" in Acapulco: $56
- Cliff Divers Show With Dinner At Acapulco: $72
- Wrestling-Lucha Libre Experience Tacos Beer Dinner Only SUNDAY: $84
- Off the Beaten Path Mexican Cooking Class Lagoon Boatride &Lunch: $89
- Hands ON - Mex Cooking Class Experience - City Market & Lunch : $90
- Hands On Mexican Cooking Class with Food Tasting & Market Visit: $100
- Mexican Fiesta Show & Dinner: $115
- Bella Vista PRIVATE Al Fresco 3 Course Dinner Cliff Diver3Drinks: $191
- Super DeLuxe Bella Vista Dinner &1 Drink +2 Drinks at CliffDivers: $193
- Divers Show and Luxury Dinner in Acapulco: $199
Typical Food Prices in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dessert$0.01
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Dinner$1.81
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Dinner$1.07
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Argentine Dinner with Live Music Folklore -Estancia 25 de Mayo: $48
- Country Afternoon with Dinner Show - Estancia 25 de Mayo: $100
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Tour with Dinner & Transfer: $126
- Lakes and Caves Tour with Dinner: $141
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Experience with Dinner from Calafate: $155
- Estancia 25 de Mayo in El Calafate - PM visit with dinner: $186
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Acapulco de Juarez $18El Calafate $3.71
Tours and Activities in Acapulco de Juarez
Here are a few actual costs in Acapulco de Juarez for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 4Hrs City Tour Exclusively for Hotels, Divers, Chapel & Mural.: $44
- 6Hr Walking Tour San Diego Fort Museum Cliff Divers Zocalo: $68
- Small-Group or Private All Inclusive 4 Hours City Tour & Divers: $36
- 4 Hrs Exclusive to Cruise Ship Passengers Sightseeing Experience : $62
- 4-6Hrs Acapulco City Tour With a Fun Guide. Diver Show, Mex Lunch: $47
- 4Hrs Small Group Half Day City Tour with Lunch at High Divers: $85
- 4hr City Tour For Cruises or Hotels Diver Peace Chapel & Mural: $40
- 6Hr City Tour Cruise or Hotel Turtle Nesting High Diver & Market: $51
- 6Hr Cruise or Hotels City Tour, Divers, Baby Turtles Peace Chapel: $51
- 6Hr Cruisers or Hotels High Diver Peace Chapel BabyTurtleRelease: $50
- Acapulco City Tour : $35
- Acapulco Historical Tour with Cliff Divers Show: $65
Typical Entertainment Prices in El Calafate
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for El Calafate's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Glacerium Museum$1.39
Tours and Activities in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Panoramic Tour with Punta Walichu: $57
- Perito Moreno Glacier & Optional Boat Cruise: $62
- El Calafate, Perito Moreno Glacier classic tour with guide: $62
- Argentine Cuisine Experience in El Calafate: $65
- Southroad Calafate Balcony Experience with Tour Mode Options: $70
- From Full-Day Tour to El Chaltén: $79
- El Calafate City Sightseeing Tour Including Walichu Caves: $80
- El Chalten Complete Experience Full Day Tour from El Calafate: $80
- Full Day Guided Tour Perito Moreno National Park and Glacier: $80
- El Calafate City Tour and Walichu caves: $81
- Perito Moreno Glacier Sightseeing Tour: $87
- Half-Day Tour at Estancia 25 de Mayo Field Afternoon: $90
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAcapulco de Juarez $11El Calafate $1.86
Typical Alcohol Prices in El Calafate
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in El Calafate:
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Beer$0.01
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Alcohol$0.37
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Acapulco de Juarez and El Calafate, we can see that Acapulco de Juarez is more expensive. And not only is El Calafate much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Acapulco de Juarez is in North America and El Calafate 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 El Calafate would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in El Calafate 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 Acapulco de Juarez would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Acapulco de Juarez than you might in El Calafate.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Acapulco de Juarez Expensive? and Is El Calafate Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Acapulco de Juarez or El Calafate?
Acapulco de Juarez has a larger population, and is about 80 times larger than the population of El Calafate. When comparing the sizes of Acapulco de Juarez and El Calafate, 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.