Which place is cheaper, Puerto Natales or Puerto Iguazu?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Puerto Iguazu or Puerto Natales?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Puerto Iguazu or Puerto Natales? 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 Puerto Natales?
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 Natales
Puerto Natales is a beautiful town located in the Chilean Patagonia on the Senoret Channel. The city is often used as a base camp for trips to the surrounding national parks due to their plentiful restaurant options and access to internet. Puerto Natales is also known for being the base city to the Torres del Paine National Park, which was named the 5th most beautiful place in the world by National Geographic.
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 Adventure Tours to Chile, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Chile.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Iguazu $8.20Puerto Natales $84
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Iguazu is $8.20, while the average daily cost in Puerto Natales is $84. 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 Puerto Natales in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Iguazu $3.26Puerto Natales $38
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Iguazu $6.52Puerto Natales $76
Compare Hotels in Puerto Iguazu and Puerto Natales
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Iguazu or Puerto Natales? 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 Puerto Natales Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Iguazu $2.52Puerto Natales $19
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: $67
- Iguazú Falls Brazil & Argentina 3-Day In-Out Transfers: $61
- Iguazu Falls Argentina Airport Roundtrip Transfer to Hotels: $20
- Puerto Iguazú Combo: Iguazu Falls 2 Day Tours + transfers: $98
- Puerto Iguazu Airport Shuttle Transfer: $8.34
- One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $8.00
- One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $11
- Transfer In + Transfer Out IGR Airport Puerto Iguazú Hotels Selva de Iryapu: $145
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Natales
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Natales:
- Private Transfer from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas: $267
- From Torres del Paine Tour with Transfer: $80
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Iguazu or Puerto Natales?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Natales 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 $3.01Puerto Natales $28
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: $45
- Iguazu Falls: The Argentine Experience Interactive Dinner: $59
- Argentine Experience: Immersive Dinner & Wine Pairing in Iguazú: $60
- Puerto Iguazú: Madero Tango Show with Optional Dinner: $76
- Experience Guamini Mision Dinner and Tango Show Selva Iriapu Hotels Exclusive: $110
- Rafain Steakhouse Show - Dinner and Show Included: $115
- Rafain Steakhouse Dinner & Show: $117
- Dinner Show Rafain Steakhouse from Puerto Iguazú Hotels Private Tour: $120
- Dinner Show Rafain Steakhouse Gran Meliá Hotel Exclusive - Private Tour: $120
- From Foz do Iguaçu: Madero Tango with dinner: $123
- Foz do Iguaçu: Argentinean Cooking Class: $135
- Dinner Tango Show in Iguazú Falls: $145
Typical Food Prices in Puerto Natales
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Puerto Natales:
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Cake$1.05
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Dinner$18
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Coke$1.05
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Iguazu $2.69Puerto Natales $29
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: $24
- Puerto Iguazú: Iguazú Biocenter Tour: $25
- Argentine Falls Full-Day Guided Tour One of the 7 Wonders of the World: $31
- Ciudad del Este Shopping Tour: $32
- Argentinian Iguazu Falls Full Day Tour: $33
- Iguazu Falls Brazilian Side Tour: $34
- Iguazu Falls: one-day tour on the Argentine side: $40
- Brazilian Side of Iguazu Falls Half-Day Sightseeing Tour : $41
- Tour to Iguaçu Brazilian Falls from Argentina: $44
- From San Ignacio Ruins and Wanda Mines Tour: $46
- Full-Day Tour to Iguazu Falls : $49
Tours and Activities in Puerto Natales
Here are a few actual costs in Puerto Natales for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 2 Imperdible Tours Torres del Paine and Perito Moreno: $300
- Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers Boat Tour and traditional lunch.: $199
- Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers Sightseeing Cruise from Puerto Natales: $224
- City Bike Tour in Puerto Natales: $58
- From Torres del Paine National Park Day Tour: $80
- Full Day Patagonia Tour from Puerto Natales: $100
- Full Day Torres del Paine Tour: $99
- Full Day Tour to Torres del Paine National Park: $92
- Full day Torres del Paine Shared Tour From Puerto Natales only: $199
- Full day tour Torres del Paine + Milodon cave: $88
- Full-Day Hiking Tour to the Base of Paine Towers at Torres del Paine National Park: $189
- Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park from Puerto Natales: $143
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Iguazu $1.29Puerto Natales $17
Typical Alcohol Prices in Puerto Natales
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Puerto Natales:
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Alcohol$13
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Iguazu and Puerto Natales, we can see that Puerto Natales 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 Natales would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Puerto Natales 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 Puerto Natales Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Iguazu or Puerto Natales?
Puerto Iguazu has a larger population, and is about 60% larger than the population of Puerto Natales. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Iguazu and Puerto Natales, 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.