Which place is cheaper, Sao Paulo 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 Sao Paulo?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Puerto Iguazu or Sao Paulo? 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 Sao Paulo?
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.
Sao Paulo
With a population of around 11 million, and 20 million in the metropolitan area, Sao Paulo is the largest city in Brazil. It's also one of the wealthiest cities in the southern hemisphere, although you don't have to look far to see the income disparities and inequalities that exist. The city is diverse and culturally rich, with excellent food, music, and entertainment.
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 Brazil, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Rio de Janeiro.
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Puerto Iguazu Prices
Argentina PricesSao Paulo Prices
Brazil Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Iguazu $57Sao Paulo $62
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Iguazu is $57, while the average daily cost in Sao Paulo is $62. 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 Sao Paulo in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Iguazu $41Sao Paulo $29
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Iguazu $82Sao Paulo $58
Compare Hotels in Puerto Iguazu and Sao Paulo
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Iguazu or Sao Paulo? 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 Sao Paulo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Iguazu $3.10Sao Paulo $5.96
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Iguazu
Also for Puerto Iguazu, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Estancia Las Mercedes Day Trip with Lunch & Transfers: $399
- Full-day private transfer to Iguazu Falls: $185
- Puerto Iguazú: Jungle Fly Adventure with Transfers: $166
- Falls Package Both Sides with Transfers: $160
- Brazilian Waterfalls Tour and Bird Park with Transfer: $98
- Iguazú Falls Combo: Argentina & Brazil, with Transfers: $86
- Puerto Iguazú Combo: Iguazu Falls 2 Day Tours + transfers: $85
- Private Transfer from Puerto Iguazu Airport to Foz do Iguaçu: $83
- Iguazu Falls Saver Package! Both sides excursions & transfers: $79
- Iguazu Falls Argentina Brazil Duty Free Shop with Transfers: $60
- Wanda Mines Guided Tour with Transfer / From Iguassu Falls: $56
- Private Transfer from Iguazú (IGR) Airport to Puerto Iguazú: $45
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sao Paulo
Also for Sao Paulo, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Viracopos Airport VCP to Poços de Caldas Thermal Arrival Transfer: $123
- Viracopos Airport (VCP) to São Pedro Thermal Arrival Transfer: $87
- Viracopos Airport (VCP) to Águas de Lindoia-Arrival Transfer: $87
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Sao Paulo APT-HTL(GRU): $100
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in São Paulo HTL-APT(GRU): $100
- Transfers Main airports in Sao Paulo: $64
- Transfer from São Paulo to Port of Santos: $238
- Transfer Viracopos Airport or Campinas City to airports in Sao Paulo: $143
- Transfer São Paulo City Center to Guarulhos Airport (GRU): $48
- Transfer Guarulhos Airport (GRU) to São Paulo City Center: $43
- Transfer CGH Airport Congonhas Sao Paulo city / Hotel: $44
- Transfer (Taxi) airport to Sao Paulo: $80
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Iguazu or Sao Paulo?
Prices for flights to both Sao Paulo 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 $6.35Sao Paulo $25
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:
- Puerto Iguazú: Madero Tango Show with Optional Dinner: $34
- Madero Tango Show with Optional Dinner in Iguazu: $36
- ASADOR: Argentine Asado Cooking Class: $70
- Argentine Experience: Immersive Dinner & Wine Pairing in Iguazú: $75
- Iguazu Falls: The Argentine Experience Interactive Dinner: $75
- Dinner Show Rafain Steakhouse from Puerto Iguazú Hotels Private Tour: $130
- Dinner Tango Show in Iguazú Falls - no transfers -: $152
- Experience Guamini Mision Dinner and Tango Show Gran Meliá Iguazú Exclusive: $155
- FD Iguazu Falls Argentinian side + Dinner Tango Show -no transfer: $211
- Rafain Steakhouse Dinner & Show: $232
- Foz do Iguaçu: Argentinean Cooking Class: $244
- Iguazu Falls: Argentina Side Tour with Dinner & Tango Show: $278
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sao Paulo
For Sao Paulo, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Street Food Tour in São Paulo with a Local Guide: $73
- 4h Cooking Class in São Paulo with 9 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $89
- Dinner at Terraço Italia Restaurant in São Paulo: $223
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Iguazu $34Sao Paulo $4.02
Tours and Activities in Puerto Iguazu
For Puerto Iguazu, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2Day Iguazu Tour HELICOPTER Ride & Airfare from Buenos Aires: $1,290
- Argentine Falls Package with Great Adventure and Brazilian Falls: $275
- Argentinean Falls with Gran Aventura Boat Tour: $261
- Bird Park & Iguassu Brazilian Side From Puerto Iguazú Hotels - Private Tour: $145
- Bird Park & Iguassu Brazilian Side Gran Meliá Hotel Exclusive - Private Tour: $160
- Brazilian Side of Iguassu Falls and Itaipu Dam Full-Day Sightseeing Tour from Puerto Iguazú: $96
- Brazilian Side of Iguazu Falls Half-Day Sightseeing Tour: $48
- Brazilian Side of Iguazu Falls Tour from Puerto Iguazu: $49
- Brazilian Side of the Falls - All Tickets Included: $77
- City Tour in Iguassu from Puerto Iguazú Hotels Private Tour: $90
- Explore Iguazu Falls in Brazil: An Unforgettable Experience: $44
- Fly Park Iguazú: Extreme Adventure in the Misiones Jungle: $75
Tours and Activities in Sao Paulo
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Sao Paulo.
- 2 Hours Private São Paulo Museum of Modern Art Tour: $240
- 4 Hour Private City Tour in Sao Paulo: $161
- 4 Hour Private Tour - São Paulo: $128
- 4-Hour Private Tour in Sao Paulo: $300
- 4-hour Sum-up Private Tour Of São Paulo Including Its Major Attractions: $119
- 5 Hours Private Full Day City Tour in Sao Paulo: $298
- 5-hour Pelé Private Tour: The King of Football: $175
- 5-hour Private Street Art Tour Of São Paulo – The Coolest Urban Art Scenes: $155
- 5-hour Private Tour Of São Paulo With Its Main Sights – Optional Airport Pickup: $139
- 5h City Tour (pick up & delivery within SaoPaulo city): $298
- 6 Hour Buddhist Temple and Embu das Artes Tour – Art Galleries, Artisan Shops: $203
- 6-Hour Classic Half-Day Private Tour of São Paulo – Optional Airport Pickup: $175
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Iguazu $7.92Sao Paulo $3.50
Sample the Local Flavors in Sao Paulo
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Sao Paulo:
- 4 Hours Pub Crawl in Vila Madalena: $150
When comparing the travel costs between Puerto Iguazu and Sao Paulo, we can see that Sao Paulo 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. Since both cities are in South America, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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 Sao Paulo Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Iguazu or Sao Paulo?
Sao Paulo has a larger population, and is about 310 times larger than the population of Puerto Iguazu. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Iguazu and Sao Paulo, 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.