Which place is cheaper, San Pedro de Atacama 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 Pedro de Atacama?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Puerto Madryn or San Pedro de Atacama? 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 Pedro de Atacama?
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 Pedro de Atacama
San Pedro de Atacama is a gateway to northern Chile. It is a good jumping off point for exploring the area's impressive landscape, most of which is included in the Los Flamencos National Reserve. It is popular with both Chilean and international tourists, and because of its popularity, it is a relatively expensive destination, with many prices comparable to what you might pay in Santiago.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Argentina, The Best 3-Week Tours in Argentina, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Santiago, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Chile.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Madryn $14San Pedro de Atacama $59
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Madryn is $14, while the average daily cost in San Pedro de Atacama is $59. 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 Pedro de Atacama in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Madryn $5.25San Pedro de Atacama $32
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Madryn $11San Pedro de Atacama $64
Compare Hotels in Puerto Madryn and San Pedro de Atacama
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Madryn or San Pedro de Atacama? 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 Pedro de Atacama Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Madryn $3.28San Pedro de Atacama $9.15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Madryn
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Madryn:
- Trelew Airport Shuttle Transfer To Puerto Madryn : $47
- From Punta Tombo Day Trip with Hotel Transfer: $131
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Pedro de Atacama
Also for San Pedro de Atacama, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared Transfer from San Pedro de Atacama to Calama Airport: $29
- Calama Airport: Shared Transfer to/from San Pedro de Atacama: $30
- Transfers to San Pedro de Acatama (shared service): $30
- Atacama Airport Shuttle Transfer: $38
- Stargazing Experience with Transfer: $39
- Puritama Thermal Transfer: $46
- Calama Airport Transfer to Atacama / Airport Lodging: $60
- Transfer to the Puritama Hot Springs: $60
- Direct Transfer Atacama to Uyuni: $128
- 3 Perfect Days in Atacama + Transfer: $250
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Madryn or San Pedro de Atacama?
Prices for flights to both San Pedro de Atacama 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 Pedro de Atacama $14
Typical Food Prices in San Pedro de Atacama
For San Pedro de Atacama, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Empanadas$1.26
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Lunch$10
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Dinner$11
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Drink$0.94
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Empanada$5.24
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Pedro de Atacama
For San Pedro de Atacama, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Private Dinner Under the Stars: $300
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Madryn $5.77San Pedro de Atacama $21
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 Pedro de Atacama
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for San Pedro de Atacama's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Sand Boarding$56
Tours and Activities in San Pedro de Atacama
For San Pedro de Atacama, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Stargazing Tour with Astronomer in San Pedro de Atacama: $33
- Astronomical Tour with Guide and Pick Up San Pedro de Atacama: $39
- Valle de la Luna: The unmissable tour: $40
- Tour to Vallecito and Magic Bus: $42
- Tour to the Valley of the Moon San Pedro de Atacama: $42
- Etno-Astronomical Experience: $43
- 6-hour tour to Valle del Arcoíris: $44
- Traditional Ethnoastronomy Tour in San Pedro de Atacama: $44
- Traditional Ethnoastronomy Experience: $44
- Valle de la Luna Guided Tour: $44
- Guided Atacama Desert Stargazing Tour: $44
- Tour Compartido Valle de la Luna: $44
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Madryn $3.13San Pedro de Atacama $4.94
Typical Alcohol Prices in San Pedro de Atacama
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in San Pedro de Atacama:
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Alcohol$25
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Madryn and San Pedro de Atacama, we can see that San Pedro de Atacama is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Madryn much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Pedro de Atacama would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Pedro de Atacama 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 Pedro de Atacama Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Madryn or San Pedro de Atacama?
Puerto Madryn has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of San Pedro de Atacama. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Madryn and San Pedro de Atacama, 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.