Which place is cheaper, San Juan or Puerto Madryn?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Puerto Madryn or San Juan?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Puerto Madryn or San Juan? 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 Madryn or San Juan?
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.
San Juan
If you've ever set foot on a Caribbean cruise, you've probably spent a bit of time in San Juan, Puerto Rico. However, maybe you should consider spending more than just a port day in this beautiful and historically rich city.
As the capital and largest city in all of Puerto Rico, San Juan is home to approximately 400,000 people. Established in 1521, it is also the second oldest European-founded settlement in the Americas.
As this city fuses a historic paradise with modern day energy, it has absolutely everything to offer. Intellectual wanderers, beach bums, rainforest adventurers and radical surfers will all find plenty to do in San Juan.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Argentina, and The Best 3-Week Tours in Argentina.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Madryn $14San Juan $192
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Madryn is $14, while the average daily cost in San Juan is $192. 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 Madryn and San Juan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Madryn $5.25San Juan $124
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Madryn $11San Juan $248
Compare Hotels in Puerto Madryn and San Juan
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Madryn or San Juan? 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 Madryn Hotel Prices and San Juan Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Madryn $3.28San Juan $14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Madryn
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Madryn:
- From Punta Tombo Day Trip with Hotel Transfer: $131
- Trelew Airport Shuttle Transfer To Puerto Madryn : $47
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Juan
Also for San Juan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Departure Transfer - Hotel / Accommodation to San Juan Airport: $22
- Mendoza: One-Way Private Transfer from Airport: $25
- Private Transportation in Puerto Rico From or To San Juan Airport(SJU) Transfers: $33
- San Juan hotels to San Juan Airport (SJU) - Departure Private Transfer: $46
- Oneway Transfer- San Juan(SJU, hotel, airbnb, port) to Río Grande: $68
- Old Walking Tour with Shopping and Hotel Transfer: $70
- Roundtrip-Transfer from: SJU Airport,Cruises and Hotels in Puerto Rico LuxurySUV: $70
- Puerto Rico Island Wide Transfer, Tesla Y Luxury SUV, Select Zone: $77
- Puerto Rico Island Wide Transfer, Tesla S Lux Sedan, Select Zone: $79
- Oneway Transfer San Juan to Ceiba: Ferry, Vieques/Culebra Airport: $80
- Puerto Rico Island Wide Transfer, Lexus Luxury Sedan, Select Zone: $81
- Puerto Rico Island Wide Transfer, Ford Premium SUV, Select Zone: $87
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Madryn or San Juan?
Prices for flights to both San Juan and Puerto Madryn 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 Madryn $5.69San Juan $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Juan
For San Juan, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Old San Juan Sunset Food Tour with Drinks: $156
- Savor the Sunset: Old San Juan Walk and Food Tour: $159
- City Lights Sky High Dinner Experience: $165
- Authentic Flavors of San Juan Food Tour: $170
- Private Local Food Tour in San Juan: $275
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Madryn $5.77San Juan $49
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$0.35
Tours and Activities in Puerto Madryn
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Puerto Madryn are as follows:
- 4 x 4 experience around Puerto Madryn: $100
- Cruise Shore Excursion Ea San Lorenzo Peninsula Valdes - Patagonia - Argentina: $229
- Cruise Shore Excursion Peninsula Valdes - Pto Madryn - Patagonia - Argentina: $119
- Cruise Shore Excursion Punta Tombo - Tickets included - Puerto Madryn Patagonia: $129
- Excursion to Punta Loma and Puerto Madryn for Cruisers: $60
- From City and Punta Loma Tour: $70
- From Florentino Ameghino Dam Day Tour: $194
- From Penguin Tour & Península Valdés Day Trip: $152
- From Valdes Peninsula Full-Day Tour: $130
- Full Day Peninsula Valdes Experience: $90
- Full Day Peninsula Valdes Experience - optional Whale Watching : $87
- Full Day Punta Tombo - Walking Among Penguins Experience - Madryn: $105
Typical Entertainment Prices in San Juan
For San Juan, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Horseback Riding Tour$40
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Full Day Snorkeling Trip$100
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1 Hr Windsurfing Lesson$75
Tours and Activities in San Juan
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Juan.
- Self-Guided Audio Tour of Historic Buildings: $5.99
- Discover Old In-App Audio Tour of History: $11
- Self-Guided Tour with Audio Guide: $14
- Group Transportation in airport, cruise ships, hotels, bnb's in San Juan, PR: $20
- Old Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour: $25
- History, Legends, & Highlights Guided Walking Tour: $30
- Historical Walking Tour in Old San Juan: $30
- Old San Juan Walking Tour with a Certified Guide: $30
- Old San Juan City Walking Tour: $39
- Old San Juan Walking Tour: $39
- Legacy Tour at Casa BarcadÍ in Puerto Rico: $45
- Walking tour of Oaxaca City: $48
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Madryn $3.13San Juan $12
Sample the Local Flavors in San Juan
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in San Juan:
- Pinones Pub crawl in Puerto Rico: $50
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Madryn and San Juan, we can see that San Juan is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Madryn much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Puerto Madryn is in South America and San Juan is in Caribbean Islands, 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 Madryn would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Madryn 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 San Juan would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Juan than you might in Puerto Madryn.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Puerto Madryn Expensive? and Is San Juan Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Madryn or San Juan?
San Juan has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of Puerto Madryn. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Madryn and San Juan, 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.
When is the best time to visit Puerto Madryn or San Juan?
Puerto Madryn has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but San Juan experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Puerto Madryn or San Juan in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Puerto Madryn as well as San Juan. The warm climate attracts visitors to San Juan throughout the year.
In the summer, Puerto Madryn is cooler than San Juan. Typically, the summer temperatures in Puerto Madryn in January average around 22°C (71°F), and San Juan averages at about 28°C (83°F)in July.
Puerto Madryn usually gets less rain in January than San Juanin July. Puerto Madryn gets 11 mm (0.4 in) of rain, while San Juan receives 95 mm (3.7 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures January and JulyPuerto Madryn 22°C (71°F)San Juan 28°C (83°F)
Should I visit Puerto Madryn or San Juan in the Autumn?
Both San Juan and Puerto Madryn are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. Plenty of visitors come to San Juan because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In April, Puerto Madryn is generally much colder than San Juanin October. Daily temperatures in Puerto Madryn average around 14°C (58°F), and San Juan fluctuates around 28°C (82°F).
It rains a lot this time of the year in San Juan. In April, Puerto Madryn usually receives less rain than San Juanin October. Puerto Madryn gets 14 mm (0.6 in) of rain, while San Juan receives 135 mm (5.3 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures April and OctoberPuerto Madryn 14°C (58°F)San Juan 28°C (82°F)
Should I visit Puerto Madryn or San Juan in the Winter?
Both San Juan and Puerto Madryn during the winter are popular places to visit. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to San Juan year-round.
Puerto Madryn is much colder than San Juan in the winter. The daily temperature in Puerto Madryn averages around 7°C (45°F) in July, and San Juan fluctuates around 25°C (77°F)in January.
In San Juan, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Puerto Madryn. In the winter, Puerto Madryn often gets less sunshine than San Juanin January. Puerto Madryn gets 209 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while San Juan receives 240 hours of full sun.
Puerto Madryn usually gets less rain in July than San Juanin January. Puerto Madryn gets 18 mm (0.7 in) of rain, while San Juan receives 58 mm (2.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures July and JanuaryPuerto Madryn 7°C (45°F)San Juan 25°C (77°F)
Should I visit Puerto Madryn or San Juan in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Puerto Madryn and San Juan. San Juan attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
In the spring, Puerto Madryn is much colder than San Juan. Typically, the spring temperatures in Puerto Madryn in October average around 14°C (58°F), and San Juan averages at about 26°C (79°F)in April.
In October, Puerto Madryn usually receives less rain than San Juanin April. Puerto Madryn gets 20 mm (0.8 in) of rain, while San Juan receives 69 mm (2.7 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures October and AprilPuerto Madryn 14°C (58°F)San Juan 26°C (79°F)
Typical Weather for San Juan and Puerto Madryn
| Puerto Madryn | San Juan | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 22°C (71°F) | 11 mm (0.4 in) | 25°C (77°F) | 58 mm (2.3 in) |
| Feb | 21°C (69°F) | 18 mm (0.7 in) | 25°C (77°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| Mar | 18°C (64°F) | 20 mm (0.8 in) | 26°C (78°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| Apr | 14°C (58°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 69 mm (2.7 in) |
| May | 10°C (51°F) | 17 mm (0.7 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 120 mm (4.7 in) |
| Jun | 7°C (45°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 82 mm (3.2 in) |
| Jul | 7°C (45°F) | 18 mm (0.7 in) | 28°C (83°F) | 95 mm (3.7 in) |
| Aug | 9°C (48°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) | 28°C (83°F) | 130 mm (5.1 in) |
| Sep | 11°C (53°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 28°C (83°F) | 130 mm (5.1 in) |
| Oct | 14°C (58°F) | 20 mm (0.8 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 135 mm (5.3 in) |
| Nov | 18°C (64°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) | 27°C (80°F) | 132 mm (5.2 in) |
| Dec | 20°C (68°F) | 12 mm (0.5 in) | 26°C (78°F) | 92 mm (3.6 in) |
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.