Should you visit Cuenca or Santiago?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Cuenca and Santiago. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Cuenca
Cuenca is a vibrant colonial city in southern Ecuador, the third largest in the country, and the capital of Azuay Province. Cuenca is considered as Ecuador's most important and beautiful colonial city after Quito. Dating from the 16th century, Cuenca's historic center, a Unesco World Heritage Site with its trademark skyline of massive rotundas and soaring steeples, is a magical sight in which you will feel like you are moving back in time. Cuenca is the center of many craft traditions, including ceramics, metalwork and the internationally famous panama hat. The nearby villages also offer many other handicrafts. Tourists enjoy wandering the ancient streets discovering picturesque alleys and hidden corners, where nuns march along cobblestone streets and kids in Catholic-school uniforms skip past historic churches. Fascinating historic monuments and fabulous views are found at every turn. Cuenca also has outstanding art museums and festivals. For a rewarding cultural experience, visit during Easter to attend the Festival of Religious Music.
Santiago
Santiago is the capital city of Chile. It is centrally located in the long and narrow country, making it a good jumping off point to explore everywhere else. It's convenient location means that you can go skiing in the Andes one day, and hang out at the beach the next.
Santiago has a cool semi-arid climate that is similar to Mediterranean climates. The summers, which are between November and March, are warm and dry. The temperatures climb to around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The winters, between June and August, are humid with cold mornings. The daily highs are around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and the lows stay a few degrees above freezing. Rain is more common in the winter months and the dry season is between December and March.
Which city is cheaper, Santiago or Cuenca?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Cuenca is $34, while the average daily cost in Santiago is $132. 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 Cuenca and Santiago in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $20 for a double occupancy room in Cuenca.
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $206 for a double occupancy room in Santiago.
Food
Food in Cuenca costs travelers about $12 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
While meal prices in Santiago can vary, the average travelers spends about $12 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Santiago should cost around $4.80 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Santiago is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Cuenca $12
Santiago $12
Typical Food prices in Cuenca
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Cuenca:
-
Lunch
$10
-
Snacks
$5.00
-
Empanada
$1.50
-
Hot Dog
$1.00
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cuenca
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cuenca.
-
Cooking Class & Market Tour in Cuenca:
$55
-
Cuenca City Tour & Cooking Class (PRIVATE Tour):
$95
Typical Food prices in Santiago
Some typical examples of dining costs in Santiago are as follows:
-
Empanada
$2.20
-
Hamburger
$2.92
-
Dinner
$30
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santiago
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santiago.
-
Dinner at a Typical Chilean Restaurant with a Traditional Dance Show in Santiago:
$73
-
A Bite of Santiago Food Tour:
$77
-
Chilean Dinner and Show Experience in Santiago:
$77
-
ChileCooks - Food Tours:
$91
-
Traditional Dinner Show in Santiago:
$96
-
Bali Hai Dinner & Show Including Transport:
$97
-
San Cristobal Hill Night City Tour with Dinner Show:
$106
-
Traditional Chilean Show with Dinner and Private Transportation in Santiago:
$107
-
Chilean Folklore Show and Dinner with Private Transport:
$110
-
Small-Group Tour: Night City Tour with Santa Lucia Hill and Dinner Show:
$116
-
Small-Group Night City Tour: San Cristobal Hill and Dinner Show:
$116
-
Private Market Tour and Traditional Chilean Cooking Class in a Local Home:
$117
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Cuenca is $8.60 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
The average price of local transportation around Santiago is $5.04 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Cuenca
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cuenca:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cuenca
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cuenca:
-
Cuenca Arrival Transfer:
$15
-
Cuenca Departure Transfer:
$15
-
Cuenca Airport Shuttle Transfer:
$19
-
Cuenca to Guayaquil Transfer in Fantasy Bus:
$25
-
Cuenca to Alausi Transfer in Fantasy Bus:
$25
-
Transfer In Cuenca Airport - Hotel:
$25
-
Arrival Private Transfer: Cuenca Airport CUE to Cuenca City by Minivan:
$74
-
Departure Private Transfer: Cuenca City to Cuenca Airport CUE by Minivan:
$74
-
Private Transfer from Cuenca to Guayaquil.:
$83
-
Private Transfer from Cuenca City Center to Madrid City Center:
$147
Typical Local Transportation prices in Santiago
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santiago:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago:
-
Airport Transfer:
$200
-
Arrival Private Transfer Santiago Airport SCL to Santiago in an Executive SUV:
$46
-
Arrival Private Transfer Santiago Airport SCL to Santiago in an Luxury Van:
$71
-
Departure Private Transfers : Santiago to Santiago Airport SCL in Business Car:
$73
-
Departure Private Transfers : Santiago to Santiago Airport SCL in Luxury Van:
$96
-
Maipo Valley Wine Tour, Concha y Toro, Private Transfer from Santiago:
$161
-
Premium Ski resort transfer:
$250
-
Private Airport Transfer: from Santiago de Chile to Santiago Int. Airport (SCL):
$28
-
Private Arrival Transfer from Airport to Hotel in Santiago:
$27
-
Private Arrival Transfer from Santiago de Chile Airport to Santiago City:
$28
-
Private Departure Transfer from Santiago City to Santiago de Chile Airport:
$28
-
Private Round Trip Transfer Santiago City to Santiago de Chile Airport:
$55
Is it cheaper to fly into Cuenca or Santiago?
Prices for flights to both Santiago and Cuenca 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.
Entertainment
Cuenca's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $13 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Santiago's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $44 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Tours and Activities in Cuenca
Here are a few actual costs in Cuenca for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Guided tour to Cuenca City:
$9.95
-
Cuenca City Tour:
$20
-
Cuenca City tour:
$25
-
Half-Day Tour of Cuenca Including Panama Hat Factory:
$30
-
Walking Cuenca City Tour with Pumapungo Complex Half Day:
$30
-
Cuenca City Tour:
$30
-
Biking and Walking City Tour Cuenca:
$30
-
Half-Day Biking and Walking Tour of Cuenca, Ecuador:
$30
-
Private Half-Day Cuenca City Tour:
$38
-
Cajas National Park Half Day Tour:
$40
-
Private Half-Day City Tour Including Turi Viewpoint:
$41
-
Biking Cuenca City Tour:
$45
Tours and Activities in Santiago
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Santiago are as follows:
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Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino Admission Ticket:
$14
-
"Tour Tradicional" Viña Cousiño Macul Oficial español:
$18
-
"Tour Tradicional" Viña Cousiño Macul Oficial portugués:
$18
-
Santiago City Tour SCL & Santa Lucía Hill:
$25
-
Santiago City Tour:
$27
-
Half-Day Small-Group Panoramic Santiago Tour:
$27
-
Small-Group Tour to Valle Nevado and Farellones from Santiago:
$30
-
Half Day Guided City Tour in Santiago - Small Groups - Multi Language:
$30
-
Welcome to Private Tour with a Local:
$30
-
Santiago Like a Local: Customized Private Tour:
$32
-
Walking tour "Popular flavors of Chile":
$33
-
Santiago Half-Day Small-Group Panoramic Tour:
$35
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Cuenca may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $11 per day on alcoholic beverages.
The average person spends about $7.83 on alcoholic beverages in Santiago per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago
Also in Santiago, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Traditional Wine Tour in Viña Cousiño Macul Official English:
$18
-
"Premium Wine Tour" Viña Cousiño Macul Official english:
$30
-
"Premium Wine Tour" Viña Cousiño Macul Oficial portugués:
$30
-
Premium Wine Tour in Viña Cousiño Macul Spanish official:
$30
-
Half Day Trip to Undurraga Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included:
$40
-
Concha y Toro Traditional Wine Tour from Santiago:
$45
-
Half Day Trip to Concha y Toro Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included:
$45
-
Half Day Trip to Santa Rita Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included:
$50
-
Half Day Trip to Cousiño Macul Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included:
$55
-
half day wine tour to concha y toro from Santiago seasonal offer:
$57
-
Concha y Toro Marques Wine Tour from Santiago:
$64
-
Premium Wine Tasting in Santiago de Chile:
$71
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cuenca and Santiago, we can see that Santiago is more expensive. And not only is Cuenca much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Cuenca would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cuenca 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 Santiago would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santiago than you might in Cuenca.
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