Which place is cheaper, Puerto Madryn or San Jose?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
If you're trying to decide where to visit between San Jose or Puerto Madryn, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
San Jose is the capital city of Costa Rica and is likely to be your first and last stop in a visit to the country. The city is situated in the Central Valley and is surrounded by beautiful mountains and valleys, making for a beautiful flight in. The city has an elevation of 1200 meters and sits on a plateau with a beautiful backdrop of lush green forest. Half of the people in Costa Rica reside in the country's capital city. You are likely to stay only a day or two, but there are a handful of things to do and see including museums and markets. You will also find many embassies, as well as the University of Costa Rica in San Jose.
Puerto Madryn is mostly known as the gateway to Peninsula Valdes, welcoming tourists who come for whale watching. The Peninsula Valdes is a nature reserve designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site; 97 km long and 63 km wide, it is connected to the continent by an isthmus of 35 km from which we can see both gulfs, San Jose at north and the Nuevo at south.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica, The Best Tours for Seniors to Costa Rica, The Best 2-Week Tours in Argentina, and The Best 3-Week Tours in Argentina.
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in San Jose is $90, while the average daily cost in Puerto Madryn is $14. 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 San Jose and Puerto Madryn in more detail.
Looking for a hotel in San Jose or Puerto Madryn? 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.
Some typical examples of transportation costs in San Jose are as follows:
Also for San Jose, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Madryn:
Prices for flights to both Puerto Madryn and San Jose 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.
For San Jose, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
For San Jose, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Puerto Madryn are as follows:
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Puerto Madryn are as follows:
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in San Jose:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Jose and Puerto Madryn, we can see that San Jose is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Madryn much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since San Jose is in Central America and Puerto Madryn is in South America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Puerto Madryn would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Madryn 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 San Jose would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Jose than you might in Puerto Madryn.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is San Jose Expensive? and Is Puerto Madryn Expensive?.
San Jose has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Puerto Madryn. When comparing the sizes of San Jose and Puerto Madryn, 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.
Puerto Madryn has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but San Jose experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
The summer brings many poeple to San Jose as well as Puerto Madryn. San Jose attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
In July, San Jose is generally a little warmer than Puerto Madrynin January. Daily temperatures in San Jose average around 28°C (82°F), and Puerto Madryn fluctuates around 22°C (71°F).
San Jose receives a lot of rain in the summer. San Jose usually gets more rain in July than Puerto Madrynin January. San Jose gets 164 mm (6.5 in) of rain, while Puerto Madryn receives 11 mm (0.4 in) of rain this time of the year.
Both Puerto Madryn and San Jose are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to San Jose throughout the year.
San Jose is much warmer than Puerto Madryn in the autumn. The daily temperature in San Jose averages around 27°C (81°F) in October, and Puerto Madryn fluctuates around 14°C (58°F)in April.
It's quite rainy in San Jose. In October, San Jose usually receives more rain than Puerto Madrynin April. San Jose gets 254 mm (10 in) of rain, while Puerto Madryn receives 14 mm (0.6 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
Both Puerto Madryn and San Jose during the winter are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to San Jose because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In the winter, San Jose is much warmer than Puerto Madryn. Typically, the winter temperatures in San Jose in January average around 27°C (81°F), and Puerto Madryn averages at about 7°C (45°F)in July.
In Puerto Madryn, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in San Jose. In the winter, San Jose often gets more sunshine than Puerto Madrynin July. San Jose gets 264 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Puerto Madryn receives 209 hours of full sun.
San Jose usually gets less rain in January than Puerto Madrynin July. San Jose gets 8 mm (0.3 in) of rain, while Puerto Madryn receives 18 mm (0.7 in) of rain this time of the year.
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both San Jose and Puerto Madryn. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to San Jose year-round.
In April, San Jose is generally much warmer than Puerto Madrynin October. Daily temperatures in San Jose average around 29°C (85°F), and Puerto Madryn fluctuates around 14°C (58°F).
In April, San Jose usually receives more rain than Puerto Madrynin October. San Jose gets 28 mm (1.1 in) of rain, while Puerto Madryn receives 20 mm (0.8 in) of rain each month for the spring.
San Jose | Puerto Madryn | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
Jan | 27°C (81°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) | 22°C (71°F) | 11 mm (0.4 in) |
Feb | 28°C (83°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) | 21°C (69°F) | 18 mm (0.7 in) |
Mar | 29°C (84°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 20 mm (0.8 in) |
Apr | 29°C (85°F) | 28 mm (1.1 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
May | 29°C (83°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) | 10°C (51°F) | 17 mm (0.7 in) |
Jun | 28°C (82°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) | 7°C (45°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
Jul | 28°C (82°F) | 164 mm (6.5 in) | 7°C (45°F) | 18 mm (0.7 in) |
Aug | 26°C (79°F) | 289 mm (11.4 in) | 9°C (48°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
Sep | 28°C (82°F) | 328 mm (12.9 in) | 11°C (53°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
Oct | 27°C (81°F) | 254 mm (10 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 20 mm (0.8 in) |
Nov | 27°C (81°F) | 121 mm (4.8 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
Dec | 27°C (81°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 12 mm (0.5 in) |