Which place is cheaper, Puerto Natales or Rio de Janeiro?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Rio de Janeiro or Puerto Natales?
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 Puerto Natales 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 Puerto Natales?
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.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to Brazil, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Rio de Janeiro, The Best Adventure Tours to Chile, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Chile.
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Rio de Janeiro Prices
Brazil PricesPuerto Natales Prices
Chile Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRio de Janeiro $120Puerto Natales $108
The average daily cost (per person) in Rio de Janeiro is $120, while the average daily cost in Puerto Natales is $108. 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 Puerto Natales in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRio de Janeiro $66Puerto Natales $39
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRio de Janeiro $132Puerto Natales $78
Compare Hotels in Rio de Janeiro and Puerto Natales
Looking for a hotel in Rio de Janeiro or Puerto Natales? 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 Puerto Natales Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Rio de Janeiro $7.93Puerto Natales $20
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$2.92
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rio de Janeiro
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rio de Janeiro:
- Airport Private Transfer - Premium Service: $65
- Airport Transfer: Airport GIG to Rio de Janeiro by Business Car: $105
- Airport Transfer: Rio de Janeiro to Airport GIG by Business Car: $105
- All-You-Can-Eat Brazilian Churrascaria in Rio de Janeiro with Transfer: $85
- Angra dos Reis Private Transfer from Rio de Janeiro: $122
- Armored Car Airport Transfer Service: $190
- Arraial do Cabo Private Transfer From Rio de Janeiro: $127
- Arraial do Cabo Shared Transfer From Rio de Janeiro: $67
- Arrival Private Transfer Rio de Janeiro Cruise Port to Zona Sul: $64
- Arrival Private Transfer from Rio GIG or SDU Airport to Paraty: $232
- Arrival Transfer Rio Santos Dumont Airport SDU to Costa do Sol: $157
- Arrival Transfer: Airport GIG to Rio de Janeiro by Business Car: $105
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Natales
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Natales:
- From Torres del Paine Tour with Transfer: $84
- Private Transfer: From Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales: $422
- Private transfer Airport x Lodging (Puerto Natales): $25
- Puerto Natales Airport Private Transfer: $42
- Base of the Paine Towers Trekking with Transfer: $150
- Fly fishing FD Tour Gear Lunch & transfer: $1,200
- Shared transfer minibus Puerto Natales (CL) to El Calafate (ARG): $134
- Transfer Puerto Natales Hotel Lago Grey Connection Navigation: $75
Is it cheaper to fly into Rio de Janeiro or Puerto Natales?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Natales 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 $35Puerto Natales $49
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$0.58
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Corn on the Cob$0.78
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Hamburger$0.97
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.
- Guided Dinner in Rio at a Restaurant of Your Choice: $70
- Rio de Janeiro Market Food Tour and Local Tasting Experience: $71
- Brazilian Breakfast Cooking Class in Rio: Bake and Blend: $75
- Rio Historic Downtown and Lapa Street Food Tour Full Meal: $80
- Rio: Copacabana Food Tour with 7 Tastings and Local Flavors: $81
- Rio de Janeiro Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $82
- Hands-On Cooking Class in Rio: Iconic Street Foods & Caipirinhas: $85
- Brazilian Churrascaria Guided Dinner in Rio with Wine Pairing: $89
- Rio Roots Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $89
- Food Tour Rio de Janeiro - The Best Typical Brazilian Dishes: $92
- Roxy Show - Brazilian Rhythms with optional Barbecue Dinner: $101
- Folklore show Ginga Tropical with Optional Dinner: $107
Typical Food Prices in Puerto Natales
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Puerto Natales:
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Cake$1.08
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Dinner$19
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Coke$1.08
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Rio de Janeiro $22Puerto Natales $30
Tours and Activities in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few actual costs in Rio de Janeiro for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Salvador Pelourinho Self-Guided Walking Tour: $4.95
- Ipanema Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $4.95
- Rio de Janeiro Urca Self-Guided Walking Tour: $4.95
- Rio de Janeiro Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.00
- Self-Guided Audio Tour-Story of Bossanova: Rhythm and soul of Rio: $6.72
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - Imperial Rio: $6.72
- Rio de Janeiro Audio Guided Walking Tour 3h00 and 24 reviews: $7.28
- A Self-Guided Black History Audio Tour of Rio de Janeiro’s Little Africa: $12
- Authentic Rocinha Favela Walking Experience with a Local Guide: $19
- Self-Guided Tour of Rio's Journey from Colonialism to Democracy: $20
- Football Tour at Maracanã Pre game with Caipirinha and Fans: $28
- Vidigal: Tour with Local Guide: $29
Tours and Activities in Puerto Natales
Here are a few actual costs in Puerto Natales for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Torres del Paine National Park Full-Day Tour: $66
- Torres del Paine Full Day Tour: $75
- Torres del Paine & Milodon Cave Day Tour: $80
- Torres del Paine Park Full-Day Tour from Puerto Natales: $83
- Full-Day Torres del Paine Tour: $88
- Torres del Paine & Milodon cave. Day tour from Puerto Natales: $88
- Torres del Paine Full Day Tour: $90
- Torres del Paine Base Full Day Trekking Tour: $90
- Full Day Tour to Torres del Paine National Park: $92
- Full day tour Torres del Paine: $95
- Base of the Towers Trekking Experience: $95
- Torres del Paine National Park Full Day Tour 2nd departure: $99
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRio de Janeiro $12Puerto Natales $18
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:
- Lapa by Night: Samba, Cachaça & The Ultimate Rio Pub Crawl: $30
- More than a Pub Crawl: An Authentic Night Experience in Rio: $40
- Petropolis City Tour with Imperial Museum and Optional Lunch & Bohemia Brewery: $47
- Rio Pub Crawl with Caipirinhas & Bar Bites: $95
- Petrópolis City and Brewery Bohemia Tour - Best of Rio's Mountains: $110
- Rio: Sitio Burle Marx and Cachaça Distillery Private Tour: $177
Typical Alcohol Prices in Puerto Natales
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Puerto Natales:
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Alcohol$13
When comparing the travel costs between Rio de Janeiro and Puerto Natales, we can see that Rio de Janeiro 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 Rio de Janeiro Expensive? and Is Puerto Natales Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Rio de Janeiro or Puerto Natales?
Rio de Janeiro has a larger population, and is about 300 times larger than the population of Puerto Natales. When comparing the sizes of Rio de Janeiro and Puerto Natales, 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.