A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Puerto Montt vs. Arequipa for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Puerto Montt or Arequipa?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Puerto Montt and Arequipa can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Puerto Montt or Arequipa?

Puerto Montt

The Lake District is a region of snow capped volcanoes, pale green lakes and endless miles of virgin and ancient forests. Found 1,016 km away from Santiago de Chile, Puerto Montt is famous for its beautiful lakes and its germanic architecture, old wooden houses and its legendary Iglesia Catedral, found on the town's main square, la Plaza de Armas. The monument, entirely built with alerce (cypress) wood, is the oldest building of the city. The capital of the Lake Region is a good starting point for many memorable excursions in the area.

Arequipa

Sitting in the middle of the Misti, Chachani and PichuPichu volcanoes of Peru is the enchanting city of Arequipa. With 468 years of history, the city is full of Spanish colonial architecture. Known to locals as the "white city," the city center, Plaza de Armas, is quite the sight with buildings of sillar white stone made from the rocks of the surrounding volcanoes.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Chile, The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Chile, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Peru, and The Best Cultural Tours in Peru.


Which place is cheaper, Arequipa or Puerto Montt?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Montt is $87, while the average daily cost in Arequipa is $47. 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 Montt and Arequipa in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Puerto Montt $60
    Arequipa $23
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Puerto Montt $120
    Arequipa $46
Compare Hotels in Puerto Montt and Arequipa

Looking for a hotel in Puerto Montt or Arequipa? 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.

Hotels in Puerto Montt


Hotels in Arequipa


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 Montt Hotel Prices and Arequipa Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Puerto Montt $6.28
    Arequipa $6.04

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Montt

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Montt:

  • 4 Days Tour Los Lagos Region with Transfer Chiloe and Peulla: $177
  • Cruce Andino Office Private Transfer from Puerto Montt: $44
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Airport (PMC) to Puerto Montt Port: $27
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Airport (PMC) to Puerto Montt Port: $31
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Montt Port to Puerto Airport (PMC): $27
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Montt Port to Puerto Airport (PMC): $31
  • Puerto Airport (PMC) to Frutillar - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $42
  • Puerto Montt Airport (PMC) to Frutillar: Roundtrip Transfer: $46
  • Puerto Montt Airport (PMC) to Puerto Varas - Round-Trip Transfer: $66
  • Puerto Montt Airport (PMC) to Puerto Varas City- Arrival Transfer: $33
  • Puerto Montt Airport Arrival Transfer to Hotel in Puerto Varas: $24
  • Puerto Montt Airport to Puerto Varas - RoundTrip Private Transfer: $42

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Arequipa

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Arequipa are as follows:


  • Taxi Ride
    $1.36
  • Bus Ride
    $0.44
  • Taxi Ride
    $0.95

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Arequipa

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Arequipa:

  • Private Transfer from Alfredo Rodríguez Ballón Airport to Hotel: $20
  • Private Transfer from Arequipa Airport to hotels: $25
  • Arequipa Airport Private Transfer: $25
  • Airport Private Transfer: $26
  • 1-Way Airport Private Transfer: $31
  • Sihanouk Ville Airport Pickup or Transfer Private Car: $32
  • Transfer Between Arequipa's Airport and Hotels: $35
  • Private Transfer from Alfredo Rodríguez Ballón (AQP) Airport to Arequipa: $35
  • Private Transfer from Arequipa to Alfredo Rodríguez Ballón (AQP) Airport : $35
  • Koh Lanta any hotel to Krabi airport Private transfer: $72
  • From 2-Day Colca Canyon Tour with Transfer to Puno: $98
  • From 2-Day Colca Canyon Tour with Transfer to Puno: $103

Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Montt or Arequipa?

Prices for flights to both Arequipa and Puerto Montt 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Puerto Montt $21
    Arequipa $14

Typical Food Prices in Arequipa

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Arequipa:


  • Coke
    $0.41
  • Lunch
    $2.86
  • Ice Cream
    $1.09
  • Fruit
    $0.82
  • Ice Cream
    $0.95

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Arequipa

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Arequipa.

  • Skip the Line: Dinner and Typical Dances Show Ticket: $25
  • Peruvian Cooking Experience in Arequipa: $34
  • Peruvian Cooking Class: $48
  • Peruvian Cooking Class: $48
  • Peruvian Cooking Class in arequipa: $50
  • Guided Food Tour in Arequipa City: $69
  • 3-hour guided food tour / 5 iconic restaurants of Arequipa: $72
  • A 3-hour Guided Food Tour with 4 Iconic Restaurants of Arequipa: $79
  • Arequipa Food Tour: Ancestral Cuisine & City Tour: $85
  • Peruvian cooking class + Pisco Sour class + Visit to the local market: $91
  • Peruvian cooking class + PiscoSour class + visit the local market: $91
  • Peruse The Market With A Cooking Class Before Dinner: $97

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Puerto Montt $13
    Arequipa $18

Tours and Activities in Puerto Montt

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Puerto Montt are as follows:

  • Frutillar Tour: $31
  • Half day Llanquihue and Frutillar City tour : $44
  • Private Tour: Puerto Montt Sightseeing: $47
  • Frutillar & Llanquihue Tour from Puerto Montt: $56
  • Osorno Volcano and Petrohué Falls Guided Tour: $62
  • Osorno Volcano Tour+Petrohue Falls / Cruises / Spanish: $68
  • Alerce Andino National Park/Alerce Millenario/Cruises: $77
  • Excursion City tour Puerto Varas / Llanquihue and Frutillar: $77
  • Private. City Tour Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas: $92
  • Austral / Hornopiren Road Tour: $102
  • Frutillar & Llanquihue Private Tour from Puerto Montt: $118
  • 6 Hours Shared Tour in Calbuco and Millennial Forest : $130

Typical Entertainment Prices in Arequipa

Here are a few typical costs in Arequipa for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Monastery Entry
    $2.72
  • Salsa Class
    $2.72
  • Movie Ticket
    $2.97
  • Hot Springs
    $2.72

Tours and Activities in Arequipa

Here are a few actual costs in Arequipa for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Arequipa Tasting Tour: $8.00
  • 4-hour tour to the Sillar Route in Arequipa: $12
  • Arequipa 4 hrs City Tour, Campiña, Viewpoints and Sabandia Mill: $15
  • Small-Group Arequipa Countryside Tour Including La Mansion del Fundador -Mirabus: $15
  • Tour por la Ruta del Sillar, el Origen de Arequipa: $16
  • From Panoramic Tour of Arequipa: $20
  • From Sillar Route - Half Day Tour: $20
  • City tour with panoramic bus: $20
  • Arequipa City tour in panoramic bus: $20
  • From Sillar Route Tour || Half Day ||: $20
  • The Sillar Route Day Tour: $22
  • City and Country Tour: $22

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Puerto Montt $4.39
    Arequipa $16

Typical Alcohol Prices in Arequipa

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Arequipa are as follows:


  • Beer
    $2.45

Sample the Local Flavors in Arequipa

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Arequipa:

  • Pub Crawl Tour in Arequipa with VIP Access.: $25
  • Pub Crawl Tour in Arequipa with Drinks and VIP Access.: $60


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Montt and Arequipa, we can see that Puerto Montt is more expensive. And not only is Arequipa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Arequipa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Arequipa 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 Montt would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Puerto Montt than you might in Arequipa.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Puerto Montt Expensive? and Is Arequipa Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Puerto Montt or Arequipa?

Arequipa has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Puerto Montt. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Montt and Arequipa, 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.