Which place is cheaper, Puerto Natales or Jaco?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Jaco or Puerto Natales?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Jaco or Puerto Natales, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Jaco or Puerto Natales?
Jaco
Jaco is a beach destination on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. This resort city is located in the county of Garabito in the Puntarenas province. It has a population of about 10,000 residents and a 2.5 mile long beach that is an excellent surfing destination.
Because Jaco is located on the coast, it's weather is influenced by the water. The climate is humid with a relative humidity of about 80%, but climbing to 90% in the month of June. The temperature is usually between 85 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit at night. There are distinct wet and dry seasons with August through early December being the rainy season and late December through early April being the dry season. Rain is irregular during the rest of the year.
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 Budget Tours to Costa Rica, The Best Tours for Seniors to Costa Rica, The Best Adventure Tours to Chile, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Chile.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayJaco $104Puerto Natales $84
The average daily cost (per person) in Jaco is $104, 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 Jaco and Puerto Natales in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personJaco $67Puerto Natales $38
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomJaco $134Puerto Natales $76
Compare Hotels in Jaco and Puerto Natales
Looking for a hotel in Jaco 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.
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: Jaco Hotel Prices and Puerto Natales Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Jaco -Puerto Natales $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Jaco
Also for Jaco, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- From Tortuga Island Boat Tour with Lunch and Transfer: $135
- Jaco or Playa Hermosa: Transfer to San Jose or Alajuela: $173
- Jaco/Monteverde to Liberia Airport (LIR) - Departure Transfer : $90
- Private Transfer - San Jose Airport & Los Sueños Resort/Marriot : $200
- Private transfer from Jaco Beach to Hotels in San Jose or the Airport: $219
- Transfer FROM Jaco Beach TO SJO Airport OR RETURN (One Way): $70
- Transfer Private From Jaco to San José or Airport up to 5 passengers (one way) : $245
- Transfer to Jaco beach from San José or the airport one way: $245
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 Jaco or Puerto Natales?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Natales and Jaco 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 dayJaco $21Puerto Natales $28
Typical Food Prices in Jaco
For Jaco, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Hermosa BeachLlunch$3.94
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Tsunami Sushi Dinner$18
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Taco Bar Dinner$9.01
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Pizza & Smoothie Lunch$6.31
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Ice Cream$5.92
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Breakfast Taco Bar$3.34
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Fruit Plate$2.96
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Jaco
For Jaco, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Costa Rican cooking class with cookbook author Melissa Guzman: $85
- Taste of Costa Rica: Traditional Food Tour in Jacó: $87
- Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna Waterfall, Hot Springs Combo Tour with Lunch & Dinner: $195
Typical Food Prices in Puerto Natales
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Puerto Natales:
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Cake$1.05
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Dinner$18
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Coke$1.05
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Jaco $60Puerto Natales $29
Typical Entertainment Prices in Jaco
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Jaco's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Dance Class$9.82
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Surf Lesson$49
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Bike Rental$9.82
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Tortuga Island Tour$98
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Massage$44
Tours and Activities in Jaco
For Jaco, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Jungle Crocodile Safari and Bird Watching Tour: $35
- Crocodile Man Tour THE ORIGINAL: $40
- Jason Crocodile Tours: $40
- Jaco Beach: 2-Hour Chocolate Experience Tour: $43
- Horseback Riding Pacific Experience in Tarcoles Garabito: $47
- 2 Hours Private Guided Hiking Experience to El Miro in Jaco: $50
- From Canopy Tour in Hacienda Nosavar: $50
- Guided visit to Carara National Park (Ticket included): $50
- "Miro Jaco" & Jaco Beach Horseback Tour: $59
- Jaco Horse Tours: $60
- Chocolate Experience: $62
- Jaco Horseback Riding Adventure Tours: $64
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
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayJaco $32Puerto Natales $17
Typical Alcohol Prices in Jaco
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Jaco:
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Wine$15
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Night at the Bar$27
Typical Alcohol Prices in Puerto Natales
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Puerto Natales:
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Alcohol$13
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Jaco and Puerto Natales, we can see that Jaco is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Natales much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Jaco 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 Puerto Natales would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Natales 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 Jaco would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Jaco than you might in Puerto Natales.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Jaco Expensive? and Is Puerto Natales Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Jaco or Puerto Natales?
Puerto Natales has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Jaco. When comparing the sizes of Jaco 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.
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.