Should you visit Puerto Iguazu or Arica?
Should I visit Puerto Iguazu or Arica? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Puerto Iguazu
Puerto Iguazu is located in the northeastern part of Argentina at the border with Paraguay and Brazil. It is a tourist city and travel destination because of its close proximity to Iguazu Falls, which is only 18 kilometers away. Much of the city's infrastructure has grown to maintain the tourist crowds that come to see the falls. The town itself has a population of slightly over 80,000.
Arica
A mixture of coastline, desert and high Andean plateau, Arica is a seaside resort town, known for its surfing beaches located at the tip of Northern Chile. Arica boasts that it is "the land of the eternal spring," but its temperate climate and beaches are not the only reason to visit this small city. Arica's tourism is still principally geared toward domestic visitors and those from southern Peru and La Paz, who flock to its beaches mid-December through February. It is very easy to spend a few days in Arica in the sand, or seeing the sights in town, at a slow pace but the city also offers plenty of fun activities and exciting day trips.
Which city is cheaper, Arica or Puerto Iguazu?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Iguazu is $59, while the average daily cost in Arica is $81. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Puerto Iguazu and Arica in more detail.
Accommodation
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $46 in Puerto Iguazu For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
For a normal double-occupancy room in Arica, $72 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Arica, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is $36, such as in a hostel.
Food
The average traveler spends about $22 per day in Puerto Iguazu for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
Food in Arica costs travelers about $29 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
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Food
Meals for one day
Puerto Iguazu $22
Arica $29
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Puerto Iguazu
For Puerto Iguazu, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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El Quincho Del Tio Querido - Dinner And Show:
$27
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Foz do Iguaçu Folkloric Show with Dinner from Puerto Iguazú:
$30
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Foz do Iguacu: 2-Hour Rafain Churrascaria Show with Dinner:
$55
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Skip the Line: Dinner Tango Show in Iguazu Falls Ticket:
$59
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Folkloric Show with Dinner at Rafain Churrascaria:
$63
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Rafain Steakhouse Show - Dinner and Show Included:
$69
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Tio Querido Ranch Dinner and Show:
$69
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Dinner Tango Show in Iguazú Falls:
$85
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Creative Cooking Class and Dinner with Wine in Iguazu:
$87
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Tio Querido Dinner and Folk Show in Puerto Iguazú:
$90
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Skip the Line: Dinner Samba Show Ticket in Rafain (brazilian side):
$99
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Full day Iguazu Falls Argentinian side + Tango Show (no dinner):
$110
Local Transportation
To get around in Puerto Iguazu, the average visitor spends $18 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
To get around in Arica, the average visitor spends $18 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Iguazu
Also for Puerto Iguazu, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private One-Way Airport Transfer:
$98
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Puerto Iguazu Airport Shuttle Transfer:
$30
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Private 1-Way Airport Transfer: Downtown Foz do Iguaçu:
$39
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Iguazu: Transfer from Argentina Side:
$95
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Iguazu Falls: Day Tour including transfers and guided tour:
$245
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Iguazu Falls Pass: Transfers in/out + Visit to Iguazu Falls Argentininan Side:
$110
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Iguazu Airport Private Transfer:
$63
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Iguazú Falls Brazil & Argentina 3-Day In-Out Transfers:
$65
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Iguassu Falls Argentina Airport R/T Transfer to Hotels:
$21
Typical Local Transportation prices in Arica
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Arica are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Arica
Also for Arica, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Arica Airport Private Transfer:
$76
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Iguazu or Arica?
Prices for flights to both Arica and Puerto Iguazu 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.
Entertainment
In Puerto Iguazu, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $19 per person, per day.
In Arica, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $20 per person, per day.
Tours and Activities in Puerto Iguazu
For Puerto Iguazu, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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2-Night Iguassu Falls Sightseeing Tour:
$150
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2-Night Iguazu Rainforest Experience at Yacutinga Lodge:
$608
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2-day Iguazu Falls Argentinian Side + City Tour with 3 frontiers landmark:
$115
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3-Day Iguazu Falls Adventure: Brazil and Argentina:
$363
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3-Day Iguazu Falls Exploring Tour:
$172
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3-Day Iguazu Falls Self Guided Exploring Tour:
$213
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3-Day Tour: Exploring Iguazu Falls in Private Service:
$544
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3-Days Iguazu Falls Tour of the Argentinian and Brazilian Side:
$491
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3-Days Private Experience at Iguazu:
$790
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4-Day Tour to Iguazu Falls by Air from Buenos Aires:
$1,058
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5-Day Adventure Trip in Iguazu:
$538
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6-Day Iguazu Falls & Ibera Marshlands Luxury Tour:
$1,800
Tours and Activities in Arica
For Arica, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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4-Days Unique Experience at the Chilean High Plateau:
$1,038
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Archeological Sightseeing tour in Arica:
$82
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Arica Private City Tour:
$262
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Arica Private Sightseeing Tour:
$76
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Arica Sightseeing Tour:
$41
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Half day Panoramic City Tour:
$23
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Full Day Tour to Tacna from Arica:
$72
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Private Arica and Ancient Cultures Tour:
$346
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Private Tour to Tacna from Arica:
$165
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Puerto Iguazu spend on average $9.30 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Typically, people visiting Arica spend on average $20 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Iguazu and Arica, we can see that Arica is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Iguazu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Puerto Iguazu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Iguazu 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 Arica would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Arica than you might in Puerto Iguazu.
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