Which place is cheaper, Ponce or El Calafate?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit El Calafate or Ponce?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit El Calafate or Ponce? 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 Ponce?
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.
Ponce
Ponce is on the south coast of Puerto Rico. It's the second largest city on the island and has been around since 1692 when it was originally founded by Ponce de Leon's grandson Juan Ponce de Leon y Loayza. The city has several nicknames, including La Perla del Sur (The Pearl of the South), La Ciudad Senorial (The Noble, or Lordly, City), and La Ciudad de las Quenepas (Genip City).
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina, and The Best Adventure Tours to Argentina.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEl Calafate $10Ponce $205
The average daily cost (per person) in El Calafate is $10, while the average daily cost in Ponce is $205. 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 Ponce in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEl Calafate $3.42Ponce $151
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEl Calafate $6.84Ponce $302
Compare Hotels in El Calafate and Ponce
Looking for a hotel in El Calafate or Ponce? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.El Calafate $3.53Ponce $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
- 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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ponce
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ponce:
- Vega Baja to San Juan Airport (SJU) - Departure Private Transfer: $170
- Transfer TO or FROM: Airport,Cruise,Hotel in DORADO or RIO GRANDE: $70
- Transfer SJU Airport to Humacao and Nagüabo. Vice Versa One Way Trip: $185
- Single ATV Adventure: Private Hacienda Experience with Transfer: $189
- San juan Puerto Rico PrivateTransfers Airport,Hotels,Cruise Ports: $60
- San Juan hotels to San Juan PR Cruise Port - Departure Transfer: $46
- San Juan Puerto Rico Cruise Port to San Juan hotels - RoundTrip Private Transfer: $92
- San Juan Puerto Rico Cruise Port to San Juan hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $46
- San Juan Port to San Juan Airport (SJU) - Departure Private Transfer: $46
- San Juan PR Cruise Port to San Juan hotels - Arrival Transfer: $46
- San Juan Departure Share Transfer: $27
- San Juan Airport (SJU) to San Juan hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $92
Is it cheaper to fly into El Calafate or Ponce?
Prices for flights to both Ponce 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 $3.71Ponce $35
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: $141
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Experience with Dinner from Calafate: $155
- Estancia 25 de Mayo in El Calafate - PM visit with dinner: $186
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ponce
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Ponce.
- Private Cooking Class with a Fun Local in San German, Puerto Rico: $96
- Private Half-Day Food Tour : $130
- Private San Juan Cooking Class with a Local Expert: $146
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.El Calafate $3.71Ponce $56
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
- 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 Sightseeing Tour Including Walichu Caves: $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: $90
- Full Day Tour in El Chalten: $90
Tours and Activities in Ponce
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Ponce are as follows:
- Half-Day El Yunque Rainforest Tour from Fajardo: $65
- Scuba Boat Diving Experience in Gilligan's Island at Copamarina: $160
- 1 Hour Historical UTV Tour in San Juan: $200
- 2-Hour Private UTV Can-Am Beach Tour in San Juan, Puerto Rico: $264
- 2.5-Hour Historical Walking Tour of Old San Juan: $65
- 5 hours Tour in La Parguera Private Boat Charter: $200
- 7 Hours River Tour with Beach and Learn to Make Piña Colada : $195
- 90 Minute Portrait Photoshoot Experience in the Caribbean: $129
- ATV Adventure at Hacienda Campo Rico: $136
- Adventure Trail Tour in the foothills of the National Rainforest: $110
- Afro-Boriken-Loiza: Food, Cave & Art Tour: $140
- All Inclusive Cordillera Cay’s Sailing Catamaran Beach & Snorkeling Tour: $150
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEl Calafate $1.86Ponce $16
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 Ponce
Also in Ponce, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Artisan Puertorrican Winery and Distillery Tour: $50
- Old San Juan Bar Crawl: Experience Local Hotspots: $65
- Local Puerto Rican Rum Distillery Tour - Ron Pepon: $90
- Rum Distillery and Old San Juan Tour: $99
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between El Calafate and Ponce, we can see that Ponce is more expensive. And not only is El Calafate much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since El Calafate is in South America and Ponce is in Caribbean Islands, 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 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 Ponce would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ponce 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 Ponce Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, El Calafate or Ponce?
Ponce has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of El Calafate. When comparing the sizes of El Calafate and Ponce, 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.