Should you visit La Plata or Mendoza?
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 Mendoza 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.
Mendoza
Mendoza is a city in western Argentina and more precisely in the desertic Cuyo region. Mendoza is the center of the Argentinian wine industry and is famed around the world for its vineyards and wine production. Spread across the valley of the Rio Mendoza and in the foothills of the Andean mountain range, Mendoza is also near the Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside of the Himalayas. The bustling and scenic city of wide, leafy avenues, atmospheric plazas and cosmopolitan cafes spoils visitors with unique natural attractions and historical landmarks. If you can, visit Mendoza during the harvest festival at the end of February. There are many events and festivals in Mendoza and they are usually free. Each has a different theme, and they usually have a stage with singing and dancing and booths that sell food around a plaza. Seventy percent of Argentina's wines are produced here, and Mendoza is especially known for its world-famous malbecs.
Which city is cheaper, Mendoza or La Plata?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in La Plata is $61, while the average daily cost in Mendoza is $52. 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 Mendoza in more detail.
Accommodation
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $48 in La Plata For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
For a normal double-occupancy room in Mendoza, $40 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Mendoza, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is $20, such as in a hostel.
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 Mendoza can vary, the average travelers spends about $23 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Mendoza should cost around $9.20 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Mendoza is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
La Plata $24
Mendoza $23
Typical Food prices in La Plata
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to La Plata:
Typical Food prices in Mendoza
For Mendoza, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Mendoza
For Mendoza, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Gourmet Dinner at Espacio Trapiche:
$54
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Cooking class experience at a Mendoza winery:
$145
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Asado cooking class and dinner in Mendoza city.:
$168
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Winery dinner. Enjoy the best restaurant in a winery:
$252
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 $17 on transportation in La Plata on average per day.
Mendoza's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend $10 per person, per day on transportation in Mendoza.
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 Mendoza
Also for Mendoza, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Premium Spa Day & Fango Therapy at Cacheuta Hot Springs with Lunch and Transfers:
$93
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Mendoza Airport Arrival Transfer:
$55
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Private Transfer in Mendoza:
$29
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One Way Transfer - Mendoza Airport to/from Mendoza City:
$25
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Private Airport Transfer: El Plumerillo International Airport (MDZ) to Mendoza:
$22
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Private Airport Transfer: Mendoza to El Plumerillo International Airport (MDZ):
$22
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Shared Transfer Mendoza Bus Station / Downtown Hotel:
$13
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Mendoza Airport Shuttle Transfer:
$11
Is it cheaper to fly into La Plata or Mendoza?
Prices for flights to both Mendoza 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 $15 per day, per person.
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Mendoza can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around $15 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
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 Mendoza
For Mendoza, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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3-Days Getaway for Wine lovers - Mendoza Experience!:
$670
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360º Tour: Vintage classic driving in the Uco Valley.:
$97
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4-Day Semi-private Mendoza Wine Experience:
$718
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4-Days of Adventure at Mendoza - Beauty & Adrenaline:
$705
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4-day Semi-private Tour of Mendoza Andes & Wine:
$570
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5-Day Adventure Trip in Mendoza:
$766
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5-Day Private Tour of Mendoza:
$1,290
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7-Day Mendoza & Bariloche Adventure: Horseback riding, Wine, Trekking & Kayaking:
$1,326
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7-Day Mendoza & Santiago de Chile Adventure tour:
$1,863
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Aconcagua hiking tour Quebrada del Durazno:
$148
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Adrenalin Canopy Tour Mendoza River:
$74
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Amazing High mountain tour to Aconcagua:
$180
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 $8.49.
Typically, people visiting Mendoza spend on average $8.79 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Typical Alcohol prices in Mendoza
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Mendoza:
Sample the Local Flavors in Mendoza
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Mendoza:
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Vineyards with Wine Tasting in Mendoza:
$21
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Mendoza Wine Tour with Lunch:
$80
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Sunday Wine Tasting Tour and Argentinien BBQ:
$80
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Bike wine tour. Visit 2 of the best wineries:
$81
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Private Uco Valley Tour including Lunch and Wine Tasting from Mendoza:
$95
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Private Lujan Wine Tour with Gourmet Wine-Paired Lunch from Mendoza:
$100
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Mendoza 4-Day Sightseeing and Wine Tour:
$103
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Half day wine tour. Visit 2 wineries in Lujan de Cuyo:
$103
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Private Wine Tasting and Vineyards Tour from Mendoza:
$136
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Deluxe Mendoza Half-Day Wine Tasting Tour:
$145
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Bike wine tours. Visit 3 wineries and enjoy gourmet lunch:
$153
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Luján de Cuyo best Wines- Ultimate Wine Tour:
$154
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between La Plata and Mendoza, we can see that La Plata is more expensive. And not only is Mendoza much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Mendoza would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Mendoza 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 Mendoza.
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