A Travel Price Comparison for Argentina San Miguel de Tucuman vs. Puerto Madryn for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit San Miguel de Tucuman or Puerto Madryn?

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 San Miguel de Tucuman and Puerto Madryn can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: San Miguel de Tucuman or Puerto Madryn?

San Miguel de Tucuman

The capital of the Tucuman Province in Argentina, San Miguel de Tucuman is the largest city in the country's northwest. The city is probably most well known as the sight where the Declaration of Independence from Spain took place on July 9, 1816. The location of this event, a colonial-style house called "Casa Historica" or "Casita de Tucuman", remains an important landmark in the city.

Puerto Madryn

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 Photography Tours in Argentina, The Best Luxury Tours to Argentina, The Best Budget Tours to Argentina, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Argentina.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto Madryn or San Miguel de Tucuman?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in San Miguel de Tucuman is $11, 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 Miguel de Tucuman and Puerto Madryn in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    San Miguel de Tucuman $4.92
    Puerto Madryn $5.33
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    San Miguel de Tucuman $9.84
    Puerto Madryn $11
Compare Hotels in San Miguel de Tucuman and Puerto Madryn

Looking for a hotel in San Miguel de Tucuman 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.

Hotels in San Miguel de Tucuman


Hotels in Puerto Madryn


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: San Miguel de Tucuman Hotel Prices and Puerto Madryn Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    San Miguel de Tucuman $3.12
    Puerto Madryn $3.33
Typical Local Transportation Prices in San Miguel de Tucuman

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in San Miguel de Tucuman:


  • Taxi Ride
    $0.01

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Madryn

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Madryn:

  • Trelew Airport Shuttle Transfer To Puerto Madryn : $36
  • From Punta Tombo Day Trip with Hotel Transfer: $92

Is it cheaper to fly into San Miguel de Tucuman or Puerto Madryn?

Prices for flights to both Puerto Madryn and San Miguel de Tucuman 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
    San Miguel de Tucuman $4.07
    Puerto Madryn $5.78
Typical Food Prices in San Miguel de Tucuman

For San Miguel de Tucuman, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Sandwich
    $0.01

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    San Miguel de Tucuman $3.35
    Puerto Madryn $5.86

Tours and Activities in San Miguel de Tucuman

For San Miguel de Tucuman, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Entrance ticket to Aerial Park, Zip Line and Palestra: $27
  • Yungas Half-Day Tour from Tucuman: $51
  • Tafi del Valle Half-Day Tour from Tucuman: $68
  • Rio Hondo Hot Springs Full Day Tour from Tucuman: $82
  • Discover Tafí del Valle and Quilmes Ruins in a Day Tour: $82

Typical Entertainment Prices in Puerto Madryn

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Puerto Madryn are as follows:


  • Whale Watching for Two
    $0.35

Tours and Activities in Puerto Madryn

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

  • 4 x 4 experience around Puerto Madryn: $100
  • City Tour and Sea Lions at Punta Loma from Puerto Madryn: $75
  • Cruise Shore Excursion Ea San Lorenzo Peninsula Valdes - Patagonia - Argentina: $229
  • Cruise Shore Excursion Peninsula Valdes - Pto Madryn - Patagonia - Argentina: $119
  • Cruise Shore Excursion Punta Tombo - Tickets included - Puerto Madryn Patagonia: $129
  • Excursion to Punta Loma and Puerto Madryn for Cruisers: $60
  • From City Tour and Punta Loma Tour: $70
  • From Penguin Tour & Península Valdés Day Trip: $153
  • From Valdes Peninsula Full-Day Tour: $203
  • Full Day Peninsula Valdes Experience: $90
  • Full Day Peninsula Valdes Experience - optional Whale Watching : $87
  • Full Day Punta Tombo - Walking Among Penguins Experience - Madryn: $87

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    San Miguel de Tucuman $2.10
    Puerto Madryn $3.18


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Miguel de Tucuman and Puerto Madryn, we can see that Puerto Madryn is more expensive. And not only is San Miguel de Tucuman much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to San Miguel de Tucuman would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Miguel de Tucuman 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 Madryn would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Puerto Madryn than you might in San Miguel de Tucuman.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is San Miguel de Tucuman Expensive? and Is Puerto Madryn Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, San Miguel de Tucuman or Puerto Madryn?

San Miguel de Tucuman has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Puerto Madryn. When comparing the sizes of San Miguel de Tucuman 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.