A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Recife vs. Salta for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Recife or Salta?

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

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Recife and Salta 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: Recife or Salta?

Recife

One of the largest cities on Brazil's northeast coast, Recife is also the capital of the state of Pernambuco. The city gets its name from the Portuguese word for "reef," as it was built around a landscape of natural reef beaches. Many people visit to enjoy these beaches, experience the culture, and explore the history of this important Brazilian city.

Salta

Located in the heart of the famous Northwest region of Argentina, at 1200m of elevation and at the foot of the Cerro San Bernardo, Salta is the largest city of the region and perhaps the most beautiful colonial city of Argentina. Founded in 1582 by the Spanish, Salta was an important stop for merchants who followed the usual trade road through Bolivia and Peru. Argentines call this city nestled in the foothills of the Andes and surrounded by mountains, of just over half a million inhabitants, Salta La Linda (Salta the Beautiful) and it's easy to see why. Young and traditional at the same time, Salta and its renowned museums, plaza side cafes and live musica folklorica of its bustling penas, is a sophisticated and lively city day and night.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Jungle Trekking Tours in Brazil, The Best Luxury Tours to Brazil, The Best Photography Tours in Argentina, and The Best Luxury Tours to Argentina.


Which place is cheaper, Salta or Recife?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Recife is $166, while the average daily cost in Salta is $9.62. 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 Recife and Salta in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Recife $88
    Salta $3.47
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Recife $176
    Salta $6.94
Compare Hotels in Recife and Salta

Looking for a hotel in Recife or Salta? 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 Recife


Hotels in Salta


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: Recife Hotel Prices and Salta Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Recife $8.47
    Salta $4.00

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Recife

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Recife:

  • Shared Transfer from Recife to Cabo de Santo Agostinho: $33
  • Airport to Porto de Galinhas Transfer: $65
  • Airport to Maragogi Hotels Private Transfer: $85
  • Recife Boat Tour with Transfers: $72
  • Private Transfer from Recife to Tamandare Beach: $114
  • Private Transfer from Recife to Serrambi Beach: $101
  • Private Transfer from Recife to Olinda: $46
  • Private Transfer from Recife to Carneiros Beach: $114
  • Private Transfer from Olinda to Recife (REC) Airport: $46
  • Private Transfer from Igarassu to Recife (REC) Airport : $101
  • Instituto Ricardo Brennand with transfers from Recife: $41
  • Departure Transfer from Olinda to Recife Airport: $100

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Salta

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


  • Taxi Ride
    $0.01

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Salta

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

  • Shared 1-Way or Round Trip SLA Airport Transfer: $5.50
  • One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $5.50
  • Round Trip Shared Transfer Salta Airport/Downtown Hotel: $13
  • Salta Airport One-Way or Round-Trip Transfers: $20
  • Salta Airport Private Transfer: $47
  • From Cafayate and Hornocal 2-Day Tour with Transfer: $88
  • From Salinas and Hornocal 2-Day Tour with Transfer: $99
  • Full Day Tour Cafayate + Humahuaca + Transfer in/out: $169
  • Yungas : full day with gauchos - transfer inc. from Salta: $189
  • Train to the Clouds Experience with Transfers from Salta Hotels: $265

Is it cheaper to fly into Recife or Salta?

Prices for flights to both Salta and Recife 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
    Recife $70
    Salta $3.27

Typical Food Prices in Salta

For Salta, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Emplanadas
    $0.01
  • Ice Cream
    $0.01
  • Lunch
    $0.67
  • Coffee
    $0.14

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Recife $11
    Salta $3.40

Tours and Activities in Recife

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

  • City Tour Recife with Catamaran included: $150
  • Colonial North Coast beaches - Full-Day Tour: $35
  • Olinda City Tour and Instituto Ricardo Brennand: $94
  • Olinda Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.83
  • Recife (Historic Centre) Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour: $7.66
  • City Tour Recife & Olinda: $27

Typical Entertainment Prices in Salta

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Salta's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Gondola Ride
    $0.02
  • Pool
    $0.06
  • Wine and Cheese night
    $4.15

Tours and Activities in Salta

For Salta, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 4-Hour Guided Highlights City Tour: $15
  • From City Tour of the city on a half-day ride: $18
  • Salta City Half Day Tour: $20
  • From City Tour and San Lorenzo on a half-day tour: $20
  • Andes Mountain Half or Full Day Trekking Tour: $22
  • Best of Guided City Tour: $27
  • Guided Half-Day City Tour with Cathedral and Museum: $27
  • Half-Day City Tour of Salta: $27
  • From Full-day tour to Cachi and Los Cardones National Park: $30
  • From Full-Day Tour to Cafayate, Land of Wines: $30
  • Full-Day Tour Cafayate Calchaqui Valleys with Wine: $32
  • From Full-Day Scenic Tour to Cachi: $33

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Recife -
    Salta $1.37

Typical Alcohol Prices in Salta

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


  • Beer
    $0.01
  • Alcohol
    $0.35

Sample the Local Flavors in Salta

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Salta:

  • From Cafayate Day Trip with Wine Tasting: $30
  • Full-day Cafayate, Lerma Valley, and Wine Tasting from Salta: $30
  • From Full-Day Tour to Cafayate with Wine Tasting: $33
  • Half Day Wine Tasting in Salta: $122
  • Full-Day Private Calchaquí Valley & Cafayate Wine Tour from Salta: $200


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

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


Which is Bigger, Recife or Salta?

Recife has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Salta. When comparing the sizes of Recife and Salta, 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.