Which place is cheaper, Ushuaia 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 Ushuaia?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Puerto Iguazu or Ushuaia? 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 Ushuaia?
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.
Ushuaia
Ushuaia is a city on the Tierra del Fuego island of Argentina on the Beagle Strait. The city is considered to be one of the southernmost cities in the world and is often used as a base for cruises to Antarctica. Ushuaia's close proximity to Antarctica and their amazing hiking trails have made it a popular tourist destination over the past few decades.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to Argentina, The Best Eco Tours in Argentina, The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Argentina, and The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Argentina.
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Puerto Iguazu Prices
Argentina PricesUshuaia Prices
Argentina Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Iguazu $57Ushuaia $0.00
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Iguazu is $57, while the average daily cost in Ushuaia is $0.00. 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 Ushuaia in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Iguazu $41Ushuaia -
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Iguazu $82Ushuaia $0.00
Compare Hotels in Puerto Iguazu and Ushuaia
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Iguazu or Ushuaia? 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 Ushuaia Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Iguazu $3.10Ushuaia -
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 Ushuaia
Also for Ushuaia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfers to Cerro Castor: $25
- Tierra del Fuego National park taxi Transfer: $299
- Tierra del Fuego National Park Tour & Transfers: $77
- Escondido and Fagnano Lakes with transfer: $103
- Antarctic Experience W/Snowmobile Ride & Transfer: $294
- Airport Transfer: $10
- Ushuaia to Ushuaia Airport (USH) - Departure Private Transfer: $24
- Ushuaia in 4 days: Unmissable excursions and transfers included: $270
- Ushuaia Combo: Tierra del Fuego National Park & Round Trip Transfers to airport: $135
- Ushuaia Airport Shared Transfer: $12
- Ushuaia Airport Shared Transfer: $13
- Ushuaia Airport Departure Transfer: $9.00
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Iguazu or Ushuaia?
Prices for flights to both Ushuaia 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 $6.35Ushuaia -
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 Ushuaia
For Ushuaia, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Martial Glacier Night Hike with Dinner & Wine: $100
- Ushuaia - Secrets of Tierra del Fuego - History + Quad + Dinner: $140
- Beaver Sighting with Dinner off Lake Fagnano: $185
- Discovering Lakes Escondido and Fagnano with sunset dinner: $210
- Ushuaia-Premier Pass (Motorcycle + Snowmobile + Skiing + Tubes + Snowshoes + Quad + Lunch + Pizza): $290
- Fire and Snow Night Tour with Dinner: $307
- Snow Adventure with Dinner & Transfers: $315
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Iguazu $34Ushuaia -
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 Ushuaia
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ushuaia.
- 2-day tour: Tierra del Fuego National Park + Fagnano and Escondido Lakes: $175
- 4WD Adventure at Fagnano Lake from Ushuaia: $239
- 4WD Off-Road Lakes Adventure in Tierra del Fuego: $173
- 4x4 Lake Fagnano Adventure from Ushuaia: $229
- 5-Hour National Park + City tour - USHUAIA (Private Tour): $245
- 5.5-Hour Nat Park w/ Hiking *Shore Excursion* USHUAIA (Shared tour for cruises): $150
- 7-Hour Lakes Escondido & Fagnano - USHUAIA (Shared tour): $105
- Adventure through Lagos 4X4 in Ushuaia: $198
- Almanza Port Tour with Lunch: $210
- An Hour Tour in the City of Ushuaia: $71
- Beagle Canal Tour with Small Group Hiking: $97
- Beagle Channel Wildlife Cruise & Les Éclaireurs Lighthouse: $131
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Iguazu $7.92Ushuaia -
Sample the Local Flavors in Ushuaia
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Ushuaia:
- City tour and Wine tasting: $125
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Iguazu and Ushuaia, we can see that Puerto Iguazu is more expensive. And not only is Ushuaia much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Ushuaia would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ushuaia 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 Ushuaia.
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 Ushuaia Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Iguazu or Ushuaia?
Ushuaia has a larger population, and is about 81% larger than the population of Puerto Iguazu. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Iguazu and Ushuaia, 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.