Which place is cheaper, Puerto Madryn or San Pedro La Laguna?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit San Pedro La Laguna or Puerto Madryn?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit San Pedro La Laguna or Puerto Madryn? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: San Pedro La Laguna or Puerto Madryn?
San Pedro La Laguna
Located in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, Lake Atitlan is a beautiful volcanic lake ringed by small towns and villages that are highly frequented by backpackers. Panajachal is one of the best known of the towns, as well as the main entry point of the region, while others like San Pedro La Laguna are quieter and more off the beaten path. Lake Atitlan and its villages attract visitors for its scenic beauty, outdoor activities, and Mayan culture nearby.
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 Budget Tours to Guatemala, The Best Tours for Seniors to Guatemala, The Best 2-Week Tours in Argentina, and The Best 3-Week Tours in Argentina.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySan Pedro La Laguna $36Puerto Madryn $14
The average daily cost (per person) in San Pedro La Laguna is $36, 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 Pedro La Laguna and Puerto Madryn in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSan Pedro La Laguna $8.23Puerto Madryn $5.25
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSan Pedro La Laguna $16Puerto Madryn $11
Compare Hotels in San Pedro La Laguna and Puerto Madryn
Looking for a hotel in San Pedro La Laguna 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.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Puerto Madryn Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.San Pedro La Laguna $13Puerto Madryn $3.28
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Madryn
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Madryn:
- Trelew Airport Shuttle Transfer To Puerto Madryn : $47
- From Punta Tombo Day Trip with Hotel Transfer: $131
Is it cheaper to fly into San Pedro La Laguna or Puerto Madryn?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Madryn and San Pedro La Laguna 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
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Food Meals for one daySan Pedro La Laguna $11Puerto Madryn $5.69
Typical Food Prices in San Pedro La Laguna
For San Pedro La Laguna, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lemonade$2.06
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Cake$1.29
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Ice cream$0.39
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Hot Cocoa & Banana Bread$2.96
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Pedro La Laguna
For San Pedro La Laguna, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Guatemalan street food tour with a local bilingual guide: $40
- Temazcal sauna and dinner, cultural sharing experience: $44
- Maya Cooking Class from Panajachel: $55
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.San Pedro La Laguna $21Puerto Madryn $5.77
Typical Entertainment Prices in San Pedro La Laguna
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for San Pedro La Laguna's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Canopy Tour (for 2)$39
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Kayaking (for 2)$1.93
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Coffee Tour (for 2)$6.95
Tours and Activities in San Pedro La Laguna
For San Pedro La Laguna, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Beading Class and tour a Non-profit vocational training center a Fun cultural sharing experience: $28
- Tour a NGO non profit Vocational Training Center Amigos de Santa Cruz and explore the Mayan village: $33
- Coffee Tour in Lake Atitlán: $35
- Day of the Dead Giant Kite Festival Cultural Experience: $35
- Biking tour through the towns of Santa Catarina and San Antonio: $46
- Private Tour of Lake Atitlán by Mototaxi: $50
- 5-Hour Private Birdwatching Experience in San Juan La Laguna: $50
- Sololá Colourful Market Day Tour: $50
- Lake Atitlan Lower Mayan Trail Hiking Tour from Panajachel: $51
- Get fun with an Adventure Tour - Zip Line (Canopy): $51
- Sunrise Hike Tour on Indian's Nose Mountain: $52
- sunset tour : $55
Typical Entertainment Prices in Puerto Madryn
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Puerto Madryn are as follows:
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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
- 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 and Punta Loma Tour: $70
- From Florentino Ameghino Dam Day Tour: $194
- From Penguin Tour & Península Valdés Day Trip: $152
- From Valdes Peninsula Full-Day Tour: $130
- Full Day Peninsula Valdes Experience: $90
- Full Day Peninsula Valdes Experience - optional Whale Watching : $87
- Full Day Punta Tombo - Walking Among Penguins Experience - Madryn: $105
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySan Pedro La Laguna $5.58Puerto Madryn $3.13
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Pedro La Laguna and Puerto Madryn, we can see that San Pedro La Laguna is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Madryn much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since San Pedro La Laguna 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 Pedro La Laguna would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Pedro La Laguna 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 Pedro La Laguna Expensive? and Is Puerto Madryn Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, San Pedro La Laguna or Puerto Madryn?
Puerto Madryn has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of San Pedro La Laguna. When comparing the sizes of San Pedro La Laguna 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.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.