Which place is cheaper, Salta or Rio de Janeiro?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Rio de Janeiro 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 Rio de Janeiro 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: Rio de Janeiro or Salta?
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.
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 Contiki Tours to Brazil, The Best G Adventures Tours to Brazil, The Best Photography Tours in Argentina, and The Best Luxury Tours to Argentina.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRio de Janeiro $105Salta $9.62
The average daily cost (per person) in Rio de Janeiro is $105, 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 Rio de Janeiro and Salta in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRio de Janeiro $66Salta $3.47
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRio de Janeiro $132Salta $6.94
Compare Hotels in Rio de Janeiro and Salta
Looking for a hotel in Rio de Janeiro 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.
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 Salta Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Rio de Janeiro $7.97Salta $4.00
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Rio de Janeiro
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Rio de Janeiro:
-
Taxi Ride$2.93
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rio de Janeiro
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rio de Janeiro:
- Visit to Madureira Park in Rio de Janeiro with Transfer: $66
- Two Brothers Trail- one of the best views of Rio (transfer is included): $55
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer Rio de Janeiro HTL-APT (SDU): $25
- Transfer to GIG or SDU International Airport in Rio de Janeiro: $39
- Transfer service from / to Rio - Barra da Tijuca Airports: $25
- Transfer service from / to Porto Maravilha - Zona Sul: $18
- Transfer service from / to International Airport (GIG) - Zona Sul: $21
- Transfer service from / to Buzios / Arraial do Cabo / Cabo Frio: $76
- Transfer in Rio: $35
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from Rio de Janeiro City center - Airport (SDU): $19
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from Rio de Janeiro Airport (SDU) - Rio City Center: $19
- Transfer in Private Minivan from Rio de Janeiro City Center -Airport (SDU): $19
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:
- 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
- Round Trip Shared Transfer Salta Airport/Downtown Hotel: $13
- Salta Airport One-Way or Round-Trip Transfers: $20
- Salta Airport Private Transfer: $47
- One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $5.50
- Shared 1-Way or Round Trip SLA Airport Transfer: $5.50
- Train to the Clouds Experience with Transfers from Salta Hotels: $265
- Yungas : full day with gauchos - transfer inc. from Salta: $189
Is it cheaper to fly into Rio de Janeiro or Salta?
Prices for flights to both Salta 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
-
Food Meals for one dayRio de Janeiro $20Salta $3.27
Typical Food Prices in Rio de Janeiro
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rio de Janeiro:
-
Popcorn$0.59
-
Corn on the Cob$0.78
-
Hamburger$0.98
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: $46
- Barra da Tijuca Food Tour with Drinks: $72
- THE BEST FOOD TOUR: $79
- Rio Bar Food Tour with a Local: $82
- Dinner & Rio Scenarium Nightclub Admission with Transfer: $85
- 9-Recipe Boozy Brazilian Cooking Class: $85
- Rio Scenarium Entrance, Dinner, and Open Bar: $105
- Brazilian Cooking Class: $129
- Samba Show Admission & Transfer with Dinner Option: $130
- 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 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.Rio de Janeiro $22Salta $3.40
Tours and Activities in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few actual costs in Rio de Janeiro for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Favelas do Vidigal or Rocinha's experience: $49
- Ilha Grande Tour Full day - Rio de Janeiro by Rio Eco Trip: $105
- 03 - Guided Tour to the Grande Rio Academics Barracão: $120
- 1 day tour Rio de Janeiro to Christ and Cable car and much more: $97
- 14 - Guided Tour to Quadra Do Salgueiro with Samba Show: $75
- 15 - Guided Tour to Santa Marta Favela: $150
- 19 - Guided Tour to the Museum of Tomorrow and Olympic Boulevard: $90
- 2 Days in Rio: Tijuca Forest & Two Brothers Hiking Tours: $273
- 2 Hours Paradisiac Sailboat Tour in Rio de Janeiro: $273
- 2 hours Hang Gliding Paragliding Full Package experience in Rio : $171
- 20 - Guided Tour to AquaRio and Olympic Boulevard: $120
- 25 - Full Day Tour to Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande: $80
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 dayRio de Janeiro $12Salta $1.37
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 in Lapa: $29
- Rio: Pub Crawl in Lapa with Cachaça Tasting and Live Samba: $33
- Rio de Janeiro Pub Crawl (Lapa district): $35
- Petropolis Bohemia: Historic tour and visit to the Bohemian Brewery: $55
- Walking tour + Pub crawl + Samba in Lapa: $57
- Rio: Sitio Burle Marx and Cachaça Distillery Private Tour: $131
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 Rio de Janeiro and Salta, we can see that Rio de Janeiro 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 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 Salta.
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 Salta Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Rio de Janeiro or Salta?
Rio de Janeiro has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Salta. When comparing the sizes of Rio de Janeiro 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.
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.