Which place is cheaper, El Chalten or Cabo San Lucas?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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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 Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina, and The Best Adventure Tours to Argentina.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCabo San Lucas $139El Chalten $9.93
The average daily cost (per person) in Cabo San Lucas is $139, while the average daily cost in El Chalten is $9.93. 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
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCabo San Lucas $63El Chalten $4.42
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCabo San Lucas $126El Chalten $8.84
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
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cabo San Lucas $28El Chalten $2.37
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cabo San Lucas:
- San Jose del Cabo to Los Cabos Airport (SJD) Departure Transfer: $31
- Los Cabos Airport (SJD) to San Jose del Cabo hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $31
- Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port to Airport CSL Departure Transfer: $33
- Cabo San Lucas City to Cabo San Lucas Port Private Transfer : $33
- Cabo San Lucas Port to Cabo San Lucas - Arrival Private Transfer : $33
- Cabo San Lucas Airport CSL to Cruise Port Arrival Transfer: $33
- Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) to Cabo San Lucas Port - Arrival Private Transfer : $33
- Departure Transfer from CaboSanLucas to CaboSanLucas Airport(CSL): $33
- Cabo San Lucas to Cabo San Lucas Airport CSL Departure Transfer: $33
- Cabo San Lucas to Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port- Departure Private Transfer: $33
- Cabo San Lucas Port to Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) - Departure Private Transfer: $33
- Transfer from Cabo San Lucas Airport CSL to Cabo San Lucas : $33
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
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Food Meals for one dayCabo San Lucas $51El Chalten $3.66
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.
- Sunset Dinner Cruise with Domestic Open Bar: $64
- Tasting Cabo San Lucas Like a Local Food Tour: $70
- Cabo San Lucas Sunset Cruise with Dinner and Open Bar: $75
- Sea to Table Fisherman's Seafood Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $80
- Seafood Galore, Los Cabos Food Tour: $80
- San Jose del Cabo Morning Food Tour: $86
- Parrillada dinner with a Private Chef in your villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose: $86
- Sunset Dinner Cruise at Cabo San Lucas Bay: $89
- Private Mexican Cooking Class in Your Cabo San Lucas Villa or Condo: $90
- Catch of the day dinner in your private villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose del Cabo: $90
- San José del Cabo for Meat Lovers Food Tour: $90
- Cabo Sunset Dinner Cruise: Fajitas, Lands End and Party: $94
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cabo San Lucas $43El Chalten $2.66
Tours and Activities in Cabo San Lucas
Here are a few actual costs in Cabo San Lucas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Your Own Private Luxury Yacht Experience in Cabo, Lunch included: $1.21
- Tour paseo al Arco + bajada en playa: $12
- Boat Tour to Cabo San Lucas Arch and Rock Formations: $18
- Glass bottom boat tour: $19
- Water Taxi Tour: $20
- Glass Bottom Boat Tour: $20
- Glass Bottom Boat Sightseeing Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $23
- Glass Bottom Boat Tour: $23
- Glass Bottom Boat Tour - Cabo San Lucas: $23
- Classic Tour to the Arch in Glass Bottom: $23
- Tour to The Arch from Cabo San Lucas : $29
- Tour to The Arch and Lover's Beach (optional) from Cabo: $30
Tours and Activities in El Chalten
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for El Chalten are as follows:
- 3 Hours Grilled Lamb Experience in Estancia Bonanza: $55
- Rafting experience on the Rio de las Vueltas in Patagonia: $90
- Rio de las Vueltas Rafting Experience - El Chalten: $90
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCabo San Lucas $28El Chalten $1.22
Sample the Local Flavors in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cabo San Lucas:
- Cabo Bar Crawl - The BEST Bar and Clubs in Cabo : $55
- Wine Tasting Sunset Cruise Tour in San Jose del Cabo: $190
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.