Which place is cheaper, Puerto Natales or El Calafate?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit El Calafate or Puerto Natales?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit El Calafate or Puerto Natales? 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 Puerto Natales?
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.
Puerto Natales
Puerto Natales is a beautiful town located in the Chilean Patagonia on the Senoret Channel. The city is often used as a base camp for trips to the surrounding national parks due to their plentiful restaurant options and access to internet. Puerto Natales is also known for being the base city to the Torres del Paine National Park, which was named the 5th most beautiful place in the world by National Geographic.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Buenos Aires, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina, The Best Adventure Tours to Chile, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Chile.
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El Calafate Prices
Argentina PricesPuerto Natales Prices
Chile Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEl Calafate $61Puerto Natales $112
The average daily cost (per person) in El Calafate is $61, while the average daily cost in Puerto Natales is $112. 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 Puerto Natales in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEl Calafate $38Puerto Natales $41
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEl Calafate $76Puerto Natales $82
Compare Hotels in El Calafate and Puerto Natales
Looking for a hotel in El Calafate or Puerto Natales? 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 Puerto Natales Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.El Calafate $4.39Puerto Natales $21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in El Calafate
Also for El Calafate, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Bus Transfer to Moreno Glacier from El Calafate: $77
- Direct Private Transfer: El Calafate Airport to El Chaltén: $230
- El Calafate Airport (FTE) Private Transfer to El Calafate City: $40
- Perito Moreno Glacier Mini Trek with Transfer: $441
- Private Airport Transfer: $296
- Punta Walichu Reserve W Lunch & Transfer: $18
- Transfers Between Airport and Hotels: $44
- FTE Aiport transfer Group 4 to 6 people with luggage: $116
- Minitrekking Perito Moreno: Ice hiking tour (optional transfers): $255
- One Way Transfer from Airport-Hotel downtown(Calafate) vice versa: $16
- Perito Moreno Full Day Minitrekking with Transfer & Walkways: $460
- Perito Moreno Glacier expedition with transfer Included: $62
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Natales
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Natales:
- Transfer Puerto Natales Hotel Lago Grey Connection Navigation: $60
- Shared transfer minibus Puerto Natales (CL) to El Calafate (ARG): $134
- Puerto Natales Airport Private Transfer: $43
- Private transfer Airport x Lodging (Puerto Natales): $25
- Private Transfer: From Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales: $422
- Private Transfer Airport x Hotels inside the TORRES DEL PAINE Park: $100
Is it cheaper to fly into El Calafate or Puerto Natales?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Natales 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 $6.99Puerto Natales $51
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: $55
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Dinner & Show with Transfer: $72
- Country Afternoon with Dinner Show - Estancia 25 de Mayo: $92
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Tour with Dinner & Transfer: $98
- Stargazing Tour with Dinner and Transfers: $120
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Country Afternoon with Dinner Show and Riding: $128
- Lakes and Caves Tour with Dinner and Wine Included: $179
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Experience with Dinner and Horseback Riding: $225
- Lakes and Caves Tour with Dinner: $255
Typical Food Prices in Puerto Natales
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Puerto Natales:
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Cake$1.12
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Dinner$19
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Coke$1.12
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.El Calafate $54Puerto Natales $31
Tours and Activities in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Self-Guided History Museum Tour: $15
- Guided Tour National Park+Perito Moreno Glacier+Sailing (optional): $47
- Round Trip Ticket-Bus to Perito Moreno Glacier from El Calafate: $55
- Full Day Guided Tour Perito Moreno National Park and Glacier: $60
- Perito Moreno Glacier & Optional Boat Cruise: $67
- Perito Moreno walkways + Boat Tour (optional) from El Calafate: $69
- Perito Moreno Glacier Guided Tour: $79
- Perito Moreno Glacier Full Day Tour with Optional Boat Safari: $80
- Tour to Walkways of the Perito Moreno Glacier: $83
- Perito Moreno Glacier Full Day Tour with optional Navigation: $85
- Day Tour to the Perito Moreno Glacier from El Calafate: $88
- city tour: $89
Tours and Activities in Puerto Natales
Here are a few actual costs in Puerto Natales for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers Boat Tour and traditional lunch.: $255
- Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers Boat Tour with Lunch: $259
- Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers Sightseeing Cruise from Puerto Natales: $271
- City Bike Tour through Puerto Natales: $65
- From Grey Glacier Tour: $251
- From Torres del Paine National Park Day Tour: $110
- Full Day Land of Sheep Experience Tourism: $199
- Full Day Torres del Paine Tour from Puerto Natales with Pickup: $119
- Full Day Tour Perito Moreno from Puerto Natales: $140
- Full Day Tour to Torres del Paine National Park: $92
- Full day Torres del Paine Tour from Puerto Natales: $200
- Full-Day Hiking Tour to the Base of Paine Towers at Torres del Paine National Park: $196
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEl Calafate $8.71Puerto Natales $18
Typical Alcohol Prices in Puerto Natales
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Puerto Natales:
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Alcohol$13
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between El Calafate and Puerto Natales, we can see that Puerto Natales 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 Puerto Natales would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Puerto Natales 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 Puerto Natales Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, El Calafate or Puerto Natales?
Puerto Natales has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of El Calafate. When comparing the sizes of El Calafate and Puerto Natales, 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.