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

Should you visit Puerto Iguazu or Granada?

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

Should I visit Puerto Iguazu or Granada? 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 Granada?

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.

Granada

Granada is Nicaragua's oldest colonial city, and arguably, the most beautiful city in the country. It sits on the northern edge of Lake Nicaragua (Lago Cocibolca) and has many beautifully colored buildings and nice churches. The city's beauty and colonial architecture, along with its relative safety and accessibility, make it one of Nicaragua's top tourist destinations. The city has long been a center for commerce, but today its economy depends heavily on tourism. The city is the sixth largest in Nicaragua and a real estate boom in the early 2000's brought a large number of expats to the town.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to Argentina, The Best Eco Tours in Argentina, The Best 2-Week Tours in Nicaragua, and The Best Adventure Tours to Nicaragua.


Which place is cheaper, Granada or Puerto Iguazu?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Iguazu is $57, while the average daily cost in Granada is $50. 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 Granada in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Puerto Iguazu $41
    Granada $17
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Puerto Iguazu $82
    Granada $34
Compare Hotels in Puerto Iguazu and Granada

Looking for a hotel in Puerto Iguazu or Granada? 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 Granada


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 Granada Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Puerto Iguazu $3.07
    Granada $8.54

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Iguazu

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

  • One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $11
  • Puerto Iguazu Airport Shuttle Transfer: $17
  • Puerto Iguazu Airport Private Transfer: $22
  • Puerto Iguazu Airport (IGR) Private Transfer to Puerto Iguazu: $27
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Iguazu Airport to Foz do Iguaçu: $78
  • Iguazú Falls Brazil & Argentina 3-Day In Transfer: $79
  • Transfers IGR from the (ARG) to IGU (BRA) with PasseioTur: $80
  • Puerto Iguazú Combo: Iguazu Falls 2 Day Tours + transfers: $100
  • Brazilian Waterfalls Tour and Bird Park with Transfer: $102
  • Private Transfers Full Day Iguazú Falls: $130
  • Transfer In + Transfer Out IGR Airport Puerto Iguazú Hotels Selva de Iryapu: $145
  • Iguazu Falls 2-Day Tour with Airport Transfer: $348

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Granada

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Granada:

  • San Juan del Sur: One way shared transfer to Granada: $39
  • One-Way Private Transfer From/To Airport or Hotels in Granada: $40
  • Leon: One way shared transfer to Granada: $39
  • From San Jorge: One way shared transfer to Granada: $39
  • From One way shared transfer to Rivas: $39
  • From One way shared transfer to Leon: $39

Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Iguazu or Granada?

Prices for flights to both Granada 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 $6.30
    Granada $24

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:

  • Madero Tango Iguazú - Premium Dinner (Foz do Iguaçu/Puerto Iguazú): $30
  • Madero Tango Show with Optional Dinner in Iguazu: $36
  • El Quincho Del Tio Querido - Dinner And Show from Foz do Iguaçu: $44
  • Argentine Experience: Immersive Dinner & Wine Pairing in Iguazú: $65
  • Iguazu Falls: The Argentine Experience Interactive Dinner: $65
  • Iguazu: The Argentine Experience Dinner with Wine Pairing: $69
  • Puerto Iguazú: Madero Tango Show with Optional Dinner: $98
  • Churrascaria Rafain - Show and Dinner : $117
  • Dinner Show Rafain Steakhouse from Puerto Iguazú Hotels Private Tour: $120
  • Experience Guamini Mision Dinner and Tango Show Gran Meliá Iguazú Exclusive: $155
  • Foz do Iguaçu: Argentinean Cooking Class: $157

Typical Food Prices in Granada

Some typical examples of dining costs in Granada are as follows:


  • Pizza
    $2.28

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Puerto Iguazu $33
    Granada $10

Tours and Activities in Puerto Iguazu

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

  • Iguazu Falls Argentinian Side Full-Day Tour: $18
  • Hito Tres Fronters and La Aripuca City Tour: $31
  • Argentinian Iguazu Falls Full Day Tour: $32
  • Iguazu Falls Tour on Brazil Side: $37
  • Foz do Iguaçu: Brazil/Argentina Sides Iguazu Falls Day Tour: $40
  • From San Ignacio Ruins and Wanda Mines Tour: $46
  • Iguaza Falls Brazilian Side & Bird Park Tour: $46
  • Half-Day Iguazú Forest Adventure: $48
  • Cataract: The complete experience of both sides in one day.: $48
  • Full-Day Tour to Iguazu Falls : $49
  • Iguazu Falls Brazilian Side Tour: $49
  • Brazilian Side of Iguazu Falls Tour from Puerto Iguazu: $49

Typical Entertainment Prices in Granada

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Granada are as follows:


  • Lago de Nicaragua Boat Tour
    $8.14

Tours and Activities in Granada

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Granada are as follows:

  • Volcano Mombacho Adventure in the Cloud Forest & Apoyo Lake : $115
  • 3 Volcanoes Full Day Tour! Unique experience!: $145
  • Bird Watching Tour: $90
  • Boat Tour and Granada City Tour: $130
  • Canopy & Crater on Mombacho Volcano & Islets Sunset Boat Tour: $144
  • Charming Granada Outdoor "Private Tour" : $92
  • City Tour Granada, Nicaragua.: $40
  • Experience Granadas Best Sights Carriage ride + Local Guide: $65
  • From Full-Day Tour to 6 Attractions with Lunch incl: $125
  • Full Day Tour Isletas + Pueblos Blancos + Laguna from Granada: $120
  • Full Day Tour Masaya Volcano, Art Market and White Villages: $60
  • Full-Day Tour: Masaya Volcano, Art Market and White Villages: $60

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Puerto Iguazu $7.86
    Granada $7.48

Typical Alcohol Prices in Granada

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


  • Tequila
    $1.36


When comparing the travel costs between Puerto Iguazu and Granada, we can see that Puerto Iguazu 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 Puerto Iguazu is in South America and Granada is in Central 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 Puerto Iguazu Expensive? and Is Granada Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Puerto Iguazu or Granada?

Granada has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Puerto Iguazu. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Iguazu and Granada, 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.