A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Montanita vs. El Calafate for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Montanita or El Calafate?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Montanita or El Calafate, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Montanita or El Calafate?

Montanita

Montanita is a small village located on Manglaralto parish along the southern coast of Ecuador. The Pacific Coast of Ecuador is lined with beach towns, either small villages with local fisherman or larger towns more set up for foreign travellers like Montanita. With one of the best beaches in Ecuador, one of the best surf breaks in the region, and a great laid-back atmosphere Montanita is a great little getaway, especially for the hippies of the world. It has also become a popular weekend destination for English teachers and Spanish students coming from Guayaquil and Quito. The beachfront village of Montanita has a laid-back atmosphere and steady stream of cosmopolitan backpackers, with as many South Americans as gringos.

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 G Adventures Tours to Ecuador, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Ecuador, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina, and The Best Adventure Tours to Argentina.


Which place is cheaper, El Calafate or Montanita?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Montanita is $96, while the average daily cost in El Calafate is $10. 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 Montanita and El Calafate in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Montanita $41
    El Calafate $3.48
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Montanita $82
    El Calafate $6.96
Compare Hotels in Montanita and El Calafate

Looking for a hotel in Montanita 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.

Hotels in Montanita


Hotels in El Calafate


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: El Calafate Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Montanita $39
    El Calafate $3.59

Typical Local Transportation Prices in El Calafate

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in El Calafate:


  • Taxi
    $1.41

Hired Cars and Shuttles in El Calafate

Also for El Calafate, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Perito Moreno Glacier Mini Trek with Transfer: $456
  • South Glacier Pioneers with transfer: $300
  • Mini trekking Perito Moreno with Footbridges visit and Transfer: $230
  • Shared transfer to El Calafate -El Chaltén: $75
  • Roundtrip transfer in Private Car from Calafate Airport (FTE)- Calafate City: $49
  • Transfers Between Airport and Hotels: $12

Is it cheaper to fly into Montanita or El Calafate?

Prices for flights to both El Calafate and Montanita 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Montanita $28
    El Calafate $3.77

Typical Food Prices in El Calafate

For El Calafate, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Dessert
    $0.01
  • Dinner
    $1.83
  • Dinner
    $1.08

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 Tour with Dinner & Transfer: $114
  • Lakes and Caves Tour with Dinner: $117
  • Estancia 25 de Mayo in El Calafate - PM visit with dinner: $186

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Montanita $31
    El Calafate $3.76

Typical Entertainment Prices in El Calafate

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for El Calafate's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Glacerium Museum
    $1.41

Tours and Activities in El Calafate

For El Calafate, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • "Calafate Night" Astrotourism in El Calafate: $140
  • "Glaciares Gourmet" - Maria Turquesa Cruiser Navigation (classic): $285
  • Blue Safari Experience: Hiking and Navigation on Glaciers: $171
  • CALAFATE: Panoramic tour: The best balconies of Calafate: $190
  • Cañadón Experience: $160
  • Calafate City Tour with Walichu Caves: $78
  • El Calafate Balconies Experience - Tour in FWD vehicle: $161
  • El Calafate Balconies Experience - Tour in FWD vehicle: $137
  • El Calafate Balconies Experience: 3-Hour 4WD Tour: $98
  • El Calafate Balcony in 4WD Experience with Optional Quads: $241
  • El Calafate Boat Tour to the Glaciers + Lunch(Glaciares Gourmet) : $220
  • El Calafate City Sightseeing Tour Including Walichu Caves: $80

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Montanita $7.86
    El Calafate $1.89

Typical Alcohol Prices in El Calafate

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in El Calafate:


  • Beer
    $0.01
  • Alcohol
    $0.38


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Montanita and El Calafate, we can see that Montanita is more expensive. And not only is El Calafate much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to El Calafate would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in El Calafate 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 Montanita would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Montanita than you might in El Calafate.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Montanita Expensive? and Is El Calafate Expensive?.