Which place is cheaper, San Carlos de Bariloche 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 San Carlos de Bariloche?
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 San Carlos de Bariloche 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 San Carlos de Bariloche?
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.
San Carlos de Bariloche
Set in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Argentina, San Carlos de Bariloche is the biggest city in the Lake District. Bariloche is popular for skiing and snowboarding in the winter and trekking, swimming, fishing and horseback riding in the summertime.
No matter the time of year, there is something for everyone in Bariloche. Skiing season begins from June to October while fishing season is from November to April. Summer is from December to March, but visiting during low seasons (Spring in October to December and Autumn in late-April to mid-June) also has its benefits when it comes to saving cash and avoiding crowds.
Check out our ultimate guide to Hiking in Patagonia.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Jungle Trekking Tours in Brazil, The Best Luxury Tours to Brazil, The Best Eco Tours in Argentina, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Argentina.
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Rio de Janeiro Prices
Brazil PricesSan Carlos de Bariloche Prices
Argentina Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRio de Janeiro $118San Carlos de Bariloche $83
The average daily cost (per person) in Rio de Janeiro is $118, while the average daily cost in San Carlos de Bariloche is $83. 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 San Carlos de Bariloche in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRio de Janeiro $65San Carlos de Bariloche $68
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRio de Janeiro $130San Carlos de Bariloche $136
Compare Hotels in Rio de Janeiro and San Carlos de Bariloche
Looking for a hotel in Rio de Janeiro or San Carlos de Bariloche? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Rio de Janeiro $7.83San Carlos de Bariloche $2.68
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$2.88
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rio de Janeiro
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rio de Janeiro:
- GIG Airport Private Transfer to/from City Center: $14
- Private Transfer from Rio de Janeiro Airport (SDU): $16
- Private Transfer to Rio de Janeiro Airport (SDU): $16
- Transfer from Santos Dumont Airport to Zona Sul Rio: $27
- Private Transfer Economic GIG / SDU up to 4 pax to South Zone: $27
- Rio Airport to Hotel Shared Transfer: $27
- Transfer: Galeão Airport(GIG) to Rio de Janeiro City: $28
- Transfer from Rio de Janeiro Galeao International Airport: $31
- Roundtrip Private Transfer Rio de Janeiro Airport (SDU): $31
- Private One Way Airport Transfer Rio to Galeao Airport: $35
- Roundtrip Private Transfer Rio de Janeiro Airport (GIG): $35
- Private Departure Transfer from Rio de Janeiro cruise port to RIOgaleão Airport: $35
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Carlos de Bariloche
Some specific examples of transportation prices in San Carlos de Bariloche:
- Airport Transfer - Llao Llao Hotel: $98
- BARILOCHE: PRIVATE TRANSFER FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE CITY CENTER: $145
- Bariloche Airport Arrival Private Transfer: $73
- Bariloche Airport Arrival Shuttle Transfer: $29
- Bariloche Airport BRC to Cerro Catedral RoundTrip Transfer: $160
- Bariloche Airport Departure Shuttle Transfer: $28
- Bariloche Airport Round-Trip Shared Shuttle Transfer: $50
- Bariloche Airport(BRC) to Cerro Catedral-Arrival Private Transfer: $80
- Bariloche: 1-Way or Round-Trip BRC Airport Transfer: $19
- Bariloche: BRC Airport Private Transfer to/from City Center: $14
- Bariloche: BRC Airport Private Transfer to/from City Center: $19
- Bariloche: Snow Day at Piedras Blancas Winter Park+Transfer: $180
Is it cheaper to fly into Rio de Janeiro or San Carlos de Bariloche?
Prices for flights to both San Carlos de Bariloche 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 $34San Carlos de Bariloche $5.92
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$0.77
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Hamburger$0.96
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.
- Rio de Janeiro Market Food Tour and Local Tasting Experience: $69
- Guided Dinner in Rio at a Restaurant of Your Choice: $70
- Rio de Janeiro Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $79
- Rio: Copacabana Food Tour with 7 Tastings and Local Flavors: $81
- Roxy Dinner Show: That Embrace Show: $81
- Hands-On Cooking Class in Rio: Iconic Street Foods & Caipirinhas: $85
- Rio Roots Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $89
- Food Tour Rio de Janeiro - The Best Typical Brazilian Dishes: $92
- Cooking Class in Rio with 9 Recipes & Unlimited Caipirinhas: $95
- Roxy Show - Brazilian Rhythms with optional Barbecue Dinner: $105
- Ginga Tropical Folklore Show with Optional Dinner and Transfers: $107
- Brazilian Dinner Show: Cultural Experience in Rio de Janeiro: $115
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Carlos de Bariloche
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in San Carlos de Bariloche.
- Bariloche: TRE Experience – “Three-Course Dinner. Catena Zapata”: $135
- Bariloche: El Mallín. Dinner with Tango Show: $185
- Bariloche: Winter Night – Evening Activities in the Snow with Dinner and Show: $275
- Bariloche Nordic Night: Quad Bike Ride and Dinner on Cerro Otto: $410
- Bariloche: Snowmobile Ride with 4-Course Dinner: $425
- Bariloche: Snow Adventure and 4-Course Dinner: $425
- Bariloche: Evening Snowmobile Ride with Dinner at La Cueva Catedral: $428
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Rio de Janeiro $21San Carlos de Bariloche $32
Tours and Activities in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few actual costs in Rio de Janeiro for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Discover A Guided Tour: $1.12
- Ipanema Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $5.11
- Rio de Janeiro Urca Self-Guided Walking Tour: $5.12
- Salvador Pelourinho Self-Guided Walking Tour: $5.12
- Self Guided Podcast Tour The Soul of Rio: $5.47
- Rio de Janeiro Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.00
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - Imperial Rio: $6.72
- Self-Guided Audio Tour-Story of Bossanova: Rhythm and soul of Rio: $6.72
- Rio de Janeiro Audio Guided Walking Tour 3h00 and 24 reviews: $7.48
- A Self-Guided Black History Audio Tour of Rio de Janeiro’s Little Africa: $12
- Electric Bike Tour: $16
- Authentic Rocinha Favela Walking Experience with a Local Guide: $20
Tours and Activities in San Carlos de Bariloche
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for San Carlos de Bariloche are as follows:
- Podcast Tour The Hidden Indigenous Heart: $5.48
- Bariloche: Play Soccer With Locals – Recreational Soccer Experience: $30
- Circuito Chico Sightseeing Tour with Local Guide: $36
- Bariloche: Circuito Chico, Iconic Views of Bariloche in One Tour: $40
- Indigenous People of Patagonia History Tour: $41
- Bariloche: German Immigration and History Walking Tour: $41
- Adventure motorcycle and snow on Otto Hill: $42
- Bariloche: Circuito Chico Bike Rental Adventure: $42
- Bariloche: Guided Tour of Cerro Catedral: $43
- Bariloche: Circuito Chico with Tour Guide: $56
- Bariloche Chocolate Sightseeing Tour: Patagonian Flavors Walking Tour: $60
- Bariloche: Lake Gutierrez Guided Kayaking Tour with Pickup: $60
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRio de Janeiro $12San Carlos de Bariloche $8.49
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
- 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: $182
Sample the Local Flavors in San Carlos de Bariloche
Also in San Carlos de Bariloche, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Bariloche: Patagonian Experience wine tasting: $95
- Bariloche: Wine Tasting Winehouse Experience: $110
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Rio de Janeiro and San Carlos de Bariloche, we can see that Rio de Janeiro is more expensive. And not only is San Carlos de Bariloche much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to San Carlos de Bariloche would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Carlos de Bariloche 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 San Carlos de Bariloche.
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 San Carlos de Bariloche Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Rio de Janeiro or San Carlos de Bariloche?
Rio de Janeiro has a larger population, and is about 60 times larger than the population of San Carlos de Bariloche. When comparing the sizes of Rio de Janeiro and San Carlos de Bariloche, 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.