A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Puerto Natales vs. Saint Croix for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Puerto Natales or Saint Croix?

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 Saint Croix can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Puerto Natales or Saint Croix?

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.

Saint Croix

Sometimes all you want out of a vacation is the warmth of the sun, the sound of the waves and the taste of a cold drink. No more. No less. That's exactly what you can expect in St. Croix.

The largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Croix is a place of our leisure and relaxation. It's a bit of an expensive lifestyle for its 50,000 residents and daily visitors, but when you're living on island time, money is never a worry. There are no worries on island time.

This once volcanic island is covered in incredible beaches, stunning mountains, palm tress in the wind and historic colonial towns. While they may be a bit old and rundown, the Danish architecture still stands as a unique part of this island's legacy. Don't expect much window-shopping, though. That was not a feature incorporated in this style of architecture. If you want to know if a store is open, just step on in, but remember, shop hours are also running on island time.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Chile, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Chile.


Which place is cheaper, Saint Croix or Puerto Natales?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Natales is $84, while the average daily cost in Saint Croix is $236. 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 Saint Croix in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Puerto Natales $38
    Saint Croix $149
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Puerto Natales $76
    Saint Croix $298
Compare Hotels in Puerto Natales and Saint Croix

Looking for a hotel in Puerto Natales or Saint Croix? 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 Saint Croix


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 and Saint Croix Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Puerto Natales $19
    Saint Croix $35

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Natales

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Natales:

  • From Torres del Paine Tour with Transfer: $80
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas: $267

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Saint Croix

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Saint Croix:

  • Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX) to St.Croix - Round-Trip Transfer: $217
  • Henry E.Rohlsen Airport(STX) to St. Croix island-Arrival Transfer: $109
  • Private Transfer from St. Croix Airport to St. Croix Cruise Port : $71
  • Private Transfer from St. Croix Cruise Port to St. Croix Airport: $71
  • Private Transfer from St. Croix Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX) to St. Croix : $164
  • Private Transfer from St.Croix Cruise Port to St.Croix hotels: $49
  • Private Transfer from St.Croix hotels to St. Croix Cruise Port : $49
  • Saint Croix Airport (STX) to Saint Croix Hotels -Arrival Transfer: $109
  • St Croix Airport to St Croix Hotels Private Round Trip Transfer: $217
  • St. Croix to Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX) - Departure Transfer: $109

Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Natales or Saint Croix?

Prices for flights to both Saint Croix 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 $28
    Saint Croix $56
Typical Food Prices in Puerto Natales

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


  • Cake
    $1.05
  • Dinner
    $18
  • Coke
    $1.05

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Saint Croix

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

  • A Evening Cultural Experience Through Food Cooking Class St. Croix: $90
  • Taste of Twin City Food Tour with VI Food Tours: $129
  • C'sted Sip & Savor Mixology Class with VI Food Tours: $129

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Puerto Natales $29
    Saint Croix $58

Tours and Activities in Puerto Natales

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

  • Bus ticket to El Calafate, Argentina: $44
  • City Bike Tour in Puerto Natales: $58
  • Puerto Natales Sightseeing Bike Tour: $62
  • From Torres del Paine National Park Day Tour: $80
  • Torres del Paine Full Day Tour: $87
  • Full day tour Torres del Paine + Milodon cave: $88
  • Full-Day Torres del Paine Tour: $90
  • Full Day Tour to Torres del Paine National Park: $92
  • Full day tour Torres del Paine: $93
  • Torres del Paine Park Full-Day Tour from Puerto Natales: $95
  • Full Day Torres del Paine Tour: $99
  • Full Day Patagonia Tour from Puerto Natales: $100

Tours and Activities in Saint Croix

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Saint Croix are as follows:

  • Grange Estate History and Heritage Private Tour and Luncheon : $60
  • Private Sailing Tour of Pirate Waters and Shipwrecks: $75
  • St Croix Island Tour: $100
  • Parasail Experience in St Croix: $132
  • 30 Minute Private Jetcar Experience in Virgin Islands: $150
  • Horseback Riding Experience: $160
  • 1 Hour Private Jetcar Experience in Virgin Islands : $250

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Puerto Natales $17
    Saint Croix $27
Typical Alcohol Prices in Puerto Natales

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


  • Alcohol
    $13


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

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 Saint Croix Expensive?.