Which place is cheaper, Cusco or El Calafate?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit El Calafate or Cusco?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit El Calafate or Cusco? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: El Calafate or Cusco?
El Calafate
Located in Patagonia, El Calafate has become a popular tourist destination in Argentina because of its beautiful setting on the stunningly blue Lago Argentina. The town sits on the southern border of the lake in the southwestern part of the Santa Cruz Province. It's about 320 kilometers from Rio Gallegos.
The rise in popularity of Patagonia as a tourist destination has truly put this small town on the map. You'll find no shortage of trekkers in the town and it makes an excellent base to explore different parts of the Los Glaciares National Park. Popular places to visit include Perito Moreno Glacier, Cerro Chalten, and Cerro Torre.
El Calafate has a cold semi-arid climate. The summers are cool to warm and very dry while the winters are cold and damp. Lago Argentino has a significant influence over the town's climate. The shallow bay where the town is located is usually frozen during the winter months.
Check out our ultimate guide to Hiking in Patagonia.
Cusco
Cusco is most famous as the historic capital of the Inca Empire. It is in the southern Sierras and is one of the most popular travel destinations within Peru. The city is located at 3,400 meters above sea level so it is best to acclimate yourself slowly to avoid altitude sickness.
Cusco is the starting point for many travelers making their way to the famed Machu Picchu or other Inca sites in the surrounding area.
The city is very beautiful and has impressive architecture throughout. The history is obvious as you walk around town and there are impressive ruins nearby, with the most impressive being Sacsayhuaman. The city also has a significant indigenous population that is obvious from their traditional clothing and style.
Cusco has a subtropical highland climate with a pleasant daytime temperature year around. There are two distinct seasons with the dry season being between May and August and the wet season between December and March. During the dry season there is plenty of sun with occasional nighttime freezes. Frost is less common in the wet season.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina, The Best Adventure Tours to Argentina, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Cusco, and The Best 3-Day Tours from Cusco.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEl Calafate $10Cusco $51
The average daily cost (per person) in El Calafate is $10, while the average daily cost in Cusco is $51. 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 El Calafate and Cusco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEl Calafate $3.42Cusco $23
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEl Calafate $6.84Cusco $46
Compare Hotels in El Calafate and Cusco
Looking for a hotel in El Calafate or Cusco? 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: El Calafate Hotel Prices and Cusco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.El Calafate $3.53Cusco $10
Typical Local Transportation Prices in El Calafate
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in El Calafate:
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Taxi$1.39
Hired Cars and Shuttles in El Calafate
Also for El Calafate, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfers Between Airport and Hotels: $12
- Transfer from the airport to your hotel in El Calafate: $14
- Shared Transfer from El Calafate Airport to downtown Hotel: $15
- Shared Transfer Airport-Hotel-Airport (Calafate): $32
- Private Transfer Hotel-Bus Station or Bus Station-Hotel (Calafate): $35
- Roundtrip transfer in Private Car from Calafate Airport (FTE)- Calafate City: $49
- Round trip transfer to Moreno Glacier: $50
- Excursion to the Perito Moreno Glacier, with guide and transfer to / from the hotel: $60
- Private Airport Transfer: $64
- Shared transfer to El Calafate -El Chaltén: $75
- Laguna de Los Tres Transfer & Self-Guided Hike: $101
- Perito Moreno Glacier Mini Trek with Transfer: $456
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cusco
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cusco:
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Taxi Ride$1.09
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cusco
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cusco:
- Transfers in Cusco: $6.00
- Transfer to Ollantaytambo from Urubamba: $36
- Transfer from Cusco to Ollantaytambo: $40
- Transfer from Cusco city to the airport: $10
- Transfer from Cusco Airport to the Hotel (Cusco): $17
- Transfer Hotel to Airport in Cusco | Private Service |: $10
- Transfer From Airport to Cusco Center Hotels: $25
- Transfer Cusco to Sacred Valley of the Incas: $36
- Transfer Cusco to Poroy: $20
- Transfer Cusco Airport to your Hotel in Cusco: $10
- Transfer Cusco Airport to Hotel in Cusco (Round trip): $20
- Transfer Between Cusco's Airport and City Hotels: $25
Is it cheaper to fly into El Calafate or Cusco?
Prices for flights to both Cusco and El Calafate 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 dayEl Calafate $3.71Cusco $13
Typical Food Prices in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dessert$0.01
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Dinner$1.81
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Dinner$1.07
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Argentine Dinner with Live Music Folklore -Estancia 25 de Mayo: $48
- Country Afternoon with Dinner Show - Estancia 25 de Mayo: $100
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Tour with Dinner & Transfer: $126
- Lakes and Caves Tour with Dinner: $138
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Experience with Dinner from Calafate: $155
- Estancia 25 de Mayo in El Calafate - PM visit with dinner: $186
Typical Food Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of dining costs in Cusco are as follows:
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Sandwich$2.17
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Mango$0.54
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cusco
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cusco.
- Folkloric Andean Show & 3-Course Dinner at Tunupa: $15
- Small-Group Virtual Peruvian Cooking Experience: $25
- 3-Hour Peruvian Cooking Class: $49
- Cusco Tunupa Restaurant Folk Show with Dinner : $49
- Cusco Cooking Class by ChocoMuseo in Cusco: $50
- Market Tour & Traditional Peruvian Cooking Class in Cusco: $53
- Fully hands-on High End Peruvian Cooking Class & San Pedro Market Guided Visit: $55
- Vegetarian Cooking Class, Local Market Tour in Cusco: $59
- Peruvian Cooking Class and Local Market in Cusco: $59
- Cusco Cooking Classes and San Pedro Market Tour: $59
- Peruvian Cooking Class and Local Market Tour: $63
- Peruvian Cooking Class & Market Tour: $65
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.El Calafate $3.71Cusco $29
Typical Entertainment Prices in El Calafate
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for El Calafate's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Glacerium Museum$1.39
Tours and Activities in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Panoramic Tour with Punta Walichu: $57
- Perito Moreno Glacier & Optional Boat Cruise: $62
- Argentine Cuisine Experience in El Calafate: $65
- Southroad Calafate Balcony Experience with Tour Mode Options: $70
- Calafate City Tour with Walichu Caves: $78
- Round Trip Ticket-Bus to Perito Moreno Glacier from El Calafate: $79
- From Full-Day Tour to El Chaltén: $79
- El Chalten Complete Experience Full Day Tour from El Calafate: $80
- Full Day Guided Tour Perito Moreno National Park and Glacier: $80
- El Calafate City Tour and Walichu caves: $81
- Perito Moreno Glacier Sightseeing Tour: $87
- Half-Day Tour at Estancia 25 de Mayo Field Afternoon: $88
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Cusco are as follows:
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Salsa Class$2.71
Tours and Activities in Cusco
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Cusco are as follows:
- ATV Tour to Moray, Maras and Salar in the Sacred Valley of the Incas: $42
- City tour of Cusco by E-BIKE: $131
- Cusco City Tour I Half-Day: $28
- Half- Day City Tour Cusco : $150
- Moray salt mines ATV Tours (Cuatrimotos) : $60
- Night Tour in Cusco Private Service: $90
- Official Machupicchu Ticket: $96
- Official Ticket Football Day tour In Cusco with Tourism Guide: $100
- Official Ticket- Machu Picchu Lost Citadel: $72
- Private Tour to Sacred Valley Full Day from Cusco: $130
- Rainbow Mountain Full-Day | Group Tour |: $26
- Ticket To Machu Picchu + Machu Picchu Mountain : $89
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEl Calafate $1.86Cusco $9.56
Typical Alcohol Prices in El Calafate
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in El Calafate:
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Beer$0.01
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Alcohol$0.37
Sample the Local Flavors in Cusco
Also in Cusco, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Cusco Pub Crawl - Bar Tour Cusco : $18
- Cusco Pub Crawl: Cusco Bar Hopping Experience : $18
- Exclusive Pub Crawl with 10+ benefits: $18
- Pub Crawl with Skip-the-Line Access and Drinks: $18
- Exclusive Pub Crawl with more than 10 Benefits: $25
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between El Calafate and Cusco, we can see that Cusco is more expensive. And not only is El Calafate much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to El Calafate would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in El Calafate 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 Cusco would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cusco than you might in El Calafate.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is El Calafate Expensive? and Is Cusco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, El Calafate or Cusco?
Cusco has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of El Calafate. When comparing the sizes of El Calafate and Cusco, 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.
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.