Which place is cheaper, El Calafate or Oaxaca de Juarez?
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 Oaxaca de Juarez or El Calafate?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Oaxaca de Juarez or El Calafate? 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: Oaxaca de Juarez or El Calafate?
Oaxaca de Juarez
Officially known as Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca is the capital and largest city in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It's a beautiful colonial city in the foothills of the Sierra Madre. The city has beautiful architecture and a variety of festivals as well as a tree lined square called El Zocalo. Oaxaca's economy is heavily dependent on tourism and it is a wonderful place to see Mexican art and handicrafts. There are many artists and artisans in Oaxaca and the contemporary art scene is on the rise. The artists combine the area's rich indigenous culture and tradition with a modern twist. While you're in the area you should definitely make a point of experiencing the area's wonderful museums, interesting architecture, charming hotels and unique twist on Mexican cuisine.
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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Mexico City, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Playa del Carmen, The Best 2-Week Tours from Buenos Aires, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina.
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Oaxaca de Juarez Prices
Mexico PricesEl Calafate Prices
Argentina Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayOaxaca de Juarez $51El Calafate $58
The average daily cost (per person) in Oaxaca de Juarez is $51, 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 Oaxaca de Juarez and El Calafate in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personOaxaca de Juarez $18El Calafate $37
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomOaxaca de Juarez $36El Calafate $74
Compare Hotels in Oaxaca de Juarez and El Calafate
Looking for a hotel in Oaxaca de Juarez 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.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Oaxaca de Juarez Hotel Prices and El Calafate Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Oaxaca de Juarez $12El Calafate $4.20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Oaxaca de Juarez
Also for Oaxaca de Juarez, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Xoxocotlan Airport: Private Transfer to Oaxaca City: $82
- Visit Puerto Escondido: Private Transfer from Oaxaca: $588
- Taxi Transfer from Downtown Oaxaca to the Airport: $20
- Shared Transfer from Downtown Oaxaca to the Airport: $7.51
- Shared Departure Transfer: Hotels to Oaxaca Airport: $46
- Shared Arrival Transfer: Oaxaca Airport to Hotels: $46
- Roundtrip Private Transfer from Oaxaca Airport (OAX) : $43
- Private and safe transfer from the airport to the hotel in Oaxaca: $60
- Private Transfer from your Hotel in Oaxaca to the Oaxaca Airport: $13
- Private Transfer from the Airport to your Hotel/house .: $89
- Private Transfer from the Airport to your Hotel in Oaxaca : $67
- Private Transfer Airport Hotel in Oaxaca: $33
Hired Cars and Shuttles in El Calafate
Also for El Calafate, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Perito Moreno Full Day Minitrekking with Transfer & Walkways: $460
- Perito Moreno Glacier Mini Trek with Transfer: $441
- Private Airport Transfer: $296
- "Todo Glaciares" Boat Tour + optional transfers from El Calafate : $205
- Transfer from El Calafate Airport to El Chaltén: $190
- Roundtrip transfers to Perito Moreno Glacier: $149
- FTE Aiport transfer Group 4 to 6 people with luggage: $116
- Excursion to the Perito Moreno Glacier, with guide and transfer to / from the hotel: $79
- Transfer to Perito Moreno Glacier from El Calafate: $77
- Private Transfer: Calafate Airport to City Center: $59
- Private Airport Transfer in Calafate: $45
- Transfers Between Airport and Hotels: $44
Is it cheaper to fly into Oaxaca de Juarez or El Calafate?
Prices for flights to both El Calafate and Oaxaca de Juarez 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 dayOaxaca de Juarez $22El Calafate $6.69
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Oaxaca de Juarez
For Oaxaca de Juarez, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Private Oaxaca Street Food Tour - Best Rated : $35
- Tour with Legends Night Walk and Dinner Included: $42
- Central Oaxaca Food Tour: $55
- Electric Bike Food Tour in Oaxaca: $56
- Oaxacan Dinner on Agronomic Biodiversity: $56
- Food Tour at the Mercado de Abastos: $57
- Tradicional Oaxacan Dinner on Agronomic Biodiversity_01: $60
- Oaxaca: Vegetarian Cooking Class: $65
- Oaxacan Vegetarian Cooking Class: $66
- Oaxaca: Cooking Class with No Set Menu &Local Market Tour: $70
- Flavors of Oaxaca: Cooking Class with No Set Menu and Local Market Tour: $75
- Secret Food Tour: Oaxaca de Juárez: $75
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: $72
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Tour with Dinner & Transfer: $98
- Country Afternoon with Dinner Show - Estancia 25 de Mayo: $115
- Stargazing Tour with Dinner and Transfers: $120
- Estancia 25 de Mayo in El Calafate - PM visit with dinner: $165
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Experience with Dinner from Calafate: $190
- Lakes and Caves Tour with Dinner and Wine Included: $190
- Lakes and Caves Tour with Dinner: $255
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Oaxaca de Juarez $12El Calafate $52
Tours and Activities in Oaxaca de Juarez
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Oaxaca de Juarez.
- Shared Santa Maria Del Tule Bike Tour: $45
- “Las Nieves” Monte Albán, Arrazola, Cuilapam 6h Bike Tour: $120
- 3 Hour Oaxaca Private Tour, 100% customisable - Best Rated : $45
- 5 Hours Guided Day of The Dead Evening Walking Tour in Oaxaca: $109
- 7 Hrs Guided Day of the Dead Crafts & Gastronomy Tour from Oaxaca: $199
- Agave Adventures Mexico: $94
- Amazing Monte Alban and City tour Private Tour: $200
- Amazing Waterfall Adventure in the Sierra Madre Mountains : $80
- Amazing experience in the mountain of San Jose del Pacifico: $200
- An adventure for the senses: Mezcal, fields and crafts.: $78
- Ancestral Mezcal Experience + ceramics + Alebrijes + Market: $199
- Ancestral Mezcal Tour Experience A pre Hispanic Heritage: $64
Tours and Activities in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Argentine Cuisine Experience in El Calafate: $130
- 4 Days & 3 Nights El Calafate & El Chaltén Magical Adventure: $1,350
- Adventure Horseback Riding on Cerro Frias: $140
- CAÑADON EXPERIENCE - TREKKING & STAY - PRIVATE VEHICLE: $1,500
- CALAFATE: Panoramic tour: The best balconies of Calafate: $194
- Calafate Panoramic tour: The best balconies of Calafate 4x4: $210
- Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier Boat Tour: $207
- DARWIN EXPERIENCE KAYAK & ADVENTURE: $240
- Discover La Leona Petrified Forest: Guided Hiking Tour: $224
- EL CALAFATE Native experience lakes and caverns: $214
- "Perito Moreno Glacier with the Tour - Blue Safari".: $319
- 4WD Adventure with Optional Hike or Zipline: $128
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayOaxaca de Juarez $13El Calafate $8.33
Sample the Local Flavors in Oaxaca de Juarez
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Oaxaca de Juarez:
- Oaxaca Pub Crawl with Mezcal Shots and Live Music: $18
- Check out Hierve el Agua, Mitla, the Tule Tree, Rugs, and a Mezcal Distillery Tour: $49
- Hierve el Agua, Tule Tree, Mitla and Mezcal Distillery Tour: $50
- From Hierve el Agua and Mezcal Distillery: $54
- Only Hierve el Agua and Mezcal Distillery tour: $55
- Only Hierve el Agua and Mezcal Distillery Tour: $55
- Personalized Tour to Hierve el Agua and Mezcal Distillery: $100
- Oaxaca: Mezcal Distillery Tour with Tastings: $125
- Mezcal Distillery Day Trip: $134
- Artisanal Mezcal distillery in an authentic Zapotec village : $150
- Oaxaca: Hierve el Agua, Mezcal Distillery, and Lunch Tour: $272
When comparing the travel costs between Oaxaca de Juarez 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. Even though Oaxaca de Juarez is in North America and El Calafate is in South America, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Oaxaca de Juarez Expensive? and Is El Calafate Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Oaxaca de Juarez or El Calafate?
Oaxaca de Juarez has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of El Calafate. When comparing the sizes of Oaxaca de Juarez 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.