Which place is cheaper, Arica or Granada?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Granada and Arica. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Granada is Nicaragua's oldest colonial city, and arguably, the most beautiful city in the country. It sits on the northern edge of Lake Nicaragua (Lago Cocibolca) and has many beautifully colored buildings and nice churches. The city's beauty and colonial architecture, along with its relative safety and accessibility, make it one of Nicaragua's top tourist destinations. The city has long been a center for commerce, but today its economy depends heavily on tourism. The city is the sixth largest in Nicaragua and a real estate boom in the early 2000's brought a large number of expats to the town.
A mixture of coastline, desert and high Andean plateau, Arica is a seaside resort town, known for its surfing beaches located at the tip of Northern Chile. Arica boasts that it is "the land of the eternal spring," but its temperate climate and beaches are not the only reason to visit this small city. Arica's tourism is still principally geared toward domestic visitors and those from southern Peru and La Paz, who flock to its beaches mid-December through February. It is very easy to spend a few days in Arica in the sand, or seeing the sights in town, at a slow pace but the city also offers plenty of fun activities and exciting day trips.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Nicaragua, The Best Adventure Tours to Nicaragua, The Best 10-Day Tours in Chile, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Chile.
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Granada is $40, while the average daily cost in Arica is $79. 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 Granada and Arica in more detail.
Looking for a hotel in Granada or Arica? 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.
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Granada:
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Arica are as follows:
Also for Arica, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
Prices for flights to both Arica and Granada 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.
Some typical examples of dining costs in Granada are as follows:
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Granada are as follows:
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Granada are as follows:
For Arica, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Granada:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Granada and Arica, we can see that Arica is more expensive. And not only is Granada much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Granada is in Central America and Arica 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 Granada would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Granada 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 Arica would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Arica than you might in Granada.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Granada Expensive? and Is Arica Expensive?.
Arica has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Granada. When comparing the sizes of Granada and Arica, 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.