A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Fort-de-France vs. Puerto Varas for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Fort-de-France or Puerto Varas?

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

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Fort-de-France and Puerto Varas 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: Fort-de-France or Puerto Varas?

Fort-de-France

As the largest city and capital of Martinique, Fort-de-France serves as the main entryway for visitors traveling to the island. It is a busy city with a significant population, which creates an atmosphere bustling with traffic amidst its historic and cultural sights.

Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas is a city in Southern Chile, in the Los Lagos (Lakes) Region, Llanquihue Province. It is a charming town, only 23 km away from Puerto Montt and surrounded by the Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes as well as the impressive Llanquihue lake. In terms of landscape, accommodation and activities, Puerto Varas is well served! Kayak, paddle, canyoning, rock climbing, trekking, ski, fishing, you name it! If you decide to stop in that area, we recommend that you stay in Puerto Varas, as it provides the perfect starting point for many memorable excursions in the area.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to Chile, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Santiago.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto Varas or Fort-de-France?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Fort-de-France is €152, while the average daily cost in Puerto Varas is €102. 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 Fort-de-France and Puerto Varas in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Fort-de-France 79
    Puerto Varas 63
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Fort-de-France 158
    Puerto Varas 126
Compare Hotels in Fort-de-France and Puerto Varas

Looking for a hotel in Fort-de-France or Puerto Varas? 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 Fort-de-France


Hotels in Puerto Varas


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: Fort-de-France Hotel Prices and Puerto Varas Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Fort-de-France 16
    Puerto Varas 20

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Fort-de-France

Also for Fort-de-France, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Fort de France to Martinique Airport (FDF) - Departure Transfer: $66
  • Private Transfer from Fort de France to Fort de France Port: $71
  • Private Transfer from Martinique Airport to Fort de France Port: $71
  • Private transfer Fort de France Airport to and from Les Trois Ilets: $103

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Varas

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Varas:

  • Transfer from Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt Airport: $50
  • Transfer from Hotel in Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt Airport: $24
  • Transfer to Puerto Montt Airport: $22
  • Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt Airport - Departure Private Transfer: $21

Is it cheaper to fly into Fort-de-France or Puerto Varas?

Prices for flights to both Puerto Varas and Fort-de-France 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
    Fort-de-France 58
    Puerto Varas 23

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Fort-de-France

For Fort-de-France, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Food tour in the rainforest and St Pierre - Pile et Face: $104
  • Private Food Tour of Martinique in Fort-de-France: $199

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Fort-de-France 31
    Puerto Varas 18

Tours and Activities in Fort-de-France

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Fort-de-France.

  • Habitation Clement - entrance ticket: $15
  • Admission Ticket Balata's Garden: $19
  • Small train tour of a banana farm in Martinique: $22
  • Fort-de-France Private 2-Hour Walking Tour: $26
  • Mangrove Guided Tour: $43
  • Martinique: The Jewels of the Southern Caribbean Tour: $63
  • Martinique: Coral and Turtle Coves Cruise with Snacks: $64
  • Martinique: Half-Day Dolphin and Volcano Cruise: $64
  • Fort-de-France Food Tasting and Cultural Walking Tour: $64
  • Karaib Tour: $66
  • Martinique Shore Excursion - Unmissable Martinique North tour: $75
  • Martinique Shore Excursion - Authentic Tour of Southern Martinique: $75

Tours and Activities in Puerto Varas

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

  • Adventure Fullday Tour Osorno Volcano and Saltos de Petrohue National Park: $150
  • From Puerto Varas or Puerto Montt: Chiloé Island Tour: $60
  • From Osorno Volcano & Petrohue Falls Day Tour: $49
  • Full-Day Osorno Vulcano and Petrohue Falls Small-Group Tour: $80
  • Half-Day Small-Group Rafting Experience in Petrohué River: $52
  • Lake Llanquihue Bike Tour in Puerto Varas: $129
  • Petrohue Falls and Osorno Volcano Bike Tour: $124
  • Peulla Full Day Tour from Puerto Varas: $68
  • Premium Half Day Shared Tour Sunset at Osorno Volcano: $130
  • Premium Small-Group Half day Tour to Frutillar in Puerto Varas: $144
  • Private Rock Climbing Experience in Northern Patagonia: $100
  • Full-Day Tour Chiloe Island: Castro and Dalcahue : $62

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Fort-de-France 10
    Puerto Varas 6.10

Sample the Local Flavors in Fort-de-France

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Fort-de-France:

  • Small-Group Tour: Unmissable Martinique with Rum Distillery, Ruins, and More: $75
  • North Tour: rainforest, rum distillery, black sand beach etc: $120


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Fort-de-France and Puerto Varas, we can see that Fort-de-France is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Varas much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Fort-de-France is in Caribbean Islands and Puerto Varas 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 Puerto Varas would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Varas 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 Fort-de-France would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Fort-de-France than you might in Puerto Varas.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Fort-de-France Expensive? and Is Puerto Varas Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Fort-de-France or Puerto Varas?

Fort-de-France has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Puerto Varas. When comparing the sizes of Fort-de-France and Puerto Varas, 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.