Which place is cheaper, El Chalten or Cabo San Lucas?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Cabo San Lucas or El Chalten?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Cabo San Lucas and El Chalten 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: Cabo San Lucas or El Chalten?
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.
El Chalten
El Chalten is probably one of the most beautiful areas of Patagonia, especially at the slightest ray of sunshine and one of your cheapest destination while you are travelling in Patagonia. Indeed, you will spend your days hiking and there are no park fees. There are restaurants, souvenir shops, and outdoor stores but most of them will not accept credit cards so before heading out, get cash in El Calafate or your previous stop. For the beginners, it will be long hikes in a magical setting and for the experts perhaps a week long expedition to the greatest glaciers of the world. To discover the way people live in the pampa, you may also decide to stay at an Estancia. In the stunning Estancia Santa Thelma, about 300km away from El Chalten, you will be able to explore the surroundings by horse, live a unique experience in the middle of the nature and its vast plains occupied by thousands of merino sheep and horses and of course eat a typical meal of the region.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, The Best Historical Tours in Mexico, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Argentina, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Argentina.
-
Cabo San Lucas Prices
Mexico PricesEl Chalten Prices
Argentina Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCabo San Lucas $159El Chalten $65
The average daily cost (per person) in Cabo San Lucas is $159, while the average daily cost in El Chalten is $65. 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 Cabo San Lucas and El Chalten in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCabo San Lucas $57El Chalten $50
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCabo San Lucas $114El Chalten $100
Compare Hotels in Cabo San Lucas and El Chalten
Looking for a hotel in Cabo San Lucas or El Chalten? 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: Cabo San Lucas Hotel Prices and El Chalten Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cabo San Lucas $25El Chalten $2.44
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cabo San Lucas:
- Shared Arrival Transfer: Los Cabos International Airport to Hotel: $23
- Los Cabos Shuttle Airport Roundtrip Transfers: $36
- Los Cabos Airport Private Transfer SJD to Multiple Destinations: $38
- Los Cabos Airport (SJD) to San Jose del Cabo hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $72
- Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) to Cabo San Lucas Port - Arrival Private Transfer : $74
- Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port to Cabo San Lucas hotels - Arrival Private Transfer : $74
- Cabo San Lucas to Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port- Departure Private Transfer: $74
- Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port to Airport CSL Departure Transfer: $74
- Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) to Cabo San Lucas -Arrival Transfer : $80
- Private transfer at VAN Airport Los Cabos - San Jose del Cabo: $85
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer in San José del Cabo APT-HTL(SJD): $91
- Airport transfers and all: $95
Is it cheaper to fly into Cabo San Lucas or El Chalten?
Prices for flights to both El Chalten and Cabo San Lucas 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
-
Food Meals for one dayCabo San Lucas $80El Chalten $6.48
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
- 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: $84
- San José del Cabo for Meat Lovers Food Tour: $90
- Sunset Mexican Dinner Cruise and Live Music in Cabo San Lucas: $95
- Parrillada dinner with a Private Chef in your villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose: $95
- Jumbo Shrimp Dinner in Your Private Villa or Condo in Cabo or San Jose del Cabo: $99
- Cabo San Lucas Sunset Dinner Cruise with Open Bar: $99
- Cabo Sunset Dinner Cruise with Live Music & Open Bar on Cabo Wave: $99
- Sunset E-bike Beach Ride with Mexican Dinner and Margaritas: $109
- San Jose del Cabo City Highlights with Tequila Tasting and Dinner: $110
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cabo San Lucas $39El Chalten $27
Tours and Activities in Cabo San Lucas
Here are a few actual costs in Cabo San Lucas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Shared Experience Glass Bottom Boat to the Arch in Cabo San Lucas: $15
- Boat Tour to Cabo San Lucas Arch and Rock Formations: $17
- The Ultimate Camel Safari Experience in Los Cabos: $17
- Cabo San Lucas Arch Tour and we go down to Playa del Amor: $19
- 2 in 1 Tour | Arc Tour with Beach Drop: $20
- Tour to Arch in the only Clear Boat in Cabo Cruise Hotel PICKUP!: $24
- Tour to Arch in the Clear Boat Cruise Ship Terminal Hotel PICKUP!: $27
- Tour to The Arch and Lover's Beach (optional) from Cabo: $30
- The Fenway Bar Experience: $30
- Transparent Boat Tour Cabo San Lucas Arch and Playa del Amor: $36
- Whale Watching Tour with Arch and Beach in Cabo San Lucas: $38
- Shared Tour to the Arch of Cabo San Lucas: $39
Tours and Activities in El Chalten
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for El Chalten are as follows:
- Rafting experience on the Rio de las Vueltas in Patagonia: $100
- Rio de las Vueltas Rafting Experience - El Chalten: $100
- 3 Hours Grilled Lamb Experience in Estancia Bonanza: $220
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayCabo San Lucas $26El Chalten $5.80
Sample the Local Flavors in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cabo San Lucas:
- Wine Tasting Sunset Cruise Tour in San Jose del Cabo: $280
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cabo San Lucas and El Chalten, we can see that Cabo San Lucas is more expensive. And not only is El Chalten much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cabo San Lucas is in North America and El Chalten 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 Chalten would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in El Chalten 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 El Chalten.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cabo San Lucas Expensive? and Is El Chalten Expensive?.
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.