Should you visit Asuncion or Cafayate?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Asuncion or Cafayate, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Asuncion
Asuncion is a vastly underrated city. It is the capital but also the administrative economic and cultural center of Paraguay. It is located in the south central part of the country, near the border with Argentina and it is one of the oldest cities in South America, with people living here since almost 500 years. The city has a beautiful and simple center, with a few unique colonial and beaux arts buildings, international cuisine, shady plazas and friendly people. Its handful of historic buildings around the Plaza de los Heroes, Plaza Uruguaya and Manzana de la Ribera, two or three small museums, old bars and cafes, but also smart suburbs, ritzy shopping malls and fashionable nightclubs will keep you entertained for a day or two. It is a very charming city for travellers and apart from the sights, the city boasts a good tourist infrastructure with hotels and restaurants.
Cafayate
Cafayate is located in the province of Salta, in the central zone of the Valles Calchaquies. The small town has about 12,000 residents and is 1,329 kilometers from Buenos Aires.
People head to the small town of Cafayate to explore its vineyards and unique rock formations. It has become an important tourist destination in the area and there is a large golf course under construction just outside of town.
Cafayate is an important wine production center. The wines in the area thrive from the low humidity mild weather of the valleys. The town receives less than 250 millimeters of precipitation a year.
Which city is cheaper, Cafayate or Asuncion?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Asuncion is $59, while the average daily cost in Cafayate is $85. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Asuncion and Cafayate in more detail.
Accommodation
The prices for places to stay in Asuncion can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is $19, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around $38.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $64 in Cafayate For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
In Asuncion travelers spend around $15 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
While meal prices in Cafayate can vary, the average travelers spends about $35 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Cafayate should cost around $14 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Cafayate is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Asuncion $15
Cafayate $35
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Asuncion
For Asuncion, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Asunción Dinner and Show Experience:
$93
-
Private Tour: Asuncion at Night with Dinner Show:
$103
-
Dinner Show in Asuncion:
$149
Typical Food prices in Cafayate
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Cafayate:
-
Dinner (Empanadas)
$0.22
-
Sandwich
$0.09
-
Pizza
$0.17
Local Transportation
To get around in Asuncion, the average visitor spends $7.68 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Cafayate than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $17 on transportation in Cafayate on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Asuncion
Also for Asuncion, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Asunción Airport:
$47
-
Private Arrival Transfer: Asunción Airport to Hotel:
$47
-
Round Trip Transfer Silvio Pettirossi Airport (ASU) to Asuncion City Center:
$46
-
Transfer in private minivan from Asuncion City to Silvio Pettirosi Airport:
$37
-
Transfer in private car from Asuncion City to Asuncion Silvio Pettirosi Airport:
$30
-
Private Airport Transfer: from Asuncion to Silvio Pettirossi Int. Airport (ASU):
$26
Entertainment
In Asuncion, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $14 per person, per day.
Sightseeing expenses in Cafayate, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $38 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Asuncion
For Asuncion, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
2 Hours Catamaran Tour from the Asunción Bay with Audio Guide:
$55
-
Asuncion Birding Tour:
$70
-
Asunción City Market Tour:
$72
-
Asunción Like a Local: Customized Private Tour:
$31
-
Asunción Small-Group Art and Cultural Walking Tour:
$78
-
Birding and Nature Chaco Tour:
$140
-
City Tour Asunción:
$48
-
Crystal Fall - day tour in a reduced group:
$110
-
Cultural City 3 Hour Tour in Asuncion by Bus:
$99
-
Day Tour “Cerrito”:
$231
-
Day tour to “National Park Ybycuí”:
$265
-
Day tour “Circuito San Bernardino”:
$214
Tours and Activities in Cafayate
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Cafayate.
-
Cachi Full-Day Tour:
$58
-
Cafayate and Calchaqui Valley Winery Tour:
$50
-
From Salta: Full-Day Wine and Valley Tour to Cafayate:
$53
-
Half-Day Wine Road Premium Tour From Cafayate:
$109
-
Quebrada De Las Conchas Bike Tour from Cafayate:
$182
-
Tour Quebrada De Las Conchas - Cafayate - Salta:
$27
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Asuncion spend on average $9.01 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Cafayate, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $35.
Typical Alcohol prices in Asuncion
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Asuncion are as follows:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Asuncion and Cafayate, we can see that Cafayate is more expensive. And not only is Asuncion much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Asuncion would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Asuncion 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 Cafayate would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cafayate than you might in Asuncion.
Related Articles for Asuncion
Related Articles for Cafayate
