Which place is cheaper, Santiago or Ilha Grande?
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 Ilha Grande or Santiago?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Ilha Grande or Santiago? 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: Ilha Grande or Santiago?
Ilha Grande
Ilha Grande is a large, beautiful, island located off the southeast coast of Brazil. The island has few inhabitants, resulting in mostly unadulterated beaches and landscapes. There are over a dozen trails and beaches to explore, some of which have been called the best beaches in Brazil. Due to the limited number of inhabitants, ATMs are sparse on the island, so be sure to have cash with you before getting there.
Santiago
Santiago is the capital city of Chile. It is centrally located in the long and narrow country, making it a good jumping off point to explore everywhere else. It's convenient location means that you can go skiing in the Andes one day, and hang out at the beach the next.
Santiago has a cool semi-arid climate that is similar to Mediterranean climates. The summers, which are between November and March, are warm and dry. The temperatures climb to around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The winters, between June and August, are humid with cold mornings. The daily highs are around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and the lows stay a few degrees above freezing. Rain is more common in the winter months and the dry season is between December and March.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Brazil, The Best Eco Tours in Brazil, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Chile, and The Best Luxury Tours to Chile.
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Ilha Grande Prices
Brazil PricesSantiago Prices
Chile Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayIlha Grande $80Santiago $150
The average daily cost (per person) in Ilha Grande is $80, while the average daily cost in Santiago is $150. 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 Ilha Grande and Santiago in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personIlha Grande $35Santiago $109
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomIlha Grande $70Santiago $218
Compare Hotels in Ilha Grande and Santiago
Looking for a hotel in Ilha Grande or Santiago? 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: Santiago Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ilha Grande $17Santiago $5.41
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ilha Grande
Also for Ilha Grande, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Regular Transfer Angra dos Reis x Rio de Janeiro and Airports: $36
- From Angra dos Reis: Shared Transfer to Rio de Janeiro: $46
- Private Transfer Angra dos Reis to Rio de Janeiro: $91
- Private Transfer from GIG to anywhere in the City Angra dos Reis: $182
- Private Transfer from Angra dos Reis to Airport GIG in Rio : $182
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Santiago
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santiago:
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Metro Ride$1.13
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago:
- from Santiago airport private arrival transfer to the Valparaiso pier: $251
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Santiago APT-HTL (SCL): $30
- Transfer to Valparaiso Cruise Terminal with Winery & Town Tour: $98
- Transfer from Santiago Airport to Santiago Centro Commune: $52
- Transfer Santiago-Viña del Mar / Viña del Mar-Santiago: $220
- Transfer Santiago to Cruise Port in Valparaiso or San Antonio: $290
- Transfer Santiago de Chile airport: $40
- Transfer Santiago Airport to the commune of Providencia: $56
- Transfer Private hotel to Cruise ship in Puerto San Antonio or Valparaiso: $270
- TRANSFER TRANSFER AIRPORT-VIÑA DEL MAR VALPARAISO: $143
- Valle Nevado Ski Day Trip with Hotel Transfers: $45
- Transfer Airport/Hotel or Hotel/Airport: $65
Is it cheaper to fly into Ilha Grande or Santiago?
Prices for flights to both Santiago and Ilha Grande 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 dayIlha Grande $35Santiago $23
Typical Food Prices in Santiago
Some typical examples of dining costs in Santiago are as follows:
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Empanada$1.88
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Hamburger$2.50
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Dinner$26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santiago
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santiago.
- Legacy Family Tour Lunch or Dinner Pairing 4 Strokes: $40
- Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $82
- 4-Hour Boozy Chilean Cooking Class in Santiago: $85
- 4-hour Boozy Chilean Cooking class in Santiago: $85
- Bali Hai Dinner & Show, Transport and Wine refill: $106
- Traditional Dinner Show in Santiago: $107
- Dinner Show in Bali Hai with Wine refill and transportation: $114
- Small-Group Tour: Night City Tour with Santa Lucia Hill and Dinner Show: $116
- Private Dinner & Chilean Folk Show with Transfers: $116
- Alyan Winery Sunset with Wine Tastings and Dinner: $117
- San Cristobal Hill Night Tour with Dinner Show: $129
- Bali Hai Polynesian Dinner Show with Transfer: $130
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ilha Grande $6.36Santiago $47
Tours and Activities in Ilha Grande
For Ilha Grande, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Regular Schooner Ride - Ilha Grande Tour: $12
- Speedboat Tour Paradise Lagoons of Ilha Grande: $13
- Boat Tour To The Beaches Of Angra Dos Reis: $18
- Ilha Grande - From Abrãao: Lopes Mendes beach tour & trekking: $25
- Shared Speedboat Tour - Paradise Island Tour: $32
- Tour Of The Motorboat The Paradisiac Islands Of Angra Dos Reis: $42
- Half-Day Ilha Grande Schooner Tour: $42
- Six hour speedboat tour of Ilha Grande. Be amazed by the Blue and Green Lagoons: $55
- Schooner Cruise with Caipirinha drinks by the Blue Lagoon: $56
- Ilha Grande - Private Historical Walking Tour with Natural Pool.: $60
- Full-Day Ilha Grande Northern Coast Speedboat Tour: $63
- From Ilha Grande - Paradise Island 7 h - Speedboat tour: $65
Tours and Activities in Santiago
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Santiago are as follows:
- Private Adventure at 4200 meters above sea level in the Chilean Andes Cerro Pintor: $300
- Private Half-Day Guided Tour of the City of Santiago.: $280
- Private Sightseeing City Tour in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar: $240
- "Tour Tradicional" Viña Cousiño Macul Oficial español: $26
- 1 Day Tour of Isla Negra Algarrobo and Viña Undurraga from Santiago: $112
- 1 Day Undurraga Vineyard Tour from Santiago : $85
- 6 Hour Tour of Culture, History and Flavors from Santiago: $75
- A Private Tour of Santiago with an Experienced Local Guide: $180
- A full Private Tour of Valparaiso from Santiago : $240
- A historical tour of Santiago, Chile: $18
- An Architect's Tour of Downtown Santiago: $55
- Andean Adventure: Cajón del Maipo & Santuario del Río Spa: $132
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayIlha Grande $10Santiago $8.40
Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago
Also in Santiago, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Ludwig's Original Pub Crawl with VIP Club Entry: $34
- Viña del Mar, Valparaiso, with Wine Tasting: $60
- Undurraga Winery Tour with Entry and Wine Tasting: $63
- Santiago by Night: Funicular, Wine Tasting & Cueca Show: $69
- Undurraga Wine tour: $70
- Half Day Trip to Undurraga Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $70
- Valparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with Casablanca Wine Tasting: $79
- Inca Lagoon and Vineyard Visit with Wine Tasting: $80
- Half Day Trip to Concha y Toro Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $87
- Half Day Trip to Cousiño Macul Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $87
- Maipo Valley Wine Tour with 4 vineyards from Santiago.: $89
- Kross Brewery Tour: A Craft Beer Tasting Experience: $93
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ilha Grande and Santiago, we can see that Santiago is more expensive. And not only is Ilha Grande much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Ilha Grande would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ilha Grande 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 Santiago would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santiago than you might in Ilha Grande.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Ilha Grande Expensive? and Is Santiago Expensive?.
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.