A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Guatemala City vs. Puerto Montt for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Guatemala City or Puerto Montt?

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

Should I visit Guatemala City or Puerto Montt? 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: Guatemala City or Puerto Montt?

Guatemala City

Referred to by the locals as "Guate," Guatemala City is the largest and most modern city in Guatemala, as well as its capital. While the atmosphere of the place is big, dirty, and dangerous with city fumes and skyscrapers, it is the hub of the country. It is the place where travelers first step foot into Guatemala and, though it is a place of modern chaos, it does have some of the best galleries and museums as well as a selection of bars, cafes, and restaurants.

Puerto Montt

The Lake District is a region of snow capped volcanoes, pale green lakes and endless miles of virgin and ancient forests. Found 1,016 km away from Santiago de Chile, Puerto Montt is famous for its beautiful lakes and its germanic architecture, old wooden houses and its legendary Iglesia Catedral, found on the town's main square, la Plaza de Armas. The monument, entirely built with alerce (cypress) wood, is the oldest building of the city. The capital of the Lake Region is a good starting point for many memorable excursions in the area.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Guatemala City, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Guatemala, The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Chile, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Chile.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto Montt or Guatemala City?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Guatemala City is $44, while the average daily cost in Puerto Montt is $89. 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 Guatemala City and Puerto Montt in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Guatemala City $24
    Puerto Montt $61
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Guatemala City $48
    Puerto Montt $122
Compare Hotels in Guatemala City and Puerto Montt

Looking for a hotel in Guatemala City or Puerto Montt? 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 Guatemala City


Hotels in Puerto Montt


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: Guatemala City Hotel Prices and Puerto Montt Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Guatemala City $6.17
    Puerto Montt $6.43

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Guatemala City

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Guatemala City:

  • Shared Arrival Transfer: Guatemala City Airport to Antigua: $16
  • PRIVATE Group Transfer From Guatemala City to La Antigua: $20
  • Private Ground Transfer Airport - Antigua Guatemala: $23
  • Private Transfer From Airport to Hotel in Guatemala City: $30
  • Shared Arrival Transfer: Guatemala City Airport to Hotels: $43
  • Private Airport Transfer to Antigua Guatemala: $45
  • Guatemala Airport Roundtrip Transfer to Antigua Guatemala: $56
  • Guatemala City Airport (GUA) to Quetzaltenango-Arrival Transfer: $65
  • Private Transfer from La Aurora Airport to Puerto Quetzal Port: $73
  • Private Transfer from Guatemala City to Antigua: $74
  • One way private transfer to Antigua: $74
  • Transfer from Guatemala City hotel to INTL Airport La Aurora: $75

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Montt

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Montt:

  • Puerto Montt Airport(PMC) to Frutillar - Arrival Private Transfer: $21
  • Puerto Tepual Airport (PMC) to Puerto Varas - Arrival Transfer: $21
  • Puerto Montt Airport(PMC) to Frutillar - Arrival Private Transfer: $23
  • Puerto Montt Airport Arrival Transfer to Hotel in Puerto Varas: $24
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Montt Port to Puerto Airport (PMC): $27
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Airport (PMC) to Puerto Montt Port: $31
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Montt Port to Puerto Airport (PMC): $31
  • Puerto Montt Airport (PMC) to Puerto Varas City- Arrival Transfer: $33
  • Puerto Montt Shuttle Transfer: $34
  • Puerto Montt Airport to Puerto Varas - RoundTrip Private Transfer: $42
  • Puerto Airport (PMC) to Frutillar - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $42
  • Cruce Andino Office Private Transfer from Puerto Montt: $44

Is it cheaper to fly into Guatemala City or Puerto Montt?

Prices for flights to both Puerto Montt and Guatemala City 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
    Guatemala City $15
    Puerto Montt $21

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Guatemala City

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Guatemala City.

  • Cooking class/Pepian Workshop: $35
  • Taste Antigua Guatemala Walking Food Tour : $75
  • Small-Group Cooking Class in Antigua from Guatemala City: $120
  • Antigua Market, Cooking Class and Choco Museum from Guatemala City: $178
  • Pacaya Volcano Vistas + Enjoy Pizza Cooked Under Volcanic Heat: $180

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Guatemala City $1.21
    Puerto Montt $14

Tours and Activities in Guatemala City

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Guatemala City are as follows:

  • Culinary Experience in Guatemala City: $15
  • Half Day Antigua Guatemala Tour: $17
  • Guided Walking Tour in Guatemala City: $25
  • Half Day Guatemala City Tour: $27
  • Guatemala city Walking Tour and public bus: $30
  • Half-Day Guatemala City Explorer Tour: $34
  • Graffiti Walking Tour in 4 Grados Norte Guatemala City : $35
  • UNESCO JEWELS: Antigua Half Day Tour from Guatemala City: $38
  • City walking tour Guatemala City and Relieff Map: $47
  • Tour around antigua's villages: $50
  • Half-Day Guatemala City Tour : $55
  • 3-hour Bike Tour Guatemala City South: $55

Tours and Activities in Puerto Montt

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Puerto Montt are as follows:

  • Frutillar Tour: $31
  • Half day Llanquihue and Frutillar City tour : $44
  • Private Tour: Puerto Montt Sightseeing: $47
  • Frutillar & Llanquihue Tour from Puerto Montt: $56
  • Osorno Volcano and Petrohué Falls Guided Tour: $62
  • Osorno Volcano Tour+Petrohue Falls / Cruises / Spanish: $68
  • Alerce Andino National Park/Alerce Millenario/Cruises: $77
  • Private. City Tour Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas: $92
  • Austral / Hornopiren Road Tour: $102
  • Frutillar & Llanquihue Private Tour from Puerto Montt: $128
  • 6 Hours Shared Tour in Calbuco and Millennial Forest : $130
  • Tagua Tagua Lake and Wild Patagonia Tour: $133

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Guatemala City $6.84
    Puerto Montt $4.49


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

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


Which is Bigger, Guatemala City or Puerto Montt?

Guatemala City has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of Puerto Montt. When comparing the sizes of Guatemala City and Puerto Montt, 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.