Which place is cheaper, Lake Titicaca (Puno) or Rio de Janeiro?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Rio de Janeiro or Lake Titicaca (Puno)?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Rio de Janeiro and Lake Titicaca (Puno) 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: Rio de Janeiro or Lake Titicaca (Puno)?
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is the most popular travel destination in Brazil. It is the second largest city in Brazil and the sixth largest in the Americas. A portion of the city has been designated a World Heritage Site. It's also famous for Carnival, it's gorgeous beaches, and world-famous landmarks. Rio's appeal as a travel destination is apparent year round due to the great weather and plenty of fun activities. The city has a wonderful natural harbor that is surrounded by Sugar Loaf Mountain, Corcovado Peak, and the hills of Tijuca, creating an absolutely breathtaking and awe-inspiring setting.
Lake Titicaca (Puno)
Lake Titicaca, which directly translates to "puma stone" in Quechua, is located high in the Andes Mountains straddling Peru and Bolivia, with about 60% of the lake in Peru and 40% in Bolivia. Among the lake are three main islands, the most popular of which are the Uros Islands, also known as the floating islands, where the Uros people live on totora reeds that grow in the lake.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Brazil, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Brazil, The Best G Adventures Tours to Peru, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Lima.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRio de Janeiro $99Lake Titicaca (Puno) $54
The average daily cost (per person) in Rio de Janeiro is $99, while the average daily cost in Lake Titicaca (Puno) is $54. 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 Rio de Janeiro and Lake Titicaca (Puno) in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRio de Janeiro $62Lake Titicaca (Puno) $25
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRio de Janeiro $124Lake Titicaca (Puno) $50
Compare Hotels in Rio de Janeiro and Lake Titicaca (Puno)
Looking for a hotel in Rio de Janeiro or Lake Titicaca (Puno)? 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: Rio de Janeiro Hotel Prices and Lake Titicaca (Puno) Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Rio de Janeiro $7.47Lake Titicaca (Puno) $10
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Rio de Janeiro
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Rio de Janeiro:
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Taxi Ride$2.75
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rio de Janeiro
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rio de Janeiro:
- Rio Galeão Airport (GIG): Shuttle Transfer to/from Hotels: $14
- Rio Santos Dumont (SDU): Shuttle Transfer to/from Hotels: $14
- Transfer in Private Minivan from Rio de Janeiro City Center -Airport (SDU): $15
- Transfer service from / to Porto Maravilha - Zona Sul: $17
- Transfer service from / to International Airport (GIG) - Zona Sul: $20
- One Way Shared Transfer from Airport to hotels in Rio de Janeiro: $20
- Shared Transfer From Rio De Janeiro Airport to Hotels: $20
- Private Transfer: Rio de Janeiro to Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont Airport (SDU): $22
- Executive GIG Rio Galeao airport private transfer up to 3 pax to South Zone: $22
- Shuttle Transfer to/from Búzios: $22
- Shared Transfer From or To Airport: $23
- Transfer service from / to Rio - Barra da Tijuca Airports: $24
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Lake Titicaca (Puno)
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Lake Titicaca (Puno):
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Taxi$0.79
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lake Titicaca (Puno)
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lake Titicaca (Puno):
- Juliaca Airport Private Transfer to/from Puno city: $44
- Private Transfer From Puno to Arequipa with English Speaking Driver: $266
- Private Transfer From Puno to Chivay, English Speaking Driver: $212
- Private Transfer From Puno to Oruro With a Stop in Lake Titicaca: $290
- Private Transfer From Puno to Oruro with English Speaking Driver: $245
- Private Transfer from Puerto de Puno to Hotel Puno: $21
- Private Transfer from Puno to Desaguadero: $196
- Private Transfer from Puno to Frontera Kasani: $205
- Private transfer airport-puno-viceverse: $60
- Puno Airport Shared Transfer: $20
- Puno Arrival Transfer from bus or railway Station: $14
Is it cheaper to fly into Rio de Janeiro or Lake Titicaca (Puno)?
Prices for flights to both Lake Titicaca (Puno) and Rio de Janeiro 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 dayRio de Janeiro $19Lake Titicaca (Puno) $15
Typical Food Prices in Rio de Janeiro
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rio de Janeiro:
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Popcorn$0.55
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Corn on the Cob$0.73
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Hamburger$0.92
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rio de Janeiro
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rio de Janeiro.
- Waterfront Dinner & Live Music Experience: $50
- Rio Bar Food Tour with a Local: $61
- Barra da Tijuca Food Tour with Drinks: $66
- Rio's Walking Food Tour: $77
- THE BEST FOOD TOUR: $81
- Food Tour Experience in Rio de Janeiro - Private Tour: $86
- On the Beach Seafood BBQ Cooking Class: $105
- Rio Scenarium Entrance, Dinner, and Open Bar: $115
- Brazilian Cooking Class: $129
- Brazilian Cooking Class in Copacabana with Hotel Pickup: $140
- Rio: Ginga Tropical Folkloric Show & Optional Dinner: $142
- Samba Show Ginga Tropical with Optional Dinner : $143
Typical Food Prices in Lake Titicaca (Puno)
Some typical examples of dining costs in Lake Titicaca (Puno) are as follows:
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Tamales$1.45
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Rio de Janeiro $20Lake Titicaca (Puno) $29
Tours and Activities in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few actual costs in Rio de Janeiro for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - Santa Teresa: the staircase: $6.99
- Rio de Janeiro (Urca) Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour: $7.88
- Rio de Janeiro (Ipanema & Copacabana) Self-Guided Tour: $7.88
- Rio de Janeiro(Ipanema-Copacabana)Scavenger Hunt Self-Guided Tour: $8.06
- Salvador Sights Self Guided Tour (Pelourinho): $8.06
- Rio de Janeiro (Urca) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $8.06
- Rio de Janeiro Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- Rio Experience: Caipirinha Workshop (2 Caipis) + Funk Class: $9.29
- Favela tour in copacabana with local guide!: $9.29
- A Self-Guided Black History Audio Tour of Rio de Janeiro’s Little Africa: $9.99
- Self-Guided Audio Tour-Story of Bossanova: Rhythm and soul of Rio: $10
- Rio de Janeiro Ferris Wheel Ticket - Yup Star: $11
Tours and Activities in Lake Titicaca (Puno)
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Lake Titicaca (Puno) are as follows:
- Half Day Tour to Sillustani from Puno : $22
- Morning: Uros Floating Islands Tour from Puno: $25
- Lake Titicaca Uros Floating Islands Half-Day Tour: $25
- Walking City tour Puno: $26
- 4h Tour to Sillustani Inca Ruins: $26
- Sillustani Tombs Half Day Tour from Puno: $28
- Half Day Tour in Sillustani: $29
- Half Day Tour to Chullpas de Sillustani From Puno: $35
- 3h Boat Tour to Uros Island from Puno: $36
- One-day tour of the Uros and Taquile Islands of Lake Titicaca: $40
- Tour to Uros and Taquile Islands in a Fast Boat: $40
- Full Day Guided Tour of the Aymara Route from Puno: $40
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRio de Janeiro $11Lake Titicaca (Puno) $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Rio de Janeiro:
- Pub Crawl Lapa: $23
- Rio: Pub Crawl in Lapa with Cachaça Tasting and Live Samba: $23
- Rio: Lapa Pub Crawl with Live Samba, Shots, & Drinking Game: $24
- Walking tour + Pub crawl + Samba in Lapa: $33
- Rio de Janeiro Pub Crawl (Lapa district): $40
- Brazilian Wine Tasting Evening: $110
- Rio: Sitio Burle Marx and Cachaça Distillery Private Tour: $119
- Rio: Sitio Burle Marx and Cachaça Distillery Private Tour: $125
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Rio de Janeiro and Lake Titicaca (Puno), we can see that Rio de Janeiro is more expensive. And not only is Lake Titicaca (Puno) much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Lake Titicaca (Puno) would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Lake Titicaca (Puno) 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 Rio de Janeiro would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Rio de Janeiro than you might in Lake Titicaca (Puno).
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Rio de Janeiro Expensive? and Is Lake Titicaca (Puno) Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Rio de Janeiro or Lake Titicaca (Puno)?
Rio de Janeiro has a larger population, and is about 50 times larger than the population of Lake Titicaca (Puno). When comparing the sizes of Rio de Janeiro and Lake Titicaca (Puno), 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.
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.