Which place is cheaper, Puerto Madryn or Quepos?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Quepos or Puerto Madryn?
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 Quepos and Puerto Madryn can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Quepos or Puerto Madryn?
Quepos
Quepos is both a district and the capital of Aguirre canton in the Puntareanas Province of Costa Rica. The town is quite small, and the district has a population of about 22,000 people. Quepos is a popular tourist destination in Costa Rica due to its close proximity to Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific Coast. The town's economy is centered around tourism and there is no shortage of bars and restaurants in the area. The town also has a lively nightlife for such a small community.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to Costa Rica, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Costa Rica, 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 dayQuepos $117Puerto Madryn $14
The average daily cost (per person) in Quepos is $117, while the average daily cost in Puerto Madryn is $14. 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 Quepos and Puerto Madryn in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personQuepos $77Puerto Madryn $5.25
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomQuepos $154Puerto Madryn $11
Compare Hotels in Quepos and Puerto Madryn
Looking for a hotel in Quepos or Puerto Madryn? 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: Quepos Hotel Prices and Puerto Madryn Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Quepos $9.56Puerto Madryn $3.28
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Quepos
Also for Quepos, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shuttle Transfer from Manuel Antonio to San Jose: $60
- Private Transfer from Quepos Cruise Port to San Jose City Hotels: $91
- Private Transfer From San Jose Airport To Manuel Antonio Beach: $125
- One-Way Private Transfer from Uvita to Quepos - Manuel Antonio: $140
- Private Transfer from Manuel Antonio to Nauyaca Waterfalls (Round Trip): $199
- Transfer from Manuel Antonio to SJO Airport and surroundings : $209
- Private transfer from SJ Airport to Manuel Antonio and vice versa: $230
- Manuel Antonio & Quepos one way transfer to SJO hotels - Airport up to 5 people.: $274
- One-Way Private Transfer from Quepos - Manuel Antonio to Monteverde: $276
- Private Transfer - San Jose Airport & Manuel Antonio/Quepos : $300
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
Is it cheaper to fly into Quepos or Puerto Madryn?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Madryn and Quepos 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 dayQuepos $30Puerto Madryn $5.69
Typical Food Prices in Quepos
For Quepos, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch$15
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Seafood Dinner (for 1)$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Quepos
For Quepos, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Night Jungle Tour with Dinner (Rainmaker Park): $59
- 3 Hour Cooking Class and Medical Plants Garden: $77
- Cooking Class & Medicinal Plants Garden Manuel Antonio: $77
- Night Mangrove Safari Boat Tour with Dinner | Manuel Antonio: $79
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Quepos $17Puerto Madryn $5.77
Tours and Activities in Quepos
For Quepos, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Beach Day Experience in Manuel Antonio: $20
- Manuel Antonio National Park tour : $27
- Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tour: $28
- Manuel Antonio National Park Tour: $28
- Manuel Antonio Park Tour and its Amazing Wildlife and Beaches: $30
- Manuel Antonio National Park Group Guided Tour: $30
- Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tour: $30
- Guided Tour in Manuel Antonio National Park!: $35
- Manuel Antonio Jungle Night Tour with pick up included: $39
- Guided hiking Tour by the Mystic Ebano Rainforest in Costa Rica: $40
- Manuel Antonio: Manuel Antonio National Park Tour: $45
- Manuel Antonio Park Nature Guided Tour: $45
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
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayQuepos $15Puerto Madryn $3.13
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Quepos and Puerto Madryn, we can see that Quepos is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Madryn much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Quepos is in Central America and Puerto Madryn is in South America, 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 Quepos would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Quepos 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 Quepos Expensive? and Is Puerto Madryn Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Quepos or Puerto Madryn?
Puerto Madryn has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Quepos. When comparing the sizes of Quepos and Puerto Madryn, 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 Quepos or Puerto Madryn?
Puerto Madryn has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Quepos experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Quepos or Puerto Madryn in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Quepos as well as Puerto Madryn. Quepos attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
Quepos is a little warmer than Puerto Madryn in the summer. The daily temperature in Quepos averages around 28°C (82°F) in July, and Puerto Madryn fluctuates around 22°C (71°F)in January.
Quepos receives a lot of rain in the summer. Quepos usually gets more rain in July than Puerto Madrynin January. Quepos gets 164 mm (6.5 in) of rain, while Puerto Madryn receives 11 mm (0.4 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures July and JanuaryQuepos 28°C (82°F)Puerto Madryn 22°C (71°F)
Should I visit Quepos or Puerto Madryn in the Autumn?
Both Puerto Madryn and Quepos are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Quepos throughout the year.
In the autumn, Quepos is much warmer than Puerto Madryn. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Quepos in October average around 27°C (81°F), and Puerto Madryn averages at about 14°C (58°F)in April.
It's quite rainy in Quepos. In October, Quepos usually receives more rain than Puerto Madrynin April. Quepos gets 254 mm (10 in) of rain, while Puerto Madryn receives 14 mm (0.6 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures October and AprilQuepos 27°C (81°F)Puerto Madryn 14°C (58°F)
Should I visit Quepos or Puerto Madryn in the Winter?
Both Puerto Madryn and Quepos during the winter are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Quepos because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In January, Quepos is generally much warmer than Puerto Madrynin July. Daily temperatures in Quepos average around 27°C (81°F), and Puerto Madryn fluctuates around 7°C (45°F).
In Puerto Madryn, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Quepos. In the winter, Quepos often gets more sunshine than Puerto Madrynin July. Quepos gets 264 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Puerto Madryn receives 209 hours of full sun.
Quepos usually gets less rain in January than Puerto Madrynin July. Quepos gets 8 mm (0.3 in) of rain, while Puerto Madryn receives 18 mm (0.7 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures January and JulyQuepos 27°C (81°F)Puerto Madryn 7°C (45°F)
Should I visit Quepos or Puerto Madryn in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Quepos and Puerto Madryn. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Quepos year-round.
Quepos is much warmer than Puerto Madryn in the spring. The daily temperature in Quepos averages around 29°C (85°F) in April, and Puerto Madryn fluctuates around 14°C (58°F)in October.
In April, Quepos usually receives more rain than Puerto Madrynin October. Quepos gets 28 mm (1.1 in) of rain, while Puerto Madryn receives 20 mm (0.8 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures April and OctoberQuepos 29°C (85°F)Puerto Madryn 14°C (58°F)
Typical Weather for Puerto Madryn and Quepos
| Quepos | Puerto Madryn | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 27°C (81°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) | 22°C (71°F) | 11 mm (0.4 in) |
| Feb | 28°C (83°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) | 21°C (69°F) | 18 mm (0.7 in) |
| Mar | 29°C (84°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 20 mm (0.8 in) |
| Apr | 29°C (85°F) | 28 mm (1.1 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
| May | 29°C (83°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) | 10°C (51°F) | 17 mm (0.7 in) |
| Jun | 28°C (82°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) | 7°C (45°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
| Jul | 28°C (82°F) | 164 mm (6.5 in) | 7°C (45°F) | 18 mm (0.7 in) |
| Aug | 26°C (79°F) | 289 mm (11.4 in) | 9°C (48°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Sep | 28°C (82°F) | 328 mm (12.9 in) | 11°C (53°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Oct | 27°C (81°F) | 254 mm (10 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 20 mm (0.8 in) |
| Nov | 27°C (81°F) | 121 mm (4.8 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
| Dec | 27°C (81°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 12 mm (0.5 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.