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

Should you visit Salta or Puerto Montt?

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 Puerto Montt can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Salta or Puerto Montt?

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.

Puerto Montt

The Lake District is a region of snow capped volcanoes, pale green lakes and endless miles of virgin and ancient forests. Found 1,016 km away from Santiago de Chile, Puerto Montt is famous for its beautiful lakes and its germanic architecture, old wooden houses and its legendary Iglesia Catedral, found on the town's main square, la Plaza de Armas. The monument, entirely built with alerce (cypress) wood, is the oldest building of the city. The capital of the Lake Region is a good starting point for many memorable excursions in the area.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Photography Tours in Argentina, The Best Luxury Tours to Argentina, The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Chile, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Chile.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto Montt 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 Puerto Montt is $87. 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 Puerto Montt in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Salta $3.52
    Puerto Montt $60
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Salta $7.04
    Puerto Montt $120
Compare Hotels in Salta and Puerto Montt

Looking for a hotel in Salta or Puerto Montt? 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 Puerto Montt


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 Puerto Montt Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Salta $4.06
    Puerto Montt $6.28
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:

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

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Montt

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Montt:

  • Transfer from Puerto Montt Airport to Puerto Varas: $50
  • Transfer from Puerto Montt Airport to Frutillar: $80
  • Transfer from Puerto Montt Airport to Castro: $300
  • Transfer Puerto Montt Airport to Castro: $277
  • Puerto Tepual Airport (PMC) to Puerto Varas - Arrival Transfer: $21
  • Puerto Montt Shuttle Transfer: $34
  • Puerto Montt El Tepual Airport (PMC) to Pucon - Arrival Transfer: $115
  • Puerto Montt Airport(PMC) to Frutillar - Arrival Private Transfer: $23
  • Puerto Montt Airport(PMC) to Frutillar - Arrival Private Transfer: $21
  • Puerto Montt Airport to Puerto Varas - RoundTrip Private Transfer: $42
  • Puerto Montt Airport Arrival Transfer to Hotel in Puerto Varas: $24
  • Puerto Montt Airport (PMC) to Puerto Varas City- Arrival Transfer: $33

Is it cheaper to fly into Salta or Puerto Montt?

Prices for flights to both Puerto Montt 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
    Puerto Montt $21
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
    Puerto Montt $13
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:

  • 4-Hour Guided Highlights City Tour: $15
  • From City Tour and San Lorenzo on a half-day tour: $18
  • From City Tour of the city on a half-day ride: $18
  • Salta City 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: $29
  • From Full-day tour to Cachi and Los Cardones National Park: $33
  • From Full-Day Tour to Cafayate, Land of Wines: $33
  • From Cachi and Los Cardones National Park Tour: $33
  • From Full-Day Scenic Tour to Cachi: $33

Tours and Activities in Puerto Montt

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Puerto Montt are as follows:

  • 6 Hours Shared Tour in Calbuco and Millennial Forest : $130
  • Alerce Andino National Park/Alerce Millenario/Cruises: $77
  • Austral / Hornopiren Road Tour: $102
  • Excursion City tour Puerto Varas / Llanquihue and Frutillar: $77
  • Frutillar & Llanquihue Private Tour from Puerto Montt: $118
  • Frutillar & Llanquihue Tour from Puerto Montt: $56
  • Frutillar Tour: $31
  • Osorno Volcano Tour+Petrohue Falls / Cruises / Spanish: $68
  • Private Day tour Petrohue Falls, Osorno Volcano & Puerto Varas: $250
  • Private Shore Excursion Tour to Puerto Montt, Puerto Varas and Frutillar: $143
  • Private Tour: Puerto Montt Sightseeing: $47
  • Private Tour: Puerto Montt, Puerto Varas and Vicente Peres Rosales National Park: $164

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Salta $1.39
    Puerto Montt $4.39
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 Puerto Montt, we can see that Puerto Montt 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 Puerto Montt would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Puerto Montt 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 Puerto Montt Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Salta or Puerto Montt?

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