Which place is cheaper, Puerto Montt or Medellin?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Medellin or Puerto Montt?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Medellin or Puerto Montt? 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: Medellin or Puerto Montt?
Medellin
In addition to big improvements in public safety, Medellin has witnessed a huge surge in urban development projects, including Colombia's first metro system and cable cars to service poorer neighborhoods located high on the mountain sides. There is an abundance of parks, libraries, museums and public spaces with many cultural events taking place. Many travelers also enjoy visiting the surrounding villages, where life is simple and landscapes and nature reserves are wonderful. Medellin has now become one of the "it" cities in the world, with tons of tourists visiting and foreigners settling and retiring here. Beautiful mountains, warm weather, friendly locals, and a vibrant culture are just a few of the reasons why you should visit Medellin.
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 Adventure Tours to Colombia, The Best Eco Tours in Colombia, 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 dayMedellin $23Puerto Montt $89
The average daily cost (per person) in Medellin is $23, 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 Medellin and Puerto Montt in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMedellin $4.75Puerto Montt $61
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMedellin $9.50Puerto Montt $122
Compare Hotels in Medellin and Puerto Montt
Looking for a hotel in Medellin 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: Medellin Hotel Prices and Puerto Montt Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Medellin $4.14Puerto Montt $6.43
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Medellin
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Medellin:
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Taxi$1.65
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Medellin
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Medellin:
- Santa Marta Airport to Santa Marta (or vice versa) Private Transfer : $16
- Transfer Private Car from Medellin city - Medellin Airport (MDE): $23
- Medellin to Olaya Herrera Airport(EOH)-Departure Private Transfer: $27
- Medellin Airport (EOH) to Medellin hotels - Arrival Transfer: $27
- Medellin hotels to Medellin Airport (EOH) - Departure Transfer: $27
- Private Transfer Aerop Jose Maria Cordova - Up to 3 people: $33
- Transfer in Private Car from Guatape- Medellin airport (MDE): $34
- Private Medellín Hotel to Airport transfer service: $35
- Transfer JMC airport - Medellin or Medellin - JMC airport - Private!!: $39
- Jose Maria Cordova Airport(MDE) to Medellin - Round-Trip Transfer: $41
- Medellin Airport (MDE) to Downtown hotels - Round-Trip Transfer: $41
- Private transfer service from or to Medellín Airport: $43
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Montt
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Montt:
- 4 Days Tour Los Lagos Region with Transfer Chiloe and Peulla: $177
- Private Transfer from Puerto Airport (PMC) to Puerto Montt Port: $30
- Private Transfer from Puerto Montt Port to Puerto Airport (PMC): $27
- Private Transfer from Puerto Montt Port to Puerto Airport (PMC): $30
- Puerto Airport (PMC) to Frutillar - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $41
- Puerto Montt Airport (PMC) to Frutillar: Roundtrip Transfer: $46
- Puerto Montt Airport (PMC) to Puerto Varas - Round-Trip Transfer: $65
- Puerto Montt Airport (PMC) to Puerto Varas City- Arrival Transfer: $33
- Puerto Montt Airport Arrival Transfer to Hotel in Puerto Varas: $24
- Puerto Montt Airport to Puerto Varas - RoundTrip Private Transfer: $41
- Puerto Montt Airport(PMC) to Frutillar - Arrival Private Transfer: $21
- Puerto Montt Airport(PMC) to Frutillar - Arrival Private Transfer: $23
Is it cheaper to fly into Medellin or Puerto Montt?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Montt and Medellin 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 dayMedellin $9.61Puerto Montt $21
Typical Food Prices in Medellin
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Medellin:
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Lunch$2.10
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Medellin
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Medellin.
- Street Food Tour in Medellín: $45
- Private tour: Street food tour, Eat like a Local in Medellin!: $85
- Authentic Colombian Cooking Class in Medellin with a Local Family: $99
- Medellin Historical and Food Tour with Fernando Botero´s Plaza: $140
- Full Day Private Medellin City, Street Art and Food Tour: $145
- Best Food Tour and Horseback Adventure in Medellin: $163
- Private tour: Medellin City – Pablo Escobar and Food Tour: $166
- A Night Out in Medellin with Dinner and Drinks Included: $175
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Medellin $13Puerto Montt $14
Tours and Activities in Medellin
Here are a few actual costs in Medellin for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Skip the Line: Museum of Antioquia Admission Ticket: $7.20
- History and Street Art Tour in Comuna 13: $8.00
- Graffitour Medellín: History, Transformation and Overcoming": $13
- Shared Tour of the Historical and Cultural Center of Medellín: $13
- Shared Tour of El Poblado "Sin Taboos" in Medellin: $13
- Post-conflict and Violence Tour (after Pablo) in Medellin: $13
- Walking Historical tour of Medellín, walking reality.: $15
- GRAFITOUR COMUNA 13 more than a tour an EXPERIENCE: $15
- 90 Minute Walking Tour of Guatapé: $16
- Medellin Shared Walking Tour Metro ticket included: $16
- Graffiti tour in commune 13 guided by locals: $16
- Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour And Electric Stairs: $19
Tours and Activities in Puerto Montt
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Puerto Montt are as follows:
- Frutillar Tour: $31
- Half day Llanquihue and Frutillar City tour : $44
- Private Tour: Puerto Montt Sightseeing: $47
- Frutillar & Llanquihue Tour from Puerto Montt: $56
- Osorno Volcano and Petrohué Falls Guided Tour: $62
- Osorno Volcano Tour+Petrohue Falls / Cruises / Spanish: $68
- Alerce Andino National Park/Alerce Millenario/Cruises: $77
- Excursion City tour Puerto Varas / Llanquihue and Frutillar: $77
- Private. City Tour Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas: $92
- Austral / Hornopiren Road Tour: $102
- Frutillar & Llanquihue Private Tour from Puerto Montt: $128
- 6 Hours Shared Tour in Calbuco and Millennial Forest : $130
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMedellin $7.21Puerto Montt $4.49
Sample the Local Flavors in Medellin
Also in Medellin, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Live the Nightlife Rooftop Pub Crawl : $49
- All-Inclusive Comuna 13 Nightlife Bar Crawl with Locals: $130
- Medellin Pub Crawl Including Food and City Tour: $139
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Medellin and Puerto Montt, we can see that Puerto Montt is more expensive. And not only is Medellin much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Medellin would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Medellin 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 Medellin.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Medellin Expensive? and Is Puerto Montt Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Medellin or Puerto Montt?
Medellin has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Puerto Montt. When comparing the sizes of Medellin 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.
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.