Should you visit Puerto Iguazu or Manaus?
Should I visit Puerto Iguazu or Manaus? 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.
Manaus
Manaus is a Brazilian city, capital of the state of Amazonas, and is located on the Rio Negro a few miles before it meets the Rio Solimões to form the Amazon River. The city is a major departure point for those visiting the Amazon Rainforest, though there are a few sights worth seeing within the city itself as well.
Which city is cheaper, Manaus 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 Manaus is $46. 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 Manaus 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.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $66 in Manaus For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
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 Manaus costs travelers about $9.66 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
Manaus $9.66
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Manaus
For Manaus, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Folklore Themed Dinner - Jantar Folclórico Temático:
$42
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.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Manaus than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $6.18 on transportation in Manaus on average per day.
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Manaus
Also for Manaus, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Transfers from the airport to any place in Manaus City:
$40
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Shared Transfer from hotels to Manaus airport:
$26
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Shared Transfer from Airport to hotels in Manaus:
$26
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Shared Round-Trip Transfer: Eduardo Gomes International Airport:
$115
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Private Transfers in Manaus Amazon:
$30
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Manaus Transfers:
$16
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Manaus Transfer/Sightseeing with an English Speaking Tour Guide:
$25
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Manaus Airport: 1-Hour Shared Transfer to Manaus Hotels:
$76
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Iguazu or Manaus?
Prices for flights to both Manaus 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.
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 Manaus
For Manaus, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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2-Day Amazon Jungle Tour to Anaconda Lodge/Rio Negro:
$150
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3 Day Amazon River Boat Tour:
$855
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3 Days Amazon Jungle Adventure Tour:
$300
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3-Day Amazon Jungle Adventure Tour to Juma Eco Lodge:
$230
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3-Day Amazon Jungle Tour to Rio Negro/Anaconda Lodge:
$230
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3-Day Manaus Amazon Jungle Adventure:
$331
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3-Day Rio Negro River Cruise from Manaus:
$330
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3-Hour Manaus City Tour:
$79
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4 Day Rio Negro River Cruise:
$440
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4 Days Amazon Jungle Adventure Tour:
$400
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4-Day Amazon Tour to Anaconda Lodge/Rio Negro:
$310
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4-Day Manaus Amazon Jungle Adventure:
$455
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Puerto Iguazu spend on average $9.30 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Typically, people visiting Manaus spend on average $2.21 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Iguazu and Manaus, we can see that Puerto Iguazu is more expensive. And not only is Manaus much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Manaus would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Manaus 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 Puerto Iguazu would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Puerto Iguazu than you might in Manaus.
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