A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Cartagena vs. Arica for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Cartagena or Arica?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Cartagena and Arica can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Cartagena or Arica?

Cartagena

The capital of the Bolivar Department of Colombia, Cartagena is one of the most visited cities in the country. It sits on Colombia's northern coast by the Caribbean Sea. It's a port city with a population of almost 900,000, making it the fifth largest city in Colombia. The city has a rich history and was the first Spanish colony on the American continent. It was also one of the first sanctuaries for freed African slaves in the Americas.

Arica

A mixture of coastline, desert and high Andean plateau, Arica is a seaside resort town, known for its surfing beaches located at the tip of Northern Chile. Arica boasts that it is "the land of the eternal spring," but its temperate climate and beaches are not the only reason to visit this small city. Arica's tourism is still principally geared toward domestic visitors and those from southern Peru and La Paz, who flock to its beaches mid-December through February. It is very easy to spend a few days in Arica in the sand, or seeing the sights in town, at a slow pace but the city also offers plenty of fun activities and exciting day trips.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Colombia, The Best Eco Tours in Colombia, The Best 10-Day Tours in Chile, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Chile.


Which place is cheaper, Arica or Cartagena?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Cartagena is $48, while the average daily cost in Arica is $78. 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 Cartagena and Arica in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Cartagena $27
    Arica $34
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Cartagena $54
    Arica $68
Compare Hotels in Cartagena and Arica

Looking for a hotel in Cartagena or Arica? 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.

Hotels in Cartagena


Hotels in Arica


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: Cartagena Hotel Prices and Arica Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Cartagena $7.49
    Arica $17

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cartagena

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cartagena:

  • Walking Tour with Transfers - Gabriel García Márquez & Cartagena Walled City: $110
  • Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Cartagena APT-HTL(CTG): $17
  • Transportation / Transfers: $27
  • Transfer service in Cartagena: $53
  • Transfer in Private Vehicle from Manzanillo del Mar - Cartagena Airport (CTG): $23
  • Transfer in Private Vehicle from Cartagena Airport (CTG) - Manzanillo del Mar: $23
  • Transfer in Private Minivan from Manzanillo del Mar - Cartagena Airport (CTG): $29
  • Transfer in Private Minivan from City Center - Cartagena Airport (CTG): $20
  • Transfer in Private Minivan from Cartagena Airport (CTG) - City Center: $20
  • Transfer from the airport to hotels in Boquilla: $15
  • Transfer Private Vehicle Cartagena Airport (CTG) -City Cent: $27
  • Transfer High-end - Kia Quoris: $90

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Arica

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Arica are as follows:


  • Short Taxi Ride
    $2.05

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Arica

Also for Arica, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Arica Airport Private Transfer: $85
  • Private Transfer from Arica Airport (ARI) to Arica Cruise Port: $31
  • Private Transfer from Arica Airport (ARI) to Arica Cruise Port : $28
  • Private Transfer from Arica City hotels to Arica Cruise Port: $22
  • Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica Airport (ARI): $28
  • Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica Airport (ARI): $31
  • Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica Hotels: $24
  • Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica city hotels: $22
  • Private Transfer from Arica Hotels to Arica Cruise Port: $24

Is it cheaper to fly into Cartagena or Arica?

Prices for flights to both Arica and Cartagena 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 day
    Cartagena $9.82
    Arica $28

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cartagena

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cartagena.

  • Street Food Tour with Lunch at Quaint Restaurant: $20
  • Featured in NYTimes > Arepas and Dancing: Danceable Cooking Class in Cartagena: $32
  • Street Food Tour in Cartagena: $42
  • Guided Street Food Tour with Tastings: $44
  • Local Flavors Food Tour with Native Chef: $50
  • Cruise by the Bay with Dinner and Wine: $55
  • Private Dinner at a Local Chef's House in Cartagena: $58
  • Dinner Cruise Along Cartagena's Bay: $60
  • Cartagena Island Dinner (Island of Tierra Bomba): $60
  • Flavors of Colombia - Cartagena Street Food Tour: $60
  • Street food tour: $61
  • Cartagena Gourmet: Cooking Class with a View, Elegance & Flavor: $65

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Cartagena $21
    Arica $19

Tours and Activities in Cartagena

Here are a few actual costs in Cartagena for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Accessible sightseeing tour of Cartagena: $165
  • Beach Buggy ATV Adventure Tour CARTAGENA: $135
  • Palenque Native Guide, free entrance tickets, dance show & lunch: $110
  • Playa Blanca Private tour : $162
  • Playa Morena Beach Club Whith Lunch And Walking tour of fort San Fernando: $39
  • Private Beach Tour in Barú and Optional Bird Aviary: $120
  • Private city tour: $197
  • Rosario Islands Full Day Tour: $156
  • Tour around the Rosario Islands 4 islands: $65
  • Walking Tour of Cartagena Including a Colombian Cup of Coffee: $95
  • "Luxury Day in Tierra Bomba Exclusive Tour to the best Beach Club": $154
  • 16. Punta Arena Tour (Tierra Bomba Island): $25

Tours and Activities in Arica

For Arica, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Archaeological Tour: $32
  • Half day Panoramic City Tour: $49
  • Archeological Sightseeing tour in Arica: $103
  • Arica Private Sightseeing Tour : $134
  • Private Tour to Tacna from Arica: $256

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Cartagena $9.21
    Arica $19

Sample the Local Flavors in Cartagena

Also in Cartagena, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Pub Crawl with Dancing and Complimentary Drinks: $18
  • Cartagena's Best Pub Crawl all included!: $20
  • Cartagena Pub Crawl: Let's Party & Matching in Getsemaní: $20
  • Pub Crawl Only Locals Have Fun In The Walled City: $35
  • Nightlife Pub crawl in Cartagena: $67
  • Pub Crawl: $70


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cartagena and Arica, we can see that Arica is more expensive. And not only is Cartagena much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Cartagena would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cartagena 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 Arica would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Arica than you might in Cartagena.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cartagena Expensive? and Is Arica Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Cartagena or Arica?

Cartagena has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Arica. When comparing the sizes of Cartagena and Arica, 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.