Should you visit Puerto Iguazu or Puerto Madryn?
Should I visit Puerto Iguazu or Puerto Madryn? 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.
Puerto Madryn
Puerto Madryn is mostly known as the gateway to Peninsula Valdes, welcoming tourists who come for whale watching. The Peninsula Valdes is a nature reserve designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site; 97 km long and 63 km wide, it is connected to the continent by an isthmus of 35 km from which we can see both gulfs, San Jose at north and the Nuevo at south.
Which city is cheaper, Puerto Madryn or Puerto Iguazu?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Iguazu is $57, while the average daily cost in Puerto Madryn is $98. 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 Puerto Madryn 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.
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around $37. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Puerto Madryn the cost is $74 on average.
Food
The average traveler spends about $21 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 Puerto Madryn costs travelers about $40 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 $21
Puerto Madryn $40
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.
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $23 per day to get around in Puerto Madryn.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Iguazu
Also for Puerto Iguazu, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Iguassu Falls Argentina Airport R/T Transfer to Hotels:
$21
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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 Airport Private Transfer:
$63
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Iguazú Falls Brazil & Argentina 3-Day In-Out Transfers:
$65
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Iguazu: Transfer from Argentina Side:
$95
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Private One-Way Airport Transfer:
$98
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Iguazu Falls Pass: Transfers in/out + Visit to Iguazu Falls Argentininan Side:
$110
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Iguazu Falls: Day Tour including transfers and guided tour:
$245
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Madryn
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Madryn:
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Puerto Madryn Trelew Airport Shuttle Transfer:
$15
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Puerto Madryn Airport Private Transfer:
$138
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Iguazu or Puerto Madryn?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Madryn 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.
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $40 per person, per day in Puerto Madryn. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
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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Iguazú Biocenter Tour:
$10
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Guira Oga Wild Animals Shelter Admission Ticket:
$10
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Ciudad del Este Shopping Tour:
$17
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Brazilian Side of Iguassu Falls Half-Day Sightseeing Tour from Puerto Iguazú:
$20
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Visit to San Ignacio Ruins and Wanda Mines Full day Tour:
$21
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Shopping Tour to Ciudad del Este, Paraguay:
$21
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Sightseeing Tour of the Argentinian and Brazilian Sides of Iguassu Falls:
$23
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Iguassu Falls Half Day Tour –Brazilian side:
$24
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Iguassu Falls Full Day Tour – Argentina Side:
$24
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Iguazu Falls Brazilian Side Half Day Trip with Itaipu Dam Tour Option:
$24
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Iguazu Falls Argentinian Side Full Day Tour with optional Boat Ride:
$24
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Guarani Village Tour From Puerto Iguassu:
$25
Typical Entertainment prices in Puerto Madryn
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Puerto Madryn are as follows:
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Whale Watching for Two
$3.04
Tours and Activities in Puerto Madryn
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Puerto Madryn are as follows:
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3-Day Atlantic Patagonia Wild Nature Experience at Bahia Bustamante Lodge:
$421
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Chubut Welsh Colonies Tour:
$64
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City Tour and Sea Lions at Punta Loma from Puerto Madryn:
$29
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Cruise Shore excursion to Punta Tombo:
$100
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Cruise shore excursion to Peninsula Valdes:
$120
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Discover Valdes Peninsula Day Tour:
$99
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Excursion Sib Tour to the valley of the Chubut river:
$113
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Florentino Ameghino Dam Day Tour:
$152
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Full Day Tour to Florentino Ameghino Dam from Puerto Madryn:
$75
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Full Day Tour to Punta Ninfas from Puerto Madryn:
$110
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Patagonia Ranch and El Pedral Penguin Colony Tour from Puerto Madryn:
$125
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Peninsula Valdes & Estancia San Lorenzo Full Day Tour:
$155
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Puerto Iguazu spend on average $9.03 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
The average person spends about $22 on alcoholic beverages in Puerto Madryn per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Iguazu and Puerto Madryn, we can see that Puerto Madryn 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 Puerto Madryn would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Puerto Madryn than you might in Puerto Iguazu.
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