A Travel Price Comparison for Chile San Pedro de Atacama vs. Puerto Natales for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit San Pedro de Atacama or Puerto Natales?

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

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for San Pedro de Atacama and Puerto Natales. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: San Pedro de Atacama or Puerto Natales?

San Pedro de Atacama

San Pedro de Atacama is a gateway to northern Chile. It is a good jumping off point for exploring the area's impressive landscape, most of which is included in the Los Flamencos National Reserve. It is popular with both Chilean and international tourists, and because of its popularity, it is a relatively expensive destination, with many prices comparable to what you might pay in Santiago.

Puerto Natales

Puerto Natales is a beautiful town located in the Chilean Patagonia on the Senoret Channel. The city is often used as a base camp for trips to the surrounding national parks due to their plentiful restaurant options and access to internet. Puerto Natales is also known for being the base city to the Torres del Paine National Park, which was named the 5th most beautiful place in the world by National Geographic.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Santiago, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Chile, The Best Wildlife Tours to Chile, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Chile.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto Natales or San Pedro de Atacama?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in San Pedro de Atacama is $58, while the average daily cost in Puerto Natales is $82. 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 Pedro de Atacama and Puerto Natales in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    San Pedro de Atacama $31
    Puerto Natales $37
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    San Pedro de Atacama $62
    Puerto Natales $74
Compare Hotels in San Pedro de Atacama and Puerto Natales

Looking for a hotel in San Pedro de Atacama or Puerto Natales? 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 Pedro de Atacama


Hotels in Puerto Natales


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 Pedro de Atacama Hotel Prices and Puerto Natales Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    San Pedro de Atacama $8.94
    Puerto Natales $19

Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Pedro de Atacama

Also for San Pedro de Atacama, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Atacama Airport Private Transfer: $129
  • Atacama Airport Shuttle Transfer: $38
  • Calama Airport Transfer to Atacama / Airport Lodging: $55
  • Calama Airport: Shared Transfer to/from San Pedro de Atacama: $30
  • Direct Transfer Atacama to Uyuni: $128
  • Stargazing Experience with Transfer: $40
  • Shared Departure Transfer: San Pedro de Atacama Hotels to El Loa Airport: $31
  • Shared Transfer from San Pedro de Atacama to Calama Airport: $29
  • Transfer to the Puritama Hot Springs: $60
  • Transfers to San Pedro de Acatama (shared service): $30

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Natales

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Natales:

  • Puerto Natales Airport Private Transfer: $18
  • From Torres del Paine Tour with Transfer: $65

Is it cheaper to fly into San Pedro de Atacama or Puerto Natales?

Prices for flights to both Puerto Natales and San Pedro de Atacama 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 Pedro de Atacama $14
    Puerto Natales $27
Typical Food Prices in San Pedro de Atacama

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


  • Empanadas
    $1.23
  • Lunch
    $10
  • Dinner
    $11
  • Drink
    $0.92
  • Empanada
    $5.12

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Pedro de Atacama

For San Pedro de Atacama, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Private Dinner Under the Stars: $300

Typical Food Prices in Puerto Natales

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Puerto Natales:


  • Cake
    $1.02
  • Dinner
    $18
  • Coke
    $1.02

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    San Pedro de Atacama $20
    Puerto Natales $28
Typical Entertainment Prices in San Pedro de Atacama

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for San Pedro de Atacama's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Sand Boarding
    $54

Tours and Activities in San Pedro de Atacama

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

  • Stargazing Tour with Astronomer in San Pedro de Atacama: $35
  • Astronomical Tour with Guide and Pick Up San Pedro de Atacama: $39
  • Tour to Vallecito and Magic Bus: $42
  • Tour to the Valley of the Moon San Pedro de Atacama: $42
  • Etno-Astronomical Experience: $43
  • Tour Laguna Cejar: San Pedro de Atacama: $44
  • Moon Valley Tour: $44
  • Traditional Ethnoastronomy Experience: $44
  • Guided Atacama Desert Stargazing Tour: $44
  • Tour Compartido Valle de la Luna: $44
  • Traditional Ethnoastronomy Tour in San Pedro de Atacama: $44
  • Half day Valle de la Luna, Afternoon Tour: $45

Tours and Activities in Puerto Natales

Here are a few actual costs in Puerto Natales for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • 2 Imperdible Tours Torres del Paine and Perito Moreno: $300
  • Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers Boat Tour and traditional lunch.: $199
  • Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers Sightseeing Cruise from Puerto Natales: $224
  • City Bike Tour in Puerto Natales: $58
  • From Torres del Paine National Park Day Tour: $80
  • Full Day Patagonia Tour from Puerto Natales: $100
  • Full Day Torres del Paine Tour: $99
  • Full Day Tour to Torres del Paine National Park: $92
  • Full day Torres del Paine Shared Tour From Puerto Natales only: $199
  • Full day tour Torres del Paine + Milodon cave: $88
  • Full-Day Hiking Tour to the Base of Paine Towers at Torres del Paine National Park: $189
  • Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park from Puerto Natales: $143

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    San Pedro de Atacama $4.82
    Puerto Natales $17
Typical Alcohol Prices in San Pedro de Atacama

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in San Pedro de Atacama:


  • Alcohol
    $24

Typical Alcohol Prices in Puerto Natales

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Puerto Natales:


  • Alcohol
    $12


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

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


Which is Bigger, San Pedro de Atacama or Puerto Natales?

Puerto Natales has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of San Pedro de Atacama. When comparing the sizes of San Pedro de Atacama and Puerto Natales, 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.