A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Flores vs. Puerto Natales for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Flores or Puerto Natales?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Flores and Puerto Natales can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Flores or Puerto Natales?

Flores

The town of Flores is located in Peten, Guatemala. The main hub is located on an island on Lago Peten Itza, which is connected to the mainland by a causeway. On the other side of the causeway are the towns of Santa Elena and San Benito, however, all three are often referred to as Flores. Most people visit the area for its proximity to the ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal, though the town itself is also charming with colonial buildings and historic churches lining the cobbled streets.

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 3-Day Tours in Guatemala, The Best 2-Week Tours in Guatemala, The Best Adventure Tours to Chile, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Chile.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto Natales or Flores?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Flores is $33, while the average daily cost in Puerto Natales is $84. 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 Flores and Puerto Natales in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Flores $8.62
    Puerto Natales $38
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Flores $17
    Puerto Natales $76
Compare Hotels in Flores and Puerto Natales

Looking for a hotel in Flores 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.

Hotels in Flores


Hotels in Puerto Natales


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: Flores Hotel Prices and Puerto Natales Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Flores $7.86
    Puerto Natales $19

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Flores

Also for Flores, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Bus transfer from Flores, Guatemala to Belize City: $20
  • Belize, Caye Caulke, San Pedro Van/ Ferry Transfer: $20
  • Private transfer Mundo Maya Airport to Flores Island Hotels: $10
  • Round-Trip VIP Exclusive Transfer to Tikal from Flores: $137
  • Tikal Transfer and Tour Guide From Flores: $60
  • Transfer from Flores Guatemala to Caye Caulker Belize: $43

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Natales

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Natales:

  • Puerto Natales Airport Private Transfer: $18
  • From Torres del Paine Tour with Transfer: $80

Is it cheaper to fly into Flores or Puerto Natales?

Prices for flights to both Puerto Natales and Flores 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 day
    Flores $13
    Puerto Natales $28

Typical Food Prices in Puerto Natales

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Puerto Natales:


  • Cake
    $1.05
  • Dinner
    $18
  • Coke
    $1.05

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Flores $20
    Puerto Natales $29
Typical Entertainment Prices in Flores

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Flores's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Tikal Entrance (for 2)
    $39
  • Map of Tikal
    $3.22

Tours and Activities in Flores

For Flores, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • From Tikal Guided Tour with Transportation: $25
  • Shared Guided Sunset Tour in Yaxhá from Flores: $25
  • Basic Tour to Tikal Includes Transportation and Guide Service: $25
  • Yaxha: Shared Sunset Tour / Transportation & Guide: $25
  • From Tikal Sunset Tour: $30
  • Tikal Ruins Day Tour from Flores: $34
  • Tikal Group Tour : $42
  • Full Day Tikal Sunrise Tour from Flores and Archaeological Tour: $48
  • Tikal National Park Full-Day Guided Tour from Flores: $55
  • From Flores Guided Tour to Tikal with transportation + lunch: $75
  • From Exclusive Tikal Group Tour: $77
  • Tikal Day Tour: $90

Tours and Activities in Puerto Natales

Here are a few actual costs in Puerto Natales for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • 2 Imperdible Tours Torres del Paine and Perito Moreno: $300
  • Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers Boat Tour and traditional lunch.: $199
  • Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers Sightseeing Cruise from Puerto Natales: $224
  • City Bike Tour in Puerto Natales: $58
  • From Torres del Paine National Park Day Tour: $80
  • Full Day Patagonia Tour from Puerto Natales: $100
  • Full Day Torres del Paine Tour: $99
  • Full Day Tour to Torres del Paine National Park: $92
  • Full day Torres del Paine Shared Tour From Puerto Natales only: $199
  • Full day tour Torres del Paine + Milodon cave: $88
  • Full-Day Hiking Tour to the Base of Paine Towers at Torres del Paine National Park: $189
  • Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park from Puerto Natales: $143

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Flores $21
    Puerto Natales $17
Typical Alcohol Prices in Flores

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Flores are as follows:


  • Two Margaritas
    $2.57

Typical Alcohol Prices in Puerto Natales

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Puerto Natales:


  • Alcohol
    $13


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Flores and Puerto Natales, we can see that Puerto Natales is more expensive. And not only is Flores much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Flores is in Central America and Puerto Natales is in South America, 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 Flores would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Flores 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 Flores.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Flores Expensive? and Is Puerto Natales Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Flores or Puerto Natales?

Flores has a larger population, and is about 2% larger than the population of Puerto Natales. When comparing the sizes of Flores 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.