Which place is cheaper, Puerto Montt or La Plata?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit La Plata or Puerto Montt?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
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 Puerto Montt can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: La Plata or Puerto Montt?
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.
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 Buenos Aires, The Best 2-Week Tours from Buenos Aires, The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Chile, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Chile.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLa Plata $8.62Puerto Montt $89
The average daily cost (per person) in La Plata is $8.62, 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 La Plata and Puerto Montt in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLa Plata $3.47Puerto Montt $61
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLa Plata $6.94Puerto Montt $122
Compare Hotels in La Plata and Puerto Montt
Looking for a hotel in La Plata 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.
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: La Plata Hotel Prices and Puerto Montt Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.La Plata $2.47Puerto Montt $6.43
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Montt
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Montt:
- Transfer from Puerto Montt Airport to Castro: $300
- Transfer Puerto Montt Airport to Castro: $277
- 4 Days Tour Los Lagos Region with Transfer Chiloe and Peulla: $177
- Puerto Montt El Tepual Airport (PMC) to Pucon - Arrival Transfer: $114
- Transfer from Puerto Montt Airport to Frutillar: $80
- Puerto Montt Airport (PMC) to Puerto Varas - Round-Trip Transfer: $65
- Transfer from Puerto Montt Airport to Puerto Varas: $50
- Puerto Montt Airport (PMC) to Frutillar: Roundtrip Transfer: $46
- Puerto Montt Airport to Puerto Varas - RoundTrip Private Transfer: $41
- Puerto Airport (PMC) to Frutillar - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $41
- Puerto Montt Shuttle Transfer: $34
- Puerto Montt Airport (PMC) to Puerto Varas City- Arrival Transfer: $33
Is it cheaper to fly into La Plata or Puerto Montt?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Montt 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.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayLa Plata $3.37Puerto Montt $21
Typical Food Prices in La Plata
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to La Plata:
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Ice Cream$0.01
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.La Plata $2.16Puerto Montt $14
Typical Entertainment Prices in La Plata
For La Plata, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Sciencias Naturales Museum Entrance Fee$0.01
Tours and Activities in Puerto Montt
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Puerto Montt are as follows:
- 6 Hours Shared Tour in Calbuco and Millennial Forest : $130
- Alerce Andino National Park/Alerce Millenario/Cruises: $77
- Austral / Hornopiren Road Tour: $102
- Excursion City tour Puerto Varas / Llanquihue and Frutillar: $77
- Frutillar & Llanquihue Private Tour from Puerto Montt: $128
- Frutillar & Llanquihue Tour from Puerto Montt: $56
- Frutillar Tour: $31
- Osorno Volcano Tour+Petrohue Falls / Cruises / Spanish: $68
- Private Day tour Petrohue Falls, Osorno Volcano & Puerto Varas: $250
- Private Shore Excursion Tour to Puerto Montt, Puerto Varas and Frutillar: $143
- Private Tour: Puerto Montt Sightseeing: $47
- Private Tour: Puerto Montt, Puerto Varas and Vicente Peres Rosales National Park: $164
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLa Plata $1.20Puerto Montt $4.49
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between La Plata and Puerto Montt, we can see that Puerto Montt is more expensive. And not only is La Plata much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to La Plata would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in La Plata 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 La Plata.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is La Plata Expensive? and Is Puerto Montt Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, La Plata or Puerto Montt?
La Plata has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Puerto Montt. When comparing the sizes of La Plata 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.
When is the best time to visit La Plata or Puerto Montt?
Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the southern hemisphere, summer is in January and winter is in July.
Should I visit La Plata or Puerto Montt in the Summer?
Both Puerto Montt and La Plata during the summer are popular places to visit.
La Plata is much warmer than Puerto Montt in the summer. The daily temperature in La Plata averages around 25°C (77°F) in January, and Puerto Montt fluctuates around 16°C (60°F).
In Puerto Montt, it's very sunny this time of the year. In the summer, La Plata often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Puerto Montt. La Plata gets 191 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Puerto Montt receives 204 hours of full sun.
La Plata usually gets around the same amount of rain in January as Puerto Montt. La Plata gets 86 mm (3.4 in) of rain, while Puerto Montt receives 90 mm (3.5 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JanuaryLa Plata 25°C (77°F)Puerto Montt 16°C (60°F)
Should I visit La Plata or Puerto Montt in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both La Plata and Puerto Montt.
In the autumn, La Plata is much warmer than Puerto Montt. Typically, the autumn temperatures in La Plata in April average around 18°C (65°F), and Puerto Montt averages at about 11°C (51°F).
La Plata usually receives more sunshine than Puerto Montt during autumn. La Plata gets 156 hours of sunny skies, while Puerto Montt receives 104 hours of full sun in the autumn.
Puerto Montt receives a lot of rain in the autumn. In April, La Plata usually receives less rain than Puerto Montt. La Plata gets 85 mm (3.3 in) of rain, while Puerto Montt receives 143 mm (5.6 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures AprilLa Plata 18°C (65°F)Puerto Montt 11°C (51°F)
Should I visit La Plata or Puerto Montt in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to La Plata as well as Puerto Montt.
In July, La Plata is generally much warmer than Puerto Montt. Daily temperatures in La Plata average around 12°C (53°F), and Puerto Montt fluctuates around 7°C (45°F).
In the winter, La Plata often gets more sunshine than Puerto Montt. La Plata gets 102 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Puerto Montt receives 67 hours of full sun.
It's quite rainy in Puerto Montt. La Plata usually gets less rain in July than Puerto Montt. La Plata gets 57 mm (2.2 in) of rain, while Puerto Montt receives 229 mm (9 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JulyLa Plata 12°C (53°F)Puerto Montt 7°C (45°F)
Should I visit La Plata or Puerto Montt in the Spring?
Both Puerto Montt and La Plata are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities.
La Plata is much warmer than Puerto Montt in the spring. The daily temperature in La Plata averages around 18°C (64°F) in October, and Puerto Montt fluctuates around 11°C (51°F).
La Plata usually receives more sunshine than Puerto Montt during spring. La Plata gets 167 hours of sunny skies, while Puerto Montt receives 151 hours of full sun in the spring.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Puerto Montt. It's quite rainy in La Plata. In October, La Plata usually receives less rain than Puerto Montt. La Plata gets 100 mm (3.9 in) of rain, while Puerto Montt receives 121 mm (4.8 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures OctoberLa Plata 18°C (64°F)Puerto Montt 11°C (51°F)
Typical Weather for Puerto Montt and La Plata
| La Plata | Puerto Montt | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 25°C (77°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) | 16°C (60°F) | 90 mm (3.5 in) |
| Feb | 24°C (75°F) | 101 mm (4 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) |
| Mar | 22°C (71°F) | 108 mm (4.3 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 99 mm (3.9 in) |
| Apr | 18°C (65°F) | 85 mm (3.3 in) | 11°C (51°F) | 143 mm (5.6 in) |
| May | 15°C (59°F) | 72 mm (2.8 in) | 9°C (49°F) | 234 mm (9.2 in) |
| Jun | 12°C (53°F) | 44 mm (1.7 in) | 8°C (46°F) | 224 mm (8.8 in) |
| Jul | 12°C (53°F) | 57 mm (2.2 in) | 7°C (45°F) | 229 mm (9 in) |
| Aug | 13°C (55°F) | 57 mm (2.2 in) | 8°C (46°F) | 209 mm (8.2 in) |
| Sep | 15°C (59°F) | 62 mm (2.4 in) | 9°C (47°F) | 146 mm (5.7 in) |
| Oct | 18°C (64°F) | 100 mm (3.9 in) | 11°C (51°F) | 121 mm (4.8 in) |
| Nov | 21°C (69°F) | 100 mm (3.9 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 110 mm (4.3 in) |
| Dec | 23°C (74°F) | 96 mm (3.8 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 103 mm (4.1 in) |
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.