A Travel Price Comparison for Chile Puerto Natales vs. Iquique for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Puerto Natales or Iquique?

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

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Puerto Natales and Iquique can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Puerto Natales or Iquique?

Puerto Natales

Puerto Natales is a beautiful town located in the Chilean Patagonia on the Senoret Channel. The city is often used as a base camp for trips to the surrounding national parks due to their plentiful restaurant options and access to internet. Puerto Natales is also known for being the base city to the Torres del Paine National Park, which was named the 5th most beautiful place in the world by National Geographic.

Iquique

Located in a golden crescent of coastline, the beautiful beach city with an ocean that's several shades of blue and a historic centre that offers the perfect balance of culture and relaxation is counted among Chile's premier beach resorts. The city is home to the duty free zone called "Zofri" and a growing number of high rise resort hotels along its beaches. Slightly more expensive and polluted than neighboring population centers, such as Arica, Iquique and its chaotic duty-free shopping zone (zona franca) have become the perfect summer holiday destination for Chilean families.

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


Which place is cheaper, Iquique or Puerto Natales?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Natales is $82, while the average daily cost in Iquique is $94. 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 Natales and Iquique in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Puerto Natales $37
    Iquique $42
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Puerto Natales $74
    Iquique $84
Compare Hotels in Puerto Natales and Iquique

Looking for a hotel in Puerto Natales or Iquique? 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 Natales


Hotels in Iquique


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 Natales Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Puerto Natales $19
    Iquique $23

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Natales

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Natales:

  • From Torres del Paine Tour with Transfer: $65
  • Puerto Natales Airport Private Transfer: $18

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Iquique

Also for Iquique, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Sandboard activity in Iquique with transfer: $60

Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Natales or Iquique?

Prices for flights to both Iquique and Puerto Natales 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 Natales $27
    Iquique $33
Typical Food Prices in Puerto Natales

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


  • Cake
    $1.02
  • Dinner
    $18
  • Coke
    $1.02

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Puerto Natales $28
    Iquique $27

Tours and Activities in Puerto Natales

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

  • 2 Imperdible Tours Torres del Paine and Perito Moreno: $300
  • Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers Boat Tour and traditional lunch.: $199
  • Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers Sightseeing Cruise from Puerto Natales: $224
  • City Bike Tour in Puerto Natales: $58
  • From Torres del Paine National Park Day Tour: $80
  • Full Day Patagonia Tour from Puerto Natales: $100
  • Full Day Torres del Paine Tour: $99
  • Full Day Tour to Torres del Paine National Park: $92
  • Full day Torres del Paine Shared Tour From Puerto Natales only: $199
  • Full day tour Torres del Paine + Milodon cave: $88
  • Full-Day Hiking Tour to the Base of Paine Towers at Torres del Paine National Park: $189
  • Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park from Puerto Natales: $143

Tours and Activities in Iquique

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Iquique.

  • City tour of Iquique with navigation to the Esmeralda buoy: $50
  • Guided City Tour with Boat Trip to Esmeralda Buoy: $60
  • City Tour in Iquique: $89
  • Pintados Geoglyphs, Humberstone and Salar Crespo tour: $140

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Puerto Natales $17
    Iquique $20
Typical Alcohol Prices in Puerto Natales

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Puerto Natales:


  • Alcohol
    $12


When comparing the travel costs between Puerto Natales and Iquique, we can see that Iquique 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 Natales Expensive? and Is Iquique Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Puerto Natales or Iquique?

Iquique has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Puerto Natales. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Natales and Iquique, 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.