Which place is cheaper, Pucon or El Calafate?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit El Calafate or Pucon?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit El Calafate or Pucon? 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 Pucon?
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.
Pucon
A popular hub for adventure tourism, Pucon is a town in the Lake District of the South American nation of Chile. Located on Lake Villarirca with the snowcapped Villarrica volcano looming above and plenty of forested valleys below, the town has become a home base year-round for a full range of outdoor activities.
Check out our ultimate guide to Traveling in Patagonia.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina, The Best Adventure Tours to Argentina, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Chile, and The Best Luxury Tours to Chile.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEl Calafate $10Pucon $100
The average daily cost (per person) in El Calafate is $10, while the average daily cost in Pucon is $100. 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 Pucon in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEl Calafate $3.42Pucon $43
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEl Calafate $6.84Pucon $86
Compare Hotels in El Calafate and Pucon
Looking for a hotel in El Calafate or Pucon? 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 $3.53Pucon $19
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:
- Laguna de Los Tres Transfer & Self-Guided Hike: $101
- Perito Moreno Glacier Mini Trek with Transfer: $456
- Private Airport Transfer: $64
- Transfers Between Airport and Hotels: $12
- Excursion to the Perito Moreno Glacier, with guide and transfer to / from the hotel: $60
- Private Transfer Hotel-Bus Station or Bus Station-Hotel (Calafate): $35
- Round trip transfer to Moreno Glacier: $50
- Roundtrip transfer in Private Car from Calafate Airport (FTE)- Calafate City: $49
- Shared Transfer Airport-Hotel-Airport (Calafate): $32
- Shared Transfer from El Calafate Airport to downtown Hotel: $15
- Shared transfer to El Calafate -El Chaltén: $75
- Transfer from the airport to your hotel in El Calafate: $14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pucon
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Pucon:
- Pucon to Puerto Montt El Tepual Airport (PMC) -Departure Transfer: $114
- Pucon Temuco Airport Private Transfer: $130
- Private Transfer Pucon Thermal Resorts to Temuco Airport: $49
Is it cheaper to fly into El Calafate or Pucon?
Prices for flights to both Pucon 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 $3.71Pucon $38
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
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.El Calafate $3.71Pucon $37
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
Tours and Activities in Pucon
Here are a few actual costs in Pucon for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 3-Hour Rafting Experience in Pucon: $60
- Full Day Excursion Tour to Quetrupillán Volcano: $177
- Full Day Private Tour Ascending Sollipulli Volcano: $140
- Half Day Tour to The Eyes Of Caburgua from Pucon: $93
- Local Chile-Bavarian Culinary Pretzel Baking Experience n Sausage: $149
- Private 3-Hour Canyoning Experience on the Correntoso River: $68
- Private Half Day Andean Lakes Experience with pickup: $110
- Sightseeing Tour in Pucon and Villarica: $93
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEl Calafate $1.86Pucon $27
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
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between El Calafate and Pucon, we can see that Pucon 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 Pucon would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Pucon 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 Pucon Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, El Calafate or Pucon?
Pucon has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of El Calafate. When comparing the sizes of El Calafate and Pucon, 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.