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

Should you visit Salta or Arica?

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

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Salta and Arica can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Salta or Arica?

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.

Arica

A mixture of coastline, desert and high Andean plateau, Arica is a seaside resort town, known for its surfing beaches located at the tip of Northern Chile. Arica boasts that it is "the land of the eternal spring," but its temperate climate and beaches are not the only reason to visit this small city. Arica's tourism is still principally geared toward domestic visitors and those from southern Peru and La Paz, who flock to its beaches mid-December through February. It is very easy to spend a few days in Arica in the sand, or seeing the sights in town, at a slow pace but the city also offers plenty of fun activities and exciting day trips.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Photography Tours in Argentina, The Best Luxury Tours to Argentina, The Best 10-Day Tours in Chile, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Chile.


Which place is cheaper, Arica or Salta?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Salta is $9.77, while the average daily cost in Arica is $78. 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 Salta and Arica in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Salta $3.52
    Arica $34
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Salta $7.04
    Arica $68
Compare Hotels in Salta and Arica

Looking for a hotel in Salta or Arica? 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 Salta


Hotels in Arica


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: Salta Hotel Prices and Arica Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Salta $4.06
    Arica $17
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:

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

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Arica

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


  • Short Taxi Ride
    $2.05

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Arica

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

  • Private Transfer from Arica Hotels to Arica Cruise Port: $24
  • Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica city hotels: $22
  • Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica Hotels: $24
  • Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica Airport (ARI): $28
  • Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica Airport (ARI): $31
  • Private Transfer from Arica City hotels to Arica Cruise Port: $22
  • Private Transfer from Arica Airport (ARI) to Arica Cruise Port : $28
  • Private Transfer from Arica Airport (ARI) to Arica Cruise Port: $31
  • Arica Airport Private Transfer: $85

Is it cheaper to fly into Salta or Arica?

Prices for flights to both Arica and Salta 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
    Salta $3.32
    Arica $28
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
    $0.68
  • Coffee
    $0.14

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Salta $3.45
    Arica $19
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
    $4.21

Tours and Activities in Salta

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

  • From City Tour and San Lorenzo on a half-day tour: $18
  • Full-Day Tour to Salinas Grandes and Purmamarca From Salta: $36
  • Best of Guided City Tour: $27
  • Bungee Jumping Adrenaline Experience on Cabra Corral Dam: $99
  • Cachi Full Day Tour from Salta: $58
  • Cafayate, Vineyards and Calchaquies Valleys Tour from Salta: $57
  • Exclusive day-long private tour of Cafayate vineyards: $279
  • From Cachi and Los Cardones National Park Tour: $33
  • From City Tour of the city on a half-day ride: $18
  • From Full-Day Scenic Tour to Cachi: $33
  • From Full-Day Tour to Cafayate, Land of Wines: $33
  • From Full-Day Tour to Humahuaca, Purmamarca and Tilcara: $35

Tours and Activities in Arica

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

  • Archaeological Tour: $32
  • Archeological Sightseeing tour in Arica: $103
  • Arica Private Sightseeing Tour : $134
  • Half day Panoramic City Tour: $49
  • Private Tour to Tacna from Arica: $256

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Salta $1.39
    Arica $19
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: $124
  • Full-Day Private Calchaquí Valley & Cafayate Wine Tour from Salta: $203


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Salta and Arica, we can see that Arica 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 Arica would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Arica 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 Salta Expensive? and Is Arica Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Salta or Arica?

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