Which place is cheaper, El Calafate or Mendoza?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Mendoza or El Calafate?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Mendoza and El Calafate. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Mendoza or El Calafate?
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.
El Calafate
Located in Patagonia, El Calafate has become a popular tourist destination in Argentina because of its beautiful setting on the stunningly blue Lago Argentina. The town sits on the southern border of the lake in the southwestern part of the Santa Cruz Province. It's about 320 kilometers from Rio Gallegos.
The rise in popularity of Patagonia as a tourist destination has truly put this small town on the map. You'll find no shortage of trekkers in the town and it makes an excellent base to explore different parts of the Los Glaciares National Park. Popular places to visit include Perito Moreno Glacier, Cerro Chalten, and Cerro Torre.
El Calafate has a cold semi-arid climate. The summers are cool to warm and very dry while the winters are cold and damp. Lago Argentino has a significant influence over the town's climate. The shallow bay where the town is located is usually frozen during the winter months.
Check out our ultimate guide to Hiking in Patagonia.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Buenos Aires, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina, The Best Adventure Tours to Argentina, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Argentina.
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Mendoza Prices
Argentina PricesEl Calafate Prices
Argentina Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMendoza $55El Calafate $58
The average daily cost (per person) in Mendoza is $55, while the average daily cost in El Calafate is $58. 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 Mendoza and El Calafate in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMendoza $42El Calafate $36
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMendoza $84El Calafate $72
Compare Hotels in Mendoza and El Calafate
Looking for a hotel in Mendoza or El Calafate? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Mendoza $4.11El Calafate $4.14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mendoza
Also for Mendoza, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Ushuaia: Transfer Ida & Volta para Cerro Castor desde hotel: $25
- Termas Cacheuta Water Park with transfer: $50
- Pulenta Estate Wine Tasting+Lunch at Ruca Malen. Private Transfer: $280
- Private Transfers in Mendoza and Lujan de Cuyo: $85
- Private Transfers in Mendoza Airport and Hotels viseversa: $40
- Private Transfers Airport Hotel in Mendoza: $13
- Private Transfer in Mendoza: $27
- Private Transfer between Airport and Hotel in Mendoza: $31
- Private Transfer Mendoza Airport MDZ to Lujan de Cuyo or Maipu: $38
- Private Transfer Lujan de Cuyo or Maipu to Mendoza Airport MDZ: $38
- Private One Way Transfer from Mendoza Airport to Hotel: $40
- Premium Spa Day at Cacheuta Hot Springs with Transfers: $183
Hired Cars and Shuttles in El Calafate
Also for El Calafate, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer from your hotel to El Calafate airport: $15
- Transfer from the airport to your hotel in El Calafate: $15
- Transfer from Hotels to Airport: $45
- Shared Transfer from El Calafate to El Chaltén: $80
- Shared Transfer from El Calafate Airport to Hotel or v.v.: $16
- Private transfer from El Calafate Airport to hotel in El Chaltén: $315
- Private Transfer to El Calafate Airport (FTE): $25
- Private Transfer Hotel-Bus Station or Bus Station-Hotel (Calafate): $35
- Perito Moreno Glacier expedition with transfer Included: $62
- Perito Moreno Full Day Minitrekking with Transfer & Walkways: $460
- Glacier Huemul: Private Transfer Service: $640
- FTE Aiport transfer Group 4 to 6 people with luggage: $210
Is it cheaper to fly into Mendoza or El Calafate?
Prices for flights to both El Calafate and Mendoza 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 dayMendoza $5.76El Calafate $6.59
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Mendoza
For Mendoza, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Mendoza Meals Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $95
- Mendoza Meals Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $99
- Original Asado Cooking Class at a Local's Home: $114
- 4-Hour Argentine Cooking Class at Grazie Mille Winery: $125
- Cooking Class with 7 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $150
- City Tour with Dinner at a Local Restaurant: $164
- Full-Day Small-Group Mendoza Wine Tasting Tour with Lunch or Dinner: $198
- Horseback Riding at Sunset and Dinner in Mendoza: $205
- Horseback Riding at Sunset and Dinner at an Estancia in Mendoza: $210
- Tango Show with Dinner at Hualta Winery Hotel: $220
- Casa Vigil (the enemy) + Dinner + Guided tour: $250
- Winery & Michelin-Star Dinner Saffron barrels. Private Transport: $260
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Dinner & Show with Transfer: $88
- Country Afternoon with Dinner Show - Estancia 25 de Mayo: $92
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Tour with Dinner & Transfer: $138
- Estancia 25 de Mayo in El Calafate - PM visit with dinner: $165
- Lakes and Caves Tour with Dinner and Wine Included: $178
- Lakes and Caves Tour with Dinner: $197
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Experience with Dinner and Horseback Riding: $225
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Mendoza $23El Calafate $51
Tours and Activities in Mendoza
For Mendoza, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2 Wineries & Olive Oil Experience with Lunch. Private Transport: $130
- 3 Wineries & Olive Oil Experience with Private Transport: $100
- 3 Winery Tour with Lunch and Blend Set: $150
- 3-hour Mendoza Tasting Tour with 34 Traditional Argentine Flavors: $95
- 3-hour Mendoza Tasting Tour: 34 Authentic Argentine Flavors: $86
- Aconcagua & Puente del Inca Full Day Tour from Mendoza with Lunch: $110
- Aconcagua Classic Tour 1 Day - Shared: $137
- Adrenaline Canopy Tour on the Mendoza River: $173
- Adventure & Flavor: Breakfast, Rafting & Asado in Mendoza: $220
- Adventure Day in Potrerillos, Rafting, Canopy or Trekking: $242
- Adventure and Trekking Day in Vallecitos Cordon del Plata: $150
- Andes High Mountain full day Tour: $66
Tours and Activities in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 4 Days & 3 Nights El Calafate & El Chaltén Magical Adventure: $1,350
- Adventure Horseback Riding on Cerro Frias: $150
- Adventure on Ice: MiniTrekking in the Perito Moreno Glacier: $447
- Blue Safari Experience: Hiking and Navigation on Glaciers: $230
- CALAFATE: Panoramic tour: The best balconies of Calafate: $175
- Calafate : Patagonian Riding and Lunch Experience: $270
- Calafate Panoramic tour: The best balconies of Calafate 4x4: $195
- Calafate: Cerro Huyliche-SouthRoad Adventure 4x4 Full / Trekking / Zip Line: $120
- Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier Guided Full-Day Tour: $52
- Calafate: SouthRoad Extreme Adventure. UTV Self-Drive: $250
- Chalten full day Trekking - Laguna de los Tres Experience: $400
- DARWIN EXPERIENCE KAYAK & ADVENTURE: $250
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMendoza $5.85El Calafate $8.20
Sample the Local Flavors in Mendoza
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Mendoza:
- Walking & Wine Tasting Tour & San Martin Park Gate: $17
- Burlesque Cabaret Show with Wine: $20
- Antigal Winery Tour with Wine Tasting & Choice of Experiences: $31
- Maipu Wine Tour: 3 Wineries and Olive Oil Factory: $37
- Wine, Distillery & Chocolate Tour with Tastings: $39
- Half-Day Wine Tour with Tastings: $41
- Classic Wine Tasting: $44
- Mendoza Wine Tasting at Bodega Ciclo Andino with Snacks: $45
- La Histórica Winery Tour and Wine Tasting: $48
- Premium Wine Tasting: $66
- Malbec Across Argentina: Wine Tasting with a Sommelier: $69
- Make an Argentine Asado BBQ w/ Local Host & Wine Tasting: $85
When comparing the travel costs between Mendoza and El Calafate, we can see that El Calafate is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in South America, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Mendoza Expensive? and Is El Calafate Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Mendoza or El Calafate?
Mendoza has a larger population, and is about 110 times larger than the population of El Calafate. When comparing the sizes of Mendoza and El Calafate, 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.