Should you visit La Plata or Colonia del Sacramento?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between La Plata and Colonia del Sacramento can help you decide which place is right for you.
La Plata
Just over an hour from Buenos Aires, the bustling university city of La Plata is notable for being South America's first planned city. Indeed, also known as the City of Diagonal, La Plata's intricate grid system includes diagonal streets that run through it, contributing to easy navigation but confusing intersections.La Plata is the Capital of the Province of Buenos Aires, the main Argentine state, so you will find lots of elaborate government buildings alongside leafy green plazas in this laid back as well as active city. La Plata is a happening university town with a population of over 700,000. You can walk the width of it in under an hour, stopping at trendy craft beer bars, local music joints, and great restaurants along the way. Also, football is a religion in Argentina and if you're looking for some local atmosphere, La Plata is the place to go! Two of Argentina's biggest football teams, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata and Estudiantes de La Plata challenge each other each year. If you are around during that special day for the city, you will witness thousands of fans wearing the relevant colours heading off to watch the match and parade by calle 7.
Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento is in the Rio de la Plata region of Uruguay. It is filled with old colonial buildings and cobbled streets, and is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Colonia del Sacramento was founded in 1680 by the Portuguese, sandwiched in between the Portuguese colony of Brazil and the Spanish Viceroyalty of the River Plate, later Argentina, Uruguay and Southern Brazil. Its strategic position and use as a smuggling port meant that its sovereignty was constantly contested and the city changed hands several times between Spain and Portugal. The irresistibly picturesque town's charm and its proximity to Buenos Aires draw thousands of Argentine and other visitors on weekends and in summer. Prices rise in these periods and it can be difficult to find a room so make sure to book your trip well in advance.
Which city is cheaper, Colonia del Sacramento or La Plata?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in La Plata is $62, while the average daily cost in Colonia del Sacramento is $48. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for La Plata and Colonia del Sacramento in more detail.
Accommodation
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $50 in La Plata For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $48 in Colonia del Sacramento For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
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Accommodation
Hotel or hostel for one person
La Plata $25
Colonia del Sacramento $24
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Accommodation
Typical double-occupancy room
La Plata
$50
Colonia del Sacramento
$48
Food
On average, meal and food prices in La Plata cost around $24 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around $9.60.
While meal prices in Colonia del Sacramento can vary, the average travelers spends about $13 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Colonia del Sacramento should cost around $5.20 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Colonia del Sacramento is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
Typical Food prices in La Plata
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to La Plata:
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in La Plata than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $18 on transportation in La Plata on average per day.
To get around in Colonia del Sacramento, the average visitor spends $12 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
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Local Transportation
Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
La Plata $18
Colonia del Sacramento $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Plata
Also for La Plata, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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La Plata hotels to El Palomar Airport (EPA) - Departure Private Transfer:
$75
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Colonia del Sacramento
Also for Colonia del Sacramento, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Colonia Port Terminal Private Transfer:
$15
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Colonia Bus Terminal Private Transfer:
$15
Is it cheaper to fly into La Plata or Colonia del Sacramento?
Prices for flights to both Colonia del Sacramento and La Plata 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.
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in La Plata, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $16 per day, per person.
In Colonia del Sacramento, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $17 per person, per day.
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Entertainment
Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
La Plata $16
Colonia del Sacramento $17
Typical Entertainment prices in La Plata
For La Plata, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
Tours and Activities in Colonia del Sacramento
For Colonia del Sacramento, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Colonia Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour:
$26
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Colonia del Sacramento City Tour:
$63
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Full Day Birdwatching and Nature Tour:
$200
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Half day city tour in Colonia de Sacramento, Uruguay:
$65
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Half day city tour in Montevideo:
$52
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In La Plata, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $8.69.
Typically, people visiting Colonia del Sacramento spend on average $4.11 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between La Plata and Colonia del Sacramento, we can see that La Plata is more expensive. And not only is Colonia del Sacramento much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Colonia del Sacramento would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Colonia del Sacramento 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 La Plata would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in La Plata than you might in Colonia del Sacramento.
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