Which place is cheaper, Lima or El Calafate?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit El Calafate or Lima?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit El Calafate or Lima? 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 Lima?
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.
Lima
Lima, the capital city of Peru, is likely to be your point of entry for the country. Lima was founded in 1535 and was the seat of the Spanish rule for 300 years. It's a surprisingly modern city despite its rich history, but many beautiful churches and colonial architecture remain today. There are also large slum areas that highlight the poverty that exists in the city. The city and its surrounding metropolitan area have a population of about 8.5 million people, many of whom came from the Andes Mountains in search of work. Unfortunately the work opportunities are limited and the poverty is obvious as you arrive in Lima.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina, The Best Adventure Tours to Argentina, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Peru, and The Best Adventure Tours to Peru.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEl Calafate $10Lima $77
The average daily cost (per person) in El Calafate is $10, while the average daily cost in Lima is $77. 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 Lima in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEl Calafate $3.42Lima $49
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEl Calafate $6.84Lima $98
Compare Hotels in El Calafate and Lima
Looking for a hotel in El Calafate or Lima? 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 Lima Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.El Calafate $3.53Lima $5.73
Typical Local Transportation Prices in El Calafate
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in El Calafate:
-
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 Lima
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Lima are as follows:
-
Taxi Ride$5.43
-
Taxi Ride$5.43
-
Short Taxi Ride$4.07
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lima
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lima:
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Lima HTL-APT (LIM): $34
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Lima APT-HTL (LIM) : $34
- Transfers from / to Lima airport: $43
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from Lima Jorge Chávez Airport to Lima City: $40
- Transfer in Private Minivan from Lima City - Lima Airport (LIM): $61
- Transfer from the Airport to the Hotel or Hotel-Airport!!: $25
- Transfer from Lima city to the airport: $18
- The Larco Museum Complete Tour with transfers: $53
- QuickLlama: Transfer from Miraflores Kennedy Park to Lima Airport: $5.00
- QuickLlama: Door-to-door transfer from Miraflores to Lima Airport: $5.00
- QuickLlama: Door-to-door transfer from Lima Airport to Miraflores: $5.00
- Private transfers from Lima Airport or to Lima Airport: $17
Is it cheaper to fly into El Calafate or Lima?
Prices for flights to both Lima 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
-
Food Meals for one dayEl Calafate $3.71Lima $18
Typical Food Prices in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
Dessert$0.01
-
Dinner$1.81
-
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 Lima
Some typical examples of dining costs in Lima are as follows:
-
Lunch for Two$4.34
-
Ice cream$3.53
-
Coffee$2.99
-
Donut$0.95
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lima
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Lima.
- Lima Market Food Tour: $33
- Lima Market Food Tour: $34
- Lima Market Food Tour - Taste 9 Popular Peruvian Snacks: $35
- Lima Street Food Tour: $40
- Lima Street Food Tour: $45
- Street Food Tour in Miraflores District: $45
- Lima Food Tour: $45
- Cooking Workshop and Water Circuit Tour: $45
- Barranco Tour with Dinner: $47
- Bohemian tour of Barranco with Dinner: $47
- Private Cooking Class With a Local Family in Lima: $48
- Lima Night Food Tour: $48
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.El Calafate $3.71Lima $8.66
Typical Entertainment Prices in El Calafate
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for El Calafate's activities, tours, and tickets:
-
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 Lima
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Lima are as follows:
-
Entrance to Museo Larco (for 2)$16
-
Movie Tickets$2.31
Tours and Activities in Lima
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Lima are as follows:
- Lima in 1 Day! - City Tour + Miraflores, Barranco & San Isidro: $85
- Cultural Tour of the city of Lima & Gastronomic: $62
- 2 Day Tour from Nazca Lines Flight, Paracas, and Huacachina: $279
- 2 Day Tour from Paracas, Huacachina, and Pisco Vineyard: $149
- 2 Hour Guided Walking Tour in Barranco: $20
- 2d/1n Tour: Flight to the Nazca, Paracas and Huacachina Lines: $289
- 3 Day Tour from Nazca Lines Flight, Paracas, and Huacachina: $289
- 3-Hour Guided Bicycle Tour in Miraflores: $30
- 3-Hour Private Custom Walking Tour with a Local Guide in Lima: $51
- 360° Panoramic bus - Sightseeing Tour: $27
- 6-day Tour of Northern Peru: $1,010
- 6DTour+Hotel Cusco,Sacred Valley,Machupicchu,RainbowMountain: $865
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayEl Calafate $1.86Lima $5.63
Typical Alcohol Prices in El Calafate
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in El Calafate:
-
Beer$0.01
-
Alcohol$0.37
Typical Alcohol Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Lima are as follows:
-
Bottle of Wine$7.30
-
Beer$4.07
-
Cocktail$3.26
Sample the Local Flavors in Lima
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Lima:
- Pub Crawl in Lima: $17
- Lima Pub Crawl - Party tour: Friday Barranco/Saturday miraflores: $18
- Exclusive Pub Crawl with 10+ benefits: $18
- Party Tour in Miraflores with Bar Crawl and Drinks: $18
- Party tour in Miraflores with Bar Crawl Lima: $20
- Local Wine Tour: $50
- Ballestas Islands + Huacachina Oasis + Wine Tour !! The best price: $226
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between El Calafate and Lima, we can see that Lima 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 Lima would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Lima 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 Lima Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, El Calafate or Lima?
Lima has a larger population, and is about 970 times larger than the population of El Calafate. When comparing the sizes of El Calafate and Lima, 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.