A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Puerto Iguazu vs. Cuenca for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Puerto Iguazu or Cuenca?

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

Should I visit Puerto Iguazu or Cuenca? 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: Puerto Iguazu or Cuenca?

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.

Cuenca

Cuenca is a vibrant colonial city in southern Ecuador, the third largest in the country, and the capital of Azuay Province. Cuenca is considered as Ecuador's most important and beautiful colonial city after Quito. Dating from the 16th century, Cuenca's historic center, a Unesco World Heritage Site with its trademark skyline of massive rotundas and soaring steeples, is a magical sight in which you will feel like you are moving back in time. Cuenca is the center of many craft traditions, including ceramics, metalwork and the internationally famous panama hat. The nearby villages also offer many other handicrafts. Tourists enjoy wandering the ancient streets discovering picturesque alleys and hidden corners, where nuns march along cobblestone streets and kids in Catholic-school uniforms skip past historic churches. Fascinating historic monuments and fabulous views are found at every turn. Cuenca also has outstanding art museums and festivals. For a rewarding cultural experience, visit during Easter to attend the Festival of Religious Music.

Which place is cheaper, Cuenca or Puerto Iguazu?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Iguazu is $20, while the average daily cost in Cuenca is $42. 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 Puerto Iguazu and Cuenca in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Puerto Iguazu $8.04
    Cuenca $13
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Puerto Iguazu $16
    Cuenca $26
Compare Hotels in Puerto Iguazu and Cuenca

Looking for a hotel in Puerto Iguazu or Cuenca? 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 Puerto Iguazu


Hotels in Cuenca


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: Puerto Iguazu Hotel Prices and Cuenca Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Puerto Iguazu $6.21
    Cuenca $11

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Iguazu

Also for Puerto Iguazu, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Argentine and Brazilian Falls with transfers: $25
  • IGR Airport Transfers with PasseioTur: $90
  • Iguazú Falls Brazil & Argentina 3-Day In-Out Transfers: $38
  • Iguazu Airport Private Transfer: $27
  • Iguazu Falls Argentina Airport Roundtrip Transfer to Hotels: $8.50
  • Private Transfers Full Day Iguazú Falls: $118
  • Puerto Iguazú Round-Trip Airport Transfer: $6.00
  • Puerto Iguazu Airport Shuttle Transfer: $6.96
  • One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $8.00
  • One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $7.00
  • Transfer In + Transfer Out IGR Airport Puerto Iguazú Hotels Selva de Iryapu: $145
  • Transfer from Iguazú Airport to hotels on the Argentine side: $15

Typical Local Transportation prices in Cuenca

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cuenca:


  • Taxi Ride
    $2.00

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cuenca

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cuenca:

  • Shared transfer from Hotel to Airport in Cuenca: $45
  • Shared transfer from Cuenca Airport to Hotel: $45
  • Private Transfer from Cuenca to Guayaquil.: $104
  • Departure Private Transfer: Cuenca City to Cuenca Airport CUE by Minivan: $74
  • Cuenca to Guayaquil Transfer in Fantasy Bus: $25
  • Cuenca Departure Transfer: $34
  • Cuenca Arrival Transfer: $34
  • Arrival Private Transfer: Cuenca Airport CUE to Cuenca City by Minivan: $74

Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Iguazu or Cuenca?

Prices for flights to both Cuenca 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.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Puerto Iguazu $7.43
    Cuenca $15

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:

  • El Quincho Del Tio Querido - Dinner And Show from Foz do Iguaçu: $40
  • Madero Tango Show with Optional Dinner in Iguazu: $76
  • Puerto Iguazú: Madero Tango Show with Optional Dinner: $76
  • Rafain Steakhouse Show - Dinner and Show Included: $95
  • Experience Guamini Mision Dinner and Tango Show Selva Iriapu Hotels Exclusive: $95
  • Dinner Show Rafain Steakhouse from Puerto Iguazú Hotels Private Tour: $120
  • Dinner Show Rafain Steakhouse Gran Meliá Hotel Exclusive - Private Tour: $120
  • Churrascaria Rafain - Show and Dinner : $138
  • Rafain Steakhouse Dinner & Show: $140
  • Experience Guamini Mision Dinner and Tango Show Gran Meliá Iguazú Exclusive: $145
  • Experience Guamini Mision Dinner and Tango Show Belmond Hotel: $145

Typical Food prices in Cuenca

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Cuenca:


  • Lunch
    $10
  • Snacks
    $5.00
  • Empanada
    $1.50
  • Hot Dog
    $1.00

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cuenca

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cuenca.

  • Street food Tour in Cuenca,Ecuador: $33
  • Cooking Class & Market Tour in Cuenca: $55
  • Cuenca City Tour & Cooking Class (PRIVATE Tour from Cuenca): $112
  • Private Cooking Class: $125

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Puerto Iguazu $6.63
    Cuenca $16

Tours and Activities in Puerto Iguazu

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

  • Argentine Falls Full-Day Guided Tour One of the 7 Wonders of the World: $12
  • Puerto Iguazú: Iguazú Biocenter Tour: $15
  • Ciudad del Este Shopping Tour: $16
  • From Argentinian Falls Full Day Tour: $17
  • Iguazu Falls Argentinian Side Full-Day Tour: $18
  • From Brazilian Side of Iguazu Falls Half-Day Sightseeing Tour : $18
  • From Guarani Village Tour with brunch: $22
  • Private Zip Line and Rappel Adventure in Puerto Iguazú: $25
  • Full-Day Tour to the San Ignacio Mission and Wanda Mines from Puerto Iguazú: $28
  • Jungle Fly: Adventure at the Jungle in Iguazu: $28
  • Sightseeing Tour of the Argentinian and Brazilian Sides of Iguazu Falls: $29
  • Visit to San Ignacio Ruins and Wanda Mines Full day Tour: $30

Tours and Activities in Cuenca

Here are a few actual costs in Cuenca for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Cuenca-Ec- City Tour with Panama Hat factory Half Day: $30
  • Inca Trail Cajas National Park tour from Cuenca: $110
  • 4 or 5-Day Tour Cuenca,Alausi,Baños,Quilotoa,Cotopaxi and Quito: $670
  • Amazing Cajas National Park Tour from Cuenca: $49
  • Archaeological Tour: Pumapungo - Cojitambo - Ingapirca: $60
  • Azuay: San Bartolomé, Gualaceo, and Chordeleg Artisanal Tour: $63
  • Baños & Amazon 4-day tour from Cuenca or Quito: $799
  • Biking Cuenca City Tour: $45
  • Birdwatching Tour Cajas Park and Tamarindo Tropical Forest area from Cuenca: $130
  • Birdwatching Tour in Cajas National Park from Cuenca: $100
  • Birdwatching Tour in Cajas National Park from Cuenca: $100
  • Birdwatching Tour in Giron and Yunguilla Jocotoco Reserve from Cuenca: $150

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Puerto Iguazu $3.18
    Cuenca $14

How are these travel costs calculated?

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Iguazu and Cuenca, we can see that Cuenca 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 Cuenca would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cuenca than you might in Puerto Iguazu.

Which is Bigger, Puerto Iguazu or Cuenca?

Cuenca is bigger, and its population is about 8.6 times larger than the population of Puerto Iguazu. When comparing the population of Puerto Iguazu vs. Cuenca, 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 and the activities 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.
About BudgetYourTrip.com
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Puerto Iguazu vs. Cuenca Travel Comparison

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