Which place is cheaper, Curitiba or Puerto Iguazu?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Puerto Iguazu or Curitiba?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Puerto Iguazu or Curitiba? 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 Curitiba?
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.
Curitiba
Curitiba is a relatively large city that is convenient to visit if you're traveling to Iguazu Falls from either Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo. It is worth a day or two stop over because it has a great old city that has been restored. It's also the capital of Parana, Brazil. Curitiba is one of the more wealthy cities in the southern region of Brazil. It has a diverse population with many immigrants and some interesting cultural events.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Tours for Seniors to Argentina, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Argentina, The Best Wildlife Tours to Brazil, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Brazil.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Iguazu $7.77Curitiba $68
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Iguazu is $7.77, while the average daily cost in Curitiba is $68. 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 Curitiba in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Iguazu $3.08Curitiba $28
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Iguazu $6.16Curitiba $56
Compare Hotels in Puerto Iguazu and Curitiba
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Iguazu or Curitiba? 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: Puerto Iguazu Hotel Prices and Curitiba Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Iguazu $2.38Curitiba $15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Iguazu
Also for Puerto Iguazu, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer In + Transfer Out IGR Airport Puerto Iguazú Hotels Selva de Iryapu: $145
- Full day tour visit to Iguazu Falls with transfers from airport : $120
- Puerto Iguazú Combo: Iguazu Falls 2 Day Tours + transfers: $98
- Private Transfer from Puerto Iguazu Airport to Foz do Iguaçu: $93
- Argentine and Brazilian Falls with transfers: $71
- Iguazú Falls Brazil & Argentina 3-Day In-Out Transfers: $64
- Iguazu Falls Argentina Airport Roundtrip Transfer to Hotels: $21
- One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $11
- Puerto Iguazu Airport Shuttle Transfer: $10
- One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $8.00
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Curitiba
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Curitiba:
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Taxi Ride$1.83
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Curitiba
Also for Curitiba, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared transfer between Curitiba Airport and Hotels: $68
- Shared Transfer: Curitiba International Airport: $39
- Private Transfer from Curitiba City to Curitiba Airport (CWB): $35
- Private Transfer from Curitiba City Hotels to Porto Belo Port: $77
- Private Transfer from Curitiba Airport (CWB) to Porto Belo Port : $77
- Private Transfer from Curitiba Airport: $105
- Private Cycling Tour to Morretes - via Estrada da Graciosa / including transfer from Curitiba: $294
- Curitiba to Curitiba Airport (CWB) - Departure Private Transfer: $17
- Curitiba to Afonso Pena Airport (CWB)- Departure Private Transfer: $18
- Curitiba Airport Private Transfer: $100
- Curitiba Airport CWB to Downtown hotels- Arrival Private Transfer: $17
- Curitiba Airport (CWB) to Downtown - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $33
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Iguazu or Curitiba?
Prices for flights to both Curitiba 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
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Food Meals for one dayPuerto Iguazu $2.85Curitiba $27
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:
- Puerto Iguazú: Madero Tango Show with Optional Dinner: $33
- Argentine Experience: Immersive Dinner & Wine Pairing in Iguazú: $60
- Iguazu Falls: The Argentine Experience Interactive Dinner: $69
- From Foz do Iguaçu: Madero Tango with dinner: $101
- Experience Guamini Mision Dinner and Tango Show Selva Iriapu Hotels Exclusive: $110
- Rafain Steakhouse Dinner & Show: $117
- Churrascaria Rafain - Show and Dinner : $117
- Dinner Show Rafain Steakhouse Gran Meliá Hotel Exclusive - Private Tour: $120
- Foz do Iguaçu: Argentinean Cooking Class: $135
- FD Iguazu Falls Argentinian side + Dinner Tango Show -no transfer: $140
- Experience Guamini Mision Dinner and Tango Show Gran Meliá Iguazú Exclusive: $145
- Dinner Tango Show in Iguazú Falls - no transfers -: $145
Typical Food Prices in Curitiba
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Curitiba:
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Chips$0.82
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Curitiba
For Curitiba, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Bar-hopping and Food Tour in Curitiba: $28
- Curitiba's History Food Tour: $70
- Curitiba's History Food Tour: $73
- 4-Hour City-By-Night Tour with Dinner: $87
- Curitiba Tour by Night with Dinner: $91
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Iguazu $2.54Curitiba $18
Tours and Activities in Puerto Iguazu
For Puerto Iguazu, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 3hr Experience Learning to Make an Argentine Asado: $150
- Adventure in the Argentine Waterfalls - Guided Tour: $61
- Argentina Iguazu Falls Bus Tour: $37
- Argentinean Falls with Gran Aventura Boat Tour: $207
- Argentinean Side Iguassu Falls - Private Tour Hotels in Puerto Iguazú Exclusive: $140
- Argentinian Iguazu Falls Full Day Tour: $33
- Bird Park & Iguassu Brazilian Side From Puerto Iguazú Hotels - Private Tour: $120
- Brazilian Side Falls: Brazilian Falls Tour with Parque Das Aves:: $240
- Brazilian Side of Iguazu Falls Half-Day Sightseeing Tour : $43
- Brazilian Side of Iguazu Falls Tour from Puerto Iguazu: $55
- Brazilian Side of the Falls - All Tickets Included: $79
- City Tour Puerto Iguazú Gran Meliá Iguazú Exclusivo: $135
Tours and Activities in Curitiba
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Curitiba.
- Full Day Tour to Vila Velha and Buraco do Padre: $145
- 2-Day Rafting and Rappelling Adventure in Tibagi: $175
- 4-Hour Private Tour of Curitiba City: $65
- Arte Bike Tour - Bike Tour with Kuritbike: $23
- CRAFT BREWERS TOUR By Jens Tours: $67
- Complete Tour to Ilha do Mel: $136
- Curitiba City Tour: $58
- A complete city tour: $97
- A private 4 hour city tour: $65
- Tour in Barigui Park: $111
- Walking tour from past to present: $11
- Full-day tour in Curitiba: $73
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Iguazu $1.22Curitiba $13
Typical Alcohol Prices in Curitiba
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Curitiba:
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Beer$0.41
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Iguazu and Curitiba, we can see that Curitiba 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 Curitiba would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Curitiba than you might in Puerto Iguazu.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Puerto Iguazu Expensive? and Is Curitiba Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Iguazu or Curitiba?
Curitiba has a larger population, and is about 50 times larger than the population of Puerto Iguazu. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Iguazu and Curitiba, 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.