Which place is cheaper, Santa Elena 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.
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Should you visit Puerto Iguazu or Santa Elena?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Puerto Iguazu or Santa Elena? 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 Santa Elena?
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.
Santa Elena
Santa Elena is a cute town, and the closest to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. It's one of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica, and is a great place to experience the cloud forest and see some of country's unique wildlife.
In the Monteverde Cloud Forest you have a good chance of seeing rare quetzals which are the national bird of Costa Rica. Other common animals include white-faced capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, orange-kneed tarantulas, any of 8-9 species of hummingbirds, and sloth.
Santa Elena is about 1,400 meters above sea level and has a humid and damp environment. The average yearly temperature is 64 degrees Fahrenheit and the average rainfall is 3,000 millimetres. Humidity can be anywhere between 74% and 97%.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to Argentina, The Best Eco Tours in Argentina, The Best G Adventures Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Costa Rica.
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Puerto Iguazu Prices
Argentina PricesSanta Elena Prices
Costa Rica Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Iguazu $57Santa Elena $109
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Iguazu is $57, while the average daily cost in Santa Elena is $109. 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 Santa Elena in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Iguazu $41Santa Elena $55
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Iguazu $82Santa Elena $110
Compare Hotels in Puerto Iguazu and Santa Elena
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Iguazu or Santa Elena? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Iguazu $3.07Santa Elena $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Iguazu
Also for Puerto Iguazu, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Iguazu Falls 2-Day Tour with Airport Transfer: $348
- Transfer In + Transfer Out IGR Airport Puerto Iguazú Hotels Selva de Iryapu: $145
- Private Transfers Full Day Iguazú Falls: $130
- Brazilian Waterfalls Tour and Bird Park with Transfer: $102
- Puerto Iguazú Combo: Iguazu Falls 2 Day Tours + transfers: $100
- Transfers IGR from the (ARG) to IGU (BRA) with PasseioTur: $80
- Iguazú Falls Brazil & Argentina 3-Day In Transfer: $79
- Private Transfer from Puerto Iguazu Airport to Foz do Iguaçu: $78
- Puerto Iguazu Airport (IGR) Private Transfer to Puerto Iguazu: $27
- Puerto Iguazu Airport Private Transfer: $22
- Puerto Iguazu Airport Shuttle Transfer: $17
- One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Elena
Also for Santa Elena, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer Liberia Airport to Saint Helena Monte Verde: $210
- Private Transfer From Monteverde to your Destination: $240
- Private Transfer From Monteverde to San Jose With 2 Stops: $233
- One Way Private Transfer from Monteverde - Liberia: $276
- MiniVan Departure Transfer Monteverde to San Jose Airport SJO: $215
- Direct transfer from Monteverde to San Jose, English Speaking Driver: $197
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Iguazu or Santa Elena?
Prices for flights to both Santa Elena 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 $6.30Santa Elena $41
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santa Elena
For Santa Elena, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Monteverde Cooking Class: $60
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Iguazu $33Santa Elena $30
Tours and Activities in Puerto Iguazu
For Puerto Iguazu, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 1 day- Tour on both sides of the waterfalls: $111
- 1-Day Private Tour In the Iguacu Falls of Brazil and Argentina : $106
- 2-Day Private Tour Both Waterfalls ARG/BRA: $182
- 2Day Iguazu Tour HELICOPTER Ride & Airfare from Buenos Aires: $590
- 3-Day Iguazu Falls Exploring Tour From Argentina and Brazil: $299
- Argentina: Full-Day Iguazu Falls and Great Adventure Tour: $142
- Argentine Falls Package with Great Adventure and Brazilian Falls: $250
- Argentine Side Iguassu Falls Private Tour Hotels in Puerto Iguazú: $140
- Argentinean Falls with Gran Aventura Boat Tour: $238
- Argentinian Iguazu Falls Full Day Tour: $32
- Bird Park & Iguassu Brazilian Side From Puerto Iguazú Hotels - Private Tour: $135
- Bird Park & Iguassu Brazilian Side Gran Meliá Hotel Exclusive - Private Tour: $130
Tours and Activities in Santa Elena
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santa Elena.
- Cloud Forest hanging bridges with a local naturalist tour guide: $22
- Curi-cancha Bird-Watching tour semi private : $40
- 2x1 Guided Tour Combo Hanging Bridges and Night Walk: $40
- 3 Hours Bird Watching Guided Experience in Bajo Cebadilla: $90
- 3 hours of the Longest and Highest Extreme Zip line Experience in Monteverde: $95
- Admission Ticket to Las Pumas Rescue Center : $20
- Adventure Day - Outdoor Fun for Family & Friends Package: $29
- Adventure Park High Ropes Course : $69
- Birdwatching Tour in Monteverde : $85
- Canopy Adventure From Monteverde: $86
- Cloud Forest Small Group Tour: $30
- Coffee Tour Monteverde : $60
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Iguazu $7.86Santa Elena $6.21
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Iguazu and Santa Elena, we can see that Santa Elena is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Iguazu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Puerto Iguazu is in South America and Santa Elena is in Central America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. 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 Santa Elena would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santa Elena 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 Santa Elena Expensive?.
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.